On the second day, it was the weekend. Calista woke up naturally, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she felt something was off. She was being held in someone's arms, her back pressed against a warm embrace, with a man's arm around her waist. She was in a state where her body was awake, but her mind was still in a daze, so she didn't react immediately. She stared out the window for a while until something pressed against her lower back, and that's when she fully woke up. "Lucian, when did you sneak into bed?" she asked. "This morning," Lucian’s voice was husky from just waking up, sounding seductive. He continued, "The sofa was too small, and I fell off it." Calista didn’t respond. The sofa was just right for her but slightly small for Lucian. She was angry at him for lying, but after a night and his explanation, her anger had worn off. She was still concerned to hear he was in pain. Lucian answered honestly, "It hurts. Why don’t you take a look? Otherwise, you might
Macy had just delivered breakfast, and Lucian came downstairs. The slight injury on his leg didn't bother him as he walked without any limp, just a bit slower than usual, giving off an air of nonchalance. He sat at the dining table, drinking water, and asked, "Are we going back to Everglade Manor later?" "I have to work overtime." On Monday, there was a free appraisal event at the city museum. She was one of the invited appraisers, helping private collectors authenticate artifacts and teach them how to preserve them better.In the afternoon, everyone would have a meeting and have dinner together later. Lucian's face immediately fell, "It’s a weekend." "So that's why it's called overtime." After a moment of silence, Lucian asked, "How about having dinner together tonight?" "I can't. We have already made plans to have dinner with the seniors of the industry tonight. It's a matter of social obligation in our field. Even though I have more experience restoring artifacts, I'm
Vivian couldn't help but roll her eyes and ask, "What's in it for me if I do this? Even if I were to beat someone up, it would be Calista. Nikolette, we're all adults, not teenage girls in junior high. Can't we manage our frustrations through a conversation?" The thought of that incident infuriated her. NIkolette had wasted such a good opportunity like a fool. She should have started by mocking and taunting Calista before resorting to violence. She had to lure Calista in and then act as if she acted out in anger. But this fool seemed so afraid that people wouldn't understand her ulterior motives. She immediately went for the hair and ran away after pulling it. Vivian's friend was present at the time and sent her a video, nearly giving her a heart attack. At that time, she was in Apthon and needed someone to help her obtain Calista's DNA test sample. She had mentioned this to her before, so a stranger wouldn't work, as it would raise suspicion. She had two people in mind, Ya
Lucian wasn’t involved in political circles, but the business industry and politics were closely interconnected.He was well known around, especially in Capeton, where the network is vast and sprawling. It's hard to guarantee that someone won't recognize him. Then, they might recall her bold statements on Facebook initially. She might become famous in this field if they encounter someone who's had a few drinks and can't control their mouth. Calista took out her phone and sent him a message, "Park the car a bit farther." Lucian didn't reply, and there was no more smoke coming from the window. Calista was still somewhat worried, so she slipped out when others weren't paying attention. As soon as she left the restaurant, Lucian saw her in the rearview mirror. His hand rested on the window's up-and-down switch.Just as her face was about to be exposed, she took a step and stood by the car door. "Roll up the window." Lucian didn’t say a word. Though he didn't quite understan
The atmosphere turned quiet, and all eyes were on Calista, who was engrossed in her meal with her head down. Initially, some turned to look at Lucian, but it was clear he was also watching Calista, so they followed his gaze. Oh, no. She had been exposed. Calista laughed dryly under everyone’s curious gaze and said, "This is embarrassing." Lucian lowered his gaze, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips and a hint of amusement in his eyes. Now, those who had been wary of her going crazy after drinking had even less courage to offer her more alcohol.However, Calista had already drunk a lot earlier, and as time passed, the alcohol began to take effect. She rested her chin in her hand, her gaze unfocused, her face flushed, and her lips were rosy and moist. Although she was naturally beautiful, she appeared even more enchanting half-drunk. Even if she did nothing, she was a living, breathing work of art. Lucian’s eyes darkened as he sensed people stealing glances at he
Lucian was on top of her, kissing her gently across her cheeks. He traced his kisses slowly under her jaw, down her neck, and finally paused to nip at her collarbone. "Um..." Calista couldn't help but let out a moan. Her hands were wrapped around his neck. Her fingers clenched tightly. Her knuckles turned white from the pressure, and even her toes curled together. Unconsciously, she tilted her head back, her fair neck drawing an elegant line due to this movement.This brought them closer, closing up the remaining distance between them, and she almost delivered herself to Lucian's lips. Lucian rolled over and lay beside her, one arm around her waist and the other holding her shoulder. He effortlessly lifted Calista and placed her on his abdomen. She had a slim waist that he could almost encompass it with his hands. Calista sat upright for barely two seconds before she lost all her strength and collapsed onto him. Her cheek pressed against his chest, and she could hear the r
Lucian didn't know who was there, but the bodyguards outside hadn't stopped anyone, and they could unlock the fingerprint lock downstairs. It was either his parents or Cade and Paul. But either way, he didn’t want any of them to witness this scene. He lowered his gaze to look at Calista. Her clothes were a bit messy, but she was still dressed. In comparison, he looked worse, with his clothes half-off and bound to the bed. As he tried to break free from the handcuffs and listened carefully to the sounds outside, the carpet muffled the footsteps, making them barely audible. The phone continued to ring incessantly, and after listening for a while, he didn't hear anything. Then he realized that he had been scammed by Hector. The handcuffs that could have been easily broken that day now seemed unbreakable, no matter how much effort he put into it.This was a real pain in the ass. "Damn you, Hector!" He couldn't help but swear, but before he could finish, Cade's voice came fro
The woman in the painting appeared to be in her thirties. She had a classic oval face, gracefully arched eyebrows, and plump lips that seemed to carry a perpetual, enigmatic smile.But lurking in her eyes was an unmistakable air of ambition, making her appear somewhat unapproachable.Calista's artwork was exceptionally lifelike. It captured every detail, including the faint freckles beside the woman's nose bridge. Hugo furrowed his brows as he examined the woman in the painting."That's how she looked over a decade ago. She should be in her fifties now. Her looks hadn't changed much, but she's gathered a few more wrinkles over the years," Calista remarked.The last time they had been in Apthon, she only managed to glimpse Julia's profile.Worried that her portrayal might not be accurate and could mislead others, Calista had opted to depict Julia in her younger days.Hugo carefully stowed away the painting and replied, "I can't put a name to her face."He was confident this woman