On the boat, there were fifteen people. This included the captain and the secretary who looked like he couldn't even lift a dumbbell, much less fight. It wouldn't be too hard to deal with them.Jean's voice came from the door, "Mr. Northwood, you don't need to be so wary of me."They turned to look in his direction. He was wearing an Italian suit with his secretary in tow. Right now, he looked completely relaxed and unthreatening."Survival is my priority, which is why I asked you all to come here to talk. I hope you won't follow me around like dogs on a trail."He sat in his seat."Although I have blood on my hands, I have never taken a life. I haven't been completely honest in my business dealings, but they're within the law so it wouldn't be an issue …"His relaxed expression suddenly tightened and his gaze became dangerous.Even his tone changed as he asked, "Hugo, where is the painting I asked you to bring?"Lucian frowned."How did you get on the boat?"Before they got
Calista wasn't interested in what secrets lie behind the painting. "My mother agreed to help you restore the painting. So, why did you want her dead?""It's all because of Hugo. He was Grandpa Walter's favorite. So confident and spirited. But he was indifferent to everything except your mother. She was his sole weakness."Hugo then spoke up, "Grandpa Walter's health was deteriorating at the time. He was gradually delegating authority over to me. The power struggle in the Jacquez family had grown so intense that it became public."Both knew that they were not good people."If I had left the Jacquez family then, there would've been no place left for me when I returned. But I … I didn't know something had happened to her.""That's because Grandpa Walter kept the matter under wraps." It had been years since the incident. The mere mention of it had him gritting his teeth."He warned me even on his deathbed. It was all for your sake. How biased can he get?"Hugo's eyes widened. He
Flames reflected in Calista's dark eyes like two blazing spots of light. Everything happened too quickly, leaving no time for anyone to react. Vivian, who had her mind set on killing Calista, was left in a stupor."How could this happen? My Dad is still on that ship."She was afraid of Jean. But, she was aware that her affluent lifestyle depended solely on him. What was she going to do without him?She couldn't help but shudder as she thought about the things she had done. There were wealthy heiresses among the people she crossed.Unfortunately, they didn't come from families as well off as the Jacquez family. That left them with no choice but to swallow their grievances when they were bullied.What if they find out she had fallen out of favor with the Jacquez family?Explosions could occasionally be heard from the blazing fires in the distance. Each reverberation rattled her skull.Vivian, with her limited intelligence and resources, couldn't think of a way to handle the situat
Hugo hesitated. He seemed to have more to say. But, Calista's astonishingly bright eyes had him choking back his words."Alright. I'll have someone look into it."The flames blazed on for a full forty minutes before being fully extinguished. The moment the planks connecting the two ships were set up, Calista was more than eager to make her way over.It was dangerous to do so. The ships were swaying. Standing on the gangplank meant swaying along with it. One misstep could lead to her falling into the sea.The surrounding seawater was scalding after the fire had raged on for so long. Hugo stopped her."The ship hasn't completely cooled. Let's wait a bit longer."Calista turned, her gaze shifting from his face to his hand. She didn't say a word, but Hugo understood her intentions. He let her go."I'll have Liam accompany you."The planks were so wobbly that there was no way for her to maintain her balance while standing. It left her with no choice but to crawl across.Smoke conti
Hugo looked outside and frowned upon seeing the uniformed cop and the imposing German Shepherd by their side. He frowned. "Take your time with the food. I'll be right back."Before leaving, he signaled the nearby bodyguard to keep an eye on Calista. The person outside approached him."They're saying they received a tip-off claiming you have contraband. They want to search the car."Lucian used the same excuse to search Jean's home two days ago. Little did Hugo know he'd be facing the same situation now. The officer showed him their credentials. "We received a report about contraband being kept in this vehicle. We need to search. Please cooperate with us."Hugo glanced at the gun holstered at the officer's waist and nodded. "Go ahead."Despite having steeled himself for the inevitable, he couldn't help but frown when the officer found a package under the car.When the package was opened, it revealed bags of white powder inside. The officer took a sniff. Immediately, their ex
Yara marveled at how the closed-off soul had finally opened up. Lucian had changed his wicked ways and was now a romantic.The room filled with flowers and adorned with fairy lights was a scene right out of a wedding.Even an independent woman like her who had sworn off marriage couldn't help but feel a twinge of longing for romance. Then, out of the corner of her eye, the figure next to her collapsed."Calista …"She reached out to catch her. But, Calista had seemingly lost all strength in her body. The dead weight made her impossible to hold onto.With Yara being unable to hold her friend up, they both ended up on the ground. Not wanting the unconscious and unknowing Calista to fall on her head, Yara padded the landing with her elbows.A thud resounded through the air. Her elbows hit the hard floor tiles, sending a sharp pain through her arms. Yara let out a cry. Her entire arm felt numb.Lucian had taken the bodyguards at the Everglade Manor away. With neither Lucian nor Cali
Calista was greeted by blinding white lights when she awoke. The scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils. After a long sleep, she felt considerably better.The splitting headache she had before seemed to have subsided. It was still daytime when she looked out the window. The bright sunlight outside was almost blinding.Yara wasn't around. She got up from the bed and absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hands.When she raised her hand, she noticed both her hands were wrapped in bandages. Her hair felt smooth when her fingers brushed through her locks. It was devoid of the scent of the ocean.There were also no residues of salt particles. It smelled of shampoo. She seemed to have also been wiped down. There was no discomfort from having been soaking in seawater.Yara must've cleaned her up when she passed out. Calista went to the bathroom and picked up her phone by the bedside table. As she walked out, she dialed Yara's number.The door to the ward was forcefully yanked ope
"I know."With things having come to this, Calista knew it wouldn't make a difference even if she stood guard on the ship every day.She was just an ordinary person. She was neither exceptionally talented nor someone who knew how to dive. But, she wanted to be closer to being the first to receive news.Yara returned after she was done with Lily.Calista was currently in a physically weak state. She might not be able to withstand the pressure if she were to leave now. But, Yara didn't know what to say to convince her to stay.In the past, it wouldn't have posed a burden to persuade Calista. But, Yara could tell from a glance at the setup at the Everglade Manor that Lucian intended to propose.She tried to put herself in Calista's shoes. In that situation, knowing that her boyfriend's fate was still unknown and seeing the surprise he prepared for her.Wouldn't she also want to find a way to teleport to his side at the moment of the accident? Perhaps she would've been able to prote
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,
Cameron replied, "Did I ever say that I was a good person?"She tilted her head slightly as she smiled. Her damp hair gathered to one side.From Cade's perspective, the first thing he noticed was her slender neck and collarbone, with large areas of her fair skin exposed, speckled with a few water droplets from her wet hair.He felt a searing, intense emotion rising in his chest. This was Cameron's room, so it was filled with her scent. Cade subconsciously clenched his fists.The effects of the alcohol finally hit him, overwhelming his senses and making his head feel heavy and muddled.Cameron pulled open the door and gestured in a "see-you-out" motion. "I'm not one to force myself to please others, so we can discuss about our relationship when you decide to get rid of Mirabelle."Cade responded, "Can't it be something else?""Like what?" Cameron's gaze lingered on him as if she was inspecting an item for sale. "Is there anything about you that could spark my interest?"Her wor