Chapter 244 He Was Just Angry With Berta’s departure, the vast living room was now a solo stage for Calista. She glanced around, taking in Yara’s warning about five visible surveillance cameras and the potential for hidden ones in uncharted territories. Who were they monitoring? Was it her? During Calista’s first visit, Berta and the […]
Chapter 243 The Question of Parenthood Lucian stared at the one–dollar bill between Calista’s delicate fingers and furrowed his brows. “Calista, do you think I’m just a glorified delivery guy or something?” Calista paused briefly before responding her remarks filled with heartfelt sincerity. “No. Getting something so late would have cost much more. I’m not forking out extra for delivery. Think of it as a tip from me. It’s my way of saying thanks for going the extra mile.” Lucian would have preferred Calista’s usual nonchalant behavior. Whenever she responded with such earnestness, it usually preceded a rejection. Just as he was about to interrupt, Calista continued, “Well, considering we were divorced and without kids, it’s probably a good idea for us to keep some distance. It wouldn’t be fair to us or our future partners if we kept getting in each other’s way. “You’ve already caused me a lot of pain during our marriage, and I wouldn’t want you to do the same to another woman in your next one,” Calista said, her voice tinged with frustration. “I’m perplexed why you suddenly seem so attached to me after ignoring me for three years as if I’m the only one for you. But if you could maintain distance for that long, maybe your feelings aren’t as deep as they appear.” “Perhaps that I left you. First, it was Lily, and now it’s me. Don’t waste your energy on re just set someone who doesn’t genuinely care about you. Appreciate the person right in front of you.” A guy like Lucian likely had no difficulties drawing admirers, although Calista wasn’t sure if he was seeing anyone now. Lucian maintained a cold expression, his emotions and body tensed, teetering on the brink of breaking down. “Are you implying that we should have a child?” he asked. Calista blinked in response. So, everything she had said earlier had simply been dancing around the Issue. swung the door open, stepped up, and swiftly grabbed the bag Lucian was clutching. She wouldn’t have bothered with him if he had her documents. Calista had foreseen the result when she I him, so hearing his voice didn’t take her by surprise. slipped from Lucian’s grasp and into Calists’s possession, possibly because of her or his lack of anticipation: As she was about to enter her house, Lucian abruptly seized her firmly. Although his grasp didn’t discomfort Calista, it radiated a commanding authority Lucian pursed his lips, profound emotions churning within him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. It was evident that this marked Lucian’s first genuine apology to someone. He seemed inexperienced, and his tone was awkward. He resembled a remorseful puppy with his lowered head after misbehaving. Calista became less assertive in her behavior, and her demeanor softened. “It’s all in the past now. We should…” She wanted to suggest that they focus on the future, but Lucian interrupted her, “It’s not about playing games, and it has nothing to do with Lily. Calista, it has always been you.” Lucian clung to Calista tenaciously as though the mere idea of losing her terrified him. He was unwilling to let go, even as she struggled desperately to break free. An overwhelming sense of anxiety and urgency consumed him as if he needed to prove, in some way, that this woman still belonged to him. However, his efforts to assert control were met with repeated defeat Calista had trouble believing him, and though she didn’t want to ridicule him, she couldn’t resist asking,” So, how do you explain the three years of zero intimacy during our marriage?” Besides factors such as sexual dysfunction and a lack of attraction, she found it hard to understand why
Chapter 242 You’re Very Honest “What is it?” Calista asked. As soon as the driver noticed her guarded posture, he realized he had frightened her with how sneaky he was acting. He immediately tried to explain himself, “Don’t get me wrong, Miss. I’m not a bad person. I don’t mean any harm. It’s jus just
Chapter 241 Scum Should Shut Up Calista turned to Lucian with a raised brow and smiled. “Yes. I want a harem. But I’m not interested in men like you,” ‘Like me? Elaborate.” She began to count off her fingers. “Sharp–tongued, arrogant, holds everyone in contempt, and has no respect for others. You think you’re the
Chapter 240 I Want a Harem Lucian turned to look at Calista. But the woman only rolled her eyes and laid back down with her back to him. Lily was already sitting in the chair and waiting for him to ask her what was wrong. She was ready to put on the waterworks. However, the
Chapter 239 A Dog Has No Use for Moralities There was a stormy look in Lucian’s eyes as he stared at the pair. “Keep your filthy paws to yourself.” Hector retracted his hand from Calista’s forehead and turned it over several times. “You mean this?” He raised a brow at Lucian and stuck his hand back to her forehead in a provocative manner again. He also stroked her head. Calista didn’t think a man soon to turn thirty would still be this childish. Before she could stop him, he had stroked her hair so vigorously that it resembled a nest. “Do you know what a proper ex–husband should be doing? He should act dead. You, on the other hand, keep returning like a corpse that refuses to die while dragging others down with you.” Just as Lucian was about to lift his covers and get out of bed, the nurse réturned with a tray and handed him a thermometer. “Take your temperature.” Then, she turned to Paul, who was still seated on the stool, and said softly, “I’m sorry, sir. It’s getting late.. This hospital has a rule that states that family members that aren’t accompanying the patient must leave the ward by 11:00 PM.” Paul got to his feet. The nurse had thought he would leave. But Paul instead went to sit on the stool in front of Lucian’s bed. I “One person to look after a patient, am I right? Perfect timing. I’ll stay with him.” The nurse was rendered speechless. Lucian’s expression was now downright dark. “Leave,” he said curtly. Paul smiled. I’m Calista’s brother. You’re her ex–husband. You could say I’m your brother too. I’ll take care of you since you’re so pitifully alone.” The air in the ward seemed to be still. Lucian and Paul’s eyes met; one cold and the other warm. But it didn’t change the tension between them. No one spoke. Even the nurse had made herself scarce. Calista was already suffering a headache that only got worse. She raised her hand to knead the spot in between her brows when all three men turned to look at her. All of this left her speechless. “You should go home and get some rest. Nothing is going on here anyway. I’ll probably be discharged from the hospital in the morning,” she said to Hector. As for Lucian and Paul, she couldn’t care less. They were patient and companion. She wasn’t the one running the hospital. Of course, the doctors wouldn’t throw them out. Hector raised a brow and stared at the two men. “Are you tossing me aside like last week’s trash, Calista? I’m a human being too. The vacation resort is so far away. My car isn’t here either. At least let me get some sleep. I’ll go the next day okay? It’s not safe to catch a cab this late at night.” “You’re a man. Your being naked is the least of your concems. What do you mean it’s not safe?” “It’s exactly because I’m a man. I’m born to suffer the consequences of my gender when encountering something like that. If I want to defend my rights, I would have to prove why I can…“. Calista shut him up by stuffing the pillow behind her at his mouth. “Please shut up.” She didn’t want to hear him speak crude words about how he could still “get hard“. She decided to stop giving them her time of day and lay back in bed with her back to the men. She closed her eyes. “If you guys have nothing better to do, have the nurse bring you some poker cards. I’ll file a complaint if you disturb my rest.” Calista didn’t know if they argued about that. At least they didn’t speak again until she fell asleep. She fell into a deep sleep. She had spent her afternoon climbing up a mountain for more than an hour and then had to wait for night to fall at the observation deck. Then, she was caught in the rain. Even a god wouldn’t be able to withstand such torture. When she woke up, the doctor was making their rounds. Hector, who was answering the doctor’s questions, noticed that she had opened her eyes. Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” he asked. +15 BONUS Calista shook her head. Besides the hospital bed being uncomfortable and giving her a backache, she felt fine. She showed no symptoms of a cold. The doctor left after they were done making their rounds, Calista got out of
Chapter 238 I’m Family, I’m Her Ex–husband Cade was simply offering Lucian a solution. And now the latter decided to direct the problem back to him. “What the fuck? This is a company phone. I run a film company. What’s wrong with me having interviews with female artists?” Now, Cade wanted nothing more than to
Chapter 237 Have You Kicked the Bucket? Calista felt them coming, but she couldn’t muster the strength to look. On the other hand, Lucian’s eyes remained sharp. He narrowed his eyes at the person who was traveling up the mountain path. It wasn’t Cade. The peChapter 236 Regretting the Divorce There was no sound behind him, leading Lucian to believe that Calista might have been upset by his words. He continued after pausing for a few seconds, “So, you’re better off giving up on trying to get away from me.” He heard nothing from her despite waiting for a long time. He frowned, found a steady position, and hefted the person on his back. “Callie! Calista! Calista Everhart!” Despite his calls, the person on his back remained unresponsive. Lucian panicked and hurriedly set Calista down. He was usually a fussy rich man with clear standards for where the wrinkles should sit when ironing his clothes. But now, he was sitting on the muddy mountain path and cradling her in his arms. The woman’s face was blue from the cold. Her disheveled hair clung to her face and her eyes were tightly shut. Rather than being upset at him, she seemed to have fainted from the cold. Lucian patted her face; his hands were already quite cold but Calista’s face was even colder. “Wake up, Callie. Cade will be here soon. Don’t fall asleep.” He bent down slightly, shielding her from the raindrops falling from the sky. “I’m going to kiss you if you don’t wake up.” Calista frowned, thought it was unclear if it was because he had patted her face or his words. She buried. her face into his arms. “I’m tired. I want to sleep. Stop being annoying. She could feel the warmth draining from her body. Of course, Lucian wasn’t going to let her fall asleep. Seeing her respond, he held her shoulders and shook her. “Can we talk?” Calista, who was on the verge of falling asleep, was awakened again. Her brows were furrowed. “Talk about what?” Lucian fell silent. He barely knew anything about her profession. So, there was no point starting there. 1/4 +15 BONUS Now that he thought about it, the only topic between them that might pique her interest was… “Let’s talk about Paul,” he said. She thought about his words but didn’t know what to say. Lucian took off her drenched coat and held her tightly in his arms to attempt to provide her freezing body some warmth. “Why did you like Paul back then?” Calista frowned, not wanting to answer the question. She liked him because she liked him. There was no specific reason. “Was it because he helped you deal with those thugs?” She was left stunned for a few seconds before she realized the meaning behind his words. “Perhaps.” She could barely remember the naive love of her teenage years. How was she supposed to pinpoint when she had started liking Paul? Lucian stroked her face. “Now that you know the person who saved you is me, shouldn’t you be falling in love with me instead?” Calista rolled her eyes and couldn’t be bothered to respond. This wasn’t like doing schoolwork where she could erase her answers and rewrite them. He spoke again when he realized she wasn’t going to reply after half a minute of silence. “Were you afraid?” A long time had passed since then. She had forgotten most of the details. But perhaps it was because it was her first time encountering something like that, the fear she experienced was deeply etched into her bones. “Yes.” “What if Paul never answered you that night? What would you have done?” They were partying at Cade’s place that night. Paul had been drunk and never checked his phone. Calista’s message was something he inadvertently saw. Later, during the commotion, his phone had accidentally fallen into the pool. The group consisted of
Chapter 236 Regretting the Divorce There was no sound behind him, leading Lucian to believe that Calista might have been upset by his words. He continued after pausing for a few seconds, “So, you’re better off giving up on trying to get away from me.” He heard nothing from her despite waiting for a long time. He frowned, found a steady position, and hefted the person on his back. “Callie! Calista! Calista Everhart!” Despite his calls, the person on his back remained unresponsive. Lucian panicked and hurriedly set Calista down. He was usually a fussy rich man with clear standards for where the wrinkles should sit when ironing his clothes. But now, he was sitting on the muddy mountain path and cradling her in his arms. The woman’s face was blue from the cold. Her disheveled hair clung to her face and her eyes were tightly shut. Rather than being upset at him, she seemed to have fainted from the cold. Lucian patted her face; his hands were already quite cold but Calista’s face was even colder. “Wake up, Callie. Cade will be here soon. Don’t fall asleep.” He bent down slightly, shielding her from the raindrops falling from the sky. “I’m going to kiss you if you don’t wake up.” Calista frowned, thought it was unclear if it was because he had patted her face or his words. She buried. her face into his arms. “I’m tired. I want to sleep. Stop being annoying. She could feel the warmth draining from her body. Of course, Lucian wasn’t going to let her fall asleep. Seeing her respond, he held her shoulders and shook her. “Can we talk?” Calista, who was on the verge of falling asleep, was awakened again. Her brows were furrowed. “Talk about what?” Lucian fell silent. He barely knew anything about her profession. So, there was no point starting there. 1/4 +15 BONUS Now that he thought about it, the only topic between them that might pique her interest was… “Let’s talk about Paul,” he said. She thought about his words but didn’t know what to say. Lucian took off her drenched coat and held her tightly in his arms to attempt to provide her freezing body some warmth. “Why did you like Paul back then?” Calista frowned, not wanting to answer the question. She liked him because she liked him. There was no specific reason. “Was it because he helped you deal with those thugs?” She was left stunned for a few seconds before she realized the meaning behind his words. “Perhaps.” She could barely remember the naive love of her teenage years. How was she supposed to pinpoint when she had started liking Paul? Lucian stroked her face. “Now that you know the person who saved you is me, shouldn’t you be falling in love with me instead?” Calista rolled her eyes and couldn’t be bothered to respond. This wasn’t like doing schoolwork where she could erase her answers and rewrite them. He spoke again when he realized she wasn’t going to reply after half a minute of silence. “Were you afraid?” A long time had passed since then. She had forgotten most of the details. But perhaps it was because it was her first time encountering something like that, the fear she experienced was deeply etched into her bones. “Yes.” “What if Paul never answered you that night? What would you have done?” They were partying at Cade’s place that night. Paul had been drunk and never checked his phone. Calista’s message was something he inadvertently saw. Later, during the commotion, his phone had accidentally fallen into the pool. The group consisted of There were no important calls they had to take. No one wanted to go into the pool to fish it out in that
Chapter 235 Lucian Barks Like a Dog The path was narrow, to begin with. With the crowd, it quickly got packed. Lucian hurriedly led Calista down the mountain with the flashlight of the person in front to guide their way They couldn’t use their phones for light unless necessary. If the battery ran out, they wouldn’t be able to call for help even if something went wrong. Everyone else shared the sentiment. They had been there all afternoon. Their phone batteries were running low. Suddenly, Calista felt someone roughly hitting her on her right shoulder. It was a person behind who couldn’t wait to rush forward. The mountain path was treacherous to begin with. Every step was taken with caution. Someone bumping into her had her stumbling into the nearby woods. Fortunately, Lucian had a firm grip on her. Despite the sudden turn of events, the man tightened his hold on her the moment she fell by the wayside. She didn’t but she twisted her ankle. Pain shot through her every time she moved. The delay had the group of people running ahead. The mountain path was pitch black. The rain overhead had turned into a downpour, drenching their thin clothes. Calista leaned against a nearby tree, her voice trembling from the cold as she spoke, “You should head downhill to get help. I’ll wait here. It was their only option, The path ahead was so dark that they had to use a flashlight. She didn’t know how much power Lucian’s phone still had, but it definitely wouldn’t last an hour. If he lugged the injured woman with him, neither of them would make it down. He had probably been calling Cade earlier. She hoped they would hurry before she froze to death. Lucian switched his flashlight on to light up their surroundings. The little bit of light barely illuminated the path beneath his feet in the forest on a rainy night. Calista pushed him. “Hurry up. Don’t waste the battery.” If that bastard hadn’t thrown her phone away, they might’ve been able to hold on for a while longer. as treat to come out here to save the tuner edlose And de a message. The sigra e test was Team nonexistent. There your sill be a chance me fou contan me Mere going to be troben auf before nowing now ong an tanded The Soudnse and he zue to the win. Calisa vas muted. There was no indication of cerator should me and some Smow moollang surent predicament. There was to –in sout ON THE DECK by subporng as behind and reading down by moet Cals Cont even think about Even one were to wait here for mm nec ste tat no more. The forem him to to as an ever–changing he was wearing externes which, thoug sic–resent count compare to proter hiking boots calocery is aures cove Fortunately, he was experienced. He quickly grabbed onto a nearby tree. The strength he exerted had his muscles tensing. After Lucian was firm on his feet, he freed up a hand to hold onto her leg “Keep your legs tight around my waist, okay?” His tone was a mixture of cajoling and reassurance. The ambiguity of his words and the lit in his voice were enough to make one’s heartbeat quicken and bring a blush to their face But neither of them were inclined to think about that in their current situation. Calista coiled her legs around his lean waist as per his instructions. Her arms were wrapped aroun neck. Due to the cold, her face, blue from the chill, buried itself in the back of his neck “Sure.” Lucian continued upward with her on his back. He used one hand to support himped with a tree Once he was firm on his feet, he slowly moved his hand to the trunk of the tree in front of hit This only served to slow them down even more. She didn’t dare to constantly keep the flashlight long, it was only switched on briefly for Lucian to see the path ahead before being switched Lucian’s breaths came heavy. I’m sorry. Climbing a mountain while carrying someone weighing over a hundred pounds, especially in such harsh conditions, would exhaust anyone. harun If he hadn’t impulsively brought her up the mountain when they were so unprepared, none of this would’ve