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
Calista rolled her eyes."When someone disappears, they usually come home with a beautiful fiancee. You, on the other hand, brought home a father with a few screws loose."Lucian frowned. Part of him felt wronged and misunderstood."I didn't …"He paused before he could finish and turned to her with his expression bright with joy."Did you just say I went missing and brought home a father …? Does that mean you believe me, Callie? Do you believe I'm Lucian?"He looked overly thrilled. Calista deliberately messed with him."No."He appeared so sharp when Kyros was around. It was enough to subtly clue her in about the man knowing the number of pills in the bottle.So, why was he acting so foolishly now? If she didn't believe him, would he be allowed to kiss and touch her without being slapped?Lucian panicked. Seeing Calista approach the couch, he reached and grabbed her."But, you just said …"She had no choice but to face him. It wasn't as if she could walk away either. She
"How do you test for lovesickness? Do you take me for an idiot?" Calista pushed him away and turned to open the door."You're still in the enemy camp. Focus on staying undercover. You're already being forced to take medicine. You should hurry and come up with something. I can only cover for you once. I can't stop you from taking it every time.""You're just taking them as they come. Aren't you afraid you'll end up turning into an idiot because you keep taking the pills?" With how practiced Kyros seemed, it was likely that it wasn't his first time feeding them to Lucian. Despite knowing that he wasn't a good person, Lucian still reached for the "medicine".The thought infuriated Calista. But, she knew that he wouldn't put himself in harm's way if there were other courses of action he could take.Calista was about to turn the doorknob when Lucian hugged her from behind. His lips brushed against her."Stay tonight?"Their hands were interlocked over her abdomen. She was relieved
"Go on, Kyros. Bark like a dog. Do it. Woof woof …""Hurry up, Kyros. You're one of them, aren't you? Look, it's a female. You should treat her better. Who knows? She might be your wife when you grow up. Isn't she pretty? Come on, kiss her."The children had picked up the behavior from watching television."Woof woof …""Hahaha …"The dog's barks mingled with the sound of human laughter was piercing to the ears.Kyros, who was in bed, suddenly opened his eyes. The ceiling above him was shrouded by darkness. All he could see was the faint outline of the light.He stared absentmindedly at it. With no one around, his bitterness, indifference, ferocity, and hatred all came spilling out from his eyes. In his eyes, the shadow slowly transformed into a dog.It was such a disgusting creature …He stayed lying in place for a while before getting out of bed. He walked barefoot to the table and poured himself a glass of wine.He downed it all in one gulp. The burning sensation of the st
"You had Mr. Beaumont advise me to not give up on my interest last time. I ultimately decided to remain at the Northwood Corporation. But still, thank you."Calista grabbed her car keys. Then, she stopped in her tracks as she was brushing past him. "I'll think about it. Thank you, Paul."Paul watched her retreating figure and felt hesitation surface in his heart. He didn't know who was the one to have Augustus offer her advice. But, he could hazard a guess.However, Calista wrongly assumed that it was him. If he went along with the misunderstanding … She had already grabbed the door handle and was about to get into the car."Calista …" Paul stopped her with a gentle smile playing on his lips."This is my first time."Calista turned to stare at him, shocked. She was in disbelief. The man's smile was warm as if he didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said."Umm … Huh?"What did Paul mean by that? She was at a loss for words. What did he mean by it being his "fir
The only person who had the passcode to Lucian's home was Kyros. He was also the only one who would barge in so impolitely without knocking. "Jordan."The man's voice carried a hint of youth. Kyros approached on bare feet. The carpets had muffled the sounds, leaving his footsteps silent."Are you asleep, Jordan?"Lucian sat up from the couch with his legs apart and elbows resting on his knees. He rubbed his brows tiredly."No. I drank a little too much. I don't feel like moving around right now. Why are you here?""I got bored. So, I came to see you."Kyros sat down next to him, flicked on the lights, and switched on the television. He was enthusiastically flipping through the channels.With so many streaming services available, they could watch anything they wanted just by a quick search online. Not many people watch television broadcasts anymore.The television hadn't been switched on since it was installed. Why was Kyros suddenly so interested in watching a live broadcast