Calista had told Lucian that their seats were in a corner. She hadn't lied to him about that. She must've said "Sorry, excuse me" countless times before they finally reached their seats.Yara watched the stage in front of her. The staff were doing their final inspections. Because of the distance, all she could make out were the vague silhouettes of people. She couldn't distinguish any of their features. She let out a deep sigh. She looked dispirited."I'm never joining in on the fun again. It's more exciting to watch him on screen when the camera switches between distant and close-up shots. We have his face pictured in high definition. You can even count the wrinkles he has.""Didn't you say it was more exciting to see his abs in person?" Calista asked."All I can see is a mess of flesh-colored blobs from here. I can't even tell the differences between abs, pecs, and beer bellies. What's the point?"The concert started soon after with the main act taking the stage. The audience'
However, before Yara could leave the restaurant, Timothy caught her in the act. "Why are you in such a hurry? Where are you going?"Yara felt as if she was being strangled as she stood stiffly in place. After a brief pause, she spun around and forced a smile. "I'm done eating, so I'm going home. You guys can take your time.""I'm also done. Let's go," Timothy said."You're just going to leave? Shouldn't you say something to them before you go?" Yara asked. Although she was facing him, she was already slowly backing away. She looked ready to make a run for it."Do you think he cares if I go over there and tell him I'm leaving?" Timothy asked.Yara glanced at the couple chatting between themselves softly a short distance away. It didn't take a genius to know that they wouldn't care at all.She pointed to her car parked at the entrance of the restaurant. "My car is parked out there. We'll just walk out together."Yara had turned her nose up in the air as smug pride flashed in her e
The next day, Lucian headed to the address Hannah had provided. The door swung open the moment he knocked on it. It was as if someone had been waiting for him. A little girl hurriedly handed him a letter and shut the door.Although it was summer, Hannah was dressed in long sleeves. Lucian had caught a fleeting glimpse of the injuries hidden beneath her dirtied cuffs. There was a large red patch that looked swollen. The blisters dotting it made it look like a burn.After getting into the car, Lucian didn't get the driver to drive off immediately. Instead, he opened the letter first.They had caught the mystery man who killed Cailyn at the Gordon's residence. The kidnapping case had also been solved. He was the one behind it all. The police had all the evidence they needed to connect him to several other criminal cases. Although Fletcher had yet to be implicated, it was only a matter of time. The police had already found out that the two of them knew each other and were in contact.
Lucian wanted to say no. He had seen many doctors and had treatment plans proposed. But he hesitated to decide because he didn't agree with the plan…He had finally gotten together with Calista and didn't want to cause any more problems. However, he caved under her concerned gaze. Lucian nodded. "Okay. I'll go to a doctor."Calista was finally satisfied. "Does it still hurt?"The man shook his head. "No."She scrutinized him. While it was true that Lucian looked unwell, he didn't seem to be in pain."What doctors have you been seeing?"Lucian mentioned the names of several doctors, but deliberately left out the name of the doctor who proposed the treatment plan.Calista wasn't in the medical field, so she had never heard of any of them. But knowing Lucian, the ones he found must've been the best in the industry."All these people and there's still no solution?""Yeah…" Lucian seemed exhausted. He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes.Calista immediately grew worried seeing
When Lucian noticed how she no longer seemed as angry, he reassured her, "I'll contact other doctors to see if there are any other treatment options available. I won't have to suffer this pain forever."Calista had yet to let go of her anger. But she was now more preoccupied with her thoughts, leaving her rather absentminded. If it were as simple as he claimed it to be, Paul wouldn't have come all this way."Paul, if his illness continues to be left untreated, what's going to happen to him?""You'll probably have to keep him on a leash. Otherwise, he'll get lost if he goes out. He won't be able to find his way back. With his memory deteriorating, he won't be able to do math. He'll stutter when he speaks and he won't be able to walk in a straight line. In short, there's a high probability he'll end up like an Alzheimer's patient."Calista was rendered speechless.Lucian frowned. "What are you talking about?" Alzheimer's was something casually mentioned to dismiss him. "Callie, it's
Seconds after the message was sent, Hugo video-called her. Calista picked up and stared at him. "Dad…"The middle-aged man on her screen scrutinized her as he eagerly asked, "What's going on, Calista? Why are you suddenly asking about doctors? Are you feeling sick? Are you looking for a psychiatrist or a neurologist? They sound similar, but they treat different ailments."He spoke so quickly that Calista struggled to get a word in. "It's not for me. It's for Lucian.""Oh." Hugo's anxiety bled away on hearing her words. It was clear from his expression that he didn't think it was that big of a deal. "What's wrong with him? Why does he need two doctors? Is he so rich that he's suffering from an illness no one else is dealing with?"Calista briefly explained Lucian's situation to him. After listening to her, he gave it some thought before saying, "I'll ask around.""Thanks, Dad." She then asked a few more questions about his health. Before they hung up the call, Hugo suddenly said,
David's efficiency was exceptional. It only took him five days to rescue Hannah from the abusive man. After consulting her, a list of suitable families who had visited the orphanage within the past month was quickly compiled.That man had long grown tired of her. When she was still living with Cailyn, he hardly ever saw her, nor did he have to spend a dime on her. All had been well and good. But now, with Cailyn dead, he was desperate to get rid of her. Despite several attempts to abandon her, the police always brought her back.When David offered to take Hannah away, the abusive man demanded 100 thousand dollars from him in exchange.Although Calista had no idea how the matter was resolved, she knew that no money was handed over. All she heard was that the man eventually begged David to take Hannah away.David sent Calista the adoption list. "Mr. Northwood wants you to make the decision, Madam."She was working when she received the list. Glancing at it cursorily, she didn't find
"I've performed some simple hypnosis on Mr. Northwood to help him sort out his memories, and his headaches have been somewhat alleviated. "My preliminary conclusion is that apart from the influence of the drugs, the cause of his headaches and disorientation is due to the memories that were forcibly implanted. The false memories are getting jumbled up with the real ones, and it'll only continue to get worse as time passes," Jamison said.As he droned on about what had happened to Lucian, he used a variety of complex jargon that Calista didn't understand. Yet, it didn't affect her understanding of what he was saying."Can those two sets of memories be separated then? So that he knows what's real and what isn't." Jamison shook his head."Memories are mysterious things. They can't be seen or touched. No one, safe for him, can accurately distinguish real from fake. They're very malleable as well. "Memories are used as a pivot to generate imaginary scenarios. Mr. Northwood can no lo
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,