Lucian's expression was cold and his voice was no less icy. The chilling aura he exuded seemed to freeze the lively atmosphere around them.It was as if a separate pocket dimension kept them apart from the rest of the world. Calista was all smiles and had her head tilted slightly to speak to Vivian. Her smile turned into a grimace when she noticed the man standing in front of her. She straightened up as the feeling of unease set in.But then, she reminded herself that they were already divorced. Whatever she wanted to do was her business. There was no need for her to feel guilty.So, she frowned. Her tense posture slackened."What …"Without waiting for her to finish, Lucian yanked Calista up from her seat and carried her away in one swift motion.The entire process took less than a minute. Vivian snapped out of her joy from meeting Lucian and got to her feet to give him a bright smile."Lu …""Ms. Jacquez," Lucian politely cut her off. "My wife and I have something to discus
After Cade left, the atmosphere in the private room quickly grew tense. Calista found herself unable to look Lucian in the face.It was humiliating for a man to not be able to get it up, especially when discussed so casually in front of her, an outsider. Considering Lucian's temper, he might take his frustrations out on her.She was in turmoil. What did Cade mean by Lucian being unable to perform because she reacted far more intensely than a normal woman? He deserved it, right?Also, how could Lucian not be able to get it up? He…Cade had already mentioned that there was nothing physically wrong with Lucian. It was a psychological issue. It seemed she was the only one he couldn't perform with.Neither of them spoke. The air between them only grew more awkward.Just as Calista was contemplating saying something to lighten the mood or leaving, Lucian's cold voice shattered the suffocating silence."Let's go. I'll give you a ride.""Okay."Calista had forgotten that she had drive
White sheets lay beneath them on the soft, spacious bed. Lucian loomed over Calista. His hands pressed down on her shoulders, causing her to sink further into the mattress.He cradled the back of her head and kissed her fervently. Calista arched her neck back as she was forced to endure his passionate kisses. Sometimes, soft moans would escape her.The room was dark, yet her face was visible. The woman's eyes were half-lidded. Her pupils were glazed with confusion and haze.There was a tinge of red in her eyes. She looked as if she had been tormented mercilessly.The air in the room grew scalding. Calista involuntarily curled her fingers as if she had been burned. Lucian's gaze fell on her pale pink skin. He was burning with desire from the inside out.The woman's fingers traced against his neck, the digits grazing the knot in his throat. His kisses grew more urgent. His well-defined hands held hers and pinned them into the white sheets.The man's deep, husky voice echoed in her
The blank space in Calista's mind was filled with certain imagery. It left her so exasperated she couldn't speak. Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Lucian also kept silent.The atmosphere grew more ambiguous with the sound of their joined breaths. She could also make out his calm breathing picking up and growing heavier; it was sultry. Veins bulged on her forehead."Restrain yourself, Lucian. This is a phone call. Where is your mind wandering off to?"The man's voice had turned husky."I've been holding back for too long. I can't hold back …"Calista hung up the phone before he could finish. That scumbag had his head filled with indecent thoughts. If she allowed him to continue, what other vulgar words would he utter?She tossed her phone aside and tried to go back to sleep. But the moment her eyes fluttered shut, she found that Lucian's antics had all but gotten rid of her drowsiness.She switched on the lights and scrolled through her social media. She somehow ended up
All the inspecting officials' attention shifted to Augustus at Thomas's outburst.Caught in the spotlight, Augustus' expression changed. He shot Thomas a warning glance before forcing a smile."I understand your anxiety about what's going on with your family, Thomas. I've asked someone to look into it for you. Please wait for me in my office. We can discuss this later. The officials still have matters to attend to after their inspection."Thomas was certain that Augustus had noticed the look he threw Calista's way. The director was protecting that woman.Why was he shielding her? She was always the first one Augustus thought about when anything good happened. There must be some kind of sordid connection between them.In their field, it was always the experienced professionals mentoring the newcomers. Someone Calista's age, capable of hands-on work, was already an impressive feat.What qualifications did she have to be graded and involved in such important restoration projects? Th
Calista had grown cautious after she learned about Vivian's identity and personality. She had been prepared for unexpected circumstances.Although she couldn't be certain Vivian was gunning for her, a string of coincidences was not good news. It had originally been for emergencies. Calista didn't think it would come in handy quite so soon.Silence fell over the group. Others were throwing her odd looks. What kind of weirdo monitored themselves that way?Calista switched on the laptop she carried around with her. The diadem had been restored three days ago.It was supposed to have been submitted today. But the officials' impromptu inspections had delayed the handover.She threw up the surveillance footage that had been taken three days ago. It clearly showed her placing the restored diadem into a box and labeling it with her name.After that, she worked on restoring the tiara with several other conservators in a temporary work area. She didn't return to her workstation during that
Calista stood still. She didn't dare to push Lucian's hand away. She was worried that the loose towel he wrapped around his waist would fall once she struggled away from him. She was only 25, and the last thing she would crave was a man's naked body. Lucian was taller than she was. As they were in a very intimate position now, when he lowered his head, the water on his chin dripped on her. It's already May. She's not wearing a lot of clothes, and she could feel the wet clothes glued to her body. Calista hated this feeling.She said reproachfully, "David said you're dying and he can't come right now, so I came. Just in case you end up dead at home."She thought of the housekeeper who quit and remarked in disdain, "You're living in such a horrible place alone, like a lone ghost. If anything happened to you, no one would even know after your body decayed."Lucian smiled, and deep chuckles resonated from his chest as he saw how defiant she was."Was it David who was worried about
Calista was brought to the couch by Lucian."Sit still. I'll treat your wound." She was stunned. What she didn't expect was that he forced her here just to treat her wound. As she lifted her head, she met with his dark eyes, which were filled with traces of glee."You already knew I can't get hard. So what can I do to you?" Lucian kneeled on one leg as he took out a mini first-aid kit from the drawer beside him. "Were you bullied?" he asked, as he wiped the wound with a cotton swab dipped in medicine. Calista didn't regard herself as being bullied. Even if she was bullied, it was also because the bully was humiliated by her success.So be it getting knocked over by Thomas, or being suspected in front of so many people, she didn't have any reaction in particular. But now when Lucian asked her, she suddenly held her breath, her heart clenched tight uncontrollably. Her gaze was fixated on his heavy-lidded eyes and straight nose.After a few seconds, she shifted her gaze