"SIGN IT AND GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LIFE!" Calvin threw the divorce agreement in her face, his voice seething with fury. Adriana Clarke Walker, a well-known heiress and the wife of the richest man in the country and CEO of the Grand Empire Corporation, Calvin Walker, had always believed in the possibility of love. Despite knowing that Calvin didn't love her, she married him with the hope that her patience and devotion would eventually win his heart. But all she received in return was endless pain. Their marriage became a black hole that devoured everything: her happiness, her family's honor, and her security. In an instant, she lost everything—her family shamed, torn apart, and forced into exile. Adriana tried to leave the past behind and build a new life, only to find that Calvin refused to let her go. His pursuit was relentless, and he wasn't willing to set her free...
View MoreAdriana sat in her office chair with her eyes closed.
She seemed to be having a nightmare. Her snow-white face was creased with frowns, and cold sweat trickled down her temples.
"No... Don't take my brother away... He's not guilty..."
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry, it was my fault... Please forgive me..."
Adriana mumbled, her voice barely audible.
"Mom..."
Suddenly, she cried out, jerking awake. Her breathing was uneven as she opened her eyes.
'That nightmare again... No matter how much I try to run from my past, it seems the past isn't going to leave me alone!' she thought.
Adriana poured herself a glass of water when suddenly, someone knocked at the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in!" she called out.
The door to her office opened, and Mona, Adriana's assistant, walked in holding some files. Mona looked at Adriana's pale face and asked with concern, "Ma'am, are you alright? You look pale!"
Adriana took a sip of water to calm herself and replied, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night. Why are you here?"
Mona nodded but hesitated before speaking. "Oh, yes, I've prepared all the materials against the Smith family, as you requested," she said.
Seeing Mona's hesitation, Adriana took the file from her hand and asked, "Is there something else you want to say?"
"It's…, are you sure you want to take over this case?" Mona asked, her voice uncertain.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Adriana responded, her brow furrowing.
"When I was preparing the materials for the case, I realized that the Smith family is not easy to deal with. The last lawyer who fought against them died in a car accident just before the hearing."
"Even though the police closed the case as an accident, everyone knows who was behind it."
Hearing Mona's words, Adriana smiled. "Mona, we are lawyers. Our duty is to help the innocent and fight for justice. If lawyers start refusing cases because they're afraid of criminals, where will victims like White family go?"
The reason Adriana studied law was to help people in need. That was also why, despite what happened three years ago, she hadn't given up.
"Is there anything else?" Seeing Mona still standing there, Adriana smiled and asked.
"Oh, yes! The boss asked you to come to his office. He tried calling you, but you didn't pick up!" Mona said.
Adriana glanced at her phone and saw a missed call from Aidan. She hadn't heard it ring earlier.
"Okay," Adriana nodded.
After delivering the files, Mona left the office.
Adriana put down her work and headed to Aidan's office.
Aidan Baker was one of the founders of the Justice Law Firm and also one of Adriana's seniors from law school.
Adriana knocked on the door and entered.
Aidan was making coffee, and when he saw her, he asked, "Would you like some coffee?"
Adriana walked in and nodded. "Of course!"
After she sat on the sofa, Aidan handed her the coffee and sat opposite her.
Adriana took a sip and said, "Why did you ask me to come here?"
Aidan pulled a folder from his desk and handed it to her. "We've received a big case. The other party is from Sky Group. They have some patent issues with another company. I want you to take this case."
Adriana nodded and glanced over the file. But as soon as she saw the column about liquidity damages they had to pay, Adriana's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Twenty million dollars?" she looked up at Aidan, stunned.
"Aidan, haven't you read the contract before signing it? How could you sign something that unreasonable?" she asked.
"I have seen it," Aidan replied.
"Then why did you sign it? What if the other party is planning some kind of trap for us?" she asked, still in shock.
"To be honest, I also found that amount a bit unreasonable. However, I've read all the documents, and there's nothing wrong with them. What's more, the other party is a well-known company. If we win this case, not only will we gain the litigation fees, but our reputation will rise!"
"Aidan, people say that lawyers take money and do things indiscriminately. Don't tell me you also want to be that kind of lawyer?" Adriana said.
"Adriana, don't you know me? How could I do something like that? You know I value my principles. However, I didn't find any issues with the case," he replied.
Aidan had always been a rational person, and Adriana respected him deeply. That was why she decided to work with him. He had also helped her a lot in the past, so she owed him a great deal. She thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay, I'll go over the documents."
"Very good! You read them carefully. I've already made an appointment to meet with the client at Heart Coffee Shop the day after tomorrow," Aidan said with a smile.
Adriana took the file and returned to her office.
However, as Adriana sat down at her desk and looked at the contract, she had a very bad feeling in her heart, as if something bad was about to happen.
****
At Heart Coffee Shop.
The appointment was set for around ten o'clock in the morning. However, Adriana arrived ten minutes early, as she preferred being punctual in her professional life.
This was one of the high-end coffee shops in New York City, very famous and exclusive. There weren't many people who could afford to come here, and those who did were all from the upper class. It was the perfect place for meetings and appointments.
She walked to a seat by the window and ordered a cup of coffee. As she settled in, she took out some papers and began reviewing them again. Suddenly, a pair of black leather shoes appeared in front of her.
Looking up, Adriana's gaze met the owner of the shoes, and in that moment, she was stunned.
It felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
The man standing before her was none other than her ex-husband, the man she had once loved with all her heart—and the man who had turned her life upside down three years ago: Calvin Walker.
Adriana was smart enough to turn to the flour. After a few hands-on exercises, her mastery of the batter’s consistency and the addition of seasonings became more and more refined—almost flawless—and soon she was standing by the stovetop, holding a glass basin, ready to start cooking.Then she turned her head and froze. Calvin was cutting tomatoes.Still unable to use his right hand properly, he held the knife in his left and steadied it with his right, slicing horizontally and then dicing vertically. In no time, a ripe tomato had been transformed into neat, uniform red cubes, pleasing to the eye.What amazed Adriana even more was that Calvin, with his left hand, cracked an egg single-handedly. He tapped it lightly on the edge of the bowl, pried it open with a flick of his fingers, and let the egg slide effortlessly into the bowl. The movement was smooth and graceful, worthy of a close-up in a culinary documentary.Calvin stirred the eggs and, without lifting his head, said, “Heartbrok
Adriana understood immediately. He meant the place where she used to live.“Someone is living there now?” she asked.What else are you going to eat? Bricks?“No one,” Calvin replied.Adriana: “…”He entered the password to unlock the door, and they stepped inside.The air system had been running around the clock. Even though no one had lived in the house for a long time, the air still felt fresh and natural. The curtains were open, offering a clear view of the scenery outside. The house was clean and tidy—spotless, even.But then Adriana froze. She pointed uncertainly at a three-tiered sideboard. “Who assembled this?”When she left, all the big furniture was still in its packaging boxes in the living room. So, how had everything ended up neatly arranged? Some of the furniture wasn’t even where she had expected it to be.Calvin glanced at her. “What do you think?”Adriana ran her hand over the sturdy five-drawer cupboard. It didn’t wobble at all. The screws were perfectly in place, fix
Adriana thought Calvin would brush off his sleeve and leave her with his impenetrable back, but instead, he took her hand and walked out of the prosperous, opulent manor with the wind at his feet.This time, there wasn’t much strength in his grip, but she had no reason to shake him off.Calvin hadn’t killed Carson, nor had he done anything to hurt him. Although his words had been harsh, Carson was still safe and sound. That alone was enough to make Adriana bellyache for a long time.Once in the car, Adriana settled into the driver’s seat. She fastened her seat belt and glanced at the man beside her.“Why don’t I drive you home?” she offered.Calvin leaned back in his seat, silently watching as she started the engine and drove out the same way they had come.Once on the main road, Adriana asked again, “Where to?”Would Calvin, like the other man, simply say, wherever?“Not angry?” he asked.Adriana let out a soft laugh in her heart. Her face remained calm. “What’s there to be angry abo
For the past three hours, Calvin had been sitting silently on the open-air sofa, eyes closed.It was a habit he had developed over the years. Whenever a major decision loomed or a crisis at the company demanded his attention, he would retreat to a quiet, undisturbed place. There, he would let go of everything for a few hours, putting himself into a state of deep immersion.He would completely empty his mind of distractions, then calmly analyze the pros and cons. With a perspective that stretched five, even ten years into the future, he would weigh every angle before arriving at a decision—always from a vantage point far above the present moment.Many people praised Calvin’s forward-looking vision, saying he seemed to have the trends of the next few years already in his grasp.But no one knew that behind every landmark decision lay hours of intense focus and piercing insight.Today, however, he couldn’t clear his mind at all.He couldn’t untangle his thoughts no matter how hard he trie
Adriana’s head was spinning. Did this aunt and nephew deliberately want to watch her social death?Steadying herself, she didn’t let even a hint of her true emotions show in front of so many people. “The deputy director doesn’t need to trouble himself. It’s not necessary,” she said calmly.She deliberately emphasized “deputy director” to create distance between them and to remind Carson subtly: Don’t cross the line and make things difficult for everyone here.Carson recalled the phone call earlier, when Calvin had been in the car, and how she’d tried to cover it up. He couldn’t help but suspect that this so-called “friend” was actually Calvin. Hearing her say that now only confirmed his suspicion.His thin lips curled into a smirk as he chuckled. “Friendships develop from strangers to acquaintances, from unfamiliarity to closeness. Since he’s here as my guest, I should do my duty as a host. I can’t just leave your friend out in the cold, can I?”Adriana gritted her teeth, resisting th
As soon as Adriana got out of the car, she saw Carson sitting in a wheelchair. He was wearing a Hawaiian-style shirt with an exaggerated floral pattern, bright enough to compete with the surrounding greenery and vibrant red flowers.The most eye-catching detail was the crown on his head.The others around him were dressed casually—not like a meeting, but more like a picnic.Seeing her approach, Carson waved his hand in greeting. “Lawyer Clarke, over here.”Adriana forced a polite smile. “Sorry I’m late.”Lisa, who had taken off her sunglasses and was seated in the main chair, smiled warmly. “Not too late, not too late. We’ve just been drinking tea, chatting, and enjoying the scenery. Join us, Lawyer Clarke—have a seat.”She gestured to a spot beside Carson, slightly apart from the others.Since Adriana was Carson’s assistant, it seemed natural for her to sit near her boss, but the seating arrangement felt vaguely deliberate—perhaps even strategic.As soon as she sat down, Carson leane
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