All the way home, Calista could still feel Lucian's heavy gaze on her back. Yara was squatting beside the table, peeling some shrimp in gloves. The meat was neatly arranged aside. She looked over as the door opened to see Calista taking off her shoes. "Why are you in such a rush? Is there someone after you?" Calista glanced at the table. Nothing else had been touched besides the barbeque meat, which had cooled down. "Why aren't you eating?" "I was waiting for you," Yara replied, taking off her gloves to pour a glass of wine for her. "You didn't say you wouldn't be coming back. I can't finish all this food by myself. I was peeling the shrimp while waiting for you. If you had not returned after I'm done, I would have eaten." Calista was a bit thirsty and took a big gulp of the wine."Is this your idea of a diet?" Yara didn't respond well to the comment and began to vent her frustration."I am tired! Do all the people around Lucian have issues like him? They say that buy
Calista had initially intended to get some information from Liam. However, instead of getting anything useful out of him, she had gotten herself into a predicament. "I don't have any room for you here. You'll have to figure something out." Paul's apartment had a one-bedroom layout, and even if there were extra rooms, she couldn't possibly let a stranger like Liam, who didn't know anything about her, move in. "I'm your bodyguard, I have to protect you. How can I do that if I’m not with you every step of the way? I can sleep on the couch."He frowned, realizing that there wasn't any extra room for him here. Calista didn't back down at all."You can buy a tent and set it up outside. I’m just a business associate with the man you mentioned. I haven't even seen his face, and I don't even know if we're talking about the same person. Do you think, under these circumstances, I can trust someone he hired to stay in my home?" The mysterious man must be the man they were referring to. B
Calista ignored him, turned, and went to the bathroom. She vaguely heard a knocking sound, and when she came out, there was a table full of food on the coffee table and a large pile of alcohol on the floor. There were all sorts of alcohol and even cocktail wines. Calista felt that he wasn't here to drink with her. He was probably infuriated with her after being rejected and wanted to murder her with alcohol. She couldn't drink more than five bottles of beer. They would need to call an ambulance after they finish everything. Lucian sent a message to David, "She's angry again." David replied, "Mr. Northwood, did you say something to upset Mrs. Calista again?" He could feel his frustration even through the screen. Lucian pursed his lips. If he hadn't said that, Calista wouldn't have let him in, and he only stated the truth.So he replied, "No." "Mr. Northwood, we need to learn to compliment others and keep our mouths shut. Can you do that?” Lucian was speechless. He imp
Lucian didn't know if she understood, but she obediently sat still. He held her, and she didn't resist. She wasn't exactly light, and it was manageable under normal circumstances. However, when drunk, it was a bit of a struggle.As Lucian began to lift her, his arms and legs turned weak, and they both tumbled onto the sofa. Fortunately, the apartment belonged to Paul, and he had chosen quality furniture.The sofa was wide and soft, so when Lucian fell, he used his elbow to cushion the impact and didn't fully fall on top of Calista. He propped himself halfway, looking down at the quiet woman beneath him. Calista's eyebrows and eyes were red. Her gaze towards him was different from her usual rejection and mockery.Lucian's long fingers slid along the contours of her face, "What if it never works out between us? Will you still want me?" Calista tilted her head, probably annoyed that he had disturbed her sleep. Lucian chuckled lightly with a hint of self-deprecation."But you did
Calista was filled with shock, disbelief, and even a hint of sympathy, but it lacked the kind of desire that Lucian hoped for. His face was cold, and he gritted his teeth, "Do you wish for that to be true?" "Well, it's not like I'm wishing for that, exactly."Calista shifted her gaze from his crotch back to his face. But if that were the case, it would make her three years of sexless marriage seem less miserable. At least this meant she wasn't entirely at fault and he was just not interested in her. Lucian wasn't amused by her words. His face turned darker. "If you could tone down the happiness in your eyes, maybe I'd believe you." Was he admitting it? Calista couldn't control herself and let out a light chuckle."So, you really can't perform?" Lucian didn't answer her. Instead, he pulled her into his arms from behind, his lower abdomen pressing against her waist."What do you think?" Her face flushed red. He was doing it on purpose, holding her so tightly that her wai
Yara glared disdainfully at Lucian and remarked, "Have you ever wondered how your ex-husband managed to make everyone despise him?"Lucian found himself at a loss for words, a rare occurrence indeed. Calista watched him stumble for the first time and couldn't help but find it amusing.Her urge to resist a wry smile failed, and she responded, "The universe seems to have a way of rejecting him, perhaps."Yara's gaze then shifted to Calista's swollen ankle.She furrowed her brow and inquired, "Whoa, what happened to your ankle? Did you get it checked out by a doctor?"Yara scanned the room filled with assorted alcohol bottles as she approached Calista.There was quite a selection of alcoholic beverages on display, ranging from top-shelf choices to more budget-friendly options.Yara had immediately spotted the array upon entering the living room.Since Calista wasn't known for indulging in alcohol, it didn't require much detective work to deduce who was responsible for this spread.
Calista looked at Liam and muttered, "How did you ..."Liam calmly pulled his phone from his pocket and answered the call. As he did so, Calista caught a glimpse of the displayed number. It wasn't hers."Sorry, I need to take this," Liam remarked.He walked a few steps away to answer the call. Meanwhile, Calista continued to hear the beeping sound on her phone until it disconnected.Liam attended to Calista after finishing his call."Where to next?" he asked."Back home," she replied.Calista no longer had to make daily visits to the Baker Group office.The overall project plan had been set, and the remaining tasks were about refining the details, which she could easily manage from home.She could plan another trip when the final draft was ready.Calista's foot injury had taken two weeks to heal, but it still restricted her from walking for extended periods.She needed to ensure she took enough rest to facilitate the recovery of her muscles and bones.It happened to be a we
Hector walked straight up to Calista and casually pulled down the sleeve she had rolled up."Aren't you cold with the air conditioning set so low?" he said.Despite the sunny weather, it was late April, and the temperature was cold. The air conditioning was running because of the crowded mall.Calista asked, "What brought you here?"Hector glanced at the composed Yara and replied, "Someone texted me, and I was in the area, so I decided to drop by."It wasn't purely a coincidence. Hector's family had been attempting to set him up with Ava. His mother had convinced him to meet her. Just as he did so, he received a message from Yara.Ava remained seated on the ground, her eyes fixed on Hector as he assisted Calista in adjusting her sleeve.Her frustration simmered just below the surface, stoked by Hector's evident disregard for her presence. With a somewhat pitiful tone, Ava raised her head and called out."Hector."Hector turned his head, his brow slightly furrowed."Why are yo