Calista quickly flipped to the last page of the consent form. She gripped the pen tightly to stop her hands from trembling. Then, she swiftly penned her name on paper.Before she could catch her breath from having signed the form, the nurse handed her another document."This is the consent form for the surgery …"After she was done signing the forms, the nurse finally went back inside. Before she left, she glanced at Calista's hands which were covered in soot. "You should have your injuries taken care of. All that soot is going to give you an infection.""Yeah, I will."It was only then that Calista had the chance to inquire about how Lucian was faring."How is he? Is he in danger?""We're still trying to stabilize him. We'll be in contact if anything goes wrong."Once the nurse finished, she left with the stack of signed consent forms.When the doors closed, Calista leaned wearily against the wall. She felt extremely exhausted after the rollercoaster of emotions. It complet
Lucian lay motionless in the ICU. Safe for the occasional soft beep from the machines, it was deathly quiet. It was as if his mind remained trapped in that dilapidated residential building.When he threw that lighter, there was no absolute certainty whether he'd live or die. But, he knew it was his only chance at survival.Manufacturing self-made explosives, hostage-taking, and illegal fundraising—each count was enough to keep Kyros in prison for several years. There were also the deaths of Jean Jacquez and his bodyguards to consider. Though he hadn't directly caused their deaths, there was no chance of him washing his hands clean of his involvement.Kyros wanted Lucian to join him in death. But the longer it dragged on, the less favorable his circumstances became.They were on the third floor and the self-built home stood a little over 30 feet. Falling from that height wouldn't kill him unless he were incredibly unlucky. However, there were protective railings around the house
Calista wasn't allowed inside. All she could do was watch through the glass. She could not even utter a word as everyone seemed busy. She didn't want to end up disturbing the doctor's rescue efforts."Why are you just standing there, Calista?"It was Paul's voice. Someone approached soon after and joined her in watching the goings-on inside. Seeing the medical staff pacing about, he frowned and asked, "What's going on?""I don't know."Calista sighed in relief when she saw him. Then, she glanced behind to see Cade who had arrived late. She thought he seemed to be in a much better mood since the last time she saw him despite his expression remaining unchanged."He'll be fine. Don't worry," Paul said.Calista thought he was trying to comfort her. She forced a smile and nodded only for Paul to continue, "He's the pettiest guy I know. He's not going to let you be taken away by another man. He'll still crawl back from the depths of hell even if the grim reaper comes for him."
Timothy intentionally provoked her."Go ahead. I don't mind.""I think you're just talking out of your ass."Yara stared at the man who was well within striking distance. Her voice grew softer with every word. A man who could bring others to heel in the courtroom had no trouble overwhelming her with his presence alone. Yara pushed him back."Can you back off?"There was still distance between them while she was still sitting down. But now that she had gotten to her feet, there was barely any space between them. She could barely catch her breath. The last thing she wanted was for her breath to brush his face. Timothy raised a brow."Does standing close affect your ability to speak?""Yeah, what if you …"Her words trailed off under his intense gaze before she backpedaled."What if my breath stinks? I don't want to be a bother, sir."Timothy lowered himself and inched closer. It was as if he wanted to kiss her. Puffs of air caressed her cheeks. Startled, Yara stared at him
Calista remained silent as she waited for Lucian to continue. She had a hunch that his question carried no good intentions. Lucian shifted to the edge of the bed to create space for her to lie down."Come here."The beds in public hospitals were three feet wide. Accommodating someone as tall as Lucian was hard enough as it was. There was hardly any space for him when he lay flat in bed. Moreover, they were in a hospital. The nurses could enter to make their rounds at any time. Calista didn't want to be caught in his bed. It would be embarrassing to be reprimanded for occupying a patient's bed. Having just woken up, the man's voice was still husky."Aren't you tired?""I can't just sleep here even if I am tired …”A nurse walked in without warning right after."We need to check you for your temperature, Mr. Northwood."Calista stepped aside as she stifled a yawn. She hadn't slept much last night because she was worried about Lucian. Now that she knew that he was fine, she cou
Yara grew more livid with every word. Was Timothy some kind of donkey that refused to listen to reason? No matter how she protested, he was adamant about not allowing her to leave. Although she had protested very hard, it failed.Amid their stalemate, she ended up spending the night on the couch in his office. If she was going to suffer, she wasn't going to make the arrangement pleasant for either of them. Since the office had no separate break rooms, she took up the only three-person couch. With nowhere for the man to sleep, he spent the night going through documents.Yara could barely hide her triumphant expression as she watched Timothy. If it was a fight he wanted, she was going to beat him at his game.The man remained unperturbed. Safe for the faint circles around his under eyes, no one would've been able to tell that he had stayed up all night. He was speaking to Lucian about the Lancaster Group's illegal fundraising activities. With how lively he seemed, he didn't look
Lucian had to define their relationship while Calista still cared about him. It'll save him unnecessary complications. However, some things could only be said in a specific circumstance. It would be hard to bring up a topic once the moment passed.Calista was made uncomfortable by Lucian's gaze. Her eyes darted around the ward to meet two curious stares from the bed next to theirs.They were in a double-bed ward. The patient in the adjacent bed was a girl roughly 19 years old. The girl there to accompany her was close in age. She looked away in embarrassment as soon as she realized she had been caught eavesdropping. Lucian was at a loss for words. It was now utterly impossible for their conversation to continue.His expression screamed how unhappy he was as he began mindlessly scrolling his phone for news. He vented all his grievances on the screen. The forceful and vigorous swipes could've easily shattered the screen. The news of Kyros kidnapping him and triggering explosives
Lucian's severe expression worried Calista. She set the container aside and pulled the curtains shut."What's wrong? Does your leg hurt?"He suffered from a broken leg. His left calf was in a particularly severe state. It was a comminuted fracture that put him in a cast. A few of his ribs were cracked too."Yeah," he replied.When Calista reached out to touch it, it was hard to the touch. She wasn't a professional. She was unsure if the pain was normal after surgery."I'll call for a doctor to check on you …"She reached for the call bell by his bedside. But, before she could touch it, Lucian grabbed her by her waist. He rested his palm against her lower back and pulled her close.She was worried about accidentally falling on him and making his injuries worse. So, when she noticed what Lucian was trying to do, she went along with it and sat down at the edge of the bed. The man held her by her wrist rather than her hand. Calista had welts on her hand. They weren't deep and had
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,