Luana felt like Lois had probably misunderstood something, which was why she closed the door.
Thinking of this, she became even more uncomfortable and quickly forced herself to sit up.
Leaning against the headboard, she asked Calvert a bit awkwardly, "Could you take me home?"
But Calvert didn't respond. He frowned deeply and asked, "Do you have any other health issues besides heart disease?"
Luana's expression instantly dimmed as she felt he was doubting her. "I don't have any other diseases."
"Then why are you struggling just to sit up?" Calvert pressed.
Luana was taken aback. No matter how well she tried to hide it, she couldn't escape Calvert's notice.
"I'm just weak. I lose strength when I get tired."
"Just weak?"
His tone was full of skepticism, which made Luana feel uneasy.
She turned cold and retorted, "Do you need to hear about a terminal illness from me before you'll believe me, Mr. Coburn?"
Calver
"Could you please, Mr. Coburn?"Luana added, as if worried he might refuse.Seeing how eager she was to leave, Calvert didn't push any further.He handed the breakfast tray to Luana. "Eat something first, and then I'll take you home."Luana wasn't very hungry, but hearing that he'd take her home, she immediately took the tray.After finishing her breakfast, she struggled to change back into her own clothes.She had worn a business suit to the bidding event yesterday. The loose trousers conveniently hid her swollen legs.Once she was dressed, Calvert walked back in. She was thinking about how to ask him to help her downstairs when he seemed to read her mind.He walked over, pulled back the covers, and picked her up in his arms.Luana was taken aback for a moment, but he calmly said, "If you could walk, you wouldn't need me to take you."His words shattered Luana's little secret, making her feel a bit embarrassed. S
Calvert had been polite to Gehrmann, but the repeated provocations were starting to get on his nerves.He pretended not to hear Gehrmann's words and stood his ground, as if daring Gehrmann to make the first move.Seeing this, Gehrmann's face turned cold instantly. "Mr. Coburn, Cline, is here to propose to Miss Ortega. And you dare to block his way?"So Cline was proposing to Runa...Were they getting married?Luana's face gradually turned pale.It felt like her whole body was being torn apart, and the pain made it hard for her to breathe.She had thought she could move on from Cline just like she had from Albion.But hearing that he was proposing to Runa, it hurt more than she expected.The pain made her want to rush to him, hug him, and stop him from proposing.But her rational side told her she had no right to do that. In Cline's eyes, she was nothing.She was just a substitute for Runa, someone he used t
Calvert nodded and walked over to the sofa, gently lowering her down.After sitting up straight, Luana glanced at Calvert and said, "Mr. Coburn, thank you."On the surface, it was a polite expression of gratitude, but the underlying message was clear—she wanted him to leave.Calvert felt a bit frustrated inside, but he kept his expression gentle."Take a few days to rest at home. You don't need to host me for now," he said before turning to leave.As he passed the dining area, he noticed a photo on the liquor cabinet.It was a picture of Luana and Clarissa when they were around seventeen or eighteen, looking young and innocent.He couldn't help but stop and pick up the photo, noticing that it had been cropped.Originally, it must have been a group photo of three people, with someone standing next to Luana, but that person had been cut out.He instinctively thought that the missing person was himself. That thought m
Calvert frowned in thought.Could it be that his brother had approached Luana and said something terrible to her, leaving her completely disillusioned with him?He sent all these questions to Gath. Gath quickly replied with messages."Calvert, I truly don't know how your memory loss happened.""As for Miss Hammond, I've never heard your brother mention her to me, nor have I ever met her.""If it weren't for the photo of you two that was sent to the group chat and spotted by Stanley, I wouldn't even know about your connection."Gath was the kind of person who wouldn't spread rumors if he knew about Calvert and Luana's situation.After confirming that Gath wasn't lying, Calvert put down his phone and called Stanley in.Stanley's expression was calm as he answered Calvert's questions flawlessly, without any slip-ups.Unlike Gath, Stanley was a child adopted by his brother and thus loyal only to him.Calvert understoo
The message was from Mr. Night, who hadn't sent her any messages since she replied with "Let's talk in a few days."She had thought he got bored after playing with her twice and decided to leave her alone.But surprisingly, he had been so obedient, waiting patiently for days before contacting her again.Luana was a bit stunned when she saw the words "Come to Nightfall" on the screen.Although she was very well-behaved, her body really couldn't handle his mischief anymore.After pondering for two minutes, she typed back, "I'm not feeling well these days. Can we wait a bit longer?"As soon as she sent the message, he replied, "Did all that with Calvert mess up your body?"Luana froze at the words.How did he know about Calvert?How did he know she was acquainted with him?And why would he say she had been with Calvert so many times?Luana suddenly remembered the night she stayed in Calvert's presidential suit
Luana had been worried about Clarissa because Albert had tried to dissuade her from visiting his parents' home.Even Albert's parents seemed reluctant to have her come, citing reasons like the poor environment in the suburbs and concerns that Clarissa wouldn't be comfortable there.Luana suspected they might be hiding something. Still, Clarissa thought they were just being considerate, fearing that a bad experience in the suburbs might affect her relationship with Albert.Luana didn't want to overstep, so she kept her concerns to herself.Now that they were already married, it seemed odd to Luana that they still wouldn't let Clarissa visit.Clarissa, however, didn't seem to mind. "Who cares? I don't want to go to some suburb anyway. Albert and I are staying in Los Angeles, and his parents can stay at their place. We don't have to live together, and that means no conflicts. I'm more than happy with that," Clarissa said.Seeing Clarissa's atti
Luana recounted to Clarissa how Travis had threatened her."No wonder Travis brought so many people to the wedding. He was using me to threaten you," Clarissa said, her face filled with self-reproach."Luana, you're so foolish. You shouldn't have risked yourself for me."She gently touched Luana's face, which had become gaunt from worry.Luana had always been beautiful. It seemed that creeps like Travis were always drawn to her.In the past, whenever she was bullied or stalked, she would tell Clarissa and Albion.But this time, facing such danger, she had chosen to bear it alone.She must have wanted to protect Clarissa.Clarissa's eyes were filled with heartache. "Luana, if anything like this happens again, you have to tell me."Although she might not be able to take on those wealthy and powerful men, she could fight tooth and nail to protect Luana.If any of those shameless men dared to harm Luana again, Clariss
Clarissa hoped that Luana would find someone who truly cared for her, and then she would be at ease."Yeah, there will definitely be someone in the future," Luana replied, masking the sadness that flickered in her eyes with a nod, pretending everything was fine.In reality, there was no future for her.Albert quickly finished cooking and called them to help bring the dishes to the table. They turned off the TV and stood up.After the three of them finished dinner, Clarissa went to the bathroom, while Albert walked to the kitchen and answered a phone call.Luana was packing up the leftover food on the table, intending to put it in the fridge, when she heard Albert's voice just before she pushed open the kitchen door."Honey, wait for me for another half month. I'll go back once I've sorted things out. It's too risky to go too often..."The kitchen door had decent soundproofing, so only this sentence was faintly audible, and the rest wa
Luana never expected that after Cline let Calvert in, he would continue to kiss her.It wasn't until she heard Calvert's voice that she understood his intention.Although she had already let go of Calvert, seeing his eyes turn bloodshot with despair still startled her.She couldn't help but feel that the man struggling to rush towards them wasn't Calvert, but Albion.Because only Albion would lose control when he saw her being hurt by another man.Instinctively not wanting to upset Albion, she struggled desperately.But the more she struggled, the harder Cline kissed her, even going so far as to slide his slender fingers inside her clothes right in front of Calvert."Cline, don't touch her!" Calvert roared in a fit of madness, wishing he could rush over and kill Cline.But his body was pinned down by the bodyguard, leaving him helpless as he watched Cline take possession of Luana bit by bit.Luana forcefully pushed Cline
"So you did plan this with him!" Cline's cold, emotionless voice came from above Luana's head, making her pause for a moment."I didn't.""Then how did he know you were here?""I'm not sure, maybe it's because..." Her explanation was cut short by Cline's cold interruption."Stop making excuses. Getting your bag back wasn't just to contact him, was it?"Seeing Cline's stubborn and indifferent expression, Luana fell silent.He had already made up his mind that she had contacted Calvert to pick her up. No amount of explanation would convince him; it was futile."He comes to pick you up as soon as you're recovering. If that's not premeditated, then what is it?" Cline's distrust and relentless questioning left Luana feeling exhausted.She took a deep breath and replied indifferently, "Yes, I did arrange with him. The day I could walk again, I asked him to come and get me."Hearing her admission, Cline's lips curled into a col
"Remember to use the scar-removing medicine," Eva said. With her delicate and elegant appearance, she was the epitome of beauty—her face couldn't afford to be marred by scars.Eva nodded in agreement and left with her medical bag.As the dean of a private hospital, her schedule was usually quite busy.Had it not been for Cline, it would have been nearly impossible to get an appointment with her.Thinking of Cline, Luana felt a lump in her chest.She couldn't understand his intentions. He was about to get married to his fiancée, yet he kept her locked up at home.Did he want Runa and yet couldn't bear to let go of her?If that was the case, Cline was being incredibly greedy.Luana glanced at the floor-to-ceiling windows. At some point, the sky had darkened and a heavy downpour had begun.The weather matched her mood perfectly, prompting a deep sigh from her.As she sat on the bed, hugging her legs and
"Only a day apart, and you're already missing each other so much. It seems your old flame has been rekindled?"Faced with his sarcastic remark, Luana didn't bother to explain. She simply lowered her long eyelashes, hiding the discomfort in her eyes.Seeing her silence, Cline's face turned even colder. His grip on her chin tightened uncontrollably."Didn't you say you didn't love him anymore? Why are you rekindling your old relationship?"Luana endured the pain in her chin and forced a smile at Cline."If I can be your lover for years without loving you, why can't I rekindle my relationship with him?"It wasn't clear whether it was the first part of her sentence that choked Cline or the latter that left him speechless, but it made him so angry that he couldn't find words.Luana glanced up at him and saw his usually frosty, charming eyes gradually turn bloodshot. Her heart jolted, but she quickly suppressed the involuntary feelings that
Calvert seemed to have lost the strength to speak, only managing a faint nod.Clarissa knew his stubborn nature from childhood. Trying to persuade him to leave would be futile. So she steeled herself and told him the truth."Every time Luana is taken away by Cline, she won't be back in less than two or three days. You can't just keep squatting here, can you?"Judging by his reaction, it seemed he already knew who Luana had sold herself to back then.Since that was the case, there was no harm in telling him the truth. He wouldn't stand a chance against that man anyway.Clarissa's words hit Calvert like a sledgehammer, delivering a fatal blow."Every time?" he asked incredulously, his bloodshot eyes slowly turning towards Clarissa. "For these five years... she's been with Cline?""Mm-hmm," Clarissa replied indifferently. That single word, however, almost caused Calvert to collapse.He had thought she had only sold herself once, b
Hearing this, Luana felt even more guilty. "Clarissa, he got hurt trying to save me. Could you tell him to go back to the hospital first? I'll come to see him in a few days."Clarissa latched onto the key phrase. "Save you? What's going on?"Luana briefly explained the incident with Travis's private revenge.Upon learning the truth, Clarissa shouted that she wanted to teach Travis a lesson.However, upon hearing that Cline had already dealt with Travis, she immediately fell silent."So... you're with Cline now?"Luana could only nod in affirmation, not daring to hide anything from Clarissa.Clarissa sighed deeply and muttered, "What a complicated relationship," before hanging up the phone.She put her phone in her pocket and, carrying a large pot of corn chowder, walked towards the entrance of the small apartment.She had been excited to bring the soup to Luana to help her regain her strength, but as soon as she stepped
After Eva left, Cline glanced towards the guest bedroom and noticed the door was ajar. His expression darkened immediately.He unconsciously quickened his pace and entered the room, only to see Luana adjusting the IV drip.Her small, palm-sized face showed no significant emotional fluctuation. She remained as gentle and well-behaved as before.She even smiled at him when he entered, which dispelled his doubts.The volume of his conversation with Eva hadn't been loud enough for her to overhear.Cline subconsciously let out a breath of relief and sat down beside her bed, asking, "Feeling better?"Luana nodded and replied, "A bit better."Then, they fell into silence. The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.Seeing that Cline had no intention of leaving, Luana couldn't help but speak up, "Mr. Moriarty, could you help me find my bag?"Her bag had been left in the banquet hall at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Her phone and other belon
Cline finally put down the vegetable salad and picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth.In the five years she had been with him, he had never taken care of her like this. Luana was utterly shocked.She stared blankly at the man in front of her with her clear, innocent eyes, feeling as if all of this was surreal.Cline, however, didn't seem to find anything amiss. He calmly wiped her mouth with the napkin.After cleaning her up, he took out his phone and called Eva. He asked Eva to bring medical equipment to the villa.Hearing this, Luana quickly snapped out of her daze and said, "I'll be fine with just some rest. There's no need to trouble Dr. Eva."Cline glanced at her coldly, his tone domineering and brooking no refusal. "Whether it's troublesome or not, I'm the one who decides."Luana had no choice but to keep quiet and let him arrange everything...When Eva pushed a cart full of instruments into the room, Cline
Cline coldly interrupted him, "No meeting."Russell immediately seemed a bit embarrassed. "Mr. Moriarty, he is, after all, the CEO of Coburn Group. Right now, people from Coburn Group are constantly asking me for him. I can't keep him locked up forever..."Russell's meaning was clear—he could withstand the pressure for a while, but not for long.Cline's face darkened as he thought for a few seconds, and finally relented, "Let him go."He then hung up the phone directly and looked at Luana, who was examining him.In fact, Luana had already guessed who he was talking about and didn't ask.As long as he was willing to release Calvert, she could thank him later once she had recovered a bit.Cline stared at the IV drip for a while until the liquid in the bottle was completely gone, then he helped her remove the needle.Luana glanced at the three bottles of medicine still on the side. Logically, they should be administered one