Christina stood up from her seat, saying, "Atticus, way back then, you were no more than an unwanted orphan. I had the power to raise you, but I also have the power to... replace you."From the moment she first saw Atticus, she had liked him. Over the years, she had never thought that one day she would say such cold-hearted words to him. She didn't expect it, and Atticus certainly didn't either. He looked at Christina, who now seemed completely cold and distant. After giving him a condescending glance, she turned and walked away.Seeing Lucian and Calista sitting at the table behind her, Christina's face showed a hint of embarrassment. She had originally thought about exchanging pleasantries and getting closer to this bigwig, but now she didn't have the mood for it. She only nodded as a form of greeting.After Christina left, Atticus lost his appetite and settled the bill before leaving as well.Calista, thinking about Hector's relationship with Christina, inquired, "Was that M
Realizing what she was saying, Yara suddenly fell silent. After a few seconds, she spoke in an irritated tone."Why are you calling?"Timothy replied, "Let's have dinner together tonight.""Dinner? Let me check my schedule first, and I'll slot it in...""Forget it, if we have to wait in line, I might as well make plans with Jamie. He mentioned a few days ago that he wanted to have a chat..."As soon as he mentioned her brother, Yara's stern demeanor vanished. She couldn't understand why she had to deal with her troublesome brother.It felt like she had committed some grave sin in her previous life to be stuck with her brother Jamie, who was as troubling as his mother. She interrupted Timothy."What are you talking about? Waiting in line is for other people. You're my boyfriend; naturally, you'll get special treatment. We're going out for dinner tonight. What kind of cuisine do you prefer?"She was seething with anger but managed to maintain a flattering tone. Her ability to swi
Calista waited for a moment but didn't hear Lucian say anything. Just as she was about to ask, he leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her face, and his voice, deep and husky, sounded near her ear."Pamper me."What did he say?"If you're going to give a gift to Paul, I'll be unhappy, so you need to pamper me."She was dumbfounded. This man was becoming increasingly childish. He could get upset over something like this. Calista tiptoed and quickly gave him a peck on the lips. "Is this okay?"Lucian pursed his lips and said dissatisfied, "Who pampers someone like this? Let me show you how it's done properly. This is what pampering is."He held her face in his hands and leaned in for a kiss, no longer the light and quick peck that Calista had given him earlier. This was a deep, passionate kiss, filled with burning desire.Under the warm yellowish light, his gaze was hazy, and his sexy Adam's apple moved up and down. Lucian pressed Calista down onto the couch, kissing her
Paul's birthday banquet was held at another hotel. That was not his original plan. He just wanted to invite a few close friends to gather at home. However, Agnes disagreed.Normally, she would organize business banquets now and then, inviting some prominent figures to strengthen their relationships. Now, with such a good reason, she couldn't pass up the opportunity.Paul understood that she was doing this for the Baker family, so he went along with it. However, Agnes didn't tell him that she had invited not only various influential figures but also their daughters.Seeing a large group of young women dressed up and attending the event, he couldn't help but frown and shook his head with a wry smile.This was supposed to be a birthday celebration, but it looked more like a blind date event.Agnes was afraid he would resist, so she explained, "I know that people of your generation prefer to make their own choices and don't like parents interfering in marriage matters. I'm not forcing
Lucian had only intended to tease him a little. It was entirely Paul's business whether or not he was going on a blind date. But, it was clear that he hadn't yet given up on Calista.So, he changed his mind. He would not know peace until Paul chose to settle down. It was as if someone was watching him with a gardening hoe in hand and was waiting for the right moment to trespass into his territory and start digging.Paul stood on the sidelines as Lucian and Agnes chimed in in unison to set things up for him. Lucian was a real bastard. Agnes clutched onto the brochure as if it were a precious treasure."I'll be looking into it. Thank you, Lucian. I'll come with a gift when you and Calista get married."The words were meant for Paul's ears. They didn't need him to dwell on it and not move on.Once Agnes had left, Paul asked Lucian sarcastically, "Is the Northwood Corporation switching things up and becoming a matchmaking agency?"He had arranged a blind date for him and prepared a
Calista noticed the uncontrollable joy on Lucian's face and teased him."Did I have it wrong? We aren't married yet. So, you're just my boyfriend now …" "You're right," Lucian immediately cut her off."You've agreed to my proposal. We're engaged now."He stroked the ring around her finger."You're not allowed to back out of it."Calista had only wanted to tease him. But, with Lucian giving her such earnest looks, she collected herself and refrained from teasing him any further. She avoided his gaze and responded with a soft hum.People kept approaching Lucian to offer him a toast. Calista was his ex-wife. Yet, the two of them appeared hand in hand in such a high-profile manner. It seemed that good things were about to happen. That was why they attracted a lot of attention. Having worked all day, all she wanted now was to be left alone to eat in peace. But everyone who came to toast him would inevitably snub her. Calista wasn't a fan of socializing, much less dealing with di
With the money in hand, Lucian felt like he was holding a hot potato. He couldn't wait to rid himself of it. "It's no trouble at all.""I did borrow money from you. Of course, I would return it to you," Calista said."It's not a loan. It's a gift. You married me. It was always yours.""I don't need the money right now. You can keep it."There was no way Lucian would yield. Their marriage was on the horizon. What if Calista recalled his use of the three million dollars to threaten her and keep her trapped in the marriage? He would be the one losing out."Just convert it into company shares. Keeping it in the bank would be no different from me lending it to someone else. If I encounter another 'intern on probation', I might end up with nothing and owe money to the bank.""Okay. I'll have Mr. Prescott bring you a contract tomorrow."After Paul left, he approached Cade with a glass of wine in hand."You're here late.""Something came up."He arrived just in time to see Lucian
Lucian looked up in the direction of the voice. It was Cailyn. She had just walked out. She was wearing a long down coat with fuzzy earmuffs and gloves. The man lowered his hand and shook his head."No thanks."Cailyn noticed the cigarette in his hand that had yet to burn out and put on a stern demeanor."The doctor said you should quit smoking and drinking given your current condition.""Sure," Lucian responded coldly to the woman's admonition.Cailyn wanted to say more. Just as she did, the man who had been as cold as ice looked in a certain direction. His tense features softened. He left after politely excusing himself.Lucian went up to Calista, snaked his arm around her waist, and gathered her into his embrace."What are you doing out here?""I came out here to look for you. You were gone for a while. I thought you fell into the toilet," Calista joked before taking a sidelong glance at Cailyn. But, the latter had already turned the other way. All she could make out was a