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 He eyed the outdated decor in the room with disdain.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
Calista saw that he was getting serious and quickly stopped him, saying, "Mr. Lancaster, even if you're desperate, you shouldn't be having thoughts about a pregnant woman like me."Jordan didn't know what to say. He glanced at her belly, stopped his advances, and dejectedly sat down on the sofa, asking, "Is your belly still uncomfortable these days since you fell last time?"At that time, he couldn't leave, so he called an ambulance, but they said her condition wasn't serious enough to go to the hospital. Calista sensed the concern and nervousness in his tone and remained silent for a few seconds before asking, "Do you like this child?"Jordan remained silent. Compared to this child, he was more worried about Calista. Now that he was here as Jordan, it would be weird if he expressed his concern for her. However, she would surely be upset if he said he wasn't worried. Moreover, this child was his only source of support. How could he not be concerned? This was a losing situation.