Colette's birthday party took place at a farmhouse resort. It was a moderately scaled event that was neither extravagant nor shabby. To facilitate interactions, the event was organized in a banquet format.David briefed Calista about the situation and Jordan Lancaster's background. "Mr. Lancaster is a mysterious man. It's said that only a few people in high society have seen him. Most matters are handled by his assistant, Oliver Harris.""The Lancaster family? The one that used to seek loans worldwide to finance a project?"Calista, who had been catching up on business affairs in the last three months, had heard of them through finance news. The news portal was her only form of entertainment."Yes, Madam Calista. That's the one. I heard Mr. Lancaster isn't an easy person to get along with. If he says anything unpleasant, please keep yourself calm. You're pregnant after all. If anything happens to you, Mr. and Mrs. Northwood will kill me …"She was rendered speechless. She had cl
Jordan glanced at Oliver and took the handkerchief from him.David had been by Lucian's side for years. He knew of his employer's tics. Lucian liked cleanliness, but he wasn't so obsessed with it to the extent of being unable to tolerate someone's touch.David felt a lump form in his throat as he watched Jordan meticulously wipe down the hand that Calista had held. The man standing before them looked a lot like Lucian. But, his style and the way he held himself were completely different.Calista was at a loss for words. Her mind was in shambles. She didn't stop Jordan from leaving.He was the youngest son of the Lancaster family—the Northwood Corporation's competitor. She wasn't concerned about him disappearing once again. She had to go home to ask if Lucian had any brothers. The resemblance between the two was too striking to be a coincidence. Jordan walked to the door and glanced back at the hall for a long while. Oliver followed his gaze, which landed on Calista's belly.
The Lancaster Group's office building was a little out of the way. It was a place they rented.Their old stomping grounds back in the central business district had become unsustainable a year ago and had been sold off. There was now only one cafe downstairs.Calista looked up and immediately spotted Jordan sitting by the window. At least she wouldn't have to go searching for him. Oliver was also around."Ms. Everhart."She nodded and sat down across from Jordan. She casually set her shopping bags aside. Jordan glanced at his watch and then at the logo on the bag. It was a men's clothing brand."It seems you're not paying much attention to the competitive tender, Ms. Everhart. How do you still have time to go shopping?"He tapped his fingers against the surface."You're late."Calista had gotten here from the Northwood Corporation as quickly as she could."I apologize. I happened to be at the mall. It's just a casual thing, really …"Addressing him as "Mr. Lancaster" felt a li
David waited until Jordan left before making his way upstairs. Earlier, Calista had asked David to wait downstairs, so he spent the time in his car."Madam Calista, Mr. Lancaster didn't look too pleased when he left. Did you say something that upset him?" David asked.Calista appeared tired as she remained seated. The waiter had tidied up the once messy table."Why would he be upset? I came here to end the long-standing feud between the two families and even gave him a small gift as a goodwill gesture. He probably didn't expect it and must be thrilled."David remained silent, not convinced by Calista's explanation.Suddenly, he broke the silence and asked, "So, what's Mr. Lancaster's stance on the bidding?"Calista replied, "He's committed to seeing it through."David looked at her with a questioning gaze and continued, "Are you certain that Mr. Lancaster and Mr. Northwood aren't the same? Even though they had different vibes, styles, and ways of doing things, Mr. Lancaster seem
Calista recognized the voice, having heard it earlier that afternoon. She was confident it belonged to Jordan."Jordan?"Calista focused on the direction of the sound and called out. Moments later, a man wearing casual, light-colored clothing and sporting a stylish heart-shaped fringe appeared from around the corner.Amidst the gentle glow of soft lighting, his delicate features became even more pronounced. The man was undoubtedly Jordan.While Calista remained uncertain whether Jordan was truly Lucian, his appearance no longer startled her.Meanwhile, Paul, meeting Jordan for the first time, couldn't conceal his astonishment and blurted out, 'Lucian?'Jordan nodded and extended a polite hand to Paul."Mr. Baker, I'm Jordan Lancaster. It's a pleasure to meet you.""Jordan Lancaster?"Paul was puzzled. He had heard of this name, who had suddenly gained prominence in the thriving realm of Capeton's business, seemingly from nowhere.However, the mysterious man remained shrouded
After parting ways with Paul, Jordan left La Boucherie. Oliver occasionally glanced at Jordan's expression in the rearview mirror as he drove.Jordan had his eyes closed, his expression devoid of emotion, making it unclear whether he was asleep or simply lost in thought.In a probing tone, Oliver remarked, "Mr. Lancaster, today is Mr. Baker's birthday, right? The underwear Ms. Everhart bought should have been intended as a birthday gift for him."There was no immediate response from the back seat.After a while, Jordan slowly opened his eyes and retorted, "Do you give lingerie as a birthday gift to a woman without wrapping it? Are you a pervert?"Jordan's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, and he continued, "I'm not interested in Ms. Everhart.""Please get in touch with the folks from Northwood Corporation and inform them that we won't engage in any underhanded discussions about the bidding event. Let the best proposal win on its own merits. We're above playing these manipulati
Calista knew about the annual pool party held at the Oceanus Club. While it was marketed as a party, in reality, it served as a matchmaking event, with invitations extended to the sons of affluent families."So, I'm supposed to show up with an invitation and ask him to take a dip with me? He might get the wrong idea and think I'm some kind of creep with a thing for his body," Calista sighed.Yara remained determined and replied, "Why not? Just think about it. You might even score some eye candy. And hey, your main objective is to check out his scar, right?""Although it's a pool party, not everyone will be wearing swimwear. First, come up with a plausible excuse to lure him over, and when the opportunity strikes, give him a gentle nudge into the pool. That's your chance to peek at the scar on his butt. And if everything else fails, just go for it and touch it."Yara's elaborate plan dumbfounded Calista."Is that how you and Mr. Howard got together?"Yara, who hadn't rested well t
Calista was unaware of the fate of the invitation letter. On the day of the party, Yara came to pick her up."Here's the deal for the party. We're gonna have a two-minute blackout. During that time, just give Jordan a friendly push into the pool and discreetly touch his butt to see if there's a scar. If he's not Lucian, no worries – it's dark, and he won't notice who pushed him."Calista hesitated and replied, "His scar is flat and not tactile. You can only spot it."Yara shrugged."Oh, then forget it. Don't go into the water. Find a chance to get him into a room and remove his pants.""Is the party that wild?"Calista had never attended one and was starting to feel a bit apprehensive. Her original plan was simply to obtain a hair from Jordan, and she hadn't anticipated getting involved in the festivities."Some go wild, some don't. The guests are divided into two groups: those rocking swimwear to take a dip and those without who prefer to stay out of the water. You don't need t