The dizziness hit Lucian like a truck and was accompanied by a sharp ringing in his ears. But, it went away as quickly as it came. He hadn't fainted.His brows were tightly furrowed. Although he was now back on alert, his headache persisted. He instinctively raised his hand to massage his temples but realized that someone was holding onto his arm.The one steadying him was Cailyn. She frowned and looked at him seriously."Are your symptoms worsening, Mr. Northwood? You should've gone in for a reexamination yesterday. Dragging it out will only make things worse."After thanking her, Lucian extracted his arm from her grasp."It's fine."But, he wasn't convincing anyone with how pale he had gotten. His brows were tightly furrowed and his eyes were bloodshot. He had even found it difficult to hold onto a simple bottle of milk."Look at you. You're probably feeling awful right now. You're likely not going to have a peaceful night's rest either. Let's head to the cafe upstairs so I ca
Although Lucian fell into deep sleep, he didn't stay asleep for long. It was still bright out when he woke up. His mind was much sharper after his nap. Even the headache that had been bothering him all day was gone.He fished for his cell phone on the nightstand and took a look at it. Ever since his insomnia worsened, he had developed a habit of putting his phone on silent mode whenever he slept. Lucian first replied to David."What is it?""I have good and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?"David wasn't discouraged by his lack of response. He simply got to answering his question. It was thanks to him spending a considerable amount of time with Lucian and his skills at work that he hadn't been outright fired."Let's begin with the good news. You're trending again. Everyone in the country, be it an 18-year-old or an 80-year-old, is praying for a man like you …""Stop speaking in riddles."Lucian impatiently interrupted him before getting up and heading to th
Calista put down her fork."Why do you think I'm upset? Did you cheat on me or something? Are you feeling guilty?"Lucian spoke up before she could finish. Any hesitation would be seen as an admission of guilt."No.""Oh," Calista murmured.Neither of them spoke following the response. Although the silence stretched on for no longer than a few seconds, it created a relatively awkward atmosphere."Callie …" Lucian was so flustered that he spoke to break the silence. "I …"Explaining what was happening in the photo would mean revealing who Cailyn was. That would, in turn, bring his health issues to light."I haven't done anything to hurt you," Lucian said softly. He sounded serious and genuine. It was like he was trying to get Calista to believe him. "I'll come to Pelduin to pick you up after the competition."He would explain everything to her then. She had the right to know if his condition didn't improve within the month.Whether they got married was then her choice to make.
Lucian was about to take another swig when Paul snatched the glass out of his grip, spilling alcohol on their hands."You already have one foot in the grave. Stop drinking."Paul looked at the bartender and said, "Get him a glass of milk."The man looked up and swept a glance at him."You're acting like a woman in her mid-40s."Despite the comment, Lucian accepted the milk from the bartender and took a sip."I have something I need your help with."After Lucian explained his plan to Paul, the latter thought about it for a moment before suggesting, "Why not go with a beauty trap?"A beauty trap?There was undoubtedly a hidden agenda to Paul's dubious idea. Paul must've been trying to create conflict between him and Calista. It would allow Paul to step in. What a conniving bastard!"Thank you for helping me out. You've always been a true brother to me growing up. I can't believe you're going to such lengths for me. I owe you one.""Hah." Paul flashed him an insincere smile whi
Although there were seats for spectators, they were mostly occupied by insiders. Anyone pulled from the crowd could serve as a judge. The event was broadcast live to ensure fairness and impartiality.Calista opened her chatbox with Lucian as she entered the waiting area. He sent a message half an hour ago."I'm on my way to the airport.""Are you there yet?" she replied. Someone from the organizing committee arrived just as she sent the message."To prevent interference during the competition, phones need to be handed in per the rules. This is to avoid privacy leaks. We have specially prepared locked boxes for you. You may keep your phones locked inside. Only you will have the password and the key."Calista sent both Yara and Lucian texts telling them to check into a hotel when they arrived. She would look for them after the competition.They encountered a team from another country as they headed out front. The opposing team was giving them condescending looks that were large
Lucian stood by the window, his hair tousled by the cold wind of a March night. Yet he seemed unaware as he remained rooted to the spot. The unlit cigarette he held was deformed from his constant fidgeting.His usually meticulously ironed clothes now clung to him in a wrinkled state. It betrayed their considerable value. Upon closer inspection, there were dark, dried bloodstains on them.Yara had originally planned to meet Lucian at the airport today. But he was nowhere to be found when she arrived. As time was running out, she gave him a call only to learn that he was at the hospital.He had gone to get Calista a gift when he encountered a couple arguing. A wedding photo frame had been tossed down from the upper floors. Though it was merely from the third floor, it was angular and sharp. If it had hit someone on the head, it could've caused serious injuries or death.Cailyn also happened to be there by chance. She wasn't just standing around either. She had pushed Lucian out o
Calisa had just returned to the hotel when she received a video call from Lucian. She answered it while stretching her sore neck."Yara said you had food poisoning. How are you doing? How bad is it?""It's nothing serious. I'll be discharged from the hospital in two days. I'm sorry that I can't come see you now."Since Yara had been with Lucian when she called Calista, he knew the content of their conversation. So there was no need to worry about inconsistencies in his story.However, he didn't want to lie to her, especially when she was looking at him with concern in her eyes. There was a lump in his throat that left him speechless.Calista didn't doubt Yara's flawed rhetoric at all. Lucian quickly changed the subject."How did the competition go today?""I was a little nervous."Calista's voice took on a much more cheery tone when her expertise was brought up. There was so much she could talk about."There were so many people in the audience. They're all big names in the fie
The next day, after the team competition concluded, it was time for the heated scoring session. The organizer began by announcing the results of the solo competition held the previous day.Although the results were available yesterday, they delayed the announcements to avoid affecting the participants' mental states.The tension that had gripped everyone for the past two days finally eased a bit. Calista rubbed her temples. She wasn't the only one who was tired. Everyone present looked exhausted.The restoration of cultural relics was inherently time-consuming. Some projects were so massive that they could take over a decade to complete. This competition not only required speed but also technical expertise. It wasn't easily completed.After a lengthy speech from the announcer to build up suspense, they finally announced what everyone had been waiting for.First, the third and second-placed competitors were announced. The suspense reached a crescendo. Even the two senior associat