Calista was taken aback.She looked at Paul, then glanced at the room behind him, surprised as she asked, "Why are you here?" Paul smiled and casually explained, "I drank too much with Cade last night, so I stayed over." "Oh."Calista didn’t know what else to say as she faced Paul. Perhaps it was guilt, or maybe the three years apart had made them distant. She smiled and turned to go downstairs. However, Paul called her and handed her a check."I don't need the money right now. There’s no rush to repay it." Calista lowered her gaze and happened to see the amount on the check. It was neither too much nor too little—exactly three million, as she had joked about before.He had signed his name. If she took it, she could go to the bank today and transfer the money to Lucian. Honestly, she felt a bit tempted. Anyone would be tempted by such a large sum, especially since she needed it urgently. Paul watched as she stared at the check quietly.He wasn’t sure if she was embarra
That night, Calista received a call from Lucian. She had already finished washing up and was ready to sleep. She had stayed up several nights in a row, and tonight, after finally managing to get an early rest, she was disrupted by this phone call. She was upset.“What do you want so late at night?” "Open the door," Lucian uttered words before hanging up. Calista was about to ask if he was out of his mind, but she got cut off. She wasn’t going to comply anyway.Calista tossed her phone aside, wondering if Lucian could figure out that her patience had run thin. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard banging on her front door. There was a click, and her neighbor opened the door. Next door lived an elderly lady. Calista had seen her a few times before, and she didn't seem very approachable. As expected, as soon as the old lady opened the door, she began to yell, "What are you doing in the middle of the night? Are you trying to wake everyone up? You're a grown man. Don't you hav
"Alright. After all, you're still my wife. You’d have to accompany me to my sessions in the future." Calista frowned at how despicable this scoundrel was! Lucian spoke casually, but his breath against her ear was rugged. Calista had no doubts if she continued to refuse, he would likely vent his anger with violence. The whole room fell silent as Lucian glanced at his wristwatch, seemingly counting down. Suddenly, Calista spoke up, "A hundred thousand dollars." "What?" "I'll accompany you to negotiate this deal. If it works out, the three million debt will be settled. If not, you owe me a hundred thousand dollars to compensate for my time." She would be at a disadvantage if the deal fell through. She wouldn't fall for this stupidity. Besides, her trust in Lucian had already fallen short. It always felt as if he was trying to deceive her. These business meetings usually lasted a few hours. She wouldn't have to do anything except be an ornament on the sidelines. Either wa
Calista chuckled lightly."What's there to be afraid of? I’m just joining their table." She couldn’t help if Lucian was determined to make himself a victim. During their argument, the people at Paul’s table noticed them. They were all part of the same circle.Paul looked up at them, and with just one glance, he could tell that Lucian and Calista were discussing business matters. So, he didn't go over to disturb them. Lucian stared at Calista blankly and raised his hand, saying, "Hold my hand." Calista lowered, her voice displeased, "This is just a simple meal. We're not attending a dinner party. There's no need to hold hands." It seemed too deliberate and fake to be constantly holding hands. Lucian glanced at her calmly."You’re under my paygrade. I, your employer, would determine what you should and shouldn’t do. You don’t have the right to refuse." Well, in this day and age, the one with the money holds the power. Everyone had encountered a demanding boss at work.
Marcus was a chubby man who sweated easily. Calista instantly felt her hands being enveloped by a damp sensation.She quickly pulled her hand back before taking several steps backward. Her face turned so cold that it could freeze water."Mr. Packard, please have some self-respect." Marcus's intention of holding her hand was merely a test.Although he had some interest in Calista, he understood that one should consider the consequences before stirring up trouble, especially for the sake of a woman and risking confrontation with Lucian. He composed himself and apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything bad. I just wanted to ask what perfume you're using so I can buy a bottle for my wife." There would be plenty of opportunities since he would stay here for a few days. Marcus was experienced in the business world, so he was good at concealing his intentions.He put on an act, saying, "I tend to become more frisky around people after I’ve had a few drinks. I acted out of lin
Lucian grabbed Calista's hand and pushed the door open, stepping into the room casually. Calista furrowed her brows."This is my room. What are you doing?" Lucian's lips curved into a smirk."I’m going to shower and sleep." He spoke with a hint of amusement, but she could tell he was trying to mess with her. Lucian was doing this on purpose. He wanted to annoy her and make her helpless in dealing with him. Calista had booked a room with a king-sized bed. Besides that, the only other resting place was the couch by the window.Lucian wouldn't demean himself to sleep on the couch. So, she would either have to endure the discomfort of sharing a bed with him or sleep pitifully on the couch while watching him sprawl comfortably on the large bed she had paid for. Calista pursed her lips together and complained, "Go back to your room." Although this resort didn't have a presidential suite, it did offer VIP rooms with private baths. "We're a married couple. Everyone would think
Eva accepted it eagerly and said, “Thank you. It’s perfect!” She retrieved a gift box from her bag. Inside was a diamond bracelet, not overly expensive or unique."I bought this while shopping. It's not something expensive. It's a token of my appreciation. Thank you for the perfume you gave." Calista couldn't accept this. She could not take a brand-new diamond bracelet in exchange for a bottle of second-hand perfume worth a few hundred dollars. This was too much. "Eva, I can't accept this. That bottle of perfume is only three hundred dollars. I’ll be taking advantage of you." "Calista, I'm apologizing on behalf of my husband. What happened this morning was a mistake. He tends to lose his common sense after a few drinks, which led to him offending you." Calista raised an eyebrow, but Eva had already placed the gift box in her hand. Calista did not insist further since it was an apology.Her only regret was that they didn't just hand her a check directly! She casually comme
Marcus lowered his voice, probably to make his voice sound deeper and seductive. However, Calista was so scared that her body trembled and she instinctively threw her phone at him.There was a loud bang, and Marcus let out a painful, muffled groan. He raised his hand to cover his face, and blood gushed between his fingers, dripping onto the ground. "Mr. Packard, are you okay?" Calista tried to find tissues in her bag, only to realize she hadn't brought one. "I'm sorry. I used to get stalked by bad people while I was a child, so I'm quite sensitive, and I tend to lose control when someone gets too close to me." Mr. Packard's head was buzzing with pain at this point, and he couldn't quite make out what Calista was saying.Thankfully, he did not have a concussion and was still aware of who she was. Otherwise, he would have slapped her long ago. His nose continued to bleed, and he began to suspect it might have been broken. Calista hit him hard! "Just bear with it for now, Mr.