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 was… 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
Calista snorted, brushing past him and heading straight into the bathroom. "With your memory now being worse than a goldfish's, what's the point of you remembering? You might forget it tomorrow."Lucian trailed behind her, feeling aggrieved. "I'll remember. It's not just stored in my brain, I even wrote it down in my diary! So you can't say you're—" Calista suddenly froze. She turned to look at him. "Diary?"Lucian stopped talking after he noticed his slip-up. "Callie, I'll think about it. Give me some time, please. I'll give you an answer soon."Calista didn't reply, leaving him unsure of whether she had agreed or not. After freshening up, the pair went downstairs. Breakfast was already laid out on the table. Just as Lucian promised, there were all her favorite dishes. However, due to their unpleasant conversation earlier, an air of awkwardness filled the room. Lucian ate his porridge consciously, occasionally glancing up at Calista. She was gripping her spoon with her head l
After dropping Calista off at Yara's store, Lucian received a call from Simon."Mr. Northwood, we found the person."Lucian parked his car on the roadside and furrowed his eyebrows. "I'll send my location to you, come pick me up."When Simon arrived, Lucian had already gotten into the backseat. His eyes were closed as he had dozed off. The car's engine was still running, and the air-conditioning was still on."Mr. Northwood?""Drive," he ordered.…Simon drove into the underground car park of a shopping mall. They sat in the parked car in silence for a while. At no point did Lucian open his eyes, or indicate that he intended to get down from the car.He simply remained silent, and Simon did not dare to disturb him or make any decisions on his own. He could only glance at Lucian occasionally through the rearview mirror.Simon wasn't sure if Lucian had fallen asleep or was struggling to open his eyes due to a headache. His expression revealed nothing. He took a quick glance… And
Lucian put his phone away and answered hesitantly. "I suppose."Although the video was not very clear due to poor lighting, Cailyn's actions were still clear. Despite her innate survival instincts, she managed to drown herself in the 5-foot-deep pool. Recalling Cailyn's words from that night, Calista said, "That person seemed to have captured the girl and used her as leverage, Cailyn probably—" But before she could finish her words, Lucian reached out and covered her mouth. "Resolving the murder and rescuing the hostage are the responsibilities of the police. Our role is to hand over the video, clear your name as a suspect, and bring this matter to an end." She had no reason to be worried about Fletcher. Lucian held her by her shoulders and walked her out. As he did so, Calista turned to Yara and said, "I need to head to the police station, but I'll come back later." She and Yara had made dinner plans for later at night. Yara simply laid on the couch, hugging a pillow. She
Calista regarded him with suspicion and warned, "If you lie to me again, this engagement ring will turn straight into a break-up ring."Lucian, already laid bare to his core, saw no reason to persist. He raised his hand and ruffled the top of her head. "I won't lie to you anymore, but you might not understand the examination reports even if you read them yourself.""You don't need to worry about that. Stop making excuses. Head upstairs and fetch your report."When he brought the reports down, Calista was busy cooking in the kitchen. She wore a simple apron, and her hair was pulled back with a clip. A few loose strands framed her face. The sunlight shone on her, casting a subtle warmth on her thin earlobes and even revealing a thin layer of fuzz on them. This scene radiated warmth and nostalgia. It made Everglade Manor, which had always been cold and empty, suddenly feel like home. Lucian froze at the sight and hesitated to move forward. He was afraid that his appearance might
In the kitchen, the half-cut vegetables remained on top of the chopping board, and their clothes were scattered across the floor. She raised her hands to cover her face, embarrassed by herself.Bending down, she picked up the clothes one by one. When she picked up Lucian's suit, her hands paused. It felt heavy. There was something inside.Reaching into his pocket, she found a palm-sized diary. The cover was the texture of craft paper and wasn't too thick. From the side, the paper seemed a bit worn by the writing inside.Reflecting on the diary that Lucian had mentioned before, her heart suddenly raced. She lost interest in preparing her supper and went straight to the living room with the diary in hand.Calista switched on the lamp beside the couch and sat down with her legs folded. She took a deep breath and began to earnestly flip through the diary. It started with the date, followed by the events.…"She was bullied by her stepmother and step-sister. She arrived at school with
Looking at the closed doors before them, Lucian reminisced about the last time they did this. The first time they got married, they had arrived at the marriage bureau separately and hadn't specified a date or time to meet. After taking their pictures and filling out the necessary forms, the two sat in silence in the hall until they received their marriage certificate. A passer-by would be forgiven for thinking that they were there to file for divorce. But this time was different from the last. Lucian gazed at the elegantly dressed woman beside him, and his lips naturally curled upwards. He held her hand and their fingers intertwined, just like a normal couple."No, I gave them money.""You gave them money, and they just accepted it?""Well, they didn't refuse it I guess."Calista couldn't believe what she was hearing. These couples must have valued ceremonies and celebrations if they had bothered to come so early and stand in line. But Lucian… had just bought their places… lite