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Chapter 318

Author: Hibiscus 1980
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56
At this point, Calla suddenly felt the temperature in the room rise.

She quickly forced a smile and said, "You must have a lot of free time. Don't you need to visit relatives during Christmas? Your family must be unhappy with you running around like this."

"My mom passed away a long time ago, and my dad has already started a new family. I'm all alone with no relatives to visit," Pierre immediately responded.

Hearing this, Calla realized that Pierre was a man with a past. Feeling the tension in the air, she stood up. "It's already 2:00 am. How about you take me back to my hotel now?"

Pierre sat on the couch without answering her. After a moment, he suddenly rose to his feet, walked over to Calla, and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"What are you doing?" A shiver ran down Calla's spine as she met his piercing gaze. She felt as though he could devour her with his eyes alone.

"Why are you always avoiding me?" Pierre's expression twisted in displeasure as he stared at Calla with frust
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    Pierre would beam at the door for ages that night. He was drawn to Calla's genuine nature. She was honest, headstrong, resilient, and yet, sometimes fragile. From the moment he got close to her, he was captivated.He had always resisted these feelings, partly because of Wanda and also because of Mercer. But now, none of that mattered anymore. He had mustered the courage to come to Greendale in search of her.Yet, she wasn't interested in him. But that was okay; he had plenty of time and energy to pursue her. Pierre had never failed to get what he wanted, and women were no exception.Despite knowing that the lock posed no real obstacle to a strong man, it offered her a sense of security. Afterward, Calla quickly put on her tattered clothes. Though barely intact, they were still better than the bathrobe. Then, she lay down to sleep, covering herself with the thick blanket.Perhaps due to the shock of the fight and nearly being assaulted by those two thugs, Calla tossed and turned,

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    Calla quickly grabbed her phone. She noticed that the screen was cracked, but fortunately, it was still usable.Holding the phone in her hands, Calla froze for a moment because this phone was a gift from Mercer. That day when she was in the hospital, they had argued, and he had thrown her old phone against the wall, shattering it. So he had Simon buy her this one. Thinking back, those moments seemed as vivid as ever.Snapping out of her momentary daze, Calla glanced at her phone. As expected, Piper had texted early that morning. Her stomach was feeling better so she would be back to lead the tour group for the day.The news was such a relief to Calla. At least, she had the rest of the day to herself."Let's have breakfast." Pierre smiled seeing Calla's expression return to normal. "Come sit down.""Thank you." Calla sat on the couch, her mouth watering at the sight of the delicious food."What are you waiting for? Dig in." Pierre smiled, reminding her when he saw her staring at

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    Pierre burst out laughing once more. Today, Calla was being especially humorous, cute, and endearing—making him feel at ease. He was particularly touched by the underlying strength and resilience she showed. Even in the face of adversity, she remained unwavering.Pierre paused before suggesting, "Calla, have you considered changing jobs?""Changing jobs?" Calla frowned at him, not understanding what he meant.Pierre continued, "You've obtained your CPA certificate. With that, you can find a stable and promising job. Working at the travel agency doesn't suit you and is somewhat a waste of your talents.""How do you know I got my CPA certificate? Did Natasha tell you that too?" Calla asked, eyeing Pierre."You guessed it right," Pierre admitted, spreading his hands in defeat.Hearing this, Calla muttered, "Natasha is such a blabbermouth. She's trying to please you, her boss, by telling you everything.""You're well aware, so don't blame her too much. I can ask her anything, and sh

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    Calla thought Jill and Peggy would be satisfied after beating her up. She didn't expect them to file a complaint with the tourism bureau. Floyd's voice was full of disappointment. Calla understood the consequences of being ordered by the tourism bureau to suspend operations for rectification. The duration of a business closure can vary, but even a two-week shutdown can be a significant blow to a travel agency. This meant all tour guides and employees would be out of work during this period.Calla felt a pang of guilt, regretting not controlling her emotions that day. She had caused such a big problem for her boss and the travel agency. That said, it wasn't like she could have prevented what happened last night. She was backed into a corner. No matter what she did, Jill and Peggy were going to make her life miserable.The next moment, Calla asked Floyd, "Mr. Burrows, are the tourism bureau representatives still there? I'll explain the situation to them myself.""Alright." Floyd

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    "I will have my subordinates investigate this matter right away. If it turns out that these troublemakers are filing malicious complaints without basis, our bureau will protect the travel agency. We will pursue charges against them for their intentional disruption of public order." The speaker's tone was resolute."Thank you. I'll await your response," Pierre said before hanging up.Calla listened to Pierre's phone call with wide eyes. "Do you know the director of the Greendale Tourism Bureau well?"Pierre smiled. "I once represented his relative in court. I remember winning the lawsuit for them. He insisted on treating me to a meal, which I declined. I never thought that unclaimed favor would come in handy today.""Thank you. You've helped me again." Calla looked at Pierre with gratitude."It's too early to say what the outcome will be. Don't thank me too soon," Pierre replied modestly."Regardless of the outcome, I still need to thank you. You're a top-notch lawyer with an incr

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    Soon, Pierre parked his car in front of Calla's apartment building. Calla glanced out the window, then turned to Pierre. I don't know how to express my gratitude to you this time," she said with sincerity. "I've told you, you don't need to be so polite with me," Pierre said, looking straight at her.Calla nodded, then unbuckled her seat belt. "I'm leaving now. Bye."As Calla reached out to open the car door, Pierre quickly called out, "Calla!""Yes?" Calla turned back to him, puzzled.Pierre looked down and smiled. "Won't you invite me up for a drink?"Hearing this, Calla stared at him, quickly weighing her options. Pierre was making a pass at her, but she was only a divorcee. Besides, she had no interest in getting involved with any man again.As such, Calla smiled and politely declined. "Honestly, my place is quite a mess. It's really inconvenient for me to invite a man upstairs.""I see." Pierre nodded, seeming to understand.Right when Calla was ready to leave the car,

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    Pierre's words struck a chord with Calla. Although it was a modest space, she had devoted countless hours decorating it. Every nook and cranny was a reflection of her personality.Looking at the tidy home, Calla smiled and said, "Those who wander yearn for the warmth of a home. Alone in Greendale, I can only make my little space as cozy as possible. It helps me not miss home so much."She was putting on a brave face, but she was homesick being here alone. However, she didn't intend on returning to Riverford anytime soon. She had used the excuse of her company sending her for a year-long study program to convince her mother.With no family or friends here, Calla felt very lonely outside of work.Yet, the new environment meant she spent less time overthinking. This was a stark contrast to her days in Riverford.Gradually, she grew to like it here. Though not as bustling as Riverford, the air was fresh, the local snacks were tasty, and the rent was cheap.Pierre looked at Calla, the

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    "Why? Is it because I'm Mercer's cousin? That's not fair to me, and you know that." Pierre's countenance grew stern.Calla felt the onslaught of a headache coming. She had been so unlucky in love these past few years. It felt like every guy she met was nothing but trouble."I don't understand why you don't get it. Look, I'm not looking for anything right now. I don't have any feelings for you. Mr. Garland, if there's nothing urgent, I'm feeling quite worn out and would like some rest. Please see yourself out!" Calla suddenly regretted letting Pierre come in. Still, it was good to clear things up once and for all so that he'd give up.Calla's dismissal left Pierre rooted to the spot. It was a struggle to make himself move, but being the gentleman he was, he forced himself toward the door.Calla crossed her arms over her chest, not looking at him. She was hoping he would leave as soon as possible. She didn't want to be involved with any man anymore.When Pierre reached the door, h

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    At this moment, Mercer clenched his fists. Even with his resolute nature, his eyes seemed misty."This is where I feel most sorry toward you and Clover. Clover is my daughter too. Of course, I wanted her to come into this world healthy. But I couldn't let Casper disappear from this world either."His condition worsened so severely at that time. I was afraid he wouldn't make it to your due date, so I had to take drastic measures..." Mercer struck his fist hard against the wall.Seeing the despondent and remorseful Mercer before her, Calla felt a twinge of compassion, but she still couldn't accept all his explanations.Glancing at the reports in front of her, Calla placed her hand on her cheek. She could feel her fingers trembling.Suddenly, she looked up and asked, "You kept searching for me in Greendale to get me pregnant so you could use the baby's umbilical cord blood to save Casper?"From the timeline Mercer had explained, Casper's condition must have been severe by then.Cal

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    Mercer smiled bitterly. "I knew that you wouldn't believe me, so I prepared a copy of Casper's medical reports. You can take a look." He pulled out several thick envelopes and set them on the coffee table. Calla frowned upon seeing those envelopes which were all an inch thick. She opened one of them and flipped through the documents inside, frowning as she read. The envelope held reports of Casper's hospitalization in both the city and state hospitals, spanning two years, starting from when Casper was a year old. They were records of Casper's illness and his recovery process.Calla couldn't help thinking about his adorable, chubby face, and she felt her heart clench. She wondered how Casper had managed to triumph over his illness after two years. She couldn't even fathom how painful and difficult the process must have been.Suddenly, Calla noticed something in Casper's surgery reports—a note about how a newborn baby's umbilical cord blood was miraculously compatible with Casper.

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    "My heart is already in pieces because of you. So what if I hit, cursed, or even stabbed you now? What's the point of doing all that? I beg this of you, Mercer, please let me live my life quietly and stop bothering me!"Stop making up all these ridiculous justifications too. I'm tired—exhausted! I don't want to deal with you anymore," Calla sobbed, tears running down her face.She knew that she shouldn't have cried in front of him. It wasn't just a sign of her weakness, it might also fuel his assumption that she still cared for him. However, she couldn't control it. Whenever she thought of the suffering she'd gone through in the past couple of years, tears ran uncontrollably down her face."I want nothing more than for you to let me tell you the truth in its entirety. I want you and Casper to not miss out on the chance to reconnect as mother and son. "I promise that I'll respect your choice once I'm done telling you everything, and I won't bother you again in the future!" Mercer l

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    Calla's eyes widened as she remembered everything that had happened in the past. She stumbled over her words as she said, "B-But we were going to get married after we were back on good terms with each other, and I'd already met Casper at that point. Why didn't you tell me about him back then?"Mercer looked at Calla meaningfully. "Do you remember when I told you, on the day we were about to get our marriage certificate, that I had a big surprise for you?"Calla thought about it, then nodded. He had indeed said that he'd prepared a big gift for her. Could the gift have been Casper?Facing Calla's doubtful look, Mercer nodded. "Yes. I wanted to tell you after we received our marriage certificates, but I didn't expect something else to happen on that day."Calla sneered. "'Something else' is a nice way of putting it. You didn't go to get the marriage certificates done with me, because you chose to hold a press conference with Sophie instead, announcing your marriage with her."When

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    Mercer's face fell. He sat on an armchair before asking Calla, "Do you dislike me that much? Are you not even willing to stay by my side for one minute?""I don't dislike you—I hate you. Also, one minute is too long—I can't even bear to stay by your side for one second!" Calla replied without hesitation.As memories—filled with love and resentment alike—flashed in Calla's mind, she felt an intense hatred for Mercer. If not for Casper, she would never have stepped inside this place again, much less take a seat across Mercer to have a conversation.Calla's words hurt Mercer. He sat there for a while with his head lowered before lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag.Calla couldn't help coughing when the acrid smell of smoke entered her nose. Realizing that he'd made her cough, Mercer quickly stubbed the cigarette in his ashtray. Calla didn't want to waste any more time with him. She asked impatiently, "Why did you have me come here? Who is the woman you had Casper with?"

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    Calla finished getting ready, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked over to Clover. She gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then turned to Fiona. "Fiona, I'm going out to meet a friend.""Okay," Fiona replied with a smile, then continued feeding Clover some water.Calla left the apartment and was about to press the elevator button when Pierre emerged from the opposite door."Hey, aren't you supposed to be off work today? Where are you going this early?" Pierre asked, noticing Calla was heading out."Oh, I'm meeting Alicia. She's going back to work tomorrow, so we're hanging out later," Calla replied hastily, avoiding eye contact with Pierre. She had never been good at lying."She's going to be your bridesmaid. It's only right to express our gratitude," Pierre said with a smile, walking into the elevator with Calla."Where are you meeting her? I can give you a ride," Pierre offered."We're meeting at the department store. It's not on your way, so you should get going. I'

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    Calla was initially certain that Mercer's goal was to use Casper to ruin her marriage with Pierre.But as the night wore on, Calla's doubts grew. She couldn't shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—Mercer was telling the truth. Perhaps Casper was indeed her child, the one she had given birth to all those years ago.She couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. What if her child had not died? What if he was still alive and well?As the first light of dawn crept into the room, Calla made a decision. She would go see Mercer, no matter what his motives were. She had to get to the bottom of it.Calla gazed at Clover, who was still fast asleep. She gently stroked her daughter's cheek. "Clover, don't you think it would be wonderful to have an older brother to share your toys and adventures with?Clover's chubby face didn't move. Calla's eyes lingered on her for a moment before she spoke again. "I have to get to the bottom of this no matter what the outcome is. I have to find out if Casp

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