Calista looked at Skye and Kay, who were having the time of their lives. Despite drinking heavily, neither of them seemed to be drunk. It would probably take a while for them to get drunk. "Alright," she said. Then, she gulped her drink down and informed them before leaving the private room with Emma. "Calista, I've got a stomachache. I'll use the restroom real quick; wait for me," Emma said as the two of them passed by the public restroom. "Okay." The public restroom was empty because each private room had its restroom. Feeling a little sick, she leaned against the wall. Calista wasn't sure if it was because she'd had too much to drink, but her head was spinning, and her surroundings were becoming increasingly hazy. She shook her head and wanted to go to the sink to splash cold water on her face to sober up, but her legs gave way after a few steps, and she fell to the ground.However, she didn't pass out. Calista just couldn't muster up any strength in her body a
Paul's shirt was partially undone in the bathtub. The thin fabric clung to his body after being soaked in water, revealing his toned chest muscles.He turned to face the door after being startled by the commotion. His gaze was calm and composed, and his disheveled appearance made him look a little sexy. Calista was held close to him in his arms, her face as pale as a ghost. It was hard to tell if it was due to the cold or if the effects of the drug hadn't worn off yet.Her eyes were glossed over, and her reactions were slower than usual. Lucian narrowed his eyes. His expression darkened as he walked over and lifted the woman, who was soaking in cold water, into his arms. Paul grabbed his hand."Can't you see that she's not in her right mind?""You wouldn't even have the chance to sit here and talk to me if I couldn't tell."Lucian's expression was frosty."Let go."He couldn't pull his hand away as he was holding Calista. Paul got out of the bathtub barefoot onto the dark
Lucian was so close to losing it. He almost reached out and touched her lady parts."Calista …"Calista's consciousness was receding like the tide at that moment. Her gaze was drawn to his thin lips, and all she could think about was kissing him. The woman frowned and muttered, "I don't feel so well, Paul … I feel sick."Her memory was still stuck on the moment when Paul lifted her from the bed and whispered in her ear, "Calista, it's me, Paul."For a brief moment, Lucian froze and felt a dull ache in his chest. His rationality and restraint went to hell in an instant, replaced by a strong desire to dominate and possess her.Then, a thought occurred to him—he would make her forget everyone else's names except his!Calista felt herself being lifted high into the air, and the sensation of weightlessness caused her fists to clench instinctively. Then, she landed on something soft. Lucian lowered his head and lit a cigarette while standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windo
Lucian listened quietly until the man finished speaking.Then, he asked, "Who sent you?""I have no idea. The lighting was too dim at the time, and I had been drinking. All I remember is that she seemed to be wearing Luminary Lounge's uniform, but I couldn't make out her face." The man shook uncontrollably."I swear I wasn't lying, Mr. Northwood. This is all I know. I have nothing to do with everything else. I had no idea you were interested in the new hostess." "I'll send someone to look into this right away," the manager said before Lucian issued his order.Lucian looked at the man, who was begging for mercy on the ground, and said, "You guys should get out first. Close the door. Don't let his blood splatter on the ground outside."…Her mind was still in disarray when she awoke. Calisa took a look around the unfamiliar surroundings and realized she had no idea where she was.The sun had already risen outside. The room was brightly lit by the sun, and there was no hint of
She bit her lip, looked away, and pressed her hands against Lucian's chest, reluctantly saying, "I'm sorry, I was wrong about you last night." Then, she forcefully pushed him away. This caught Lucian off guard, and he fell off the bed.Calista couldn't focus on anything else and quickly scrambled out of bed, rushing naked into the bathroom. She glanced at herself in the mirror as she passed by the vanity. She had marks all over her body, from her neck to her collarbone and abdomen. Although she could not remember a thing, she had a vague idea of what happened by looking at her bruises. It wasn't until she was lying in the bathtub, enjoying the warm water, that she began to recall the events of last night. Last night, she had met up with her roommates from university. She hadn't left the private room since entering it.Nor did she eat or drink anything from outside, so she couldn’t figure out when she was drugged. Did someone put something in her drink? What happened to
Calista couldn't bother to look at him and said, "It's not the first time you took her side. I'm not surprised you'd do it again." Lucian looked at her and sneered coldly without another word. After knowing that Lily was behind what happened yesterday, Calista turned and walked away.Before she left, she asked the manager for footage of the surveillance cameras in the room and all the glasses and opened bottles. If Skye and Kay had been in the room the whole time, she could easily find out where she was drugged. The manager answered politely, "I can give you the footage. But Mr. Northwood had sent the glasses and opened bottles for analysis last night. I'll notify you immediately once the results are out."Calista frowned."Which test center?" Lucian broke his silence and asked, "What are you doing?" Calista didn't hide her intentions, knowing that he'd find out anyway, "I'll get a sample and have someone else verify it. I don't trust you." She showed no fear or hesitati
She wasn't surprised that there were hidden cameras around Luminary Lounge.But it was preposterous that Calista would take a video, where her face couldn't even be seen, as evidence. Seeing there was no substantial evidence, Lily regained her confidence."I know you resent me, Calista. But do you think you can accuse me with such doubtful proof?” She didn't feign concern to ask what had happened because it was clear from the video itself. It was true that Calista didn't have any solid evidence. She wasn't some superhero in some comic book. It was hard for her to find proof since the culprit was well-prepared.So, she pulled out the pill that Paul had given her, "Does this look familiar?" Lily retorted, "Are you going to accuse me of something again if I said it is? Most pills look alike; I took one for a cold just yesterday." "What was the pill you gave Paul last night?" "It’s just a cold pill. He said he had a headache, so I gave him one." They were at a standstill, an
Lucian’s face was darkened and his lips were pursed into a straight line. Calista glared at him for a moment. She was somewhat tired and blinked her sore eyes, intending to leave. But before she could take a step, he grabbed her hand."Paul was a gentleman for not taking advantage of someone in distress, and I didn't touch you either. Why haven't you mentioned it, huh?" His grip tightened, clearly infuriated."Have you already decided that I’m the bad guy no matter what?” Calista was a bit stunned. She hadn't expected Lucian to be angry about this matter. His relentless questioning left her mind blank.She blurted out, "Miss Scott was taken away five minutes ago." Weren't they discussing this? Lucian saw her looking at the door and sneered sarcastically, "Why are you so concerned? Do you plan to help her out?" He was the expert in playing the blame game. Calista rolled her eyes, "She's not just your ex-girlfriend. Her father died because of you. You’re the one who visi
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,