Vera had no reason to pick a fight with Luna. Caleb didn’t say a word, but his dark eyes remained fixed on her. She stood there, unwavering, her expression firm and resolute. At first, Caleb had suspected that Vera intentionally used the situation to her advantage. After all, if people assumed they were close, then in a city like this, who wouldn’t be willing to help her? It was a smart move. A calculated one. But looking at her now, so open, so straightforward, he realized something. She wasn’t playing any games. Which meant Luna had deliberately sought Vera out. At that moment, Caleb knew exactly what was going on. Vera, seeing his silence, spoke again. “Don’t overthink this, Caleb. People need to know their limits—and they shouldn’t get greedy. You and your father have already done more than enough for me.” If she kept taking and taking, wouldn’t that make her shamelessly selfish? There was a saying she always remembered—“Greed knows no bounds.”
Besides, what Caleb had with Vera was nothing more than an act—a role they were playing. She wasn’t really his girlfriend. “So, you two still haven’t made it official?” Hunter smirked. “Come on, you’ve already introduced her to us. What’s there to be embarrassed about? She’s a great match for you.” Hunter had teased him before, but in all honesty, he thought Caleb settling down wouldn’t be a bad thing. Caleb was always too busy with work, constantly surrounded by gossip and rumors—having someone by his side wouldn’t be a bad thing. But Caleb didn’t respond. Hunter, never one to let things go, plopped down next to him on the couch. “I know exactly what’s going on in your head right now. But seriously, Caleb, what’s the point of clinging to someone who doesn’t love you? You’re just wasting your life away. One day, you’re gonna wake up and realize you let it all slip through your fingers.” Then, Hunter added pointedly, “Think about Wilfred.” At the mention of Wilfr
Caleb was at a complete loss for words. “You sound just like a bitter ex-wife,” Caleb finally muttered, shaking his head. Hunter shot back immediately. “Well, am I wrong? What, I’m not even allowed to state facts now? Caleb, do you even hear yourself?!” At that moment, Caleb was truly relieved that no one else was around. If anyone had overheard Hunter’s dramatic outburst, they would probably think something was seriously going on between them. Hunter was doing this on purpose. Caleb had annoyed the hell out of him, so naturally, Hunter was going to return the favor—as long as it wouldn’t actually kill them. And if it did end up killing someone, well… it would be Caleb dying from sheer frustration, and that had nothing to do with him. Caleb sighed, his voice calm but cutting. “No one does shameless quite like you, Hunter.” Hunter was unfazed. “What did I even do? Did I say anything that wasn’t true? What, now you’re trying to silence me for speaking facts?”
If she could get this man to stay, then it wouldn’t be a loss for her either.Hunter let out a low chuckle. “Everyone who comes to this club is rich and powerful. If you really want to latch onto someone, you could just step outside and grab the first guy you see. But I’m not some savior—I don’t have the kind of bleeding heart that goes around helping random people.” But the woman refused to let go, clinging to him desperately. Hunter’s patience wore thin, his expression turning cold. It was only now that he actually took a good look at her.She was wearing a black, deep-V gown, and she was thin… almost too thin. But she was pale, almost unnaturally so. Hunter’s brows furrowed. Without warning, he grabbed her by the jaw, forcing her to tilt her head up. Their gazes locked. Her small, delicate face was framed by loose strands of hair, and her wide eyes were filled with an unmistakable haze. “Don’t try to act pitiful in front of me.” Hunter shoved her away
The woman froze for a moment, wondering if Hunter thought the amount was too much. Quickly, she lowered her head. “I know two hundred thousand dollars is a lot, but I—” Before she could finish, Hunter cut her off. His gaze dropped to her delicate features as he spoke, his tone unreadable. “So, for just two hundred thousand dollars, you’re willing to do anything?” A flicker of hope lit up in the woman’s eyes. She nodded eagerly. “Anything. I’ll do whatever you ask.” Hunter’s lips curled into a smirk. “Good. I’ll help you—but in return, you’ll need to do something for me.” The woman nodded instantly. “What is it? I’ll do it.” A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she shyly got up from the floor, reaching for the buttons on Hunter’s shirt. But the moment her fingers touched the fabric, Hunter’s brows furrowed sharply, and he grabbed her wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?” His voice carried undisguised disgust. The woman froze, caught off guard by
The women who entered the room varied in appearance, each dressed in their own unique style. But without exception, their eyes were filled with desire. Liam barely gave them a glance before losing interest. He had seen far too many women like this—the whole thing was tedious, uninspiring. Lifting his gaze lazily, he looked at the bar manager. “This is the ‘fresh batch’ you were talking about?” The manager’s heart tightened instantly. Liam was one of his best VIP clients—the last thing he needed was to screw this up. He forced a smile and asked carefully, “Is there something you’re not satisfied with, Mr. Hall?” A slow smirk curled at the corner of Liam’s lips. Then, without warning, he grabbed a glass of whiskey from the table and flung it straight at the manager’s face. His gaze turned icy cold. “Do you take me for a fool? You think you can brush me off with this kind of ‘merchandise’?” The bar manager froze for a second before snapping back to real
Liam couldn’t help but laugh, finding the person in front of him adorably naive.He raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”Yelena studied him. He did resemble Hunter in some ways, but he was far from being his equal. He seemed foolish and arrogant. Getting what she wanted this easily took all the challenge out of it.A fleeting moment of hesitation flashed across her face before she reached out with a slightly trembling hand to pull down the zipper at the back of her dress.As the zipper slid halfway down, revealing a stretch of smooth, fair skin, Liam suddenly reached out and pressed her hand down. “Not here.”It wasn’t every day he came across someone who piqued his interest, and he didn’t want to rush things in such an unworthy setting.Yelena froze briefly but then obediently followed Liam outside.*Meanwhile, Hunter glanced at the photo that had just arrived on his phone. The corner of his lips curled slightly in amusement. He wasn’t the least bit surprised at how easi
Seeing Vera humbled, lowering herself with such submission, a wave of satisfaction surged through Eve’s chest. She curled her lips into a smirk. “Since you put it that way, I’ll give you a chance. But…” She paused, deliberately leaving the sentence unfinished. Vera wasn’t willing to let go of even the smallest opportunity. She immediately stepped forward. “But what?” Eve shot her a malicious glance. “But I need you to post a message on your social media, telling all your male friends that you’re a home-wrecking vixen who steals other people’s boyfriends.” Vera’s head snapped up in an instant, her eyes blazing with anger. This wasn’t just a power play, Eve was outright humiliating her. A suspicion started forming in Vera’s mind, and her voice carried a tinge of fury as she spoke. “Miss Young, we are here to discuss a business partnership. No matter what you’ve heard, it’s unprofessional to let personal emotions interfere with work.” “Oh? Then I suppose there’s nothi
“I only had one surgery today,” Caleb said as he drove, his voice calm but firm. “Now that it’s done, I want to know why this happened.” After that, he said nothing more. Vera sat in silence, her heart uneasy as the car pulled up in front of an upscale club. Even though her hand was already bandaged, she still felt a sting of pain every time Caleb showed concern. “So this is what it feels like to have someone care,” she thought to herself.Back when Vera had been stepped on, her only concern had been the contract—whether the deal would fall apart and if her suffering had been for nothing.If it had been anything else, she probably wouldn’t have cared as much.But Caleb’s concern made it impossible for her to brush aside.It kept lingering in her mind, refusing to let her feel indifferent.“Don’t overthink it,” Caleb said, his voice firm. “Whatever happened between Luna and me doesn’t change the fact that this concerns me too—and I owe it to you to make things right.”
“Oh? So this is the apology you wanted?” Vera’s forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but the two women standing over her barely reacted. As if this was normal to them. As if humiliating her was just another game. “I asked you a question.” Vera remained half-crouched on the ground, her hand still pinned under Luna’s heel. Helena smirked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s good enough.” She hadn’t expected Vera to be this stubborn, but it didn’t matter. With an exaggerated sigh, she casually scribbled her signature onto the contract. The deal was officially secured. Vera didn’t waste another second. She cast one last glance at the two women. “I have no interest in getting involved in your personal drama. As for Caleb and me, that’s between us. We both made our choices.” Luna’s expression twisted slightly. “I won’t bother commenting on your relationship,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t think for a second that this will ever earn
The moment Vera heard her assistant’s words, her expression darkened. Her previously calm tone turned firm. “If that’s the case, I understand. But I still have to go. This is my responsibility, and no one else can handle it.” If she didn’t take the lead, the other party would only grow bolder. However, the moment she glanced at the name on the negotiation list, she couldn’t help but frown. Because the person she was supposed to meet wasn’t just anyone. It was Helena Xander. Vera had encountered her before—back when her relationship with Caleb hadn’t yet escalated. Even then, Helena had openly mocked her, saying that since Caleb had been Luna’s devoted lapdog for years, he should know his place and never overstep. She had also thrown a few sharp words at Vera, telling her to recognize her own status—as if warning her that getting involved would only bring trouble. Back then, Vera hadn’t taken it seriously. She never thought she would cross paths with the
“Alright, enough of this. If you’re serious about investigating, you’ll need proper psychological evaluations,” Caleb said nonchalantly.“The best way to assess something like this is through clinical observation—watch for behavioral inconsistencies, memory gaps, or personality shifts. If you can, gather video footage of his daily life. That’s the only way to get a clearer picture. Otherwise, it’s just speculation.”Caleb made the remark casually, then swiftly issued a dismissal.“You came all the way here just to mess with me? What about your own situation? How’s that going?” Caleb’s sarcasm was dry and pointed. Hunter let out a long sigh. “What else could it be? Business as usual. Compared to others, I’m probably the only one with enough patience for this mess.” He was, of course, referring to his ongoing battle with Liam. Caleb gave him a small nod. “Alright, you should get going now. I need to rest. Don’t loiter around here.” Without hesitation, he waved his hand
Vera forced an awkward smile at Hunter before quickly retreating back into the bathroom to change. Hunter, watching her leave, couldn't help but smirk. “You’re really living the good life, huh?” he teased. “Didn’t expect you to have such luck.” Caleb rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested. “Enough with the nonsense. Why are you here? And who exactly were you talking about over the phone?” He didn’t want to entertain pointless banter, especially not about women. If he was being honest, even he couldn’t fully explain his feelings toward Luna. He wasn’t sure what was left between them—was it love, or just the remnants of something that had long turned sour? That pitiful look in her eyes earlier had shaken him. For a fleeting moment, he had wanted to pull her into his arms, to comfort her like he used to. But after so many years of being humiliated and pushed aside, he had forgotten how to even speak to her anymore. So instead, he did what was easiest—he change
Hunter spoke casually, his tone light. “Just someone, that’s all. Do you really need all these details?” Caleb was now certain of his suspicion. “Hunter, did you forget what I do for a living? I’m a doctor. If you’re asking me about this, I need to get a clear picture before I can give you an answer.” Hunter exhaled lightly. “That’s fair, but some things can’t be diagnosed right away.” Based on the information Yelena provided earlier, Hunter was only speculating about Liam. But Caleb was an expert in this area, so he specifically called to ask him.Still, explaining everything over the phone wasn’t going to work. “Forget it,” Hunter said. “This isn’t something I can explain over a call. Where are you? I’ll come over.” Caleb hesitated for a moment before glancing at Vera, who was still beside him. In the end, he gave Hunter the address to his villa. Hunter chuckled. “Haha. I’m surprised. You actually do go home to rest.” Caleb ignored the jab and tossed his p
“Call me Liam.” Before Yelena could finish speaking, Liam cut her off with a sharp, angry voice. She quickly nodded and corrected herself. “Liam, don’t worry. I’ll do exactly as you say. I’ll be good. I won’t make you angry again.” But Liam didn’t care. With a violent shove, he threw her to the ground. Yelena barely had time to brace herself before hitting the cold floor hard, pain radiating through her limbs. Liam, however, just looked down at her with a twisted grin, laughing like she was nothing more than a ridiculous joke. “You’d better learn fast,” he sneered. “And leave your hand broken for a few days—feel the pain properly.” “Alright.” Her voice was quiet, submissive. But Liam wasn’t listening. Without another glance, he turned and walked away. As she watched his retreating figure, Yelena felt a deep sense of dread rise in her throat. Liam wasn’t human. He was something far worse. Her future with him would be nothing short of hell.
Yelena had made her stance clear—her loyalty was with Hunter. But instead of being convinced, Hunter let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “You sure your loyalty is to me? Or is it just to money?” His words hit like a slap. Yelena stiffened, feeling the sting of humiliation. It was true. When she had been desperate, with nowhere left to turn, she had thrown herself at Hunter, begging him for help. If she had any other choice, if she hadn’t been pushed into a corner, she would have never given up her pride like that. Lowering her gaze, she spoke with measured calmness. “Mr. Hall, you gave me two hundred thousand dollars. You helped me when no one else did. That makes you my benefactor. And loyalty to one’s benefactor… that’s only right.” She didn’t dare meet his eyes, but her voice was firm. Hunter studied her for a moment before scoffing. “Enough with the useless talk.” His voice was cold and dismissive. “Just go back to Liam’s side and do what you’re suppose
Yelena needed to tell Hunter about this. But before she could finish, Hunter’s cold voice cut through her thoughts. She lowered her head. “This is just how I normally dress. I didn’t deliberately choose my outfit to seduce you, Mr. Hunter. Besides, your brother isn’t even interested in me.” She hesitated before adding, “That two hundred thousand…” Hunter narrowed his eyes. “What are you trying to say?” Seeing his growing impatience, Yelena clenched her fists, still looking down. “I mean exactly what I said. Any normal man wouldn’t turn down a woman who willingly throws herself at him. That night, Liam clearly said he would take me somewhere else… but when we got there, he never touched me. Ever since then, he treats me like I don’t even exist—like I’m nothing but air.” Hunter’s expression darkened instantly. “Are you implying something?” The implication in Yelena’s words was clear. She had just suggested that any normal man wouldn’t refuse a willing woman.