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
Calista glanced at the document provided by the staff and discovered that the family member on record was Charlene Blake.She was registered as the deceased's sister, and her phone number was recorded.There wasn't much additional information in the records, so Calista snapped a photo of the document and left the office with Hugo.Calista couldn't confirm whether Charlene and Julia were the same person until June 16, the day she intended to pay her respects.Until then, she had to be careful and avoid revealing their investigation too soon. Hugo and Calista returned to their car respectively."I'll look into this woman named Julia that you mentioned. If you're not keen on going abroad, avoid traveling until we've identified the mastermind behind all this," Hugo advised.Calista agreed, "Alright, I appreciate your help."Hugo didn't head straight home but instead went to Jean's house. It was a suburban villa in a relatively new development area constructed over the past few years
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,