David noticed the stormy expression on Lucian's face the moment he stepped out of the police station. It felt like trouble was brewing.Indeed, when Lucian scanned the area but found no sign of Calista, his expression darkened further."Where is Calista?""Madam Calista received a phone call and …" David pointed in the direction that she had left in. "She took a taxi and left.""Why didn't you stop her?" Lucian asked through gritted teeth."I did. But, I failed." David tried to explain himself. "I was going to follow her but Madam Calista said that if I did, she was going to turn you against me. She even threatened to send me away to perform manual labor.""Who called her?" Lucian asked but didn't expect David to know the answer.The assistant looked constipated. He furrowed his brows. Though he didn't speak, his entire being screamed that he had something to say. But, he didn't dare to say it. Lucian frowned."Was your mouth glued shut? Speak."David straightened himself and
Calista had just gotten to the door when Liam entered. He greeted her with a slight tilt of his head before quickly approaching Hugo. "I've looked into it, Mr. Jacquez. Nikolette recently consulted a lawyer. She was looking into whether or not the money spent on a child could be reclaimed after they're proven to not be biologically part of the family. She admitted that the reason she pulled Ms. Calista's hair was because Zachary instructed her to do so. Zachary didn't want to go to jail. He didn't want loan sharks to come after him once he was released either. So, he thought of forcing Ms. Calista to help him this way."This was getting awkward. However, Calista was quick to admit her mistakes. She turned around and offered a forced yet apologetic smile."I'm sorry. It seems I've misunderstood you and Vivian. It's getting late. I'll prepare a gift some other time as an apology.""This is just a small misunderstanding. There's no need to worry about it. As long as the matter has be
Calista answered the phone quickly, which slightly eased the anger in Lucian's heart. "I've made dinner reservations. Let's have dinner together tonight. Where are you? I'll come pick you up." If David had heard this, he would have rolled his eyes. Lucian was the one who insisted he wouldn't soften his heart. He thought his boss had finally toughened up, but that was not true. Lucian's gentle tone was devoid of all the confidence he had when speaking to David before. "Sure, just send me the restaurant address, and I'll take a taxi there later," Calista replied joyfully. Lucian relaxed, and a smile played on his lips. He knew that, between him and the older man, Calista preferred him more. It was probably because of his lack of dating experience that an experienced older man had a chance. Calista had no idea about the turmoil in his heart right now. She was sitting in front of the prison, sketching. With a few strokes, a woman's face came to life on paper. "I want to see
Calista said, "You only have one chance to speak, so make it good. I've also uncovered a lot over these years. Don't you dare lie to me? Think about what Nikolette did today. I might have to get a doctor to look at the injuries. Then, you might get a reunion with your daughter." She even showed him a picture taken by onlookers in the restaurant, capturing when Nikolette pulled her hair.In the photo, Calista appeared weak, pitiful, and helpless. It was apparent she was being intimidated. Zachary was speechless. Zachary thought Nikolette was foolish to hand her the evidence on a silver platter, but he also felt she should have been harder on Calista, looking at her arrogant demeanor. "Someone approached me back then, asking for your mother's help restoring a painting. I thought it was nothing, so I agreed." He skipped over the details, not mentioning he'd been tricked or accepted a large sum of money from the client.Nor did he mention how he had begged and pressured Joan aft
"When did I … "Calista had already forgotten about such a minor incident.She suddenly recalled and explained, "That was when I was helping a director find an actor for his new drama. I immediately blocked him after I gave the director his contact." Lucian's eyes lit up, but he calmed down and responded dully."Hmm." Her following sentence caught Lucian off guard, "You were on a blind date with Ms. Turner back then." Lucian looked puzzled, "Ms. Turner? Who's that?" Calista rolled her eyes at him."You've gone on a date with her and can't even remember her name. She even got her father's business involved because of you." Upon hearing this, Lucian remembered the incident.He furrowed his brows and asked, "The one who accidentally burned your hand with boiling water?" His tone was still filled with anger even though it had been a long time, and he had forgotten what she looked like. ... David had reserved a private room. As they entered, they were greeted by the
She sent him letters for a month but received no reply. At that time, Paul didn't like her, so it made sense that he threw away her letters. Lucian froze instantly. However, Calista was merely asking a casual question. She didn't expect a response nor realized Lucian stiffed up. She had no idea he was contemplating whether to tell her the truth. While some methods used to pursue women might be acceptable, he had already deceived her about the watch incident.He could still find excuses back then. But when it came to the love letters, it was a different matter. Before he could figure it out, Calista reached out and put away the stack of cards, pushing them toward Lucian."Alright, keep them." They were sitting by the window on the first floor, and the stack of cards was too conspicuous. Calista could see several passersby glancing their way.She didn't want to be knocked unconscious and stuffed in a sack as soon as they left the restaurant. "We aren't even officially dating
Lucian lowered his head and leaned toward her. Calista could feel his warm breath on her face, and she closed her eyes. His soft lips landed on her forehead. Then, it was quickly replaced by the cold. Lucian got up, tucked her in, and said, "Go sleep early." Calista didn't know what to say. The fire within her still burned wildly, and her defenses had slowly crumbled. But she couldn't act cold; otherwise, she would seem too desperate. She kicked the blankets aside and exited the bed, complaining, "Sleep my ass. You haven't even washed up and put your dirty body on the bed. You're disgusting." Without waiting for Lucian's response, she headed to the bathroom. Lucian had carried her all the way from the car, and she was still wearing her shoes, so she took them off and walked barefoot. When she came out of the shower, Lucian was no longer in the room, but her slippers were neatly placed at the bathroom door. It was still early, and she couldn't sleep. Her stomach felt uncomfo
At the same time, an anxious voice bellowed behind her, "Zayn, your son has been kidnapped. the kidnappers have demanded that you answer the phone, and there are only ten seconds left before they kill him. Please speak quickly." Calista's hand froze in mid-air as she reached for the receiver. She knew she couldn't get any helpful information from Zayn anymore, even though she had promised to protect them.This man would not reveal anything. With bloodshot eyes, Zayn rushed to the glass and stammered, "This is Zayn! I know. I will never make that mistake again! Please release my son, I beg you!" After saying that, he kept banging his head against the glass and repeated, "I beg you, I beg you." The prison guards on the side couldn't stop him in time. He hit it so hard his forehead was bleeding. Calista looked at the bloodstains streaking down the transparent glass and felt like she had entered a daze. She walked out of the visiting hall with cold hands and feet, and behind h