Calla's heart raced in that instant. Worried that Mercer might have had a car accident or some other mishap on the way, she quickly left the courthouse. Calla walked along the road from the courthouse to Atlas, looking around as she went. When she reached the bottom of the building, she saw no sign of any car accidents.She let out a slight sigh of relief, thinking that it was good there had been no accident. Something urgent must have come up and caused Mercer a delay. Checking her phone, she saw it was almost noon. She had been walking in high heels for almost an hour.As her feet hurt, she found a bench for pedestrians to rest and sat down.She had a frown on her face when she looked up at the towering Atlas building, then at the bustling traffic and crowd around her.Where on earth had he gone? Why couldn't she reach him by phone? Why wasn't he responding to her messages? What could be more important than their marriage?Calla tried calling Mercer's phone countless times a
Alicia was usually straightforward. Seeing her acting so strangely, Calla grabbed her hand and asked, "What's going on? Tell me quickly!"At that moment, Calla knew that Alicia hadn't been making things up—there had to be a reason behind her words. Unable to hold back any longer despite fearing Calla would be hurt, Alicia knew she had to be honest."Take a look for yourself." Alicia sighed, opening her phone and bringing up the Atlas employee group chat.This chat room wasn't an official workgroup but was created by a high-ranking executive at Atlas to foster relationships among employees. It usually contained posts about company culture or messages to strengthen bonds between management and staff. Calla had been part of this group before she left the company and had wisely exited the group upon her departure.Filled with suspicion, Calla took the phone and saw a video. She tapped to play it. Instantly, a video of a solemnly arranged conference room appeared, with many journali
Seeing Calla sitting there like a lifeless doll, Alicia quickly grabbed her shoulders."Calla, don't be like this! I'm worried about you. Say something!"Calla blankly turned to Alicia and mumbled, "What is he doing? Just this morning, he left a message saying he was going to the courthouse to marry me. How could he change in just a few hours? Why is he doing this? What is going on?"Alicia's eyes were downcast. She remained silent for a moment before speaking. "You have to come back to your senses, Calla. Maybe we were wrong from the beginning. We thought Mercer would love you and cherish you. "We forgot who we are—we're just ordinary women from humble backgrounds. Even if he showed interest, it was probably just for fun. It was just wishful thinking when we thought he would marry you!"Her words brought Calla back to reality.Calla cried out painfully, "It's fine if he doesn't marry me or love me, but why would he deceive me?" She clenched her fists and pounded on the iron ben
On the other end, Mercer hesitated before saying, "I'm at home. You can come over."Calla could sense the distance in Mercer's voice. It made her heart throb painfully. She resolutely hung up."How did it go?" Alicia asked with concern.Calla's face was ashen. "He wants me to go to his house.""I'll go with you," Alicia offered, only for Calla to decline."I can go by myself." "No can do. I must go with you. Sophie might be there. You can't face them alone," Alicia insisted after a moment's thought.Alicia's words struck Calla again. It was true that Sophie might be at Mercer's house. As she nodded, Alicia hailed them a cab. Feeling lost, Calla got into the car with Alicia and headed to Mercer's house.With Alicia by her side, Calla arrived at Mercer's front door. Staring at the closed door, Calla felt a pang of fear. What if Sophie was inside? Her heart ached at the thought.Sensing Calla's hesitation, Alicia encouraged her. "We're here already. Let's just get this over
"And who the hell are you to us? Mark my words, the day I become the lady of this house is the day you get kicked out of Atlas!" Sophie snarled at Alicia, clearly having no positive feelings for her."Mercer must be blind to pick a bitch like you. I don't give a shit if I lose my job," Alicia shot back, jabbing a finger toward Sophie."Jasmine, get these sluts out of here!" Not knowing what else to do, Sophie commanded Jasmine loudly.Jasmine felt conflicted, but she couldn't disobey Sophie. So, she slowly approached Alicia and Calla. "Ms. Sherman, Ms. Beckett, please leave," she uttered hesitantly.Calla had tears streaming down her face as she shouted, "Mercer, if you're a man, come out here!"The next moment, the bedroom door opened. A tall figure in black trousers and a white shirt stepped out of the room.The room fell silent, and everyone held their breath. Calla's tearful eyes followed him as he walked toward her, her gaze fixed on his expressionless face.When their ey
Calla's eyes stayed locked on Mercer as she waited for his answer. Right then, Sophie suddenly smiled at Mercer. "Mercer, we'll be so happy together with Casper. Tell this woman you never loved her!"Calla ignored Sophie's words, focusing solely on Mercer's response."Hey, they're having a conversation. Why are you butting in?" Alicia snapped at Sophie."And who are you to talk? You're the one who shouldn't be interrupting," Sophie retorted."You—" Alicia began. But before she could continue, Mercer finally broke his long silence."Calla, I made the mistake that many men make. I'm sorry," he said, looking at her."What are you trying to say? What do you mean 'the mistake that many men make?'" Calla demanded, her eyes piercing into his.Mercer's gaze turned cold as he looked at Sophie beside him. "I was only ever infatuated with you, Calla. The person I truly love is Sophie. That's why I can't marry you; I can only marry Sophie. Stop coming around. Don't expect to see me again.
Mercer's gaze was deep as he looked outside the floor-to-ceiling window he stood in front of. Sophie opened the door and walked in just then. When she saw his straight back turned toward her, her eyes hardened, and she spoke coldly, "They've been gone for an hour. Even if you had hawk eyes, you wouldn't be able to see her."Mercer ignored her words, still facing away as he asked, "I've done everything you asked. Can you return Casper to me now?"Sophie smirked and walked up behind him. "Casper is fine. I'll arrange for you to meet him in a few days."Mercer's anger boiled over at those words. He turned abruptly and grabbed Sophie by the shoulders, growling, "Sophie, don't play games with me, or you'll regret it.""I'm not playing games," Sophie insisted, staring straight into Mercer's eyes without a hint of fear. "You did what I asked, but until you marry me, I can't be at ease. What if I give Casper back, and you cancel the wedding? What then?"Mercer's anger intensified, and h
Mercer had seen Sophie off at the airport last time, but it turned out she never even boarded the plane in the first place. She had stayed in Riverford all along.Realizing he had been tricked, Mercer was furious. But with Casper now in Sophie's hands, he couldn't risk doing anything rash. He had to comply with Sophie's demands. The first was to hold a press conference immediately to announce their engagement. And when Calla came looking for him, he had to tell her that he couldn't marry her because he loved Sophie.Though it broke his heart to face Calla, he had to do what Sophie instructed. He couldn't gamble with Casper's life. Calla was an adult, and he knew she was a strong woman. With Alicia by her side, she should be able to withstand this blow.All he could do now was to find Casper first. Once things settled down and he dealt with Sophie, he would go back to Calla. He would explain everything then, and Calla would forgive him.However, Mercer hadn't anticipated that So