Cameron straightened Asher's trousers beneath the glow of the lights. He lowered his gaze to study her. The massive floor-to-ceiling windows behind him reflected the street covered in snow. Occasionally, passersby would hurry by with their heads down, making the shop feel even cozier.Asher checked himself in the mirror and said seriously, "It looks good."Cameron nodded."Credit card or Apple Pay?"Her expression was calm, showing no signs of joy despite being complimented for her work. She seemed less like a designer and more like an emotionless money-making machine.Asher paused, then smiled helplessly. "Cameron…""Cameron." Cade's voice came from the door.Cameron turned to see Cade, his tall frame accentuated by the light, casting a long shadow. With his grim expression and low, commanding voice, he exuded a palpable sense of intimidation. She frowned, her tone cold and impatient when she spoke. "What are you doing here?"Cade's already unpleasant expression darkened f
What kind of outrageous statement was that? How could Cade be impotent? Why would he need to prove himself?Fabian silently raised the partition, fearing that he would be silenced. He heard that men with hidden illnesses were often mentally unwell. It would explain Cade's abnormal behavior.Meanwhile, in the backseat, Cade stared at Cameron, his gaze sharp. It was as if he wanted to pierce through her with his eyes."Are you not satisfied with my skills?"Cameron gave it some thought, then responded seriously, "Someone who just lies there like a statue eight out of ten times doesn't get to ask that question.""I lie there like a statue? Who's the one crying about not being able to take it anymore halfway through? Who's the one who flips out and mercilessly leaves after having a good time on her own?" He looked down at her and sneered. "You better not come crying, Cameron." The hotel wasn't far. The car came to a halt while they were still in the middle of their conversation.
As Blaire spoke, she would constantly steal glances at Cameron out of the corner of her eye. Guilt ate away at her. She desperately wanted to do something for Cameron. The feeling was so overwhelming that even Andy, who had always been the apple of her eye, had to take second place.But Andy was unaware of any of this. He widened his eyes in disbelief and said indignantly, "Mom, what spell did she put on you to make you speak for her? Look at my face! What part of this is a test?"While speaking, he bent down to show Blaire his bruised face. "She almost killed me, and you're still defending her."Wilfred frowned at what he was hearing. "Shut up. Why is a grown man whining like a pig in a slaughterhouse over a few injuries?"He took one look at Andy's bruised face and said disdainfully, "To think you still have the nerve to complain just because you got beat up by a woman.""What else am I supposed to do? You won't let me hit a woman. What else can I do except get myself beaten u
Cameron couldn't be bothered to give Asher the time of day. Meeting Asher, the fish that had escaped the net, was enough to put her in a foul mood. He stirred up unpleasant memories in her. Of course, she wouldn't be happy.When Asher heard the sound of her wheelchair moving away, he didn't immediately chase after her. He took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe the dust off the photo.Although he and Melissa rarely met, they got along well."Hey, Mel."Asher put his handkerchief away. That was when his gaze paused momentarily on the bouquet of sunflowers in the middle. In that instant, an unreadable look flashed in his eyes.When he finally caught up with Cameron, she was already near the foot of the hill."When did you get the cast off?""You mentioned that you had something to say. Is that what you wanted to know?"Cameron didn't think she was close enough to Asher to call him for something minor like getting a cast removed."Not really. I wanted to ask if you'd like to ha
Cade could doubt whatever he wanted, but he could never doubt a fashion designer's tastes by saying something was unsightly. Cameron frowned as she scanned him from head to toe. He was always dressed impeccably. Yet, his appreciation for fashion was terribly basic.Cameron had initially been furious, but once a thought crossed her mind, her anger deflated."Forget it. What's the point of wasting my breath on you? How good can your taste be if you can fancy someone as two-faced as Mirabelle and even get engaged to her?"Her expression was filled with derision and scorn. Cade took a deep breath to forcibly tamp down his growing frustration and said coldly, "We weren't engaged. Our families were just in talks."Cameron genuinely did not know of this. From the moment she knew Cade and Mirabelle, everyone saw them as the perfect couple. When they made public appearances, they were always by each other's side.She stared at Cade with an unreadable look in her eyes. "You must be in lov
Back in the car, Cade would sporadically fiddle for the pack of cigarettes in the glove box next to him but retract his hand each time."You should lessen contact with Mirabelle."Cameron shot him a cold glance. She turned to face the window and paid him no mind at all."Don't mess with the Ackerman family or Mirabelle."Cameron remained silent, but her body language conveyed her resistance to his words. The sight of her stubborn defiance made him lose his temper."Don't come crying when things go wrong."The Ackerman family had gotten to where they were today through their endless array of tactics. They were not an entity that Cameron could contend with. After all, she had no background and had only just started her career.Throughout the journey home, Cameron ignored him no matter what he said. Upon returning to the Carter Mansion, she immediately got out of the car the moment it pulled to a stop. Then, she hurried into the home.When Diane noticed Cameron was back, she quick
Cade's heart clenched as he stared at Cameron's lips to take a better look. But with the constant ripples in the water, he couldn't be certain if she had actually spoken or if he was seeing things.The pressure of Cameron's hands tightened around his throat further. The coldness in her eyes was unmistakable, which gave Cade a suspicion that she truly wanted him dead.As her fingers squeezed tighter, the pressure sent a sharp pain through his throat, followed by the onset of suffocation. Cade grabbed Cameron's hand, flipped her over, and easily took control by pinning her down with one leg."Do you want me dead so badly?"He was breathing heavily. His wet hair hung down due to his towering stance as water dripped down continuously.A drop of water fell into Cameron's eye, making her blink instinctively. Cade's fingertips brushed behind her ear, lightly caressing it with flirtatious touches.With that, the air seemed to have become charged with tension. Cameron suddenly opened he
Only the haughty Ackerman family would use such a nonchalant tone while using the person whom their daughter had killed as a bargaining chip.Cameron let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You seem to miss her a lot. Aren't you afraid that she'll come visit you at night?"There was silence on the other end of the line. The woman was likely enraged. Even her breathing had grown heavier."Where do you want to meet?"Cameron didn't expect any conscience from the Ackerman family since they could disregard human life. Melissa was dead because of her. She didn't want Melissa's peace to be disturbed even in death."Since it's New Year's Eve, let's discuss it at home. Give me your address, and I'll send a driver to pick you up…"Cade looked up and gave Cameron a casual once-over. She was still on the phone, which meant that her attention was not on him. The feeling of being ignored irritated him. "Focus on your food. We still have to go shopping before we head back to the Opheros Manor. It's
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,