As Calista got up, Paul followed her up as well."I'll see you off.""There's no need for that, Mr. Baker. You can carry on drinking with them. It's just downstairs, so you don't have to see me off."Earlier, when Shawn asked Paul whether it was okay for her to drink, it was an attempt to categorize her as Paul's partner.Though she knew she might be overthinking it, it was still better to avoid any potential misunderstandings. Since it's impossible, she should make herself clear. It's better to not give mixed signals as in rejecting verbally but acting the opposite.This created a false impression that she could be won over with just some more effort.Sometimes, having feelings for another person was self-hypnotizing in a certain way.Due to one's indecisiveness which in turn gave the other party the wrong signals, leading them deeper into self-hypnotization. It was the same concept as fishing. If you fed the fish too much, they wouldn’t take the bait. But, you couldn’t not
Lucian was expressionless as he lifted his leg, and stepped on Kyle without any hesitation. He didn't start with great force, but the slow and steady pressure he exerted to and fro made it unbearably painful. The gradually deepening force made Kyle could only focus on that spot.But Lucian stood there, looking calm and composed. Aside from his emotionless eyes, there wasn't any sign of emotional fluctuation. He could even be deemed as elegant. If judged solely by his face, no one would ever associate this gruesome act with his current expression."Argh—"Kyle's shriek echoed through the elevator, resembling the squeal of a slaughtered pig. Although Calista wasn't a man, she somehow could feel the pain herself as well. Her legs even straightened involuntarily. Kyle struggled to push Lucian's leg away, attempting to free himself from Lucian's crushing force on his penis. But no matter how hard he tried, Lucian didn't budge an inch. Thus, his series of agonizing screams ec
Paul rubbed his nose and said awkwardly, "Although men … uh … occasionally have certain desires, Lucian …"It was a first for him to discuss this topic with someone, and what's more that someone was the woman he was after. It was really hard for him to bring up."He probably wouldn't resort to hiring a prostitute. Besides, that woman … she didn't seem like his usual type."But it turned out that Paul had guessed it wrongly. The woman didn't come out again. Given Lucian's personality, he would've kicked her out in the first place if he wasn't interested. Paul shot Calista a worried look."Calista …"Calista beamed at him. There wasn't a single trace of sorrow on her face."You've had a long day too. Go back to your room and rest. Don't we have to go explore the building's interior tomorrow?"After Calista bid goodbye to Paul, she closed the door. As she passed by the desk, she picked up her phone and switched to an unregistered SIM card.She called the police and explained wha
"They're just being polite, it's not like they're asking you to report it."Such messages were not received in Apthon before. Every city has its dark secrets, as long as it doesn't surface into the light, only a small number of people are aware of it.However, a few incidents recently occurred in Apthon, particularly a heinous act where a woman was openly assaulted, and some kind of criminal force was involved.This incident had gained nationwide attention, resulting in heightened vigilance. This hotel seemed to be boldly flouting the law.Lucian furrowed his brows. His stern gaze was fixated on Calista. In this moment, the authority and pressure of one in power were vividly displayed by Lucian."If I can investigate, surely others can as well. If they dare to do something like this, they certainly have backers."Calista knew this. Otherwise, she wouldn't have changed her SIM card before making the call. However, she must've been too content with her life, as she had grown compla
Calista's eyes twitched as she saw the thing in Lucian's hand. She was both embarrassed and angered. She reached out to push him."Lucian, you bastard, get out!"She exerted quite a large force. When she pushed Lucian away, she moved forward a few steps due to inertia.He subconsciously held onto her waist. But he forgot that he was wearing disposable hotel slippers.The friction between the sole of the slipper and the carpet was greater than regular shoes, and they didn't fit snugly.As he moved forward, one of his slippers slipped off. He stumbled forward and lost his balance. And both of them tumbled to the bed.The bed in the five-star hotel was soft and bouncy. When they fell, they bounced off slightly again with the momentum. The back of Calista's head was cupped by Lucian, with her cheek tightly pressed against his chest.Underneath the fabric, she could feel his tense muscles and the scorching warmth of his skin. And his hand, which was still holding the toy, was press
Lucian leaned lazily against the wall with his arms crossed. His shirt opened wider with his movements, making the two red marks on his chest glaringly obvious."You're about to turn thirty, or to exaggerate a bit, almost forty. How can you still ask such innocent questions? I'm here because I slept here last night."If Paul was still able to maintain his composure as a gentleman earlier when the door was opened, now his expression had completely changed. His brows furrowed tightly, filled with an indifferent reproach."You took advantage of her?""Could it be that it was mutual consent between us? Paul, back when you refused to help her, you were already out of the picture. You have no chance with her anymore. Your persistence is going to wear off her impression on you during childhood sooner or later."Even though Paul knew what Lucian said only represented his personal opinion, he couldn't control his emotions. He grabbed onto Lucian's open collar, and finally, those glaring re
In this world, there were places with dark secrets beyond northern Myian. For someone like Calista, even if she were to be trafficked, her destination would be a wealthy country. She would be forced to engage in the dark web auctions—this was where the affluent individuals gathered. Sometimes, just one round of bidding could earn a fortune. Calista's dreams of being trafficked to northern Myian were purely influenced by the visuals of those videos. But the dark web was different, ordinary people only knew it was terrifying.But they weren't aware of how terrifying it was. There weren't any concrete images to draw inspiration from, so it was impossible to dream about it. Calista was dumbstruck. She ignored Lucian and lifted the covers to go to the bathroom to freshen up. After around ten minutes, only did she come out.The expression on her face was already back to normal. Only the rims of her eyes were slightly red, but it wasn't that obvious if no one paid close attention t
Calista lifted her head.Behind this street, which was overshadowed by the tourist hotspot, the shops facing the street didn't sell anything particularly appealing.Therefore, foot traffic was scarce. Given the wide street, it was highly unlikely that these two people were blocking her way for any other reason.After holding her breath all day, she finally let it out slowly."Who are you?""Ms. Everhart, our boss would like to meet you."Thanks to that faceless guy, she now associated the word 'boss' with his face."I don't know who you are, and I have no idea who your 'boss' is."After saying this, she turned to leave. The man was about to grab her, but a group of tourists approached from a distance. There were about a dozen people, so he retracted his hand and smiled apologetically."Sorry, I didn't express myself clearly. It's Ms. Simmons who asked us to invite you. She said she and your mother were old friends. Last night, she saw someone who looked somewhat like you at th
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,