Stunned, but her eyes had already adapted to the darkness, Adriana slowly raised her head and saw Calvin’s cold, hard jawline. He was dressed in black—only his face, paler than usual, stood out against the night.Adriana’s voice was hoarse, her heartbeat completely out of rhythm. In this situation, she didn’t have the mental space to analyze causes and consequences. She simply whispered, “They have knives.”When Maria was being held down on the ground, the man had a knife in his hand. The sharp, cold blade could stab through her belly at any moment. That was why Adriana hesitated to move.Calvin took off his jacket and put it over her. His large hand gently covered her eyes, his broad chest shielding her, as he said, “Don’t look!”Adriana slowed her breathing. The most terrifying moment had passed, and now, surprisingly calm, her small, trembling hand grasped his. “I’m not afraid. I’ll help you.”The man who had crashed into the tree spat to the side, rubbing his back and cursing. “He
Calvin was ruthless—but his ruthlessness made her feel a mix of pain, relief, and strange excitement.In the face of evil, mercy only leads to more trouble and deeper wounds. If you want to end it once and for all, you have to be ruthless enough—desperate enough.Maria, her face splattered with blood, forced herself to forget the fear she felt when that first knife went down. Her eyes were dull, hardened. “May I go?”Calvin dropped one word. “Get out.”Maria threw the knife aside and stumbled away.Adriana watched her messy, staggering steps, and all the words she had wanted to say disappeared from her lips.Maria had already been punished. What came next—she would face on her own.With a thud, Maria fell to the ground, scrambled back to her feet, and, in a sorry state, continued running until she disappeared into the darkness of the night.Even without prison, something like cutting off a man’s fingers would be enough to give her nightmares for years.Adriana walked over to Calvin. “
Maybe it was a coincidence—or maybe a deliberate arrangement—but today, Calvin booked the same room as last time.The setup was exactly the same, as if no other guest had ever stayed there since.Adriana had the strange illusion that this room was permanently reserved by Calvin.And perhaps, it truly was.Calvin kicked off his slippers and tossed his dirty leather shoes into the trash can. Then, he took out another pair from the shoe cabinet and threw them at Adriana’s feet.“Change into these.”Adriana hesitated.Calvin walked to the liquor cabinet, reached for a bottle of whiskey, but after a moment’s pause, decided to pour a glass of water instead.“You wanted to bail Bruce out, didn’t you? Without my permission, no matter how many trips you make, you won’t be able to get the paperwork done.”Adriana felt a wave of sadness wash over her—so bitter, so heavy, it numbed her.She changed her shoes and stood beneath the chandelier in the living room.“What do you want?” she asked quietl
It was fine as long as he didn’t point it out, but once he did, Adriana grew visibly uncomfortable. She turned a bit diabolical. “I’ll go change!”Calvin said, “Why are you changing? Are you feeling guilty?”“It’s not that I feel guilty. I’m just afraid you’ll misunderstand.”Calvin replied carelessly, “If your heart is pure, then clothes don’t matter.”Adriana was convinced by his words. Purposefully going to change would only prove she had a guilty conscience. It was better to be generous. “Has the doctor come?”Confirming that Adriana’s appearance wasn’t inappropriate, Calvin called the doctor in—the same female doctor as last time.Upon seeing Adriana again, the doctor’s smile grew noticeably enthusiastic. Her gaze lingered on the two of them with more than a hint of envy. “Ma’am, where would you like to do the examination?”Adriana chose the bedroom.The examination was quick, and because Adriana repeatedly emphasized that she wasn’t feeling well, the doctor didn’t point out that
Maria didn’t dare tell her brother the whole truth. She tried to cover it up with an explanation.“She’s the reason Dad went to jail, and our family ended up like this! Life used to be so good. Now there’s nothing left. I… I just couldn’t help getting angry. I only wanted to scare her a little, to punish her. I didn’t mean to really hurt her.”In James’s heart, although he knew his sister could be a little willful and loved to play around, she hadn’t complained much even though life had become harder in recent years. Given her timid nature, he doubted she would go too far in acting against Adriana. So he tried to comfort her.“Since she wasn’t hurt and was rescued in time, there’s no reason she’d come back to retaliate against you. Besides, our dad’s imprisonment was because of her. She probably feels guilty about what happened to our family.”Hearing her brother explain it that way, Maria’s fragile state of mind began to rebuild itself.Right. Adriana was the guilty one. She had no r
“Finished?”Adriana checked out of the hotel and spotted Calvin standing in the lobby, smoking off to the side.His suave appearance caught the attention of both men and women passing by.People might think he was just standing there casually, but the air around him was practically electric with presence.Adriana was surprised. “Why didn’t you leave?”When he first came, Calvin had said he was just passing by and offered her a ride. Had he come back again after handling his own business—just to pick her up?Calvin said simply, “Let’s go.”Adriana had no idea that just moments earlier, Calvin had still been upstairs. After seeing her safely into the room, he had stood guard outside, holding the room card in his hand—ready to burst in at any sign of trouble.Now, the car had started. Calvin glanced at Adriana sitting in the passenger seat.“You’ve been delayed in the UK for a while. Planning to go back to New York soon?”Adriana thought he might be changing his mind. “My uncle…”“When h
Calvin pulled out the empty chair beside Adriana and settled into it with graceful ease. “You guys chat,” he said.The casual posture was so natural, it made both Adriana and David choke at the same time.From a man’s perspective, the most eye-catching thing was undoubtedly Calvin’s aggressively handsome face—striking no matter the setting. Next was his clothing: unbranded, yet clearly expensive and elegant. When the ten-million-pound watch on his wrist caught the light, David’s pupils shrank slightly in surprise.Even living in the prestigious legal circle, David had never seen a man with such an aura of pride.He tugged at the corner of his mouth awkwardly. “Who is this?”Adriana had just mentioned her friend wasn’t in the UK, and now Calvin had abruptly disrupted that narrative. How could she explain this?“He’s—”Calvin suddenly leaned in close to Adriana. A hint of gentleness shimmered in his reef-like eyes. His lips brushed close to her ear, his breath warm against her skin. “Wh
Calvin straightened his clothes and stood up gracefully, his footsteps as light as his mood.“Go back to the hotel and pack your bags. We are returning to New York this afternoon.”That afternoon, Adriana boarded Calvin’s private plane.The deluxe version of the flight had only the two of them as passengers, in addition to the crew.The spacious cabin was furnished with sofa seats, bathrooms, wine coolers, board games, bookshelves, and other amenities—enough to keep anyone from being bored on a ten-hour flight.But sitting next to Calvin, Adriana felt as though each minute dragged on like a year.Calvin caught up in his busy schedule, read documents for more than two hours after boarding, then moved on to a video conference.Adriana flipped through magazines and novels, trying to avoid crossing paths with him.The plane soared smoothly through the sky. The man inside sat in the clouds, the drifting whiteness outside the windows casting platinum light into the cabin, sculpting his face
The old woman’s house didn’t have a dining room. In the center of the main hall stood a worn-out table, coated in a layer of old oil that wouldn’t come off no matter how much you wiped. The only option was to turn a blind eye.Adriana could accept all of this. But for cleanliness-obsessed Calvin, it was a bigger challenge.Knowing his fussy temperament, Adriana deliberately teased, “Are you getting used to the farmhouse’s coarse tea and simple meals? You don’t look very hungry. Why don’t you go outside and admire the scenery instead?”Calvin picked up a spoon and examined it. A thin film of oil clung to the surface. His brows furrowed deeply, as if forming a trench. Put it down? Inappropriate. Keep holding it? Uncomfortable.“Which dish did you cook?” he asked.Adriana didn’t answer.The old woman was scooping rice, her face still cold and distant. Clearly, she wasn’t we
The refreshing mountain wind brushed against one side of her face—unusual mountains and fields, looking like an immortal.Avoidance was not an option; she had to go up and greet him. Adriana coughed. “Calvin…”Calvin turned his head just in time. As if that weren’t enough, he stood up. His long legs strode toward her, even with the wind pressing into his ribs. The scent of roses and mint mingled with the smell of mountain marshes.“Here it comes.”Hmm?What did he mean?Before Adriana could ask, a large hand landed on her waist. Calvin wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into him, forcing her to hold on.“This is what I told you. My wife, Adriana.”Adriana angled her head and glared. Two sharp daggers flew from her pupils and landed squarely on the man’s face.“What are you up to?”Calvin ruffled her hair with his other hand. “Looki
Jessica wiped away her tears and bowed at a neat ninety degrees. “Thank you, Deputy Director, for your guidance. I will repay you with my performance.”Carson waved her off impatiently and pointed toward the door. “Get out.”When Jessica walked out, a dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on her.Having just experienced the most humiliating social defeat of her life, she still managed to keep her composure. “Sorry to disappoint everyone,” she said. “I haven’t been dismissed, and I will not be leaving. We’ll continue to be colleagues. I hope we can separate personal matters from work and carry on professionally.”With that, she walked back to her workstation in long, confident strides, as if she had just won a battle.Jenny was stunned. Selena’s jaw practically hit the floor.Should she curse her—Shameless!—or nod in admiration and say—Crouching bull, hidden shameless queen!?The people in the criminal division were thoroughly embarrassed. One of them offered an apologetic smile. “Lawyer Clar
Adriana decided not to be merciful anymore. She deliberately straightened her posture and said, “Sorry for what exactly?”Jessica was practically grinding her teeth. She had counted on stepping on Adriana when she was down—kicking her while she was going through a rough patch. But how had things turned out like this?“I was in a bad mood… I couldn’t quite remember, but we did talk about it. Just now, I thought about it… You did encourage me that day, saying you had no interest in Deputy Director Carson. I must have remembered it wrong.”Her voice was low, but Adriana heard it—and so did Carson, who was silently watching.The crowd collectively felt like they’d been doused in a bucket of cold, bloody water.Adriana said, “That’s it? I remember there was more.”Selena, seeing Jessica bow her head and admit fault, snapped, “You’re not in the wrong! Why are you apologizing? Are we not allowed to call out Adriana’s misconduct anymore?”Jessica sharply interrupted her, “Don’t say another wo
Before Adriana arrived, Jessica and Carson’s quarrel had already shocked many people’s views, and the outrageous things that came out of Jessica’s mouth shocked them even more.Selena, who had always seen Adriana as a thorn in her side, naturally wasn’t going to miss the chance to stomp on her while she was down.Now that Adriana’s career was suffering and her emotions were exposed, it looked like she had hit rock bottom and would never recover. How could she still act arrogant and high-minded? In a few days, she might have to pack up her store and leave.Selena straightened her back and laughed coldly. “Lawyer Clarke, you’re not afraid of eating what’s in the bowl while eyeing what’s in the pot? Aren’t you afraid of choking to death? You’re not just secretly hooking up with your boss in the office because your boyfriend can’t see you—you’re also shamelessly digging your claws into Lawyer Carson even though you know he already has a girlfriend! Lawyer Jessica and Deputy Director Carso
Unfortunately, Adriana couldn’t see Calvin’s dazzling smile—like a beautiful oil painting—and so the revulsion in her heart didn’t deepen. “Sorry, I’m not as idle as you are.”Calvin pressed his fingers to the tip of his nose, trying to hide the flicker of embarrassment no one could see. “Tell me, what are you planning to do? It’s not easy to set aside an unsolved case—especially one with no proof of death.”Yet deep down, he knew—if she just opened her mouth and asked, even with the softest of words—he would stir up all of New York, uncover the truth, and kneel before her in gratitude.But Adriana no longer pinned her hopes on her ex-husband. She knew full well how powerful Calvin was, but that didn’t matter now. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you. And thanks to you disrupting the rhythm, I’m afraid I can’t solve it in the timeframe I promised.”“You mean... you’re breaking the agreement?”Adriana paused for two seconds before answering. “I’ll speed up the pace.”Calvin’s lips parted sligh
Aidan asked, “How about the specifics? What’s the first step?”Adriana had a rough idea. The detailed operational steps weren’t perfect yet, but the first step was clear.“Of course—it’s complaining, playing the victim, and creating the image of someone being bullied without the power to fight back.”Carson’s mouth twitched, and he shook his shoulders as if trying to shake off goosebumps. “Can you act it out?”Adriana replied, “I don’t have to show my face. Just post on Twitter—write something pathetic—then watch who engages the most and track the IP addresses.”Sebastian didn’t take a side, but he opened Twitter to see what was trending. Normally, he wouldn’t get involved in this kind of thing. But Tony was his client, and he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.The moment he saw Twitter, his usually blank expression cracked wide open.“I suggest you take a look first.”One by one, the others checked—and saw Calvin’s news dominating the top five trending topics. Adriana’s small inc
Each of Adriana’s words was like a needle, piercing Calvin one by one.He recalled the moments he'd spent with her and realized that Adriana had always resisted, rejected, and pushed him away. There had been too many misunderstandings between them, too many obstacles that couldn’t be resolved in a moment. But if her heart had been with him, all of it could have been overcome. Even mountains and seas could be crossed.What truly broke Calvin’s heart was the utter indifference in her eyes.Suddenly, he couldn’t feel the warmth of love anymore.That night, Calvin smoked two packs of cigarettes by the window, the dim, secretive glow in his eyes flickering like embers.“Wow!”With a swipe of his arm, he knocked a bottle of pills off the table.What’s the point of taking these anymore?His insomnia had worsened over the past three years, and his mood was deteriorating.As the eastern sky brightened, Calvin changed clothes and went for a ten-kilometer run. After returning and showering, his
Aidan hadn’t contacted Adriana since partying the night before. He was worried she’d feel embarrassed, or that his reaching out might come across as reproach.To be honest, he’d tossed and turned for half the night, just wanting to confirm that her boss—Calvin—had gotten her home safely.After struggling with it all night, Aidan figured he’d call her first thing in the morning under the pretense of work. But before he could even dial, he got hit with unexpected news.Sebastian told him that Tony was dead—and that he was holding a will in which Adriana’s name was mentioned.Tony’s case had already drawn media attention, but his death caused an outright uproar. The will got leaked, and netizens seized on it, amplifying every word.The two words Adriana Clarke quickly became a trending topic—and a heavy one at that.Aidan started calling Adriana like mad, terrified that she’d see the news and spiral. But her phone rang and rang, unanswered. Same with Snow’s.He was nearly scared to death