Calvin was in a foul mood. He hadn’t slept well the night before, and waking up early only made things worse. Since it was the weekend, he didn’t go to the company. Instead, he sat in his study, scrolling through emails with a frown.That morning, he received a call from his grandfather, George Walker, instructing him to meet with the Blake family.“Since you’ve decided to formalize the relationship, you need to make an effort,” George said firmly. “The Blake family is taking this marriage very seriously, and you need to show them the same respect. Choose a few gifts and visit them. Don’t lower the Walker family’s status.”Calvin’s voice was calm but firm. “The engagement is still up for discussion. There’s no need to rush a decision.”George’s tone immediately sharpened. His health wasn’t great, and Calvin usually tried to keep things light to avoid upsetting him. But this time, his grandfather wasn’t having it.“What are you talking about? Your marriage to Anna Blake is already on t
The luxury shopping area was not crowded, even on weekends, and Calvin breezed to the top floor.Adriana originally thought, ‘Even if I buy slippers, they shouldn’t cost around a hundred dollars, right?’However, when she saw the brand’s gold, glittering label, her heart sank. ‘If Calvin asks me to pay, will I even be able to swipe that much on my card?’ she thought, feeling a pang of anxiety.Calvin had refined taste — he always chose the best of everything, even if it was just house slippers.The salesgirl, unaware of Calvin’s real identity, was already mesmerized by his appearance.“Sir, this is our latest model, perfect for home use…” she said, selecting the pair displayed in window C.“Take out two pairs,” Calvin instructed.Adriana laughed dryly. “It’s just for home wear. I think one pair is enough.”Then, she accidentally noticed the price tag on the bottom of the slippers, and her heart trembled. ‘More than six thousand for a pair of slippers?!’The salesgirl, who kept up with
It seemed he was truly serious about marrying Anna. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen a gift so carefully. Adriana though.Adriana forced down her frustration, reminding herself of the conclusion she had come to after a sleepless night.She and Calvin were just business partners. There was no emotional entanglement, no future between them. From now on, Calvin would be nothing more than a stepping stone for her career—a resource bank, a tool.Her goal was clear: she would leverage the Walker family and Grand Empire to climb to the top of the industry, becoming a renowned connoisseur.One day, she would have enough wealth and influence to help her family get back on their feet.Adriana silently repeated to herself, “Remember, Adriana, your priority is your career. Everything else must take a back seat.”The owner of the antique store carefully brought out a twenty-centimeter-high vase, holding it like a priceless treasure.“This is a rare piece,” he said with pride. “It’s said to be a
The limited space, the lighting, and the elegance of music drifting over from the mall worked together to create a tantalizing effect.Such a four-eyed look was tantamount to dry wood meeting a blazing fire, and even two people who had never met before would become captives of the atmosphere.Calvin’s arm muscle tensed. “It seems you have a lot of guts. You dare to play with me as an agitator. However, good lawyers are all over the place. I’m not obligated to you.”Adriana’s finger was still on his lapel, moving back and forth. She thought, Calvin must still have some feelings for me. Otherwise, he would have kicked me out long ago.So, she boldly provoked him. “Mr. Calvin, your newly purchased slippers—do you still want them? After all, I don’t have any man in my house. So, it’s idle to keep them. Why don’t I throw them away?”Her meaning was clear: Don’t think I don’t know you want to take advantage of me. If that’s the case, let’s make a fair deal. If you want to eat tofu, then you
Calvin, already the picture of elegance, managed to elevate his presence further by changing into a proper suit.Now, as he walked in shiny leather shoes, the sound of each step on the cobblestones created a rhythmic melody that seemed to light up the atmosphere.He had always walked with one hand casually in his pants pocket, his back straight and erect — truly living up to the phrase “orchid and jade tree.”The moment Adriana’s eyes met his, she quickly looked away.Calvin sat in the passenger seat, buckled his seatbelt, and twisted his head toward her. “What? Don’t dare to look at me?”Adriana smirked. “Yes, I don’t dare. I’m afraid I’ll be mesmerized by you and end up crashing the car.”The corners of Calvin’s mouth twitched. When he turned his head back to his right, the twitch became a brief laugh — so fleeting that even he didn’t notice it himself.As the car drove toward the villa area, Adriana fell silent.Calvin, immersed in his phone, focused on handling his work. He didn’t
An hour had passed, but the door was still closed, and there was no news from Calvin.Lunchtime had passed, and Adriana's stomach rumbled.There was no food in the car. She wanted to drive to the neighborhood to eat, but she worried that if Calvin came out and didn't see anyone, he might take advantage of the situation.After waiting for more than two hours, she finally couldn't help but fall asleep in the car.Three hours later, Calvin resigned from Anna’s family and walked out. When he saw the car parked under the shade of a tree, he felt a mix of anger and annoyance.He was about to knock hard when his eyes fell on the sleeping figure in the driver's seat.Through the crack of the open window, he could see Adriana resting her head against the window, deeply asleep.Her outstretched hand hung by the glass, and the wind swept past, pushing strands of hair from the back of her hand to her face.She was quiet and serene as she slept. Her thick eyelashes fluttered as if the cicada's win
When had Calvin ever been lectured like this? His face darkened.Adriana laughed inwardly. “Very good! Serves you right!”With a stern expression, Calvin handed Adriana the car keys. “Give them to me.”The cashier caught a glimpse of the car key’s logo, and her eyes widened. A Rolls-Royce?And the keychain was clearly a men’s style. Driving such an expensive car and still making someone else pay for groceries? What’s wrong with him?Despite his sour mood, Calvin moved efficiently, packing the ingredients with meticulous care. His movements weren’t rushed, yet he quickly organized everything into two large bags.He grabbed the bags and walked out without a word. Adriana followed behind — empty-handed.The cashier, now thoroughly confused, thought to herself, Well... at least he’s doing the heavy lifting. Not completely scummy.****Back at home, Adriana carefully
The food and soup were both inedible and ended up in the trash.The alternative was boiled dumplings.Calvin propped up one side of his head, not wanting to comment on the layer of white, floury dumplings on his dinner plate. “Lawyer Clarke, when treating guests, at least show some hospitality. Letting guests eat dumplings twice doesn’t seem very gracious, does it?”‘What kind of guest are you? If you don’t want to eat, leave!’ Adriana wanted to say these words aloud.However, after reminding herself three times of the “cooperation case,” she said with a smile on her face, “How could it be? This time it's different. Last time it was pork and scallions, but this time it's pork and mushrooms, without scallions.”It made Calvin so angry that he almost choked on his words.After dipping the dumplings in vinegar, Adriana burped.Calvin furrowed his brows. “You have quite the
The next day, Adriana packed her things and left for work.When she went downstairs, she saw a familiar car.The neighbourhood she rented in was only mid-range to high-end, and it was rare to see such a luxurious car.The high-profile Aston Martin in front of her certainly didn’t fit in with the overall atmosphere.Adriana instinctively knew there was a familiar face inside, so she turned around to leave.Drip!The horn blared, the driver’s window rolled down, and a head peeked out.“I’ve seen it all. Where are you planning to hide?”Adriana knew dodging was pointless, so she switched to a standard, polite smile — the kind an employee would show when greeting their superior.“Deputy Director Carson showing up at his subordinate’s doorstep first thing in the morning — that can’t be a coincidence, right?”The injury on Carson’s face, after a night of settling in, looked even worse. The swelling had intensified, and the bruise had deepened in color. His left eye, the one that had taken t
Seeing Calvin and Carson angrily facing each other, it seemed like they were about to start fighting again. Adriana put down what she was holding and sat down with a stern face.“You two can bandage each other up. Since you're both so capable of fighting, you can handle the aftermath just as well.”“No way.”“Never happening.”Surprisingly, they were at least consistent on this point.“Well then, since neither of you wants to do it, bear with it. After this, go home — to whoever you like.”Not wanting to get entangled with either of them any further, Adriana just wanted to leave with a clean slate.Carson tugged at her wrist, his red, swollen face filled with helplessness. “You’re not really going to leave, are you?”Adriana looked down at his hand, then forced him to let go. “I made myself very clear already. No matter what you do, I won’t appreciate it. Whether I’m desperate, heartless, or however you want to see me — it doesn’t matter. You can think of me as a scummy girl if you wa
Calvin spoke out in shock. Adriana was afraid he would say something else, so she hurriedly advised, “Calvin, let’s just come together and part peacefully. At least let’s leave each other with some dignity. Let’s not make a mess of things until there’s nothing left.”There was a warning in her eyes, and her stance made it clear she was drawing a line with him.Calvin cooperated by lowering his head slightly, and likewise lowered his voice, whispering, “Do you like that playboy so much? Do you even know what kind of person Carson really is?”Adriana glanced at Carson out of the corner of her eye. He appeared calm and composed, not at all embarrassed by being left out, standing there like a clear stream.“What kind of person he is — time will tell,” she replied. “I’ll also keep my eyes wide open to see it for myself. Instead of listening to your version, I’d rather experience it firsthand.”Calvin was thoroughly exasperated by her. “It seems you’re determined to go against me.”“Calvin,
New York is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the country and has been ranked as a highly livable place for several years in a row. Facing the sea and stretching northward, its late spring and early summer evenings are filled with a gentle breeze and bustling traffic—a perfect blend of vibrant life and the relentless struggles of young dreamers.Strolling through the college campus, where students gathered in groups, one could see couples walking arm in arm, hear playful bickering, and catch fleeting glimpses of youthful romance. It was enough to rekindle even the most faded sparks of sentiment.Carson pulled a cigarette case and lighter from his trouser pocket, but just as he was about to light one, he hesitated and put them back. “There’s an observation deck nearby. Want to check it out?”Adriana refused without hesitation. She wasn’t here for a date. Why would she follow the same route as young lovers?“I’m not going.”Carson glanced at a couple embracing in front of the
Looking at the smelly rice noodles bubbling on the table, Adriana wrinkled her eyebrows into two tight knots. “This is refreshing?”Carson, his long fingers stirring the noodles and auxiliary ingredients in the large bowl, looked completely at ease—clearly, he had eaten this many times before. “These rice noodles are made from the shop owner’s authentic recipe. Only his family knows it. Have a try!”Adriana’s expression darkened as she pushed her bowl away. “Deputy Director Carson, you should eat more.”She found it hard to believe that someone like Carson, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, would be good at this.Actually, it was more than just being grounded—it was practically underground.Carson noticed her reluctance and frowned. “Didn’t you used to love this?”Adriana hesitated. “Before? How do you know what I used to eat?”Had their paths ever crossed? Searching her memory, Adriana couldn’t recall.Carson smirked mysteriously. “Eat three bites, and I’ll tell you.”Back in co
Adriana ignored the message alert and pretended not to see it.At the dinner table, Anderson both explicitly and implicitly mentioned that Calvin’s plan for the night was to attend Karl’s birthday party. He even emphasized, “Our president—when has he ever given anyone such an honor? He rarely attends private parties in a year.”The implication was clear: the relationship between the Walker family and the Blake family was extraordinary.His remark was directed at Adriana, who simply smiled.Anderson might have intended to provoke her, but her lack of response left him disinterested, and he didn’t bring it up again.A house call and a banquet—it seemed that things between Anna and Calvin were progressing well.Pretty good.Drip!The sound of a car horn suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Adriana turned toward the road, and her expression darkened instantly.Carson rolled down the window and leaned out, his elbow resting on the window frame as he smiled at her. “What a coincidence!”At tw
Calvin said, “Whether we are falling out or not, Chairman Blake, there’s no need for you to know too much. I didn’t see Albert.”No one could force a word out of him if he didn’t want to speak.Karl, understanding Calvin’s style, knew better than to press the matter. Truth be told, there was no need to ask—Carson had likely crossed a line that Calvin, who couldn’t tolerate even a speck of sand in his eyes, found unforgivable. Perhaps even Albert himself was not worth seeing in Calvin’s view.This is tricky.Karl kept a smile on his face and said, “Carson—that boy lacks determination. Albert has mentioned many times that… well, never mind. Even raising his own son hasn’t been easy for him. It’s clear that mistakes are inevitable in other areas as well. But let’s not dwell on it.”Despite his lighthearted tone, Karl was struggling internally.With his current cash flow issues, he had planned for Albert to meet Calvin tonight, hoping to reinforce his confidence and secure financial suppo
In the evening, the Grand Empire lawyers dined at Savory Spice Heaven.Adriana kept her thoughts to herself—after all, her last traumatic experience had taken place here, and revisiting the same place felt like an emotional wipeout.As they entered the private dining room, Marshal smiled and said, “Lawyer Clarke, this way, please.”Marshal, holding the highest position, rightfully should have taken the seat across from the door. However, he reached out to invite Adriana instead, even offering her the most honorable chair.Wasn’t that cynicism?Adriana politely declined, took a seat on the left side, and pulled out a chair. “Minister Marshal, you are too polite. You are the host, and I am the guest. Where is the reasoning in competing with the host for a seat?”Lawyer Miller smiled. “Lawyer Clarke, with your relationship with the president, why be so modest? Not to mention just a single seat—this entire restaurant must look up to you!”Adriana didn’t show even a hint of anger. She simp
Carson wasn’t blind, nor was he stupid. The lingering redness at the corner of Adriana’s mouth wasn’t from accidentally scraping it while drinking water.“You left too quickly at lunch. I hadn’t finished what I was saying. Busy now?” he asked.Adriana replied calmly, “Just finished work. I was about to head down.”Carson nodded, finally turning his attention to Calvin, who was practically radiating hostility. “Calvin, I’ll be taking my person with me. I wouldn’t want to disturb your office. See you later.”Calvin’s fingers casually brushed over the corner of his mouth. Then, as if savoring the moment, he deliberately glanced at the faint traces left on Adriana’s lips—his traces.“Miss Clarke, seven o’clock—don’t be late.”Adriana’s head buzzed for a moment. Can’t you phrase it more clearly? Now it sounded like they had some private rendezvous.She quickly corrected him. “Of course, Mr. Calvin. The Grand Empire Legal Department is full of industry elites. I’ll be sure to learn from the