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
Choosing between Lucian and the dog. Her answer wouldn't matter anymore because it's just not possible to make her reply sound nice. Fortunately, Lucian wasn't that immature to nitpick over things like this. He stopped pressing on Calista when he saw she wasn't interested in delving into this topic. He sat in the driver's seat after closing the car door. An awkward silence hung in the car. Lucian's frosty gaze was fixated on the road.Calista sealed her mouth shut to keep herself from blurting out something that'd trigger him. She was a bit thirsty from the honey she had at Stansend Manor. As she was about to open a bottle of mineral water from the storage compartment, she sensed Lucian turning toward her. She stopped and gestured the bottle of mineral water to Lucian. She turned her head toward him."Do you want some?"Lucian scoffed at Calista. He made the atmosphere unpleasant again. Calista rolled her eyes scornfully. She was desperate for a sip of water, but Lucian's ga
With Cade covering Cameron's mouth, there was no chance for her pointed words to offend anyone in the room. His palm was cool to the touch. It was a sensation she disliked. So, she couldn't help but tilt her head.When Cade noticed her movements, he gently stroked her cheek as if he were calming a child who was throwing a tantrum.Victor spent years in a position of authority, giving him an air of unspoken authority. His gaze hardened, and his lips pressed into a firm line as he watched Cade. "Cade, don't jeopardize the long-standing relationship between our families over a woman.""If that's how you see it." Cade glanced at the door. "Aren't you doing the same for a woman?"Victor snorted contemptuously. "How can a cheap girl who was merely adopted be worth anything compared to Mirabelle?""How is my daughter, a Yorksworth, worth any less than yours?" Blaire stood at the doorway as she took in the occupants of the home with her sharp gaze. She had been feeling restless ever sin
Mirabelle frowned. "Excuse me?"As soon as she finished speaking, Cameron walked up to her, grabbed her by her hair, and forcefully bent her over.Cameron held up the guest list Monica had sent her and shoved it in Mirabelle's face. "Call them. Tell them to be there by 3:00 p.m., or else…"She tightened her grip threateningly. "You can kiss this head of hair goodbye."Mirabelle pressed down on her scalp where it had been pulled, her voice distorted with pain when she spoke."Let go, Cameron! Are you out of your mind?""Didn't I tell you not to involve anyone else in our feud?""Can't take it anymore?"Mirabelle endured the pain of turning her head to flash a disdainful sneer at Cameron."This is just the appetizer. If you go against me, you'll eventually crawl out of Capeton with your tail between your legs. I'll call your business partner right now and pin the catastrophic failure of this event on you…"Seeing Mirabelle's condescending expression brought Cameron back to the
The kiss lifted the dark cloud that hung over Cade's mood over the past few days.The next day, as Fabian brought in documents for him to sign, Cade asked, "When is Cameron's show?"Fabian was taken aback for a split second but quickly replied. Fortunately, he was well-prepared and kept track of Cameron's events for the year in advance."Has the invitation been delivered?"Fabian swallowed, almost wanting to laugh to mock Cade. Given Cade's strained relationship with his wife, Cameron would sooner invite a dog than have him around. However, all Fabian could do was revel in Cade's misery in his mind while keeping a businesslike facade."It was probably already delivered. The front desk brought in a stack of mail yesterday. I haven't sorted it out yet."He had already sorted out the mail this morning. Everything had gone straight to the trash."Clear my schedule for the day. Make reservations at a restaurant for a celebratory dinner.""Yes, sir."On the day of the show, Monica
That was obviously an excuse to get Cade out of the picture. Knowing what Mirabelle had done to Cameron in the past, leaving the two of them alone was out of the question. Besides, it wasn't convenient for him to move the car, so he refused without a second thought."Get the attendant—"However, Cameron cut him off before he could finish."Ms. Ackerman is a guest. You should fulfill her requests if she has any."Cade cast her a cold glance. "Shut up." Why should he dance to Mirabelle's tune?Cameron stared at him. "Run along."He gritted his teeth as rage crossed his face. After a brief pause, he sneered and turned to leave. As soon as the door shut behind him, Mirabelle's calm expression slipped. "Did you make me come here just to show off how much you two love each other?""You call that love? I think we have different definitions of what 'love' is then. He's nothing more than…" Cameron's fingers lightly traced the cup's rim as she smirked and said, "A lap dog.""You fu
Cameron crossed her arms over her chest and gave the bouquet in Cade's hands a nonchalant glance."What are you trying to pull, Mr. Carter?""Fabian said it was Women's Day today.""So what?"There was silence all around. The sound of soothing music could be heard through the door. Cade was silent for a while. "We're not getting a divorce, Cameron."It was the same old topic that Cameron had grown too weary of. She turned around and felt for the cigarette box on the table. There was already a layer of cigarette butts in the ashtray next to it. Judging by the color of the lipstick marks, more than half of them were hers.Cade frowned. He clearly disapproved of her smoking but kept himself from stopping her.Smoke curled from between her lips. The flickering embers of the cigarette reflected in her eyes, softening her indifferent gaze. Through the thin haze, Cameron's lips curled into a wide, unrestrained smile. Every time she smiled in this way, it always filled Cade with a
Cade began unbuckling his belt as he spoke. When it came to this sort of thing, men often had a strong sense of competition, especially in the presence of a woman they were interested in."Such a dark atmosphere isn't right for our situation."Cameron didn't like him to begin. In such a dark atmosphere, there was no telling what kind of grotesque creature she might imagine him to be. It would be strange if she felt attraction for him.She leveled a steady stare at him. Cade's shirt was half undone, showing his tense muscles underneath. Under the influence of alcohol, his skin took on a faint reddish hue. There was a heart-pounding tension in the air as if something was about to ignite. Occasionally, his slightly heavy breaths could be heard."You haven't been working out recently, have you?" Cameron asked.Cade was confused.Cameron pressed her hand against his chest, right below his ribs, and gave it a little push. After a moment, she commented, "Your muscles are a little soft
Cade tossed his phone onto the table in frustration when he saw who entered. He pressed his hand against his brow."Leave. You should see Diane for a work uniform.""Are you feeling unwell, Mr. Carter?" Rosalia approached the desk with a glass of milk in hand. "I learned how to give massages. Why don't I…" "Get out."Cade abruptly got to his feet and avoided Rosalia's outstretched hand, causing the milk to spill all over him. He glanced down at his now-stained shirt with a dark expression and pressed his lips tightly together. After a long pause, he asked through clenched teeth, "Did my wife ask you to send this up?" Every syllable was pronounced with the gnashing of teeth.Rosalia froze under his piercing gaze."It really was Mrs. Carter who asked me to bring it to you, sir," she stammered."Leave. From now on, you will not enter my study unless you have permission."Rosalia had come to work as a housekeeper to land herself a wealthy husband. She had even bribed the manager
On the next day, Cameron was discussing the fashion show with Monica when she suddenly heard a familiar voice from behind. "Cammie…" It was Blaire.Although Monica didn't fully know about Cameron's past, she didn't like Blaire at all. What kind of mother wouldn't protect their own child, after all?However, it wasn't appropriate for her to intervene as much even though she was Cameron's close friend. After all, it was Cameron's family matter.Monica stood up with her notebook in hand and said, "Well, I just remembered that there's still a few more invitations to send, so I'll go and take care of that. Let's discuss more about the fashion show later."After saying that, she glanced at Blaire and left without even greeting her.Cameron got up and nodded at Blaire. "Is something the matter?"She thought that her distant attitude last night had made it clear enough that she didn't want any more involvement with the Yorksworth family. She didn't expect that Blaire would come and loo
Cameron pushed the door open. She looked tired as she laid down her bag. As she changed her shoes, she caught sight of the food on the dining table out of the corner of her eye."Diane, didn't I tell you I wasn't coming back for dinner? Why did you make so much food?"Diane glanced upstairs. "It's for Mr. Carter. He hasn't eaten yet."The moment Cade was mentioned, Cameron dropped the topic. She rubbed her sore shoulder as she headed upstairs. "I see.""Madam…" Diane called out hesitantly, looking troubled. "Mr. Carter asked you to call him down for dinner when you got home.""Me? Call him down for dinner?" Cameron stopped in her tracks and turned around in confusion. "Why?""Mr. Carter seems to be upset. Did you two have another fight?""So If he's in a bad mood, I'm supposed to go upstairs and invite him down to eat? Should I also say 'Your meal is ready, my liege!' while I'm at it?" Cameron scoffed. Her sarcastic smirk quickly faded. "He can eat if he wants. If he doesn't,