Yara rolled her eyes at Jamie."Hurry back to school and attend your class, or I'll break your legs myself."Then, she turned to Calista."Are you ready to go?"Calista had rushed over the moment she received a call from Paul. She hadn't yet had dinner.It was only now that Jamie noticed that Calista was in a wheelchair. He had been entirely focused on his sister's show of tyranny."What happened to your foot, Calista?""I sprained it," Calista said.She turned to Timothy."Have a nice day, Mr. Howard."Timothy nodded."We know they've set a trap. There's no guarantee they won't tamper with electronic devices. If we need to discuss anything related to this, try to do it in person.“As a lawyer, he'd seen his fair share of dirty tricks. Calista recalled having discussed the possibility of Jordan being Lucian over the phone with Henry.Yara had planned to cook at first. But, with Calista's injured foot, going out became inconvenient. Since they were already outdoors, they de
Calista noticed Yara's peculiarity and asked, "What's wrong?"Yara flipped the phone screen over and showed her what was on screen."It's Jordan. You must've accidentally dialed his number just now."Calista was at a loss for words. She and Jordan hadn't exchanged numbers. She had asked David to send her the number two days ago.She intended to discuss the tender with him again. But, Henry stopped her.The call had already connected. The man's cold and indifferent voice came through the receiver, saying, "What is it?"The room was deathly quiet in the wee hours of the morning. Despite the call not being put on speakers, they could hear his every word.Just as Calista was about to reach for her phone, Yara pulled away and said nervously, "Oh no, you're bleeding."Then, she hung up the call. Everything happened so quickly that Calista had barely any time to react."I'm bleeding?"She hadn't taken a severe fall. Had she been so high-strung that she failed to notice?"From your
Calista had stayed up all night. The scrambled eggs and roasted tomatoes at five in the morning were simply heavenly.The vibrant red tomatoes paired with the golden eggs, topped with chopped chives. It was an aromatic delight."Who knows? Maybe the interns will have to cough up money to work," Calista said as she tried to get the fluffy eggs to cool down.Yara scoffed."Who keeps coming up with these ideas? They make farmers drive out to the countryside to farm in the morning, and then return to the city at night. They can afford properties and cars in the city without worrying about the cost of fuel. Are they still considered farmers? That's a rich man enjoying life. Have they even noticed how high the oil prices have risen? They expect people to rent out their surplus of houses when they have no money. Even if they don't have money, they still have properties. Did someone leave these houses to them in their wills?""Did these people go insane from eating all that processed food
Cade frowned the moment he entered Jordan's office. He eyed the outdated decor in the room with disdain. "Awful taste."Before Jordan took over as the Lancaster Group's president, his "father", Gabriel Lancaster, was at its helm. The office belonged to him. It was inevitable that the decor was more … mature."I hear you're here to provide funding, Mr. Carter."The tone was unfamiliar. There was also a foreign twang to his accent. Cade narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Jordan's face.He and Lucian had grown up together. With how close their families lived, they often spent time together.It made him more familiar with Lucian's facial features compared to Calista. He knew the Northwood family well.Lucian was an only child with no siblings. With his facial features, it would take an identical twin to fool him."Did Gabriel fish you out of the sea?" Cade asked.Gabriel had a fondness for fishing. He would go fishing once a week. When the Lancaster Group fell to desperate times,
Calista was kept waiting at the lounge for over ten minutes when Cade came back downstairs.He stood by the doorway and called out, "Let's go."She quickly got up and followed him.It wasn't until they were in the car that she asked, "Is he Lucian?"There was an eighty to ninety percent chance that he was Lucian. But at the end of the day, it was all just speculation. The more people confirmed it, the more confident she felt."No. You should build him a grave. Send him on his way so he doesn't end up a wandering spirit," Cade said.Calista was rendered speechless.The man pushed the car's ignition button with one hand and reached out to Calista with the other. In his open palm lay at least twenty strands of hair, complete with the follicles.It was evident that they had been forcibly plucked from someone's head."You'll know the answer once you get his DNA tested. It's not that complicated."Calista stared at the hair in his palm. Sure enough, they were friends who greatly ch
Jordan was at a loss for words.What the hell did that mean? He didn't have a wife. He was a man on probation before he went "missing".Once he was stripped of his identity as Jordan, he would, at best, be considered the child's father. He would likely only have limited visitation rights.Seeing Calista's calm expression, it was clear she wanted to distance herself from him. Jordan felt as if a piece of the sky had fallen and landed on his head."I don't have a wife, nor a fiancee who needs baby products."Yara stretched out her words."What a coincidence. The world is quite a small place, isn't it? Both you and Calista are here to buy baby products. But you don't have a fiancee or a wife. Are you buying these for Calista?"Jordan smiled in a gentlemanly manner."Fate can be such a fickle thing. I hear you and Mr. Howard are planning to get married. I wonder if I would have the honor of receiving an invitation to the wedding."Yara's jaw dropped. Of course, the scumbag would s
Calista's eyes were bulging out of her sockets."We don't live in the stone age anymore, Mr. Lancaster. Why are you carrying keys around when everyone uses fingerprint scanners?"She wasn't certain whether Jordan was lying to her or not. Was he just exceptionally good at keeping his composure while lying through his teeth?"I'm sorry. I come from the countryside. We have to travel through mountains for hours just to get to the village fair. I haven't had the chance to experience modern gadgets. I live a more conventional lifestyle."When the elevator reached the 35th floor, Jordan started, "Ms. Everhart, about tonight …"Calista took out her phone. "I have the locksmith's number here. I'll send it to you if you need it."Jordan fell silent. Seeing that the man didn't respond, she didn't insist further. She put her phone away before exiting the elevator. He scrambled after her."It takes time for the locksmith to arrive. It's freezing outside. Why not invite me to your home for
Calista was stunned for a second, unsure if it was her imagination or if Jordan's words were indeed questionable. After some thought, she replied, "No."The disappointment in Jordan's eyes was evident as he sighed, "Oh, I'm already inside. People will talk if I leave now. It's too cold in the corridor outside. Can I wait for the locksmith company to arrive before leaving?""If you leave now, others won't think too much," Calista responded.Three minutes was not even enough time to undress. No one would misunderstand them. Jordan reached out and touched her hand, his fingers ice-cold, leaving goosebumps on her skin. "It's too cold outside." It wasn't even winter yet, and the weather at night was not cold to the point of freezing. Calista remained determined and glanced at him before heading into the living room, saying, "There's a blanket on the sofa. You can wrap yourself in it and wait. It's not windy there. You won't get cold." Jordan followed her and immediately notice
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,