?


    Ello was startled awake by a phone ringtone early in the morning. He opened his eyes to find Candice still soundly asleep in his arms.


    He swiftly reached over to silence the phone, his face souring as he glimpsed Mervyn''s name on the caller ID.


    He disconnected the call and ced the phone down. Then, he softly kissed Candice on the forehead and pulled her closer, hoping to drift back to sleep.


    Momentster, the phone rang once more, thoroughly irritating him. Carefully shifting Candice aside, he grabbed the phone and headed to the balcony to answer it.


    Mervyn''s voice was gentle as it came through the phone. "Good morning, Candice! Today-


    Elio cut him off, his tone icy. "Candice is still asleep. What do you need?


    There was a moment of silence before Mervyn''s tone became distinctly different. He asked with a deep sense of annoyance, "Why are you answering her phone?"


    "I didn''t want to answer initially, so I ended the call. But you kept ringing back, so I figured it must be urgent, or you wouldn''t be so persistent, would you?"


    "Just pass her the phone. I need to speak with her," Mervyn demanded.


    "I told you she''s not awake yet," Elio stated.


    They engaged in a silent battle through their phones.


    Mervyn''s voice tightened with anger as he cautioned, "Engaged or not you should respect her privacy and stop answering her calls."


    There''s no privacy between us," Elio replied pointedly


    Mervyn''s frustration boiled over. "Elio, don''t push me too far."


    With a tone as cool as the morning air, Ello warned, ''From now on, please keep your distance from my fiancée, maintain the boundaries of a normal friendship, and let go of any false hopes you may have about her.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    With those final words, Elio ended the call. He lingered on the balcony, phone in hand, watching the sunrise slowly ascend above the horizon. After a moment, he returned inside.


    Candice was already awake, seated on the bed, rubbing her sleepy eyes while searching for her phone. She murmured, "I remember leaving my phone on the nightstand."


    Elio approached and handed it to her. "Mervyn called twice. I didn''t want him to wake you, so I answered."


    Taking her phone with a puzzled expression, Candice asked, "Did he say what he wanted?"


    "It didn''t sound urgent. He just wanted to chat, Elio exined.


    Candice offered him an awkward smile after taking back her phone.


    "No, it''s fine. He probably didn''t have anything important," Candice replied.


    ''You should call him back, just in case there''s something urgent," Elio suggested as he headed into the walk-in closet.


    Candice noticed a hint of unhappiness in his expression. Despite hisposed demeanor and insistence that she return the call, she sensed an undercurrent of jealousy.


    After a moment''s hesitation, she dialed Mervyn''s number. His voice greeted her cheerfully as he answered, "Candice, is that you?"


    "Yes, it''s me."


    "Candice, I found a super cool restaurant. How about we check it out for dinner tonight?" Mervyn suggested.


    "Maybe another time, Mervyn," Candice replied without hesitation.


    "Are you busy?"


    "A bit."


    "What about tomorrow?


    "I''m not free then either."


    "The day after? Or maybe over the weekend-


    Candice''s voice grew stern. "Mervyn, don''t you understand? I don''t feelfortable going to dinner alone with you. It wouldn''t sit well with my fiancé."


    In a mocking tone, Mervyn retorted, "So, just because you''re engaged, you can''t have dinner with a friend? Are you a prisoner? Are you not allowed any freedom?"


    "I could join you for dinner, but I''d have to bring him along," Candice responded.