Of course, Calista wouldn't let him have it. She avoided Lucian's outstretched hand and set everything down on the nightstand bed."I wasn't sure what you felt like eating, so I got a little bit of everything. Which one do you want? There were bread rolls, pastries, almond milk, oatmeal, and even instant chicken noodle soupโฆ Those were the only options available outside the hospital.Lucian gave his options a quick skim before answering, "Chicken noodle soup."The chicken noodle soup was packed in a plastic container. It had to be eaten hot and would be difficult to hold with one hand. Lucian would end up spilling the soup.Considering the injury on his arm, Calista removed the utensils from their packaging of the utensils and handed them to him. "You should sit by the bed to eat. You'll get it everywhere if you carry it around."Lucian's injuries were concentrated on the upper half of his body. Because his legs were fine, it was still possible for him to get up on his own. Howe
Calista glared at Lucian after she made her point. Her annoyance didn't go away. "It seems to me like you're quite pleased with the fiance Kyros arranged for you. How long has it been? You even remember her name."For Lucian, the name never represented a person. It symbolized the beginning of his suffering. Every time he heard the name being mentioned, it ushered a new round of torment. Although it was true that it hadn't been too long since it happened, he knew that it would probably be difficult for him to forget that name for the rest of his life. Lucian remained silent for a moment. Rather than denying it, he solemnly assured her, "I've never seen her before, Calista. I don't know if she even exists. I never her while Kyros had me locked away. All I remember is her name. It's not going to have any impact on us."Calista felt a pang of guilt in her heart seeing the man explaining things to her so earnestly. She quickly took his hand. "Hey, I was just joking. Calm down. It does
Henry quickly left the ward. His hurried departure made him seem avoidant.Calista tried to pull her hand away, but Lucian refused to let go. She said helplessly, "I'm not leaving. Let go of me. I'm tired, and I just want to take a nap."She hadn't had any rest since she woke up last night, which made her tense. Lethargy washed over her once she learned that Lucian was fine. But with people constantly entering and exiting the ward, she forced herself to stay awake.Now that things had settled down and she had found out about everything she wanted to know, she could no longer fight the drowsiness. Her sentences were punctuated by yawns and tears were welling up in her eyes. To a passer-by, she probably looked pitiful.Lucian's heart softened, prompting him to release her. When he saw Calista heading to the empty bed next to his, he recalled how Paul had slept in that bed just moments ago. His scent was probably still lingering on the sheets. Yet, she was going to lie down in that
Simon could barely maintain his composure as he pulled up on the road shoulder. "Mr. Northwood, the person who died isโฆ Cailyn."Lucian frowned. "Who?""Ms. Webster. Cailyn Webster. The woman who gave you massages." Not wanting Lucian to mistake her for someone else, he made it clear who he was referring to."It happened in the swimming pool. The police are calling in those who were at the party for questioning. It should be your turn soon."Calista had been kept under lock and key in the garden last night. It was a short distance away from the swimming pool. When she had managed to get out, Cailyn was nowhere to be found in the hall.Lucian coldly ordered, "You are not to say anything to her anything about this." She didn't need to know about Cailyn's passing unless the police came her way.โฆCalista slept for a long time. The sun had already set by the time she woke up. The dazzling sunset was obscured by the curtains, softening its glare. Lucian was seated in the bed next to
Lucian frowned. "Is Callie not done yet?"It had all been speculation up until then. But now, he had clear confirmation that the last person Cailyn had seen before she died was Calista."Only the three of us are here. Are you blind? Can't you see that she's not here with us?" Yara said. She was confused when she was summoned to the police station. It wasn't until she was done giving her statement that she learned that Cailyn had died. She was about to let Calista know when she saw her getting out of the police car with Lucian in tow.She looked suspiciously at Lucian. "Shouldn't you have known about this? Aren't you, the great Mr. Northwood, supposed to have eyes and ears everywhere? How did you not hear about something this serious?"Lucian glanced at her. "I'm not omniscient. Not every trivial matter in the world is significant enough to know. I'm a human being, not a surveillance camera."He checked his watch. His expression turned grim. There was no telling what was going th
Timothy didn't say anything. However, he had no intention of getting out of the car.Yara opened the driver-side door. With one on the roof of the car and the other holding the door handle, she bent down to stare at him. "We're broken up. It's not appropriate for you to be riding with me anymore.""Are you sure you want to break up with me?"Yara hurriedly nodded. She felt like a miserable peasant who had finally found the courage to rebel against her master. Feelings didn't matter anymore. What mattered was her determination to become a pauper who made it big.Timothy nodded and said out loud to himself, "Calista's case is quite a complicated one. There are eyewitnesses and video evidence. Even if she wasn't the one who committed the crime, Cailyn did indeed die in the pool. As long as there's no evidence proving she resurfaced after being pushed in, or unless another perpetrator is caught, Calista stands to be convicted for manslaughter at the very leastโฆ"Yara hurriedly jumpe
Timothy was caught off guard by her pushing him away, causing him to sit up slightlyYara's gaze darted between his abdomen and his face several times before. She seemed to be distracted as she said, "It's nothing."Despite her saying that, her expression showed otherwise. It looked as if she had just experienced something shocking.Yara carefully maneuvered out from under him. Her movements were subtle and cautious as if he were a volcano on the verge of eruption, and any contact with him would result in a painful burn.Timothy stayed still after being pushed by her, only reaching out when she was on the verge of moving out of his reach."What's wrong?" he asked.Yara awkwardly waved her hands, and a wry smile appeared on her face. "No, nothing's wrong. I just need to go home now. I'm staying with my parents, and they have a curfew."She contemplated withdrawing her hands from his grasp but hesitated, avoiding any big movements.Since when did Timothy mellow out so much? Even
The next day, Lucian received a call from the police station."Mr. Northwood, we found some items related to you and Ms. Everhart. We need both of you to drop by the station to assist with the investigation." Lucian stayed silent after hearing the officer's request. Confused, the officer asked, "Mr. Northwood, is that alright with you?"Lucian's voice sounded distant. "Sorry, I'm just preparing breakfast and it's a little noisy. I didn't hear what you said. Can you repeat yourself?"Although the police officer had heard the sound of cooking utensils, he was too shocked to speak for a few seconds. The president of Northwood Corporation wasโฆ cooking? Lucian ladled the oatmeal he had been preparing into a bowl. Seeing that the officer still hadn't spoken, he furrowed his brows impatiently. "Speak. What's the matter?"The police officer cleared his throat before repeating himself. "Alright," Lucian responded. He then hung up the phone and went upstairs to wake Calista up for breakf
Fabian said, "Mr. Ackerman was taken away by the Office of Inspector General this morning. Madam Cameron and the Bark family are reportedly the ones responsible."The Carter Group hadn't broken any laws, nor had they been financially entangled with the Ackermans for over a decade. Still, the long-standing ties between the two families ran deep. If Victor Ackerman had skeletons in his closet, Cade would have a hard time avoiding the fallout.Cade propped his hand against his cheek. "What about my wife?""Madam Cameronโฆ" Fabian had to steel himself to answer Cade. "Madam Cameron left the country. She applied for a long-term visa."Even with reporters hounding him, that sentence rang loud and clear in Cade's ears.A long silence stretched before he let out a quiet, bitter laugh.He had never realized how much Cameron had orchestrated behind his back. The Ackermans or the media could trip him up for now, but her betrayal cut deeper. Every move had been calculated.And the most absur
Cade crossed the room as Cameron, already seated, leaned her cheek against her hand, skimming the menu. "Want a drink?" she asked casually.His heart skipped a beat.Cameron's appearance radiated deliberate perfection. From her flawlessly styled hair and expertly applied makeup to her impeccable outfit and carefully chosen accessories, every detail was considered. Even her expensive "Allure" perfume hinted at a desire to captivate.A private dining room meant for couples with only spouses in each other's companyโฆGiven the setup, sharing a drink seemed like an implicit invitation.Cade pressed his lips into a line, trying to ignore the rising curve of a smile. "Sure," he replied, his tone deceptively even. "We'll start with two bottles of Magnolia's Pulpit," Cameron said.Cade choked on his water, coughing as he asked, "Seriously?"Who would start a date with such a strong distilled spirit? With two bottles, no less.Cameron propped up her chin and raised an eyebrow. "Is that
Cameron stared at her screen, where Gale had just sent a single word. "Ready." Her lips curled up involuntarily.Cade noticed the smile. He didn't know who she was messaging, but it irritated him for some reason. After a long pause, he exhaled slowly and asked, "What if the Ackermans refuse to settle?"Cameron didn't bother to answer. She knew Violet and Victor would soon be in hot water, so she hadn't considered the aftermath. However, to Cade, her silence only confirmed his assumptionsโshe was reckless, unprepared, and acting purely on emotion. He clenched his jaw and finally stopped holding his breath. Then, suddenly, he pulled the car over with a sharp twist of the wheel. "Did you think it through before turning yourself in? What if the psych evaluation comes back clean, and the Ackermans insist on pressing charges? What then? You hurt Mirabelle badly. You think you'll have it easy in prison with the way they dote on her?" In contrast to Cade's exasperation, Cameron remaine
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 elseโฆ"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 youโฆ"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 attendantโ"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 thanโฆ" 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