Hector was accustomed to military life. When he got excited, he treated Calista like one of his soldiers, which led to his arm around her shoulder out of habit."Listen to me… Ouch…"He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his knuckles from someone's bone-crushing grip. He gasped and turned to look back with a grimace. Hector was met with Lucian's cold gaze as the latter slowly peeled the former's hand off of Calista's shoulder."You can talk all you want, but keep your hands to yourself."Hector was at a loss for words.If Lucian hadn't twisted his hand, he wouldn't have noticed at all. In any case, wasn't it normal to casually drape an arm around someone's shoulder in today's society?However, if any man were to put his arm around his wife the way he was doing, he wouldn't be pleased either. But, he wasn't going to admit that to Lucian. Otherwise, there was no telling how smug Lucian was going to be."We're as close as siblings. What's wrong with me putting my arm around her?"Despi
Lucian was still conflicted because of Calista's evasive response. "I don't know. I forgot," he answered placidly.He then recalled the information relating to Cade he had previously seen. It prompted him to add, "Don't get too close to her.""Why?" Calista asked. His warning only piqued her curiosity about Cameron. This wasn't the first time he had cautioned her this way. Lucian frowned. It took him a moment to come up with an appropriate descriptor for Cameron. "She's a fearsome woman who isn't afraid to raise her hand." Calista was at a loss for words.Lucian remained downcast throughout their journey home. When Calista asked questions, he would answer. If she didn't speak, he remained silent. When they got back to the Everglade Manor, he immediately went to the study on the second floor. His despondent behavior left her confused. How could his mood change so unpredictably? Women were one thing. Did men also suffer for a few days every month?Meanwhile, Lucian went through t
Calista's words dispelled the gloom that had plagued him. That night, Lucian had a dreamless slumber.The next day, he opened his eyes to the sight of Calista's serene countenance still lax with sleep. Her slightly curled hair was scattered messily on the pillow. A few strands of hair stuck to her face. The warmth had tinted her cheeks pink, and even her lips were a rosy shade.Lucian leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her lips. However, Calista was deeply asleep and showed no signs of waking up. So, he kissed her again. After several attempts, her long, curled lashes fluttered. She wrinkled her brows as she struggled to open her eyes. Her voice was still raspy with sleep. "What time is it?"Lucian reached for the phone on the bedside table. The screen unlocked immediately after the device scanned his face. He checked the time and said, "9:30 a.m."After answering her question, he tapped on the notification informing him of a new message on WhatsApp. After a quick glance, his
Lucian was in a terrible mood with two unwanted groomsmen trying to force themselves into his eagerly anticipated wedding. His expression stayed visibly dark for several days which caused unrest among the company's staff. Even David and Simon, who were always at odds with one another, shared the same opinion for once. They believed that Lucian was suffering from pre-wedding jitters.David, who was constantly being verbally berated, sighed mournfully. "This isn't even his first time. What's there to be anxious about? Poor Mr. Northwood."Simon was going to ignore him at first. However, just as he was about to leave, he noticed someone standing at the door out of the corner of his eye. It was a man wearing leather shoes and trousers. He was dressed in a somewhat familiar style. So, he cleared his throat."Mr. Northwood is nervous because he cares too much about Madam Calista. What do you know?"Quarreling with Simon was par for the course. David would've gotten back at him if the
Calista spotted Lucian, dressed in a light gray coat, standing by the car when she got to the door. He was on the phone. His sleeve shifted as he moved, revealing a watch on his wrist. It was a sunny day, and the sunlight seemed to dance off him.Lucian's gaze was fixed in their direction. He immediately noticed when Calista and Hugo walked out. He quickly wrapped up with the person on the other end of the line, hung up, and strode over."Dad. Callie."Hugo couldn't help but hide his face in his hand at the sight of Lucian acting like a dog that was being offered a bone. There were sparkles in his eyes. Hugo feebly corrected him, "Stop calling me that. I haven't permitted you to do so."If possible, he wanted to keep Calista by his side for a few more years. The Jacquez family wasn't lacking in money or power. She could have anything he wanted. Having a man around would only influence his daughter's shopping habits. Everything she was wearing was part of last year's collection.
The words hit a little too close to home. What was even more heartbreaking was that Lucian thought it made sense. He and Calista must've been on bad terms at the time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have followed her in secret. There was no way Joan Everhart would've been happy with him. The thought had Lucian pursing his lips in silence.Calista noticed how dejected he seemed and was afraid that he would start overthinking things again. So, she rubbed her thumb soothingly over the back of his hand."Dad might have a sharp tongue, but he has a tender heart. He's just teasing you. Mom is very happy with you.""Okay," Lucian responded obediently and held her hand in return.Hugo rolled his eyes. Lucian was the president of a listed company. Why was he behaving like a fool and believing a blatantly false lie? While he was mocking the situation to himself, Lucian suddenly turned his head and locked eyes with him. There was a faint hint of amusement in Lucian's eyes. He showed no signs of d
"Well…" Lucian sounded upbeat. He was beaming with pride, but Calista's dark expression had him swallowing his words. He stiffly changed the subject. "I missed you, Callie."Calista didn't buy his act at all. She repeated her question. "How did you get up here?""I… climbed up here," he said softly.She knew that, but she wanted to hear him admit it. They were on the second floor. There was nothing for him to hold onto on the outer wall of the villa except for the guard rails. It required him to run up, wall hop, and grab onto the railing to get up. Not only did he need to accurately calculate the distance, there could be no slip-ups.If he fell, he would have a twisted ankle at best, or break a leg at worst. It could even be fatal if luck was not on his side.But rather than fearing the consequences, Lucian was demanding praise. She was angry. But considering how he climbed up here and risked danger just to see her, she swallowed her anger. "Don't do that again.""I won't." Wi
Yara was beyond inebriated after the wedding reception. She held Calista's hand as she babbled. "Please be happy, Calista. Come to me if that jerk Lucian tries anything funny. I'll give him a piece of my mind."Calista patiently replied, "Okay.""I thought you learned from your mistakes and moved on. So why are you right back where you started?" The thought of the hardship Calista had to suffer had Yara constantly whining. Yara wouldn't stop talking and seemed to want to rehash old scores. Timothy sprang into action by gathering her into his arms. "I'm sorry, but she's drunk. I'll take her home and make sure she gets some rest."Yara's emotions were still in full swing. When she heard someone claiming that she was drunk, it directed her attention to him. Noticing that it was Timothy who had called her out, she blew up at him."I'm not drunk! Which part of me looks drunk to you? I can still have another wine. Try me."Timothy knew he couldn't reason with a drunkard, so he playe