The knocking sounded urgent, and the sound was deafening. It was so loud that it probably disturbed not only her neighbors but also others who lived a floor above and below. Calista rolled out of bed and quickly walked to the door. She pulled the door open exasperatedly. Outside, Nikolette was completely covered, so even her mother probably wouldn't recognize her. "What do you want?" Calista asked.She had been wondering how Nikolette had managed to get in, but now, she understood. Nikolette wore a janitor's uniform, and even Calista could barely recognize her. She had underestimated her indeed. "Sis, can you ask Lucian for help? Those people are being unreasonable. They found some random videos and posted them online."She tried to push past Calista's door and enter, but after several attempts, she gave up. Calista waited for her to finish speaking before responding slowly, "Why do you think I would help you? I think I’m kind enough to do nothing, given our current relat
Lucian’s attention was focused on the documents.Hearing this, he replied indifferently, "Lily, it’s all in the past." Lily’s eyes were red, and her lips were pale from biting them.She persisted, "I was your girlfriend for two years. I should have the right to know, right? When we were together back then, did you ever like me?" She had never asked this question before.Their relationship had started by accident. They often met to discuss preparations for the school dance, and the news of their relationship spread as they spent more time together. Later, someone teased them, asking if they were together. Lucian didn’t respond, probably due to his pride as a top student.He couldn’t bother to explain something so baseless. But to others, his lack of response meant it was true. So, Lily became his girlfriend as a matter of course. Lucian looked up and met her gaze. Unlike her, he was calm and composed."I ..." "There’s no need to explain yourself," Lily interrupted him and
Calista didn't continue to complain but instead threw a confused look at Paul. She doubted that he understood Lucian at all. She sighed and thought to herself, "Looks can be deceiving." Seeing Paul’s determination, she couldn’t bear to expose Lucian’s true character.Well, they had grown up together since childhood and were like brothers in blood. She didn't want to be the one to be the wedge between them. It was afternoon, and there was less traffic. It only took ten minutes to drive from the apartment to the mall. Since Paul had offered to drive her there, she didn’t want to seem ungrateful and simply dismiss him. After all, he wasn't her hired driver. Calista unbuckled her seatbelt and asked, "Do you want to go inside and take a look? Maybe help me pick something out?" She asked out of politeness, and it wasn’t a sincere invitation. She had no idea that Paul would immediately turn off the engine and agree. The two of them strolled from the first floor to the sixth f
Selena glanced at Lucian, whose mood had visibly soured, and said, "Even if you've heard something, it has nothing to do with you. Only answer when asked. Call me if it's about something you don't know. There’s no need for all the fuss." This wasn’t the first time Selena criticized Lucian after they got married.He sighed in resignation, furrowing his brows slightly, and replied, "We haven't even divorced yet. Besides, would the Baker family allow Paul to marry a divorced woman?" "Why wouldn't they allow it? They must be blind if they think Calista isn't up to their standards." Although she said so, Selena knew that this matter was challenging. The Baker family wasn't any family, and many wealthy young ladies in their social circle aspired to marry Paul.While Calista had her support, the fact that she had a history with Lucian couldn't be ignored. It seemed she would need to find an opportunity to gauge the Baker family's opinion. If there was no chance, she would have to pe
Jacob keenly sensed that something was amiss between the two of them and asked, "Who is this, Claude?" Calista turned around and was about to speak when she heard Lucian behind her say, "I am her husband. It's raining, and I've come to pick her up." He even pulled her into his arms as he spoke. "Yes, he's my husband."Calista's expression froze, and she forced a smile, saying, "He's a bit shameless, Mr. Xanders. I hope you don’t mind." Jacob chuckled at her words. "Don't be annoyed. He's just concerned about you. This place is not easy to find." This street was filled with such ancient and picturesque buildings, and the restaurant he had chosen wasn't popular. It wasn’t located on a busy street, so it was hard to find. Looking at Claude's reaction, she didn’t expect him to be here. This meant she hadn’t shared her location with him. It was evident that he cared a lot about her. Calista could only nod in agreement. After sending off Jacob, she immediately put on an anno
Calista was caught off guard until she saw the flats in the box. Only then did she realize Lucian’s intentions. In just a few seconds, Lucian had grabbed hold of her ankle. His palms were warm, and Calista could feel the heat through the thin fabric. She pulled her foot back uncomfortably and whispered, "I can do it myself." This would usually make people swoon in TV shows, but it felt awkward in real life, especially with two strangers watching them. She wished she could dig a hole and hide inside right then! And judging by the envy in their eyes, they probably found this moment incredibly sweet! Calista refused to admit it was her problem. It must be Lucian. He was too flawed. This romantic gesture felt out of character for him, making her feel weird. His head was lowered, and Calista could see his long and dense eyelashes, as well as the contours of his nose and jawline. He tightened his grip as she struggled and furrowed his eyebrows."Don’t move," Lucian said with a
Calista had been eager to see how thick-skinned Zachary could be to make up tall tales that could be debunked at a moment's notice. But the waiter pushed open the door. All three people inside turned to look at her …She smiled as she walked in and took her seat beside Lucian. She would've preferred to sit elsewhere but it was the only empty seat available."What were you discussing?" she asked.Lucian smirked."We were discussing your close bond with your sister and how you've spoiled her." The man was aware of Calista's family's circumstances. He knew when her mother had passed away and when her stepmother came into the picture.He also knew when Zeke had punished Calista for Nikolette's sake, down to what day she failed to show up at school. He knew every detail.The woman looked up to see Zachary throwing her nervous looks. He looked ready to answer for her. "Yes, we do have quite the bond. After all, it's been so many years and she's still up and kicking," she said plac
Calista snapped back to her senses as he inched closer. She found her gaze fixed on the man's lips and unconsciously leaned back. But as soon as she moved, Lucian pulled her into his embrace."Ten minutes."There was no rhyme or reason to his words. And yet, she understood what he meant.The man's scent was familiar to her despite the lack of intimacy throughout their three years together. She had no choice but to lean against his chest and listen to the sound of his steady heartbeat.Apart from the thumping of his heart, the world was silent.At that moment, she found herself unable to push him away. Perhaps it was because of the exhaustion from the recent argument that she felt drained.She relaxed and allowed herself to lean fully against Lucian."He used to treat me like that too."It had been a long time since then. She needed time to recall the details carefully. Calista spoke slowly but Lucian didn't interrupt her. He didn't show a trace of impatience.If the executives