"I was startled," Lucian said placidly."Of course, I'd only want to show the person I love my best self. What if you regret agreeing to marry me once you see what a mess I am?"Calista was at a loss for words. Despite how serious he sounded, something still seemed off. But, Lucian seemed completely fine. There was no longer any hint of sweat on his forehead.Calista tried to reach out to hold his hand only for the man to avoid her touch. This was the first time Lucian actively avoided her touch since they opened their hearts to one another.Calista stared at him in surprise. Lucian showed her his hands and explained, "It's oily."He turned to wash his hands. But, he didn't forget to warn her."Don't come in."Once his hands were clean, he began clearing the shards of glass in the bin. The remnants of soup were mopped away. After everything was done, he held Calista's hand."I'm sorry. Did I scare you?""Yeah. I called out to you. But, you didn't answer," Calista said.She
Yara was taking a sip of her coffee when she noticed the change in Calista's expression."What's wrong?"Calista's expression was severe. She frowned and explained, "Mr. Beaumont booked me a ticket to Luspos. He might've made a mistake. I'm going to give him a call.""Calista."Yara was quick to grab her before she could do anything."This might be fate at work. You should go. It's not like you're going to be gone for long. I'll help you look out for Lucian …"She wanted to say that she would keep a close watch on Lucian in Calista's place. But she quickly realized what she had said midway through her words. They might be the best of friends. But, it wasn't appropriate for her to keep an eye on a man. So, she changed her words."I'll have Timothy help you keep an eye on him. He'll call you immediately if anything comes up."Calista was free to do as she pleased if she wanted to go with her heart. All that mattered to Yara was that she was happy. It hardly mattered if she pa
The middle-aged man gave Calista a once-over."Who are you? What if you end up damaging the goods? Can you afford to pay for the damages?"Yara hadn't had the pleasure of meeting such an arrogant person in a long time."Why would the store accept clothing that can get damaged with one touch?"She took a look at the logo and found it to be unfamiliar."Why bring off-brand goods here? The clothes collected here are big-name luxury goods, not worn-out rags."Yara considered herself to be someone who respected the elderly. But, the man's arrogance was annoying her. "It's a Francian brand that specializes in custom-made suits for men. They're a relatively niche name."The one who answered her was Calista."You know this brand?" Yara asked."Yes. Most of Lucian's clothes are this brand."Yara stared at the coat in amazement then turned to Calista."You're saying this coat …"Did it belong to Lucian?She had thought it strange that Calista was interested in pre-owned men's clot
Lucian hadn't seen Calista for a good deal of the day. All he wanted was to gather her into his arms and shower her in affection. He wasn't the least bit interested in random articles of clothing.However, Calista had thrust the sketch in his face. She seemed ready to tear him apart if he refused to look.Lucian looked down and gave it a passing glance. Men's clothing was more or less the same. But, if it were designed by his wife, it looked better than anything anyone could come up with. So, he nodded."It does look nice. I'll have someone make it right away."He was so happy that he wanted to hug her."Can you be the one to design all my clothes in the future? My wife is the best. She restores cultural relics and designs clothes."While Lucian was over the moon, Calista's smile was icy. He couldn't even recognize clothing that belonged to him. And, he was expecting her to design clothes for him? Dream on.She pulled away and took a look at the drawing she made. She had been dr
"Of course not. I just think the doctor is being a little shady. He included every possible test in the program," Lucian said."Every possible test" was putting it lightly. It was going beyond the standard with tests for HIV and syphilis included in the mix.The doctor was at a loss for words. Did Lucian have to say it to his face? He was just about to explain when the door closed.There were no queues for a checkup in a private hospital. It was only 11:00 a.m. when everything was said and done. Save for the ultrasound, the other test results would be available come afternoon, although some would take up to three days. Lucian held Calista's hand while affectionately massaging her fingers."Shall we go home? I'll have David come pick up the reports later.""Don't order him around during the weekend. What if he's out on a date with his girlfriend? We still need to speak with the doctor once we get your test results this afternoon," Calista said.He was rendered speechless. The ic
Lucian studied the ring on Calista's finger and couldn't help but smile."You're right."However, while they were hugging, panic and confusion filled his gaze. Thankfully, she failed to catch it. Something welled up from the depths of his heart, leaving behind burning hollows as it passed through him. It hurt and caused him discomfort. He was afraid that he'd forget her.Calista couldn't see Lucian's face, nor could she guess how he was feeling. She only felt his grip around her waist tighten to the point where she thought he wanted to forcefully stuff himself into her.He probably realized that he had exerted too much force and was causing her pain. So, he quickly let go.Although it happened for only a brief moment, Calista couldn't ignore the uneasiness that his unusual behavior brought her. She frowned and carefully studied Lucian's face."Are you not hiding anything from me?"Part of him instinctively wanted to turn away as she scrutinized him. But, she cupped his face to
Lucian was acting like a fussing father when he gave her detailed instructions on everything Calista had to pay attention to.It soon came time for them to pass through the security check. Lucian's reluctance surged to its peak and overwhelmed him.He swept her into his arms in the middle of a bustling airport where middle-aged people were milling about."Be careful out there, Callie. Take care and come home soon."Calista was about to speak when Lucian let go of her and pushed her toward the security checkpoint."It's time to go."If she didn't leave now, there was a chance he might not be able to suppress his impulses to whisk her back with him. Calista needed clarification.Was all his reluctance an act? He seemed extremely eager to send her away. She turned and left without saying goodbye. It was all done without any fanfare.Augustus finally had the chance to speak with her once they were in the departure lounge."You and Mr. Northwood are very close."Calista thought ab
Timothy was silent. He had overheard their conversation despite being busy with other matters. When the flames of conflict reached him, he was a little confused, but not so much that he was left bewildered.His eyes flicked upward to meet Lucian's gaze. "Are you sure?" he mused.Was Lucian certain that he wanted to humiliate himself? Timothy was being subtle. Save for Cade, no one else caught onto the nuance behind his words.Cade could pick up on it because Cameron had tormented him. After all, no one had it worse than him. Before entering the bedroom, he had to gauge his wife's mood to decide whether to step in with the left or the right foot first. Going about it wrong meant he'd end up sleeping in the study.With the pressure he had to endure, even a pig would develop some resilience. Besides, he had probably figured out why Calista was ignoring Lucian.Lucian had never been the confident one in their relationship. So, he instinctively hesitated but ultimately said yes. Ti