Calista took the watch, and it was well-preserved except for some rust on the metal strap due to its long time in storage; there were hardly any other scratches.Her resentment towards Zachary grew stronger. Even a stranger could preserve her mother's heirloom so well. That scoundrel deserved to die alone.The watch had stopped moving, likely because the battery had run out. Paul noticed Calista staring at the hands and said, "The battery is dead. I can take it to the watch store later, and it will work normally again." "There’s no need," Calista replied as she put the watch away."This is my mother's heirloom, and I want to keep it there, safe. Thank you." Mrs. Baker glanced at Paul, her usually gentle face now shadowed with guilt. "You’re too kind. When your father did what he did back then, the Baker family was also facing financial difficulties. We couldn't help you, and I've felt guilty about it all these years. I've thought that even in death, I would be too ashamed to
Calista raised her head, and in front of her stood a young girl with black hair and fair skin. She had large, round eyes and was dressed in an evening gown that matched her charming style. She looked at Calista with an inquisitive gaze. Calista nodded, "Yes, you can." She was about to continue messaging Lucian when the girl asked, "I saw you come in with Paul earlier. Are you his girlfriend?" "No, I used to be his employee," she gestured to the words 'CrossTime' on the stage, "I'm here for the celebration." "Oh, that's great! I'm Camila Williams." Camila’s face lit up with joy, completely unrestrained. "My dad and Mr. Baker intend to arrange a marriage between us, and I'm quite happy with him. I thought I had been rejected when I saw you come in with him." Camila was good at socializing, and in no time, she had revealed everything, even the details of her first kiss with her first love.She was already envisioning her wedding with Paul, wondering what style it should b
The person had just reached out to take it when he felt a strong and scrutinizing gaze. He looked up and saw Lucian standing not far away. He had a stern expression, staring at the wristwatch on Calista's hand with pursed lips. The atmosphere seemed tense. He quickly withdrew his hand, saying, "Miss Calista, I just remembered that I have something to attend to. I should leave." With that, he slipped away. Calista turned her head in bewilderment. Initially, she intended to blame Lucian for scaring the person away, but she realized that almost everyone there was now looking in their direction.What was initially a secluded corner where nobody would notice had turned into the center of attention, all because of him. So, she stopped saying anything and pretended not to know him before leaving. As she departed, she carefully placed the wristwatch in a velvet box and placed it in her bag. Her cautious actions would make someone who didn't know think she was storing some irreplac
The purpose behind his enthusiasm was to find him a girlfriend. Hugo had lived his years, but it was his first time meeting such a bastard like Lucian. The woman in red discreetly sized Hugo up. She can't determine the man's exact age, but he has a maturity and elegance that comes with age.He has a robust physique, and his age can be easily overlooked due to his compelling charisma. She had heard of the Jacques family from Apthon. If she can get close to Hugo, it would solve the financial problems at home. "Cheers to you, Hugo." A few days ago, her father almost married her off to a man in his sixties. She had no other choice but to try her luck. She heard that Lucian and his ex-wife got married due to a one-night stand. They didn’t have any emotional attachment, and yet he helped her pay off several million in debt.So, she considered him a prime target. But Lucian had no interest in her, and now she was quite satisfied looking at Hugo. Facing the enthusiasm of the wo
The next day, Calista had just completed a highly precise repair procedure and was preparing to get up to pour herself a glass of water when her phone rang. She glanced over and saw an unfamiliar number with a Capeton area code. "Hello." "Claude, it's me ..." Calista recognized Vivian's voice and promptly hung up, adding the number to her blacklist. Two minutes later, another call came in from an unknown number, and she knew it was Vivian without a doubt. Was she insane? When things settled down for a few days, she started causing trouble again. After hanging up the phone, Calista set her phone to reject all incoming calls, but before she could, the phone rang again. It annoyed her to her wits. She answered frustratedly, "Are you sick, Vivian? You're testing my limits early in the morning. I've already said my piece! What else do you … " "Miss Calista?"The person on the other end interrupted her as she screamed profanities. "We're calling from Yarlford Prison. Zayn
The Jacquez family was so extravagant to be able to give away fifty thousand dollars as if it was nothing.Vivian’s words may sound annoying, but they were the truth. The truth was often hard to accept. Since the head of the Jacquez family had said so, there was no harm in getting compensation for enduring Vivian's antics for so long. So she sent a message to Yara, "Want to go shopping together later?" Yara was currently in a deep and heated situation, so she had no interest in going shopping. She replied with a crying emoji."No." After replying, her gaze once again fell on the stack of explicit photos on the table, making her feel hopeless. "Mr. Howard, there's no need to take this so seriously. I was just making things up ... " She couldn’t have explained to Timothy what BL was that day, so she made up something on the spot. "It means your thinking is unorthodox compared to ordinary people." That statement wasn't entirely untrue; it just wasn't very specific. A
Henry's arm was stinging from the slap, and he quickly grabbed Selena's hand to stop his wife's outburst. "Can you please wait and see how things unfold before slapping me? Our son just kissed someone else, and she hasn't made his intentions clear yet. She might give him a big slap in the next moment. Then you'll be crying on your way to the police station to defend your son, who harassed a woman in public." Selena rolled her eyes at him and retorted, "You're such a pessimist. Can't you hope for a good outcome for our son and his girlfriend?" Despite her words, she reigned in her excited hand and instead leaned against the wall, keeping a close watch. Her husband was right. Calista hadn't shown any response. It seemed to be one-sided. Calista didn't expect Lucian to kiss her suddenly. Her mind went blank for a moment, and when she realized it, she quickly took a few steps back, creating distance between them. "Lucian, what are you doing? Who gave you the right to kiss me? Wha
Henry tried to put down his wife's unrealistic ideas. "Wouldn't that be too much?" Anyway, if he encountered such a situation, he wouldn't feel surprised at all. He would only feel embarrassed. He couldn't even go out with peace of mind. Henry had tried his best to save Lucian from the embarrassment. "You don't understand. Young people like to make grand gestures. Calista and Lucian are so good-looking. They are much better than those models and celebrities these days. Even those people can appear on TV every day. Calista should have the same treatment." Henry answered, "As long as it's yours, even a pig would look better than others." Selena proudly quipped, "That's right, Lucian is indeed better than others. Luckily, I raised him well." Henry was speechless for a moment. "I say 'pig,' and you say 'Lucian.' Do you think he's a pig, or do you not understand my metaphor?" "He's not much better compared to a pig. At least pigs have brains. Otherwise, why would Calista
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,