My Mirror Image

Chapter 0282
Sonia glanced at Alex nervously and said, “Lex, your mother arrived unexpectedly this morning. You weren’t here, and I was at a
loss. I think I might have upset her.”
As she spoke, she looked up, trying to read Alex’s reaction. For the first time, she sensed a daunting presence around him and
instinctively stepped back.
Alex’s face was stoic. The somber mood that had enveloped him during Helen’s visit didn’t lift but appeared to intensify.
Candice nodded at Sawyer and then departed. With her extensive experience, she realized that it was unwise to engage with
Alex while he was in such a mood. Representing Burning Star Studio, she couldn’t risk leaving things on a sour note with Alex.
Once Candice was gone, Sonia gazed pitifully at Alex. She asked Alex in a soft tone, “Lex, are you upset?”
i
Sawyer couldn’t just stand aside. He interjected, “Mr. Elysian just got back from a demanding negotiation and needs rest. Ms.
Summers, maybe it’s best to let Mr. Elysian rest.”
Sonia’s face changed slightly. Her eyes became misty as she implored, “Should I not have sought answers from Burning Star
Studio? They’re responsible for your injury, isn’t that right? Or is it because—”
Her voice faltered into a soft cry, pressing on, “You can’t let go of Candice, so you don’t want to confront them?”
Alex looked down at her silently.
Under his intense and dark stare, which felt like an endless abyss, Sonia shivered and was overwhelmed with a profound
coldness.
In the following moment, the iciness in Alex’s gaze vanished completely. In a low, emotionless tone, he advised, “Let Sawyer
manage external affairs. It’s hot outside. You should stay inside the office.”
Sonia was taken aback. She swiftly understood Alex’s meaning and tightened her fists.
Alex was essentially urging her not to interfere with the Burning Star Studio situation. Clearly, he had done this for Candice.

Her gaze to
fell. She couldn’t help but recall Xavier’s revelations about Candice and Alex’s history.
Disturbed by these thoughts, Sonia’s attention was drawn away from her distress when a text
1/4 =
message appeared on her phone. After reading it, she bit her lip and stepped out to make a call.
Sawyer went upstairs and followed Alex back to his office. He hesitated to broach a subject.
Impatient, Alex prompted, “Go ahead and speak if you have something to say.”
Sawyer hesitated for a bit before saying, “I wanted to talk about this when we got back. This morning, Ms. Summers called me,
offering assistance with the Burning Star Studio construction
site. I wasn’t expecting her to suggest ending the contract. I learned of this only when Hanley
mentioned it, and he seems dissatisfied with the situation.”
Unknown to Sonia but evident to Sawyer, Aether Corporation couldn’t just sever ties with Burning Star Studio due to the
involvement of Blue Artifact and the government. Terminating the partnership would reflect poorly on everyone connected to the
project.
Furthermore, and maybe most crucially, Burning Star Studio’s prowess in Dorrington was top- notch. Finding a replacement
might not ensure the same level of quality.

The money Aether Corporation had invested could very well be wasted. Nobody liked to watch their investments go down the
drain.
The moniker of Burning Star Studio alone carried significant weight and allure.
“Is Hanley displeased?” Alex queried with a hint of detachment. “How is that my concern?”
Sawyer remained silent for a brief moment, then added, “My point is, Ms. Summers might not fully understand the complexities
here. I fear she might create more issues at Burning Star Studio.”
Alex paused before responding in a flat tone, “Aren’t you capable of handling such minor matters?”
Sawyer, touching his nose, admitted, “I was hesitant to upset her.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed as he peered at Sawyer.
Feeling the intensity, Sawyer quickly affirmed, “Understood.”
After departing Aether Corporation, Candice arrived back at the villa.
Both Nadia and Yana were there. There, Nadia and Yana shared the complete story about Shaun
with her.
Shaun came from a humble background. He never got along with his coworkers and typically stayed to himself. He could not
accept his dismissal. Therefore, Shaun considered apologizing to Alex in the hopes of being able to return to Burning Star
Studios.

Reflecting on the situation, Nadia remarked, “Shaun is not a bad person. Maybe the boss was too quick to fire him.”
She turned to Candice for her thoughts.
Before Candice could reply. Yana chimed in with a smile and said. “You just said it yourself. Shaun was cutting corners to save
cost and time. It wasn’t his first time, but this incident involved Alex. What if it had been someone else who got hurt next time?”
As she leisurely peeled an orange, Yana continued, “Moreover, old habits die hard. Why should
Hanley Jeopardize the studio’s reputation for one person’s mistakes?”
After finishing her orange. Yana suggested, “Let’s go out for lunch. A friend opened a new place
that’s quite good.”
Candice was still preoccupied. She replied, “I need to finish some work first.”
They agreed to wait until Candice was done in the afternoon to have lunch.
Upon arriving at the busy restaurant, they unexpectedly spotted Sonia and Xavier. What drew their
attention was the bouquet of flowers in Xavier’s hand.
Yana quipped, raising an eyebrow, “Looks like we’ve walked into something interesting.”
Candice gave them a brief glance before diverting her attention, indifferent to any potential
relationship between the two, as she wasn’t particularly close to either.
Nadia, on the other hand, discreetly snapped a photo of them on her phone.
Yana asked with a frown, “What are you doing?”
With a sly grin, Nadia responded, “Just keeping a memento.”
After Sonia and Xavier made their way to their private booth, Sonia peered outside with a
,concerned expression, as if sensing that she had been observed.

Noticing her action, he asked kindly, “Is something troubling you?”
Sonia considered being honest but opted not to seem overly paranoid. She dismissed it with a
shake of her head, saying, “It’s nothing. I just feel a bit embarrassed that you’re taking me out to
lunch.”
Xavier was well–groomed and presented a refined appearance. He offered the bouquet to Sonia, explaining. “You mentioned you
were upset because of a disagreement with your boyfriend. I came across these flowers and thought they might cheer you up.”
The gesture surprised Sonia. She unintentionally blurted out, “He never gave me flowers.”
“What was that?” Xavier queried, pretending not to hear clearly.
+15 BONOS
Quickly hiding her moment of vulnerability, Sonia replied, “Oh, nothing. I really appreciate these flowers. Thank you.”
Xavier returned the smile, both warm and courteous. He poured tea for Sonia with care and then Initiated a casual conversation.
He probed, “What was the dispute with your boyfriend about? If it’s okay with you, maybe you could share? As a man, I might be
able to provide a different perspective.”