Agnes cleared her throat and continued, "I must say, after all these years, it seems highly improbable that anyone would return. But, one can never be entirely certain. Whether they choose to return or not is not our concern.""That residence has a rather unfortunate reputation. It's become renowned as a haunted mansion in Capeton. What kind of work have you undertaken there? Did you stumble into some scam?" Agnes asked in concern.Calista wasn't sure how much Agnes knew about her mother's death, but she decided to take a chance and continued, "Agnes, you know, my mom's passing wasn't just a random accident. Grandpa and I have been digging around for years, yet we haven't encountered any useful leads. Have you got any scoop on whether my mom had any tight buddies or pals?"Agnes returned to arranging flowers and replied, "Your mom was one of those workaholic types. She could hibernate at home for weeks, not bothering to chat with anyone or surf the web. Gossip and internet drama wer
Lucian stopped, a sense of frustration washed over him.He rested his chin on Calista's shoulder and spoke hoarsely, "You don't like it when I kiss you, huh? It makes sense. You're not into me. So why would you like it?"Calista had never seen Lucian in such a drunken state before.While there had been previous bouts of drunkenness, he would usually pass out completely, to the extent that not even an earthquake could wake him.She remained silent, and Lucian followed suit. Yet, the silence was short-lived.Suddenly, Lucian unbuttoned his shirt and said, "We skip the kisses then. How about we cut to the chase?"Even if Calista was slow to catch on, she understood Lucian's indication.She maintained a poker face and replied, "Sure, let's move things to bed. Standing around here feels awkward."Even in his drunken state, Lucian managed to navigate to the bed with surprising precision. He wrapped his arms around Calista, fearing she might run away.When they reached the bedside, L
Lucian wanted to say something but restrained himself. He pursed his lips, and the veins on his forehead bulged. After a while, he finally found a more refined way to express himself."Can you cut the guy some slack and take it easy on him?"He had completely forgotten the lectures he had given to the stuffed toy.Calista continued relentlessly, "Sexual desires are just basic physical needs, and you're telling me to be lenient about someone's shortcomings? Is it too much to ask for a healthy relationship? Also, tell your friend to move on sooner. Don't waste that poor girl's time."Lucian was left speechless at her reply.She added, "You might want to suggest therapy for him. If he's having trouble in the bedroom with his wife, it could be a sign to try something different.""You've read those cheesy novels, haven't you? The idea that men only get aroused by their one true love is a load of nonsense. Maybe he needs to spend more time with women and gain more bedroom experience, a
Calista was nearly as tall as Thomas, with a pair of heels adding an extra 2.5 inches to her stature. She exuded an air of poise and elegance that seemed to command the room."Hey, Mr. Jefferson. If you're so sure about it, why don't you spill the beans and tell us who you think I've supposedly slept with to get to where I am today?"Pretending to stay calm, Thomas asked, "What's your intention?""Very well. I intend to convene them here for a public confrontation with you. Regrettably, I lack influential connections among these higher-ups, so I may need to seek Mr. Beaumont's assistance," she explained.Given their busy schedules and critical responsibilities, getting those high-ranking officials to attend was highly unlikely. However, the mere thought of unsettling Thomas was worth it."We'll find out who can handle the embarrassment. Will it be you, Mr. Jefferson? Or me, the one you believe is only here because of connections?"Calista made a comment that chipped away at Thoma
Calista remained seated, undisturbed, while Yara sprang into action next to the table, forcibly turning someone to face her."Hector, you sneaky guy! Didn't we agree that I'd be the one to ask the question? You threw me under the bus there. Now Calista probably thinks we're in cahoots or something."Hector brushed off Yara's grip, pulled out the chair next to Calista, and sat down."I'm here to go after someone, and being here in person shows I mean business. Yara, you can take off now since you've brought me into the picture. Grab some food next door. My treat."Yara glared at him and retorted, "Why involve me in the first place? Why not ask her directly?""You see, showing up unexpectedly too often can irritate folks. Timing is key. Given that you've already set the stage, it made sense for me to step in," Hector replied."Do you ever wonder why passing love notes through messengers was a thing back in school instead of just asking someone out directly?" he continued."Why?" Y
Calista and Yara didn't hang out for long since Calista had a meeting to rush to. It was the end of the workday, and the office had mostly cleared out.Calista waited for the people to exit the elevator before stepping inside and pressing the floor button. Just as she did, the doors opened again. Lucian and David walked in.Calista stood with her hands folded, her eyes fixed on the elevator doors. Through the reflected doors, she noticed Lucian's attention remained fixed ahead instead of peering at her.Unable to resist, she made a disapproving sound and turned to Lucian."Lucian, did your company go broke or something? You seem to have all the time in the world chasing after your ex-wife, who wants nothing to do with you."David knew Lucian's disposition well. When someone else wrongly accused Lucian, he would readily defend himself.However, in the case of Calista unjustly blaming Lucian, he would keep his frustration to himself and vent it on David later."Madam Calista …" Da
"Nope. But we might arrive sooner, so you can return earlier, too," Paul answered.Paul was being thoughtful. He had a feeling that Calista might have some impending commitments when Shawn inquired about her schedule earlier."In that case, I'll head home and get my luggage ready."Calista initially planned to leave tonight, and now that her desire had been fulfilled, she agreed with Paul. He got up and took the car keys from the drawer."Yep, let's roll. I'll swing by your place, and we can catch our flight later. It's right on the way."As they left the premises together, Lucian concluded his meeting. Lucian's reputation had spread throughout the project department after the previous incident.A staff member wasted no time sharing the news when she spotted him."Mr. Baker and Calista are on their way to the airport."The staff had caught snippets of their conversation during Paul's earlier task handover to the deputy manager."The airport?" Lucian inquired, his eyes locked o
Paul immediately noticed something was wrong with Calista. He grabbed her hand just as she was about to run from him."What's wrong?" David was anxious as he saw Calista's gaze swept past them from a distance."It seems like Mrs. Northwood saw you." Their actions were considered stalking, weren't they? Lucian frowned."No, she wasn't looking at me." As soon as he finished his sentence, he saw Calista whipping her hand out of Paul's grip. She ran toward a place with fewer people. "Stop her," Lucian ordered David. Paul was stunned for a second, then he immediately went after her. But there were a lot of people on the streets. Calista disappeared from his sight as she blended into the crowd. Calista's gaze was fixated on the slender figure, who wasn't far away from her. She was of average height, around five feet four.She moved swiftly through the crowd, occasionally revealing the profile that Calista was so familiar with. The woman was dressed in a body-con dress, wit