After some cheeky banter, Adriana asked Snow about her plans for the evening. Snow replied that she would go home and celebrate with a beer."Okay, I’ll call Aidan too," Adriana said.She then headed to the supermarket to buy ingredients for a hot pot at Snow’s place.Meanwhile, Aidan was in agony. “No hot pot, save me! I’ve been kidnapped by my parents for a blind date!”Adriana tossed a pack of hot pot meatballs into her shopping cart. “You’re a grown man, and you’re still afraid of blind dates? It’s just dinner and exchanging numbers. If you both don't hit off, just let it go.”“No. no, this time is different!” Aidan groaned. “The other party’s family is a business partner of mine. To put it bluntly, I’m being sold—practically auctioned off by my parents. Adria, my dear classmate, come save me! You are the only one who can save me!”Aidan sounded as if he were on the verge of tears.Adriana couldn’t help but ask, “Where is it?”Aidan hurriedly gave her the address. “The Red String
The girl bit her pink lips, her eyes flickering with annoyance as she paced around Adriana, clearly unconvinced but reluctantly admitting that Adriana was indeed beautiful. “Are you really his girlfriend?”Adriana wrapped her arm snugly around Aidan’s waist, pulling him closer in an intimate gesture. Just as she was about to respond, her face froze.Mark, who had gone but returned unexpectedly, was now walking side by side with a woman wearing a mask.From across the corridor, their unobstructed gazes met.Mark’s eyes lingered on her for a fleeting moment before his expression faded into indifference, as though he didn’t recognize her. Without a pause, he continued on his way.“Speak up!” the girl demanded, snapping Adriana’s attention back. “You’re not some actress he hired to fake it, are you? This kind of setup happens all the time on TV! It’s so cliché.”The girl pointed accusingly, her hands on her hips, looking every bit like a “proper wife” crusading against a third party.Adri
Compensating with a smile, he said, “Last time, regarding that lawsuit, the client found our law firm and begged Lawyer Wilson to take the case, with a very sincere attitude. To be honest, as a member of Grand Empire’s lawyer pool, it was a case we shouldn’t have accepted. But, well… people inevitably have feelings. Fortunately, in the end, it didn’t harm Grand Empire’s interests, and it also allowed us to witness the strength of the younger generation of lawyers.”Calvin remained noncommittal. “In business, we should, of course, handle the opportunities that come to us. Director Helsen’s ability to grow Sterling and Stone into such a large enterprise is surely based on his keen judgment of timing and circumstances.”The point was clear: not to mention Mark, though the statement indirectly alluded to him.Devin glanced at the guests at the table, observing their eager expressions. His unease grew. Why did it feel as though mentioning Mark at this moment would only harm him?Smiling to
Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, Calvin was standing in her living room. His body carried the faint scent of alcohol, mixed with the chill of the outdoor night breeze, invading the cozy warmth of her space.He stood there like a storm ready to erupt, his piercing gaze making it seem as though he could devour her alive.Adriana, still munching on a shrimp ball, turned her head from the kitchen to glance at him. “What are you doing here? Coming to eat with me?”Calvin’s bandaged hand caught her attention. The bandages were neatly wrapped, done with care, and didn’t diminish his usual air of sophistication. However, his movements seemed somewhat restricted.He removed his suit jacket with one hand, struggled with the buttons, and then tossed it onto the sofa.Picking up a pair of chopsticks, he attempted to serve himself, but the task wasn’t going smoothly. He raised his eyes, and even through the steamy mist of the hot pot, his gaze remained as cold and sharp as ever.“Are you bli
The living room was strewn with furniture fittings, more cluttered than it had been an hour ago.The two stood in silence amidst the chaos, the room resembling a disaster zone after an earthquake.Adriana patted the dust off her hands. “You’re brilliant and make decisions that take my breath away. Not bad. Really good. I might even have to redefine the word genius.”Born stupid. he thought.Calvin dropped the knife, his gaze shifting to the disassembled shelf parts—boards, nails, glass panels, and a poorly folded instruction sheet buried at the bottom of the box.“IKEA? Oh, really? Of all places. Why didn’t you just buy something cheaper?”“You could’ve said that earlier. I still have Poundland on my phone,” Adriana shot back. “Next time, I’ll buy something cheap and come to you with a knife for help. Don’t argue.”Calvin groaned, rubbing his temple. A headache was brewing.Despite the mess, Adriana had to admit Calvin’s carpentry skills were impressive. With just one hand, he had eff
Finally, the bookcase was assembled and stood neatly under the lamp.A sense of accomplishment arose as Adriana rubbed her aching waist and said excitedly, “Calvin, you’re great.”Perhaps it was the atmosphere that made her forget she had been angry with him just over an hour ago.Calvin dropped the screwdriver and patted the side of the sturdy cabinet, completely unapologetic. “I know,” he replied with a smirk.Adriana snorted and laughed. For once, she didn’t instinctively dislike his cocky attitude. Instead, she sincerely gave him a thumbs up. But then her gaze fell on the bandage on his right hand, which was now oozing blood. “It looks like your wound has reopened,” she said with concern.Calvin looked more than a little disheveled. His once clean, white shirt was now wrinkled and smeared with oil stains. A few strands of hair had escaped his typically meticulous hairstyle, and his bandage was loose, with blood seeping through. His left hand, now bare, showed raw, reddened skin wh
She thought about Snow’s advice—to use him, please him, avoid falling in love or getting too attached—but her heart couldn’t draw such clear boundaries. This was a man she had loved deeply. Despite her resolve to let go completely, her feelings always seemed to pull her back. Certain moments still made her heart race, tempting her to make mistakes she knew she shouldn’t.She feared she would end up burning herself rather than merely playing with fire.She was just an ordinary person, not a Hollywood Nemesis with an unshakable core of toughness. Her mind raced, cycling through a thousand thoughts, but in the end, there was nothing she could say. Finally, she looked at him with a defeated expression and said, “Calvin, do you know what I hate most about myself? I hate that I still can’t bring myself to completely hate you.”****That night, neither of them could sleep.Calvin lay awake, staring at the ceiling, watching as the morning light crept into the room and the sun poured across th
"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.
“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