The incident where Cailyn saved him had been photographed and spread on the Internet. It had become a trending topic.With indifference being the norm in today's society, the authorities wanted to promote the act of selflessness. Thus, such incidents where someone rescued another often received extensive media coverage. Cailyn was also dubbed the "Most Beautiful Angel" on the Internet. People had even been spontaneously visiting her at the hospital."Ms. Everhart!" No one wanted to offend Lucian. So, the reporters turned their sights on Calista, who they saw as an easy target. "Were you aware that Ms. Webster saved Mr. Northwood? What is your opinion on Mr. Northwood's actions?""Did Mr. Northwood leave his savior unattended at the hospital to accompany you abroad, Ms. Everhart?""Ms. Everhart!"The questions bombarded them one after another, giving them no time to respond to any of them. Lucian kept Calista firmly shielded behind him and was silent as security guards escorted t
Because Calista had won the championship at the competition, upon her return to Capeton, Augustus whisked her away to various exhibition halls.It gave her no time to look into the discussions happening online. When she finally had time to do so, the incident involving Lucian and Cailyn had already been buried by other trending topics.Cailyn spent ten days in the hospital and received meticulous care from the nurses. She was also served three balanced and nutritious meals a day.As she watched Simon lay the food on the table, she said, "Please pass on my gratitude to Mr. Northwood, Simon."With how frequently Simon and Cailyn met, they had grown close enough to address each other by name. Alarm bells went off in Simon's head. He knew gratitude was usually the first step toward romantic feelings between a man and a woman."It was Madam Calista who had me deliver this. Mr. Northwood doesn't have any emotional intelligence to speak of. All his good qualities are devoted to her. To h
Calista's reaction clued Cailyn in that the former did not know about Lucian's condition. So, the relationship between the two was not as strong as they portrayed it to be. She pretended to be flustered and explained, "Mr. Prescott has been delivering meals to me for the past few days. I've already been discharged from the hospital. I don't want him to run a pointless errand."Her explanation was so full of loopholes that she might as well have not said anything. Calista forced a smile."I see. I'll let him know then."The party took place at the Stansend Manor, with Selena personally organizing it. Calista thought the invitations were only extended to close friends and family. But she realized half their social circle was present when she arrived.With how grand it was, no one would even bat an eye if they were told this was an engagement party.Calista held Selena's hand and softly whispered, "Mom, isn't this party a little too grand?""You won the championship at a world-cla
"Ms. Webster is here," Calista said.She approached Cailyn, who was at the door, as she spoke. Cailyn had just arrived dressed in a simple white dress. She was alone, making her look out of place. Lucian frowned but remained calm."You invited her?""I did. I brought an invitation when I picked Ms. Webster up at the hospital.""Don't get too close to her."Calista jabbed her elbow into him as a warning. "She saved you. Enough with the long face. People are watching." Then, she ignored Lucian and quickly walked up to Cailyn."Ms. Webster!"Cailyn visibly heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Calista. She released her dress from her nervous grip and handed Calista a box of homemade pastries."I didn't know what to bring you. I'm sure you don't lack anything that I can afford. So I made some pastries. It could be packaged better, but they taste nice. I hope that's ok."Offering a gift of food was uncharacteristic when they weren't close. That was common sense to most. Since she ha
Yara arrived two minutes after Cailyn left. She wore a white, off-shoulder sweater and floor-length pants. She looked sharp."Congrats, Calista."She enveloped Calista in a hug, to which the latter responded by patting her on the back and laughing wryly."How many times have you congratulated me?""I can't help it. Babe, you're amazing! I'd feel awful if I didn't gas you up daily.""Thank you, Yara."Calista had transitioned to a new career without graduating. Apart from her interest, Yara's constant praise was a large part of the reason she took the plunge. Yara's rainbow of compliments primarily dispelled the confusion she felt during employment.Yara let go of her. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Timothy, who was speaking to Lucian. An exaggerated expression crossed her face as she softly whispered, "What's up with him today?" "Huh?"Calista followed her gaze toward Lucian. Aside from his pale complexion, nothing seemed to be unusual. His pallidness was attribu
Their shoulders were nearly touching as they were looking at a phone. The woman had delicate features, and her cheeks were tinged pink. There was also a subtle hint of joy in her eyes. Anyone could have gotten the wrong idea.Calista glanced at them, turned on her heel, and left before Lucian could speak. The man frowned and followed after her."Callie, let me explain …"As the two sped off, the tense Cailyn slowly relaxed. Her bag had distorted in shape from her tight grip. She lifted her phone with shaky hands and took several photos of a particular section of the party hall before stepping back inside.Lucian followed Calista up to the room on the second floor. "Callie …"Calista turned around in response to his tugging. There were no traces of anger on her face. "What did she say to you?"Lucian told her everything about the staged life-saving favor involving Cailyn on the night he arrived at Luspos. The man pulled her into his arms and rested his head against her shoulder. T
Ten seconds … Thirty seconds … One minute … It was so quiet she could hear a pin drop. No one appeared from the spot Cailyn was staring at. Just as she was about to relax, there were a few loud, sharp bangs at the door."Who's there?" She quickly put the photos away and grabbed the iron bar she kept behind the door for self-defense. Then, she stared at the door warily."Cailyn."Recognizing the voice as her neighbor's, Cailyn hurriedly put away the rod and answered the door. Her neighbor was a middle-aged woman who spoke with a thick accent."Cailyn, we've been robbed. Hurry and check if anything is missing from your place.""Huh?""What do you mean 'huh'? Several units have been robbed. Take a quick look and let the cops know."Cailyn didn't own anything valuable. Her only worry was that it wasn't thieves who had been through hEr home. The police arrived quickly. But since nothing was lost, they left after taking Cailyn and her neighbors' statements.…The room was once again
Cailyn's hands rested on the table, squeezed tightly together. She looked hesitant and conflicted."You should ask Mr. Northwood, Calista. I just happened to be there when he wasn't feeling well. I learned some acupressure techniques from my lecturer. So, I gave him a massage. But, I don't know much about his health.""I see." Calista dragged out her words. She had approached Cailyn to ask about it because of her profession. As the person who massaged Lucian, she must have known something. "I'll ask him again tonight." She looked disappointed. Even her smile seemed a little forced.Cailyn envied Calista. "You and Mr. Northwood get along so well.""We do."Calista smiled at her but didn't delve deeper. She didn't want to discuss Lucian with Cailyn if it had nothing to do with his help. Soft music reverberated throughout the cafe. She absentmindedly stirred her coffee and watched as the cream on top melted into the dark brown liquid. She contemplated how to extract the informati
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,