The crushing pain in her stomach intensified, and Adriana clenched her fists tightly. Her hands were slick with sweat.“What is it?” she asked, her voice strained.Calvin exhaled a puff of smoke, his demeanor casual. “Even though you won the lawsuit and earned fifty thousand dollars in legal fees, you also got into an accident and nearly lost your life. Don’t you want to know who’s behind it?”“The police are still investigating…” Adriana paused, suddenly suspicious. “Did you investigate me?”“Of course. You’re my legal counselor, so I had to evaluate your business abilities. I didn’t expect you to be a lawyer who lacks basic common sense,” he said, his tone sharp. “I really don’t know how you managed to get your bar license twice.”“I…” Adriana was momentarily at a loss for words.Calvin extinguished his cigarette on the lid of a nearby trash can and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to meet someone.”Thinking it was a work-related matter, Adriana didn’t ask too many questions and got i
Sitting in the car, Adriana felt a chill running down her spine. The scene of the dagger chopping off the man’s hand replayed in her mind like a movie.This man is too dangerous! His work was so clean that even if he killed a hundred people, no one would find out. What’s more, even if he wanted to do something, he didn’t even need to do it himself.Just like in the past.“Calvin, Carl said something wrong! Why didn’t you point him?”“What?”Adriana pointed at herself, saying, “He said that I am your wife! But I am not your wife anymore! We are already divorced!”Calvin looked at her coldly, “What’s the difference between what I have used, before and after?”For a while, Adriana didn’t know what to say, so she shut up! Calvin also didn’t say anything else.“Where are you going before?”Suddenly, the man sitting in the driver's seat spoke. His voice was low and mellow, like soothing music.“Huh?”“I asked, where are you going so late?”Only then did Adriana remember that she was going t
Calvin looked at the advertisement expressionlessly.The sales girl took out two boxes and settled the bill together, “It’s a new model and very popular!”Calvin didn’t refuse and said, “Help me make a cup of ginger tea, thank you!”Adriana went to the bathroom to do the aftermath. When she looked at her pants, she frowned. It was ruined completely. Then, Calvin’s car would be also ruined, right?’Adriana's face darkened as she stood outside the car, feeling embarrassed to get in. “Well, I will take a taxi, you can go by yourself!”Calvin rolled down the passenger seat window and sneered coldly, “After dirtying mine car, you also want to dirty others.”Adriana wanted to laugh, but she couldn’t. He is worthy of the title of King of Hell. His words were always cold and ruthless.As soon as Adriana got in the car, Calvin handed her a cup of hot ginger tea, “Drink it!”Adriana looked at him suspiciously, thinking, ‘Where did he get it?’“What? You don’t want to drink? Then throw it away!
Adriana looked at him calmly and said, “In that case, please go ahead. I am not going to invite you in. Please excuse me.”Calvin said coldly, “Adriana, you have changed a lot.”Hearing his sarcastic remarks, she smiled back, “Really? By the way, you also have changed a lot. After all, with your temper before, I am afraid Carl’s brother-in-law would not have just lost an arm.”Calvin smiled coldly, looking at Adriana without blinking. He just opened his mouth slightly, showing his porcelain white teeth.Objectively speaking, Adriana is very beautiful. She had smooth white skin and with perfect and exquisite figure.The number had times Calvin had intimate contact with her body was not much, but he still remembered her dazzling body.However, it was a pity that her heart was even more poisonous than a snake and scorpion.Thinking about the betrayal she did to him, Calvin clenched his fists tightly and his face was filled with the coldness.“What? Are you feeling bad for him?”Adriana w
“Adriana?”The maid recognized her and greeted her.Looking at the person in front of her, Adriana breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Maria, long time no see!”Maria is a woman in her fifties. She is George’s nanny, in charge of his food and living. Maria is a clean and tidy lady. Even after so many years, she hadn’t changed much. She is still as gentle as before.Maria is the only person who treats Adriana well in this house.Maria looked around before taking a few steps forward. “Have you had a good time these past few years? Why did you lose so much weight?”Adriana and Calvin’s divorce was unknown to the outside world. Even the maids of the house didn’t know about it. They had inadvertently learned about it from their master’s conversation a few months later. Then things about the netting of the family and the sweeping of their reputations came to their ears one after the other.Other people discussed privately that Adriana was kicked out of her house, some say that the Clarke
Only when George stopped scolding, Calvin opened his mouth, “Grandpa!”The servant who had been scolded like an amnesty, stood at the door holding the tea tray. Looking at Calvin, he greeted, “President!”Seeing Adriana behind Calvin, he was dumbfounded.‘How did the president bring Adriana back?’George also didn’t expect to see Adriana again in this life. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Adriana coldly, “Outsiders are not welcome here?”Hearing this, Adriana was overjoyed. She couldn’t wait to go away.However, before she could move, Calvin pulled her wrist and said, “I am the one who asked her to come here.”George sat on the sofa angrily. His body was surrounded with a murderous aura, “Do you think you have a lot of money and asked her to spend for you? But let me tell you, even if you have a mountain of gold and silver, some people are still able to empty them!”Hearing his words, Adriana's ears turned red, feeling uncomfortable in her heart. Her eyes sank downward.Calvin said
“What do you mean by this?”“It’s simple, feelings will disappear, but assets can be always there. If she wants to marry into our Walker family, first I have to see how much money Karl can afford to put down. If we get married, Walker's family can give them the resources they can’t even imagine. So, I also want to know what can I get from them. To put it bluntly, I have what he has, and I also have what he doesn’t have. So, it is him who needs to flatter me, not me!”George appreciates Calvin’s wisdom and strategy, so he is the most valued among his many descendants. However, when he used this wisdom against him, he didn’t like it.Calvin added, “Anna's looks are also normal and she didn’t look like a fairy. I also don’t need their wealth to lead the Grand Empire as it had been already in the top for a hundred years and I don’t think anyone would be able to shake it. So, in this deal, no matter how you look, I am at a loss.”Adriana listened from the sideline and her outlook was const
“You… Shut up!” Naturally, George wouldn’t question his grandson in front of outsiders, so the one in the wrong could only be Adriana.“Have you forgotten how many benefits your family received from the Walker family? Even if you work for your lifetime, you still can’t repay them! And do you think you deserve to say that you owe us nothing!”Adriana laughed bitterly, “Good, good, very good! After being held back for so many years, you finally said it out! What, are you feeling bad?”At this moment, Adriana wanted to say that, what my family had taken from your family, I will return a single penny!But she knew that she didn’t have the strength to do so. Even if her father, brother, and everyone in our family sell their bones and meet to compensate, it will not be enough.“The day we got divorced, we made it clear that from now on there is no longer any relationship between us and we will not interfere in each other lives. If it weren’t for your grandson forcing me to be his lawyer, le
Cold fronts, as sharp as blades, cut through the thick night, and beneath the moonlight, the man’s eyes were colder than steel.His face was clear and emotionless, revealing neither joy nor anger. Yet, the plummeting temperature around him silently warned that he was in no good mood.Adriana was momentarily stunned.How did Calvin end up here? she thought.Was he one of the guests tonight? No, if the head of Grand Empire had been invited, the news would have spread like wildfire at the law firm.Was it just a coincidence?True, this place was home to many powerful tycoons, and the environment was beautiful. But in the middle of the night, Calvin hardly seemed like someone who would be out for a leisurely stroll.Before she could think further, a firm grip wrapped around her arm.With ease, Calvin pulled her out of Carson’s hold, yanking her back. Yet, it wasn’t just an act of pulling her away—his own bod
At the end of the awards ceremony, Adriana held a delicate crystal trophy in her hands. “Aidan, thank you!”Aidan, looking like an old father marrying off his daughter, was on the verge of tears, his emotions overflowing. “You… you! Why pretend to be clueless when you were so well prepared?”Adriana tilted her head and pouted. “I wanted to surprise you too!”Aidan let out a defeated sigh. “Fine, fine. Whatever you say. You always have an excuse.”Mona’s starry eyes practically sparkled with admiration. “Master, I now officially announce that you and Lawyer Clarke are tied for first place!”Adriana playfully tapped the bridge of Mona’s nose. “Didn’t you say that Mark wasn’t a good person, that he was too calculating?”Mona cupped her small hands around her cheeks, blinking mischievously. “Well… when it comes to his promotion, a
Yes, she could call herself his lover, but in truth, she was nothing more than a convenient, long-term bed companion. She had never truly entered Carson’s heart.Carson had made this painfully clear early on: “If you’re with me, I’ll give you whatever you want. But don’t expect me to be single-minded, and don’t even think about marrying into the Collen family.”Despite this, Jessica wasn’t willing to give up. She believed that with enough time, effort, and deeper feelings, she could eventually win Carson over and become irreplaceable.She had been careful and patient, biding her time and putting in painstaking effort. She thought she was finally close to achieving her goal…Snap!Jessica dropped her wine glass in frustration, her hand trembling uncontrollably.“Adriana’s heart is too deep,” she muttered bitterly. “She acts like she’s above everything, like she doesn’t fight for anything. But in reality, she’s secretly taking it all!”Selena gritted her teeth and cast a sharp glance to
“Miss Clarke, hello again!” Carson greeted her at just the right moment. From the moment he entered the room, his eyes had been drawn to Adriana. Under the soft glow of the lamp, she exuded a natural, effortless beauty—bright, clear, and striking without the need for embellishments.His use of the word again subtly shifted the lively atmosphere into something more tense, almost unsettling.Jessica, already irritated by the earlier exchanges, immediately leaned closer to Carson, holding onto his arm with deliberate possessiveness. “You two know each other?” she asked, her tone laced with suspicion.Adriana, wary of Carson’s potential for mischief, was about to answer when he spoke first. “Yes, we met briefly in the United Kingdom. Miss Clarke left a deep impression—her professor, Johnson, is quite the legend in financial litigation.”Adriana, determined to keep the conversation light, took a step closer to Mona and replied casually, “Lawyer Carson has such a remarkable memory. If you h
Adriana was in the United Kingdom for university when she began following her professor to participate in financial litigation cases. At the time, she wasn’t qualified to take the lawyer’s seat and could only observe the battles unfold in court.Her mentor was a renowned legal scholar from Cornell and an authentic Brit. Though he ultimately won the case, the process was fraught with difficulty, as the opposing lawyer, Carson, was both cunning and resourceful.Carson was a master tactician with ample connections and a flair for theatrics in the courtroom. Like a performance artist, he stirred emotions to gain the jury’s sympathy. If not for the strong evidence in the mentor’s favor, even he might have lost to Carson’s skillful maneuvers.After the case concluded, Carson approached Professor Johnson.“Hello, Professor Johnson. I’ve admired your reputation for quite some time. It’s an honor to finally compete with you on the same field. Your defense was extraordinary. I truly admire it!”
Smiling slightly, Adriana said, “Is there something wrong?”She distanced herself from the drama in the office—if the fight didn’t concern her, she wouldn’t get involved. With matters unrelated to her, she chose indifference; when they did involve her, she handled them without argument. She believed in keeping her own integrity intact, knowing that saying less was often more effective.But not speaking didn’t mean she was unaware.Selena, known as “Jessica’s best friend,” approached her with an air of faux friendliness that felt more like a veiled provocation.“Tonight, Lawyer Clarke is the main character. I hear the reunion is just a pretense—the main event is presenting you with an award. Didn’t you earn half a million dollars for winning the Grand Empire lawsuit last time? That’s the biggest payout our firm has ever seen.”The sour tone in Selena’s voice barely masked her envy. Adriana replied calmly, “Then I must thank Lawyer Jessica for organizing such a grand occasion. I’m truly
Adriana was like his discarded, shoddy shoes—once thrown away, and now, just a passerby. So why was he so drawn to her again? Why did it hurt so much?Was he crazy?Just then, Calvin’s phone rang. He picked it up with a dark expression. “Speak!”On the other end, Henry, sounding cheerful as always, said, “Whoa, why so fiery? I didn’t provoke you. Still brooding over that thing from this morning?”“Cut the crap and bring a medical kit over here,” Calvin snapped.Henry’s voice shot up in mock alarm. “What? Self-harm? Did you cut your wrist?”“If you keep talking nonsense, believe it or not, I’ll come over and deal with you myself.”Henry wisely decided to stop teasing but couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “Alright, alright. Where are you? At home?”“Building eight, top floor!”Henry, always eager for excitement, arrived in no time, carrying a medical kit, a few bottles of beer, and some snacks. It was clear he wasn’t just here to help but also to enjoy the drama.As soon as he stepped in, he
After living there for only a month and gradually adding things one after another, Adriana now found herself leaving with just a suitcase and two punching bags stuffed to the brim. The light winds of parting tugged at her heart. “Let’s go,” she said calmly.Aidan felt sorry for her. “What’s wrong with the house? The type, the floor, the decoration—it didn’t cost two or three billion a month, right? Calvin’s been mooching off you for years. If there’s free wool to grab, why not grab it?”Adriana patted him on the shoulder, her voice steady. “Aidan, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”Compared to the spacious luxury of the Green Wick apartment, the one-bedroom house seemed extraordinarily cramped and narrow. Aidan’s heart ached for her, and he couldn’t hold back his words. “Didn’t you take over Calvin’s case? Technically, you’re still his party B, aren’t you? Why move out?”Adriana carefully arranged her personal belongings and gestured for Aidan to help her set the quilt cover. The
"From whom?" Adriana asked."There’s a little card on it, but it doesn’t have a name or any contact information. So, Lawyer Clarke, see for yourself!"The receptionist's gossipy eyes could have written to the sixteenth episode of her Korean drama, but there wasn’t the faintest ripple in Adriana’s heart.The large bouquet contained roughly ninety-nine flowers—a standard number meant to convey a particular meaning. Yet it didn’t meet any of Adriana’s expectations.The card's generic stationery, provided by the florist, had only one line written on it: “The weather is nice.”Just four words.Outside the window, the sunlight spilled like shattered silver, illuminating the glossy leaves of the sycamore tree. The turquoise-blue sky was dotted with a few white clouds. It wasn’t yet summer, just the twilight of the spring season, with the daylight lingering sweetly. It really was, as the card said, a nice day.Adriana thought for a while, trying to figure out who could have sent the flowers.