The next day, Calista woke up in bed. She turned over, hugging the soft blanket, and stared absentmindedly at the overcast sky outside. Today was cloudy, and the leaves on the branches had already started turning yellow, rustling in the wind. The essential oil worked; she had a great night's sleep and woke up feeling refreshed, without any of the drowsiness from before.Calista suddenly sat up in bed. Last night, Lucian had held her hand, and she had fallen asleep on top of him. But how did she end up back in bed? She tried to recall but couldn't remember. She hadn't woken up at night. She looked down and pulled the blanket aside. Last night, Calista had changed out of her pajamas before going out because she was uncertain if Lucian had left.But now, she was wearing a nightgown, the most revealing purple silk V-neck from her wardrobe. She didn't need to think to know that Lucian had changed her clothes. She gritted her teeth in frustration. That scoundrel. After freshening
When Cade saw Lucian, he was sitting on a bench outside the hospital, looking up with half-closed eyes. The surroundings were bustling with people coming and going. Cade walked over with a furrowed brow and sat in the adjacent seat, impatiently asking, "Why did you choose to meet here, of all places, in a hospital?" Lucian remained seated, his voice weak and breathless, "I have a fever."Cade shifted uncomfortably in his seat and retorted, "If you have a fever, you should see a doctor. Why are you just sitting here in the lobby? Do you expect the fever to go away on its own?" Lucian replied, "You should go and make an appointment at the obstetrics and gynecology department."Cade was taken aback and almost choked on his own words. He exclaimed in frustration, "I'm not pregnant! Why would I make an appointment at the obstetrics and gynecology department? And by the way, have you ever seen a grown man make an appointment there?"Lucian explained, "I read online that when a wom
Lucian smelled the strong scent of medicine and the stagnant, musty air from a lack of ventilation over the years as soon as he stepped into a villa’s basement on the city outskirts. Hushed conversations were coming from inside. Lucian calmly walked deeper into the basement, and the voices became clearer the further he went. "Max, don't move; your wounds have torn open." "Once I get out of here, I'll finish that kid off. Damn it, how dare that pretty boy scheme against me.""Max, you should forget about getting out for now. Focus on healing your injuries." He couldn't bring himself to tell Max that all of his properties had been seized, supposedly due to a tip-off involving drug trafficking, and the police were searching for him everywhere.Upon seeing Lucian enter, the person inside hurriedly stood up and moved to the side. "Mr. Lancaster." Lucian nodded in acknowledgment. Max sat up on the bed, leaning against the headboard, clutching his wounds and gritting his teeth
The orphanage had few children and a small staff, and in the somewhat distant garden, weeds had grown unchecked, some reaching half a person's height. They were drawn there by the eerie barking of a dog, but it was only a short bark.Selena had been chased by Henry's dog before, so she was afraid of dogs, but the bark was so pitiful that it was clear the dog was in danger. After a few seconds of internal struggle, she decided to take a look. Afraid that making too much noise would scare the dog away, they trod very lightly, making no sound at all. And then they were met by a scene that shocked them. It was a small puppy, about a month old, but it had been tortured to the point of being covered in blood and beyond death.The dog's head was wrapped in layer upon layer of plastic wrap, and its mouth had been torn open, which was why they had heard that pitiful scream, but after a short squid, and then it died.The person crouching next to the dog, covered in blood, looked like he
There was no expression on Lucian's handsome yet icy countenance. He idly traced his fingers over the casing. There was a cold look in his eyes.After a while, a purposeful smile played on his lips. There was mockery in his voice."Alright."Under Kyros' watchful eye, he dialed Calista's number. A mechanical prompt echoed through the receiver. Even though the call was not on speaker, he could hear it clearly in the quiet atmosphere."Sorry. The number you have dialed is unavailable."He was still blocked. She hadn't whitelisted his number."The call isn't connecting …"Lucian's voice trailed off as Kyros waved his phone. A beeping tone could be heard coming from it."I exchanged contact information with Calista when I went to see her at the Northwood Corporation. I think she has your number blocked."There was a gloating tone in his voice.Lucian hummed. His expression remained unchanged. Being blacklisted by Calista didn't affect him. He had the presence of mind to go throug
Calista was relieved that she hadn't taken a sip of her drink. Otherwise, she would've spat the liquid in his face.This person was the epitome of a dog-abusing lunatic. Perhaps karma had gotten to him and driven him insane.She cleared her throat. She wanted to ask if he saw her as a garbage dump. But, she held herself back. "Did your brother agree to this?"She caressed her belly. It was surprisingly soft to the touch and oddly comfortable."I'm pregnant. You'll have to step in as a father if you want to be my boyfriend. You're still young …"Kyros cut her off. There was an earnest expression on his face."I don't mind. I like you, Calista. I'll love your child like my own too."Calista couldn't hold back and quickly turned away."Ugh."She extended her hand and gesticulated apologetically. Once she stopped gagging, she muttered, "I'm sorry. This is not out of the ordinary for pregnant women. It's not that I find you disgusting. What were you saying just now?"Kyros was s
Calista had acquired another label in Kyros' mind—materialistic.She was a superficial woman. He was certain that Lucian had been bewitched by her appearance. Once his brother learned of her true nature, he would surely despise her. Kyros turned to Lucian, troubled."The company belongs to the Lancaster family. Jordan may be my brother but I'm not a Lancaster. I don't have the authority to force them to breach the contract for my sake. Believe me. I'll work hard so you don't have to suffer."Lucian frowned and gave him a disapproving look. "You're undervaluing yourself. You may not be a Lancaster but you're my brother all the same. Say the word and I'll hand the contract over to the Northwood family. I'll have Mr. Prescott prepared for the penalty for the breach of contract.""Really?"Calista looked joyfully at him."Mr. Lancaster has spoken, Mr. Barlowe. So …"Kyros looked at Lucian, who seemed resolute in his decision. He couldn't tell if Lucian truly was that emotionally n
Calista couldn't speak. All she could do was whimper.The one who accosted her was a man with powerful arms. He had one hand over her mouth and the other gripping her by the neck. He was dragging her to a corner in the parking lot.Was this a kidnapping? Was she getting abducted? Was she going to be murdered to cover up a crime? Was he one of Kyros' men?Calista fell into panic. She tried to break free. But, the arm around her neck was like an impenetrable barrier. No matter how she hit him, he wouldn't budge at all.Seeing that she was being dragged into a blind spot away from the surveillance cameras, she blindly swung her bag back.However, having been restrained and faced away from the man, she missed most of her strikes. When she managed to hit him, the blow was as light as scratching an itch.That was when Calista felt her bag hit something solid. Then, the man let out a muffled groan."S-Stop, Ms. Everhart … I … I know you."As soon as they rounded the corner, the man re