The Wrong Woman

"Who are you?" Candice asked.
The man replied respectfully, "I'm Sean Lowe, the CEO's assistant."
Candice nodded in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lowe."
"Ms. Candice, please come in," Sean said, opening the door for her.
Candice hesitated for a few seconds, wondering why they had questioned the waiter who had accidentally dirtied her evening
gown. It was such a minor incident, and even if it was intentional, it didn't really bother her.
She stepped into the office. It was spacious, bright, and elegantly decorated. In front of the window walls stood a clean,
impressive desk. The handsome man behind it, dressed in a sleek black suit, exuded charm as he worked intently.
As soon as she saw him, Candice felt inexplicably nervous, her heart pounding erratically. Taking a deep breath, she pondered
how to address him. Calling him "uncle" was out of the question. "Mr. Hoffis, you wanted to see me?" Candice approached
politely.
Elio was momentarily stunned. He barely glanced up and continued to peruse his documents without acknowledging her.
Candice's fingers fidgeted, her breathing growing more erratic. Watching his handsome profile, she nearly trembled with anxiety.
She wondered why he called her up if he was just going to ignore her. Determined not to let her thoughts run wild and become a
love fool, Candice called again, "Mr. Hoffis?"
Still, there was no reaction.
Frustrated, she said, "Mr. Hoffis, why did you call me here?"
Elio took out another document file and opened it.
Not having been ignored since she was young, Candice gritted her teeth and clenched her fist in anger. "Elio Hoffis, why exactly
did you call me up here?"
Elio, barely suppressing a smirk, pulled out a document and handed it to her. Candice hesitated, noting his reaction and the
document he handed over.
His gaze was deep and inscrutable as he watched her silently.

"What's this?" she asked, reaching out to take the document.
Candice opened the file and saw it was a permanent employment contract. She had anticipated this outcome, knowing her
cousins' influence would ensure her confirmation.
But why was Elio handling this personally? Wasn't this HR's responsibility?
Gathering her courage, Candice closed the file and said, "If my work performance is the issue, you don't have to consider my
cousin's words. I don't want to rely on connections to join ND."
In a steady voice, Elio replied, "It's not your performance. The person with issues has already left."
Candice realized he was referring to the director who had just packed up and left.
Elio picked up a pen, removed the cap, and handed it to her. "Sign it."
After a moment's hesitation,
Candice looked down at the contract. This was her dream job. She had loved designing clothes since childhood, making outfits
for her dolls, and even pursued this passion through college.
ND Group was the world's most prestigious luxury fashion brand. Being a designer at ND symbolized the pinnacle of the
designer world.
She had been selected from thousands of designers, emerging as one of the few interns. Why would she hesitate now if she had
the chance to become a permanent designer?
Taking the pen, Candice signed her name and dated the contract. Elio handed her à fingerprint pad to imprint her fingerprint. She
set down the pen, inked her finger, and pressed her fingerprint onto the document.
As she finished, Elio handed her a wet wipe. Candice was momentarily stunned, looking at him curiously.
She couldn't help but wonder if she was the first designer to sign a contract in the CEO's office. Was he this considerate with
everyone?
"Thank you," Candice said, accepting the wet wipe and quickly cleaning her hands.