After 4:00 o’clock, Calvin stepped out of his study and found the living room eerily still.There was no one in sight. The house was silent.The purity of the quiet annoyed him.“Adriana!” he shouted loudly.Adriana, who had been tucked away in the bedroom, was instantly disturbed. “What’s going on now?”She was sitting on the bed, surrounded by a pile of printouts. The documents contained information about the law firms Grand Empire frequently collaborated with. Spread out across half the bed, the mess was undeniable, but she didn’t seem to care.When Calvin walked in, his sharp eyes caught a few key phrases on the scattered pages.He approached and picked up one of the papers. “Are you preparing to apply or jump ship?”Adriana quickly gathered the documents and stacked them into a neat pile. “This has nothing to do with you.”Calvin’s gaze remained on her, unimpressed. “These are all law firms that Grand Empire works with regularly. This isn’t just a coincidence. Is your boss trying
Mark respected her decision and, noticing her reluctance to respond, found an excuse to inform his second uncle that it was inconvenient for her to meet today. This thoughtful gesture spared her the discomfort.One could easily tell that Mark had a good character.Calvin, however, grunted and said with a sullen expression, “Come out and make dumplings.”Adriana felt an instant headache. She really couldn’t understand why Calvin was so obsessed with cooking.Rolling up her sleeves and tying on an apron, Adriana was at a loss for words. “And?” she asked, unenthused.Calvin, standing at the sidelines, began issuing commands as he washed and chopped vegetables.“Chopping vegetables isn’t the same as chopping wood. Start over!”Adriana clenched her teeth so hard her cheeks ached. The leeks, each three centimeters long, were spread neatly across the cutting board. She made an additional cut right in the middle, then looked at him. “How about this?”Calvin, his expression serious, nodded. “C
The elevator doors slid open, and the two of them stepped inside. Seven or eight more people squeezed in behind them, packing the space to the brim.Jessica and Adriana stood shoulder to shoulder, and Jessica, glancing sideways, couldn’t help but notice that her shoulders were a few centimeters narrower than Adriana’s. The realization left her quietly annoyed.Aidan had recently been strutting around the law firm like a peacock in full display, beaming every day as if he couldn’t help but burst into song. “Lawyer Clarke is here! Everyone, give her a round of applause!”The staff clapped along, their faces full of obligatory congratulations, and the office filled with a manufactured sense of cheer.Adriana laughed awkwardly. “It’s just a small lawsuit. Director Aidan is exaggerating.”Jessica, back at her workstation, couldn’t resist a jab. “A case involving Grand Empire, and you’re still calling it a small lawsuit? Lawyer Clarke is the definition of Versailles modesty.”Mona, ever the
Laying down the gauntlet and sending out an attack, Adriana decided it was time to have a proper fight with Ray.Whenever he had an issue with her, he always took it out on her friends and never played fair.Ray, however, had other plans. As he hung up the phone, a sly smile spread across his face, his confidence ignited like a rooster ready for a duel.He had the nerve to call his bluff in a bar, but he didn’t seem to realize how much he’d aged—or how out of touch he’d become.Ray contacted the bar ahead of time, instructing the manager to clear the venue. "Something big is going down tonight," he said, "so get rid of the idle crowd."Later, he barked at his executives in the office, “You can’t even handle such a small matter. Go home and farm for all I care—I don’t need you here. Get lost!”By seven o’clock, Adriana and Snow arrived at the bar.Snow was dressed in punk style—noble, cold, and valiant. With her long legs, small waist, and a pair of sunglasses perched on her face, she
Adriana looked at Nora, her mind flashing back to that her battle with Ray in tent atop the mountain. The memory made her stomach churn. “The money may not be much, but whether or not Ray has the ability to take it—that’s another story.”Ray’s interest was clearly piqued. “Are you challenging me to a bet?”Adriana patted the stack of bills confidently. “That’s right. I’ll use this as my chips—twenty thousand per round. If you win, I’ll do whatever you want. But if you lose, the role goes to Snow.”Ray ran a finger through his hair, visibly on edge. He’d been caught off guard by Adriana before, so this time, he tread carefully. “And what exactly are we playing?”Adriana pulled out a deck of cards and tossed them onto the table. “It’s simple—three cards per person. Whoever has the higher hand wins.”Her calm posture and sharp tone completely stunned Snow.Shit! My friend is a total badass! Snow thought, barely containing her excitement.Ray unwrapped the cards and shuffled them, his mov
“Playing at your level isn’t a small trick. Come on, you first.”Ray shuffled the cards with lightning speed, cutting them in a dazzling display that completely disrupted Adriana’s prearranged setup. At that moment, she really didn’t know where to begin. With no choice, she left it to luck, picked a card at random, and placed it face down.Ray smiled, drew a card, and flipped it open immediately—a King of Hearts.Snow felt the tension radiating from Adriana and quickly realized the situation was dire. Glancing at the cards on the table, her uneasiness deepened.She whispered, “Hehe, how about we find an excuse to retreat? I’m pretty good at faking illnesses. What do you think? A heart attack?”If it were any other occasion, Adriana would’ve laughed, but not today. “He wouldn’t care, even if you pretended to be on your deathbed. Don’t panic. We’re not at the last step yet.”Snow clenched her fists, her thoughts racing. Wait, should I fake an asthma attack instead? And claim I forgot my
Adriana secretly thanked God in her heart, thinking, ‘God has treated me well.’“Ray is bullying me! He’s asking me to play cards with him! Tell me, how can I possibly match his skills?”As she spoke, Adriana pulled Snow closer and introduced her. “This is my best friend, Snow, an excellent young actress. Isn’t she pretty?”To Anaya, Adriana was the most beautiful woman in the world, and no other woman could compare. But since Snow was Adriana’s friend, Anaya nodded politely and said, “Sister Snow, hello!”Snow hadn’t expected to find such an untainted and adorable girl like Anaya in a family like the Walkers. Smiling warmly, she replied, “Hello! You’re so cute, beautiful, and witty.”Anaya, long accustomed to receiving praise, returned a polite smile.Adriana explained, “Your Sister Snow has a role that Ray wants to give to someone else. This isn’t just about cards—it’s a fight for the role. If I lose, the role will go to someone else.”The “someone else” was, of course, the woman si
Snow said, “Mr. Walker, you’re standing at the top of the pyramid and can have any woman you want. So, can you please let Adriana go?”She had witnessed Adriana’s tears far too often and didn’t want her friend to get entangled with Calvin again. If Calvin had even a shred of decency, he wouldn’t put obstacles in her career.Without his favor, even if Adriana sacrificed herself as bait, she would only end up being kicked out, with nothing to show for her pain and sacrifice.Calvin listened calmly to Snow’s words and replied, “Miss Snow, is there anything else?”Snow was stunned. He didn’t hear a single word I said?“Mr. Walker…” she began, but Calvin interrupted her.“You’re already struggling to protect yourself and still need Adriana to step in to seek justice for you. What right do you have to reason with me?”Realizing her soft approach wasn’t working, Snow’s frustration boiled over. She snapped, “I may not have anything, but as long as Adriana needs it, I’ll fight you to the death
“Thank you for the invitation, but today is obviously not suitable for a door-to-door visit. I’ll treat you to dinner another day as a thank-you for your frequent help over the past two days, whether it’s rare for you or not.”Adriana didn’t give Calvin a chance to respond. Today, she would not set foot in his house again—no matter what.A man and a woman in a closed space—it was easy to make irrational decisions, especially for a woman. The atmosphere could quickly lead to something impulsive. And besides, she wasn’t entirely immune to Calvin’s charm.Calvin stood calmly outside the car door, noting the resistance in her eyes.“Very well. I’ll wait for Lawyer Clarke’s thank-you banquet!”He was testing Adriana’s boundaries little by little, figuring out how to get along with her.The corner of Adriana’s mouth twitched into a polite smile. “Goodbye.”Turning the car around, Adriana gripped the steering wheel. The open window let in fresh air, and the sunlight warmed her face. The most
“Huh?”Kevin thought he’d misheard. “Green Lake Village? The village you went to yesterday, President?”“Yes,” Calvin replied. “Especially the house on the hill—Tony’s place. Fix it up for the old woman. Send some furniture and get everything properly arranged. You can take care of the details.”Adriana glanced at his serious profile as he focused on driving. Her earlier embarrassment vanished in an instant, and her heart gave a subtle flutter.Kevin’s brain short-circuited for a second, then quickly caught up. “Understood, President. I’ll contact a construction team and arrange everything on site.”The call ended, and the car fell silent again.Adriana touched the bridge of her nose. “Um, I’ll thank you on their behalf.”Calvin chuckled. “Is the next thing you’re going to say, ‘You’re a good person’?”Well… that was almost exactly what she was about to say. But saying something like that now? With everything going on? It felt… a bit out of place.Calvin added, “You can say anything y
Calvin looked at her as she instinctively reached out, her slender fingers curling with tension, knuckles protruding from the force.“Lawyer Clarke,” he said, “if you want something, just say it straight. There’s no need for adults to play games.”Adriana awkwardly lowered her head and cleared her throat. “Calvin, please watch your words. Can you not always say things that make people misunderstand? Like this morning, and just now—what exactly did you mean? Is there nothing else in your head besides that?”Calvin responded casually, “Which sentence did you misunderstand? Misunderstand what? Lawyer Clarke, please be specific. Maybe I’ll consider changing.”Adriana clenched her teeth and rolled her eyes at him, but couldn’t bring herself to explain further. “In short, it’s uncomfortable to hear.”When they found the car, Adriana was ready to hop into the driver’s seat, but Calvin pulled her toward the opposite side and shoved her gently into the passenger seat.“Be honest—sit. I’ll driv
Calvin’s identity couldn’t be exposed. Once everyone knew he was the president of Grand Empire—the young master of the Walker family—wouldn’t that cause chaos?That was Adriana’s first reaction.Before she could speak, her body had already moved. She stepped in front of Calvin in a flash, blocking him protectively, and said calmly, “I am his personal lawyer. If there are any problems, I’ll handle them.”Calvin looked at Adriana. She was a bit disheveled, but still stunningly beautiful. This wasn’t something they had discussed in advance, and yet she had reacted purely on instinct. If he couldn’t see that she cared, then he wouldn’t be Calvin.A faint smile tugged at his lips, like the first rays of a new sun piercing through the morning mist—just enough to gently light up the dull earth around them.The local cops weren’t used to handling major cases. They hadn’t dealt with many lawyers before, so they didn’t question it much in the moment. Adriana skillfully shifted the focus, removi
She shouldn’t have zoned out on such a special day. Adriana skipped over the topic and looked up at the round patch of sky above her head. “Why hasn’t anyone come yet?”Calvin replied, “The nearest police station is in town. With their efficiency, we’ll be lucky if they arrive before dawn.”Adriana sighed, "Yeah... there are just some things you have to know and accept."“Are you just going to stand there? Planning to turn into a statue?”She patted the dirt next to her, then thought better of it and pulled some hay over to make a rough cushion. “Don’t be shy, big brother. Sit down. Who knows how long we’ll be stuck here?”Scar chimed in, “Those guys are seriously unreliable. Might as well sit and wait.”Hearing a gangster complain about the police made Adriana laugh. “From the sound of it, you’ve had some experience?”Scar scratched his head, embarrassed. “Not too many times…”The cave wasn't big enough to tire Calvin, but sitting beside Adriana and gazing at the sky felt like a mome
Calvin listened as Adriana half‑chatted, half‑joked, half‑bluffed—effortlessly weaving her way into Scar’s mind and pulling out all his secrets. He couldn’t help but be impressed again.Was the girl he used to know really Adriana?He spoke calmly. “Where’s the rope?”Adriana looked around carefully and had to admit the truth. “The rope was yanked away.”In the darkness, she couldn’t clearly see Calvin’s expression—but she didn’t need to. He was probably frowning. That was one of his little habits. Maybe he hadn’t noticed it himself, but whenever he was annoyed or in a bad mood, he always squeezed his eyebrows together—and the depth of that crease depended on the seriousness of the situation.Scar cursed under his breath. “Son of a bitch! Bunch of assholes!”Adriana glanced up at the cave’s entrance, eyeballing its height, then turned to Calvin.“Can you fly up there?”Scar stared in disbelief. “You… can fly?”Calvin frowned. “No.”Adriana pursed her lips. Her body was exhausted—there
Scar couldn’t help but feel terrified. Adriana knew he wasn’t a core team member, and she didn’t expect him to hold any key information—but each knock on the door was another ray of hope.Adriana didn’t mince words. “I’m going to ask you a few simple questions. Answer them truthfully. Once we find out you’ve lied, forget saving your life—you won’t even walk out of this place alive.”Scar weighed his options. Based on their words, could they be trusted?However, he had no choice. A good man shouldn’t have to lie—but this woman was right: even if he escaped, his big brother would never trust him again. After a moment, he nodded. “You ask. I’ll tell you everything I know.”Calvin stood diagonally behind Adriana, one hand in his pants pocket, the other ready to protect immediately.The vegetable cellar was cramped and stifling, but Adriana felt as if Calvin’s presence purified the air. Whenever he stood near her, it seemed to grow clear and fresh.“How old are you?”Scar froze. Why is she
“Ahhhh!”The man let out a pig-slaughtering scream.“Scar! Scar, don’t be impulsive—ahhh!”Scar spat out several expletives. “Damn it! Who the hell are you?!”Calvin said coldly, “You don’t deserve to know.”Scar snapped back, “Bullshit! Trying to scare me? Do you even know who I am?!”Adriana’s limbs were exploding with pain, but through the haze, she quietly wiped some of the man’s blood and smeared it on her clothes, keeping the fingerprints. As long as she got out, they’d be able to identify who he was.In the dark, she groped for her cellphone in her pocket, relying on muscle memory. She found the shortcut key and tapped to begin recording…Now all she needed was for her jaw to recover—then she could ask questions and produce testimony.“Mmm! Uhhh!”Adriana struggled to make any sound, her voice warped into strange syllables. It was harder than she thought, but she didn’t care about appearances anymore. Not now.Sensing her distress, Calvin turned his fury into cold viciousness.
Adriana’s scalp tingled, and she swallowed hard. “That…”She didn’t have claustrophobia, but staring into the depths of a dark pit with no visible bottom was still a little creepy. Who knew what might be lurking down there?And it wasn’t winter anymore—global warming was real. The winter insects were waking up. What if something alive was down there?The hair on the top of her head practically stood on end.“I mean… let me take a look first.”She turned on her phone’s flashlight and leaned over to peer into the hole. But the beam didn’t focus well—it barely cut through the darkness. There was a corner inside, and she couldn’t see anything beyond it.Calvin watched her small, hesitant movements for a moment, silently amused, before saying, “Lawyer Clarke, it’s only right to dedicate yourself for the sake of justice.”Adriana forced a noble look, half-expecting Calvin to go down himself and gallantly let her stay at the top.She really had thought too much.“You tie the rope to the tree