As Patrick drove towards the Pansy Group, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of tonight's engagement party and the surprise he had prepared for Jane. A faint smile played on his lips as he tightly gripped the steering wheel with his well-defined hands.
Suddenly, a woman in a white dress appeared in front of him, running frantically across the road and heading straight towards Patrick's car. He slammed on the brakes but still collided with her.
Patrick got out of the car to check on her and recognized her as Candice, a singer at Allure Bar where he had heard her perform before. She seemed familiar to him but couldn't quite place where he knew her from.
Candice grabbed onto Patrick's leg in panic and begged for help as two large men approached them. One of them tore open Candice's dress revealing a plum blossom-shaped birthmark on her shoulder that caught Patrick's attention.
He stared at it intently, feeling an overwhelming sense of familiarity wash over him. The birthmark reminded him of someone from his past - Candy - who used to call him Paddy.
Could this be Candy? The memories flooded back into his mind like waves crashing against rocks, leaving him confused and disoriented.
Candice looked up at Patrick with tears in her eyes and asked if he was Paddy. It was then that everything clicked into place for Patrick; this fragile girl standing before him really was Candy after all these years!
"Stinky bitch, it's your good fortune that Mr. Morris is interested in you. So many women want to line up for his bed, and you're getting a bargain!" The stubble-faced man forcefully pulled Candice and slapped her across the face. "Hurry up and come with me!"
Candice covered her face with her hands, trembling all over, seeking help from Patrick. "Paddy, save me! Please save me!!"
Candice's words echoed in Patrick's ears.
Back then when Candy fell off the cliff, the last thing she said was "Paddy, save me! Please save me!!"
Patrick didn't hesitate anymore. He coldly scanned the two men and asked: "What do you want to do?"
His powerful aura immediately weakened the aggressive men as they replied: "This woman owes our boss money; it's only right that she pays back what she owes."
Patrick took out a checkbook and wrote down some numbers before throwing it at the stubble-faced man. His thin lips lifted slightly as he uttered one word: "Leave!"
The stubble-faced man's eyes lit up when he saw how much was written on the check; he quickly picked it up from the ground saying: "We'll leave now."
"Paddy, thank you." Candice held onto Patrick's hand while looking into his eyes filled with complex emotions of reunion after a long separation - happiness mixed with shock.
There were so many things she wanted to say but didn't know where to start.
As Candice touched his hand which felt cold like ice cubes on her fingertips, Patrick squinted his eyes while asking in an almost imperceptible tone: "Are you really Candy?"
"Yes," Candice nodded without hesitation.
She was Candy!
She finally found him!
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