Lucian let go of Calista, who continued to glare at him. Her neck still bore marks left behind by his kisses when he failed to control his strength.If she had a knife in her hand, she would've long since stabbed him. What part of her looked afraid?Lucian said nothing. His gaze was fixed on Paul's hand. He had used the fingerprint scanner to unlock the door.Being an heir to a wealthy family meant that social cues were ingrained in them. The first step was to read between the lines.Despite Lucian not saying a word, Paul immediately caught onto what he was thinking."I apologize. I was in a hurry and hadn't had time to get my data erased."That was indeed a mistake. Paul opened the door, fiddled around with the touchpad, and removed his fingerprint from the system.Lucian acted distant and couldn't be bothered to extend a symbolic invitation for the man to come inside. He stood at the entrance with an expression that made it look like he was sending Paul on his way."It's late
Calista slammed the brakes. The employee from the florist who held the bouquet then noticed her. He fumbled to reach for their phone and checked a photo.After confirming that it was the right car, he approached her.Those who were part of the workshop were huddled at the entrance. The employee from the florist had been there since their arrival. With such a massive bouquet in hand, it was difficult to miss.Calista had already pulled up into the parking lot. She couldn't just turn and leave. Doing so would only make it look like she was covering up the situation. It would solve nothing.She could only watch as they walked up to her. "Are you Mrs. Northwood?"Even with her windows shut, she could hear his voice loud and clear. She fell silent. She parked her car and got out."Mr. Northwood has requested we deliver these flowers to you. Could you please sign this?"The moment he finished, her colleagues descended into an uproar.There was only a small handful of staff at the w
A few of Calista's colleagues were with her. They all wore smirks as they shot her looks. After enduring a full day of teasing, she now had no problems keeping her calm as they watched her.Chelsea Ferguson leaned over to whisper to Calista as she passed her by, "You didn't cover up the love bites behind your ear, Claude."Calista, a woman who had dated and jumped straight into marriage, stayed as innocent as a virgin in the last three years.No matter how calm and composed she seemed, it was a challenge to keep a straight face when faced with such an embarrassing situation.She immediately tried to cover her ears so Chelsea would stop staring."Don't bother. Everyone has seen them."Calista had checked herself over in the mirror before she left the apartment. She had covered the traces on her neck with concealer.She wore a turtleneck sweater and a scarf on top of that. Even her hair which she usually kept pulled up was down. She didn't think there would still be traces she fai
Seeing Lily at the door, Lucian made a connection as to what had happened after considering Calista's words. He narrowed his eyes. His gaze had turned glacial with indifference.He didn't show any outward signs of anger. But his emotions were palpable. His grip around Calista's wrist only continued to tighten. It was violent."You called her here?"A severe pain shot up her arm. She couldn't help but let out a hiss. But before she could break free, he let go of her. He looked down, his gaze landing on her wrist."I'm sorry. I lost control of my strength."Lucian was acting far more gentlemanly and was sincerely apologizing for hurting her. His words sounded much more sincere than the perfunctory words he had used back at the workshop.But Calista still kept her distance. To her, he acted no different from crazed characters found in soap operas on television.If he were to wear a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, he would fit the image of a civilized scum who doubled as a psychopathic
Lucas told Jacob about the last show half a month ago. Calista hadn't been in Justa at the time. Jacob also knew of her preference for not showing her face. That was why he recommended her for the show.Only Calista's hands were in the frame in the documentary. When paired with the handsome Bryan, she aroused curiosity about her appearance.The unpopular documentary ended up trending on social media.After receiving a call from Jacob and learning that Calista had agreed to participate, Lucas was overjoyed. He informed her of the shooting that would take place a week later.Everyone involved was an amateur. So, scheduling was not an issue.The day before the shoot, Calista received the program's schedule and a list of participants. She didn't know anyone. But it was still necessary to go through with it.She wasn't there for the program. She wanted to make use of Lucas's gimmick to show everyone that she was the mysterious conservator "Claude".After reviewing the schedule, she c
Lucian frowned as he studied the documents in his hand."What identity?""She's Claude."Calista's name also started with the letter "C". To make sure Lily got her point across, she emphasized her words."You know, the one who restored that painting for me."At that time, she wanted to use the restored painting to please Selena and give Lucian a surprise. That was why she hadn't mentioned it beforehand.But the incident at the birthday party brought Claude into the public eye.Claude? Lucian paused. His gaze shifted away from the papers. After a split second, he let out a soft hum. Lily's breath was caught in her throat to hear how calm he was."You already knew?" she asked in disbelief.He said nothing. He had no idea. He had heard Bryan refer to Calista as "Claude". At the time, he simply thought it was a strange variation of a nickname.Besides, he never paid much attention to the matter. He hadn't given it much thought at all.He chose not to explain in response to Lily'
One look at Lucian's attitude and the sarcastic tone of voice, Calista knew he had heard everything.Lily had failed to get her way with her that morning and left for a few minutes. When she returned, her mood had visibly improved.And now Lucian showed up when lunchtime rolled around. It was clear from his tone that he was degrading her. So, he was here seeking revenge on his lover's behalf.Calista had a busy day as a puppet on strings being directed to perform. She was exhausted. And now she had to face this man picking on her after finishing up. Her expression darkened.She set aside her phone on the table. The clear thud could be heard. She crossed her arms, leaned against the backrest, and got straight to the point."So, what does Lily want? Does she want her money back? She can dream on."There was a certain gloom in his eyes."We're discussing the matter concerning Claude. Don't go involving an outsider.""Outsider? Lily called you this morning, didn't she? Did she tatt
Calista hadn't expected a mere argument between strangers to direct Selena's attention back on her."No …""Don't lie to me. If that bastard forced you to take anything of the sort, I'll kill him myself!"Selena was truly all up in arms. As long as Calista said the word, the woman was ready to arm herself to confront Lucian.Calista shook her head."It's nothing like that, Mom. He never forced me to take anything … We were married for three years, yes, but he has never touched me."Ever since they openly discussed the divorce with Selena, Calista had begun to express herself more freely. She stopped hiding things."What?"Selena's eyes were wide with shock at the revelation."You mean … The two of you never consummated your marriage?"After all, they were mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. There was still a difference in seniority between them. She felt embarrassed to ask."Is it because Lucian …? Should I talk to the doctor to prescribe more of those pills? Maybe if he take