Chapter 126 Staying the Night
Seeing Lily at the door, Lucian made a connection as to what had happened after considering
Calista’s words. He narrowed his eyes. His gaze had turned glacial with indifference.
He didn’t show any outward signs of anger. But his emotions were palpable His grip around
Calista’s wrist only continued to tighten. It was violent
“You called her here?”
A severe pain shot up her arm. She couldn’t help but let out a hiss. But before she could break
free, he let go of her. He looked down, his gaze landing on her wrist
I’m sorry. I lost control of my strength”
Lucian was acting far more gentlemanly and was sincerely apologizing for hurting her. His wordin
sounded much more sincere than the perfunctory words he had used back at the workshop
But Calista still kept her distance. To her, he acted no different from crazed characters found in
soap operas on television
If he were to wear a pair of gold nimmed glasses, he would fit the image of a civilized sens
doubled as a psychopathic murderer
*Since you called her here, you’re responsible for entertaining her
Calista had called Lily here knowing that Lucian wouldn’t let her leave Why would she haten to
hum and send the woman away?
You
Celista, Ldly interrupted their conversation
Her semplean way as white as snow. Her thin fiama was visibly frembling as if she had tuon
greatly honded she had en expression of gret and anger on her face
en and have been in actors long me what’s the point of beter meas
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His expression suddenly changed and visibly darkened. He was shooting Lily a warning look.
Calista watched it all happen on the sidelines.
Once again, it was a pair of lovers who liked playing the guessing game with one other.
Meanwhile, she was a tool used to provoke a jealous reaction. How horrible!
What had she done to deserve being treated like a plaything?
She weakly suggested, “Why don’t you come inside? Perhaps I can offer some relationship advice?”
She wanted to know what was bothering them. Weren’t they tired of being stuck in a relationship
like this?
If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought there was some deep–seated vendetta between
them.
“I’ll pass,” Lily spoke.
“Get out,” Lucian said.
The two of them spoke simultaneously–one said with a scoff and another menacing manner. Lily,
with her reddened eyes, turned and briskly walked away. Then, she turned around.
“Since we’re all here, let me get the story straight. The invitation was my agent’s idea. She wanted
to use the opportunity to promote me since I had plans to expand into the entertainment industry.
It was a misunderstanding. I’ve already reprimanded her. It won’t happen again. I apologize.”
This time, she left without looking back. Calista also wanted to leave. Lucian, of course, took
notice before she could do anything.
“You’ll have dinner with me and I’ll drive you home. Feel free to cause even more trouble if you
plan to stay the night,” he threatened grimly.
She watched as the man walked back to the dining hall with large strides.
For a split second, she felt overwhelming sympathy for him. He was rich and powerful. On top of
that, he was physically attractive. And yet he loved a difficult woman like Lily.
She would feel sorry for him if he didn’t mistreat her.
“Are you sure you can eat with me there? Should I help convince her to come back?
If persuasion wasn’t an option, she could drag her back by force. He shot her a cold look
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“You are Madam Northwood. Do you want the reporters to make up stories and tarnish her
reputation if you bring her back?”
Calista now wished she could go back in time and slap herself for being soft–hearted. He was
being considerate for his beloved and yet she thought he was pitiful. She felt as if she had been
fooled.
Lucian, noticing the lack of sound behind him, asked, “Why aren’t you talking?”
She grumbled, “Because I know to keep myself quiet. Anyone who isn’t your sweetheart would be
sent to an early grave if they cause a fuss.”
He was such a psychotic man! He nearly crushed her hand!
After dinner, he kept his promise and drove her back to her apartment. He was in such a foul
mood that he didn’t say a word.
She had originally arranged for Jonathan to make the trip, but Lucian refused. In the end, it was
still Jonathan behind the wheel. What a possessive man!
The next day, Calista visited Jacob in his office. She had carefully examined her mother’s
belongings the night before. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“What? You’re Rachel’s…”
Jacob stared at Calista in shock. He could barely believe it. And yet, it was the most plausible
explanation.
Both their techniques and appearance were similar. Calling it a mere coincidence was too far-
fetched.
“Why didn’t you say anything when I asked about Rachel? How is your mother? Is she still in the
business?
“She passed away. She hadn’t cut off contact with you ten years ago. She passed away
Telling Jacob her identity wasn’t an impulsive decision on Calista’s part. She hadn’t found
information related to her mother’s death.
She once suspected it to be a mere accident, but her grandfather firmly believed she had been
murdered
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After going around to investigate on her own, Calista found out that her mother had taken on a
project involving the restoration of a painting before the accident.
The restoration of the painting should’ve been unfinished before her passing. But it disappeared
after her death. With her enemy lurking in the shadows, she decided to put herself in the
spotlight
Calista couldn’t be certain if this would yield any results. All this happened a decade ago. Even if
there were conspiracies, it would’ve long been buried. However, with no other clues, this was her
best bet
She wanted to make use of Jacob’s connections to spread the news that she was Rachel’s
daughter
“How Jacob paused for a moment before continuing “How did your mother die?”
She told him her mother’s cause of death, her suspicions, and the clues she had gathered
throughout the years. He frowned and disagreed.
“Your mother would not want you to risk your life. No, I cannot allow you to do this. I’ll keep an eye
on you while we investigate the matter. Clues will eventually come to light.”
“My grandfather was concerned about finding the man who hurt my mother even on his deathbed.
I can’t let him down.”
“Let’s think long and hard about this,” he said firmly. “First, we’ll publicly disclose your identity as
Claude. Once you gain recognition in the circle, you might get more clues.”
“Claude had gained some recognition in the circle over the years. But Calista kept such a low
profile that no one could contact her.
All anyone knew was that she was skilled at what she did. It limited her visibility to a small circle
of people.
The last documentary was well–received. The director, Lucas, wants to helm an amateur reality
show. He asked if you’d be willing to participate to show your face as a means to garner traffic.
This is a great opportunity to gain some fame
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Chapter 127 Calista’s Identity
Lucas told Jacob about the last show half a month ago. Calista hadn’t been in Justa at the time.
Jacob also knew of her preference for not showing her face. That was why he recommended her
for the show.
Only Calista’s hands were in the frame in the documentary. When paired with the handsome. Bryan, she aroused curiosity about her appearance.
The unpopular documentary ended up trending on social media.
After receiving a call from Jacob and learning that Calista had agreed to participate, Lucas was
overjoyed. He informed her of the shooting that would take place a week later.
Everyone involved was an amateur. So, scheduling was not an issue.
The day before the shoot, Calista received the program’s schedule and a list of participants. She
didn’t know anyone. But it was still necessary to go through with it.
She wasn’t there for the program. She wanted to make use of Lucas’s gimmick to show everyone
that she was the mysterious conservator “Claude“.
After reviewing the schedule, she closed her WhatsApp. It was an eyesore to read content–heavy
documents on the phone. Even more so with how small the text was.
However, what she hadn’t expected to find on the day of the shoot was Lily in the dressing room.
The program had only brought on amateurs from various fields. There were no A–list actors to
boost ratings.
The show’s future hung in the balance with its lack of funding. The set did not come equipped
with individual dressing rooms.
Lily had mentioned wanting to join the entertainment industry a few days ago back at the
Everglade Manor. What a coincidence to bump into her here.
Calista couldn’t help but rub her temples. The world was indeed a small place. The dressing room
was only so large. If she could see Lily, it meant the reverse was also true.
Queenie was reciting today’s schedule to Lily. That was when the former noticed the latter stating
at the mirror. She looked up to see Calista The manager turned to look around and scoffed.
“The shooting is about to begin. Why isn’t Claude here yet? Is she planning to act all high and
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She had seen the name “Claude” among the names on the list the night before and complained to Lily, “What’s with this mysterious expert? She’s just after the money. She charges prices higher
than any other conservator out there. What’s she even doing in a show like this?”
Queenie had arrived early to match the names with the faces of the other participants. A sweeping glance clued her in that there weren’t any unfamiliar faces around.
Calista took a vacant seat.
“I’m right here. You should focus more on managing your artists, Ms. Yates. You’re not as capable as you think you are and yet here you are daydreaming. Stretch yourself too thin and it might backfire on you.”
Lily frowned.
“If I recall correctly, the guest they invited was Claude. Is she having her assistant stand in for her?
She showed no emotion as she asked the question. It was as if she were merely curious. But the question managed to draw the attention of everyone in the dressing room.
“Claude? The antique conservator?”
The list of participants included their professions. Everyone was curious about what Claude
looked like.
“Yeah. I’ve watched the documentary. Only her hands were shown. Rumors were floating about
that she was an attractive woman, considering how pretty her hands were.”
“She has to show her face in the program. Is that why she sent her assistant to take part instead?
Is she so ugly that she doesn’t want to show herself? So, she’s having her assistant deceive
everyone.”
“Don’t say that Her assistant is beautiful. I want my eyes done like hers. But, she seems oddly
familiar.
“Oh, someone exclaimed in a hushed voice. “She’s Mr. Northwood’s wife
Calista couldn’t bother to give Lily her time of day. She closed her eyes and had the makeup artist
do her makeup as she took in the whispers around ber.
Queenie turned to the adjacent director’s office.
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“I’m getting the production team involved and exposing this impostor trying to deceive everyone!”
Calista didn’t even open her eyes in response.
Lily watched Calista. She wasn’t certain whether or not she was pretending to be calm. This time,
the director on board was the one involved in the filming of the documentary. He knew Claude.
Calista’s unruffled behavior meant that there had already been a private negotiation with the
production team. Lucas had arrived in the blink of an eye. He seemed even more anxious than
Queenie.
Claude was the biggest selling point and the closing act of the show. With such a small–scale
program, there would be nothing else to draw the audience in.
When he was told the person who arrived on set was Claude’s assistant, he had been scared out of
his wits!
Claude kept a low profile in the industry. But she wasn’t such an obscure figure that no one knew
her. If it came to light that it was her assistant who came, it would ruin the entire show!
Despite all his efforts when filming the documentary, she refused to show her face. Then, she
suddenly agreed to come on the show a few days prior.
He couldn’t help but feel unease. He feared being deceived. Calista opened her eyes when she
heard the footsteps.
“Mr. Meyer.”
He sighed in relief when he saw the face he remembered.
He spoke to the makeup artist, “Make sure she looks good.”
Besides the documentary going viral, she was primarily known to be Lucian Northwood’s wife.
She had recently found herself in the trending searches online.
There hadn’t been any other news in days, but there was interest in her. She was a guest who
could bring traffic. She was to be treated with respect!
Lucas exchanged some pleasantries before leaving to attend to other matters.
He then turned to Queenie who was standing next to him. His smile fell away in an instant.
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“If you have nothing better to do, you should check if your talent needs anything. Don’t spend all
your time plotting against others. With your attitude, you won’t go far in the entertainment
industry.”
His reaction told an obvious story. Queenie still harbored doubts but she didn’t dare to ask about it.
The dressing room was now silent. Everyone was stealing glances at Calista. All except Lily.
She suddenly got to her feet and approached Calista.
“You’re Claude? You’re the one who restored that painting?”
“Yes.”
“You lied to me. Why are you messing with me, Calista? You know I was looking for Claude. Why
didn’t you admit you were her? Did you charge me such a high price to fix the painting just to get
back at me?”
Calista couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Lily’s barrage of questions.
“If I recall, Jacob introduced me to you the very moment I entered his office. You were the one
who kept insisting that you were looking for some other ‘Claude‘. As for the charges, I have a clear
pricing policy. You have the option to decline my services if you think I charge too much. I never
forced you to come to me.”
“But you knew I was talking about you.”
“I did. But should I have desperately explained myself to you? Are you crazy?”
Lily fell silent. Everyone in the dressing room was either subtly or openly observing the situation.
Lily’s dignified nature stopped her from causing a scene. She glanced at Calista who had closed her eyes again before walking out to the corridor.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Lucian’s number while restraining her anger after being
humiliated.
As soon as the call connected, she asked, “Do you know about Calista’s other identity?”
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