Selena shook her head and reverted to her usual indulgent demeanor."It's nothing. I'm probably just tired because I woke up a little too early this morning."She glanced at the door."Where's Lucian? Did he not come with you?""He's busy at the moment. So, I …"Before Calista could finish, Selena's phone began to ring. She glanced at the caller ID and hastily said, "I need to take this call."Then, she sped upstairs without waiting for Calista to finish. Selena remained upstairs even after Lucian arrived.Lucian glanced around the empty living room and wheeled himself over to Calista. He took her hand. Even though they were living together now, he didn't want to lose out on any opportunity to be close to her. "Why are you alone? Where's Mom?"Every time they visited the Stansend Manor, the women would get together and chat endlessly. It was as if they were mother and daughter while he was the unwelcome son-in-law."Mom went upstairs to take a call. She hasn't come down
After dinner, Lucian and Calista returned to the Everglade Manor.She parked her car and pulled the wheelchair out of the trunk. Once Lucian was comfortably seated, she opened the rear door and took out a shopping bag.He knew she had gone shopping early in the day and gotten gifts for Henry and Selena. He hardly paid her shopping bag any mind. Calista could spend his riches as she pleased. His only concern was that there wouldn't be enough for her to spend. If she spent more than most men could afford, no one would be able to compete with him.The thought gave him the urge to give her a black card again. Once they were inside, Calista took out a gift box and handed it to him."Here's the wallet I promised you. See you like it."The usually quick-to-react man stared blankly at the gift box offered to him. There was a pause before he reached for it."I like anything you give me."Calista glanced down at the casts on his legs."Don't use shower gel for your bath tonight. Use di
It was the Tiara that Vivian had donated. It had been several months since then. What was unexpected was seeing it displayed in the glass cabinet and left untouched since she last worked on it.She had a special attachment for all the artifacts she handled. Once she started, she hoped to be involved until the restoration was completed. If it had to be handed over to someone else midway, it always felt like she was having her child taken away from her. She wondered if others felt the same way. Augustus waved a few people over. Once they gathered, he said, "They were hoping to work together on restoring the piece once you've returned. This tiara has been beckoning us. Now that you're finally back, it takes the pressure off my shoulders. You should all get started and strive to get it done as soon as possible."He left after saying his piece. If he stayed any longer, he might delay their work.The tiara had caused a big stir when it was brought into the country. Conservators both d
All David's attention had been solely on Lucian just now. Now, he noticed the man wheeling him in. It was David's nemesis—Simon Prescott. Was this not a case of enemies meeting? It was like sparks flying between a wife and a mistress trying to vie for a man's attention.When he noticed the man's legs in plaster casts, David was that much closer to beating himself up for having not visited his boss earlier. Even if it was just a perfunctory visit, he would've still had the chance to salvage this. He had reached a dead end. There was now no other way but to find a new path.He grabbed the handles on the wheelchair and pushed Simon aside. Then, he began his exaggerated performance."You're finally back, Mr. Northwood. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. I waited day and night for you to return. I lost weight because I was worried you wouldn't have enough to eat. I wondered if you were dressed warmly …"Lucian frowned and cut him off mercilessly."Did you break the scale in the pant
Yara's eyes lit up. That was a fantastic idea. She could afford to raise a child on her own. But upon further consideration, she decided against it. Raising a child was not the same as raising a pet dog. Children need to grow up in a loving family with both fatherly and motherly love. But, before she could dismiss the notion, Timothy spoke up, cold and indifferent from behind her."No."He startled Yara so badly that she nearly leaped out of her chair. While she was gasping for breath, the spice of the grilled meat had her choking. It caused her to cough violently. Once she finally regained her composure, her words sounded disjointed as she bemoaned, "Are you a ghost? Why do you walk around without making a sound? Then, you just speak out of nowhere."She was nearly scared witless. Timothy raised a brow and retorted, "Should I wear military boots and stomp around you until you notice before speaking?"Yara's cheeks were red from the incessant coughing. She gulped down two can
Yara's words and the tone in which she said it implied that it was something perverted. What did she mean by "having fun"?Calista met Lucian's gaze. He seemed to be trying to force a confession out of her. But, she only understood as much as he did. Yara shot her an ambiguous wink. With two fingers extended, she whispered in a volume she thought no one else could hear, "50 for one go. Two for one. Make sure he's handsome and has a good body. Most importantly, he has to have technique …"Before she could finish, Timothy dragged her away by her arm."Hey …"She was already unsteady on her feet. The man dragging her away had her feeling as though she had been thrown into a washing machine that was spinning at high speeds. Her mind spun. She couldn't even remember who she had been speaking to. "Let go of me. I'm going to … throw up."She frowned and rejected Timothy's assistance. But just as she pushed him away and tried to take a step, she swayed uncontrollably to the side.T
"What's so great about them?"Timothy raised a brow,"All it takes is fifty bucks for these 'perfect' men to play a game with you while calling you their baby and their sweetheart."Yara said nothing in response. The 50 dollars was to be split between the two people. It was only 25 dollars for each.But saying it out loud would surely invite ridicule. She hadn't found those terms particularly problematic while she was gaming. So, why did they sound so embarrassing now that she was hearing them again?She glanced at Timothy. The man's features were cold and stern, amplifying the serious look on his face. Being called "baby" by a man with that face made her feel like she was being lectured. How could she be attracted to him? With the game closed, the tension from trying to defeat the boss was now gone. Her drunkenness returned with a vengeance. Yara was exhausted and too lazy to care about what Timothy was up to while he tinkered away on his phone. "I'm tired. I'm going to sle
Calista knew her alcohol tolerance wasn't the best. So, she made a conscious effort to not drink too much. After seeing off her guests, she massaged her sore neck and returned to her room to take a bath. Then, she applied a face mask. An hour had passed by the time she had dried her hair and gotten changed. Lucian had already taken a shower and was now leaning against the bed's headboard replying to messages. Calista climbed underneath the covers before grabbing her phone off the bedside table to send Yara a text. She should've gotten home by now. When she pulled up her WhatsApp, Calista realized that her friend had sent her an invitation to a game half an hour ago. There was also a 30-second-long voice message. When she read the invitation, she finally realized what Yara's words meant. She had been repeatedly invited to play a few games recently. So, she knew about the gaming companions. Once Calista figured it out, she didn't dare to play the voice message. There was
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,