The crushing pain in her stomach intensified, and Adriana clenched her fists tightly. Her hands were slick with sweat.“What is it?” she asked, her voice strained.Calvin exhaled a puff of smoke, his demeanor casual. “Even though you won the lawsuit and earned fifty thousand dollars in legal fees, you also got into an accident and nearly lost your life. Don’t you want to know who’s behind it?”“The police are still investigating…” Adriana paused, suddenly suspicious. “Did you investigate me?”“Of course. You’re my legal counselor, so I had to evaluate your business abilities. I didn’t expect you to be a lawyer who lacks basic common sense,” he said, his tone sharp. “I really don’t know how you managed to get your bar license twice.”“I…” Adriana was momentarily at a loss for words.Calvin extinguished his cigarette on the lid of a nearby trash can and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to meet someone.”Thinking it was a work-related matter, Adriana didn’t ask too many questions and got i
Sitting in the car, Adriana felt a chill running down her spine. The scene of the dagger chopping off the man’s hand replayed in her mind like a movie.This man is too dangerous! His work was so clean that even if he killed a hundred people, no one would find out. What’s more, even if he wanted to do something, he didn’t even need to do it himself.Just like in the past.“Calvin, Carl said something wrong! Why didn’t you point him?”“What?”Adriana pointed at herself, saying, “He said that I am your wife! But I am not your wife anymore! We are already divorced!”Calvin looked at her coldly, “What’s the difference between what I have used, before and after?”For a while, Adriana didn’t know what to say, so she shut up! Calvin also didn’t say anything else.“Where are you going before?”Suddenly, the man sitting in the driver's seat spoke. His voice was low and mellow, like soothing music.“Huh?”“I asked, where are you going so late?”Only then did Adriana remember that she was going t
Calvin looked at the advertisement expressionlessly.The sales girl took out two boxes and settled the bill together, “It’s a new model and very popular!”Calvin didn’t refuse and said, “Help me make a cup of ginger tea, thank you!”Adriana went to the bathroom to do the aftermath. When she looked at her pants, she frowned. It was ruined completely. Then, Calvin’s car would be also ruined, right?’Adriana's face darkened as she stood outside the car, feeling embarrassed to get in. “Well, I will take a taxi, you can go by yourself!”Calvin rolled down the passenger seat window and sneered coldly, “After dirtying mine car, you also want to dirty others.”Adriana wanted to laugh, but she couldn’t. He is worthy of the title of King of Hell. His words were always cold and ruthless.As soon as Adriana got in the car, Calvin handed her a cup of hot ginger tea, “Drink it!”Adriana looked at him suspiciously, thinking, ‘Where did he get it?’“What? You don’t want to drink? Then throw it away!
Adriana looked at him calmly and said, “In that case, please go ahead. I am not going to invite you in. Please excuse me.”Calvin said coldly, “Adriana, you have changed a lot.”Hearing his sarcastic remarks, she smiled back, “Really? By the way, you also have changed a lot. After all, with your temper before, I am afraid Carl’s brother-in-law would not have just lost an arm.”Calvin smiled coldly, looking at Adriana without blinking. He just opened his mouth slightly, showing his porcelain white teeth.Objectively speaking, Adriana is very beautiful. She had smooth white skin and with perfect and exquisite figure.The number had times Calvin had intimate contact with her body was not much, but he still remembered her dazzling body.However, it was a pity that her heart was even more poisonous than a snake and scorpion.Thinking about the betrayal she did to him, Calvin clenched his fists tightly and his face was filled with the coldness.“What? Are you feeling bad for him?”Adriana w
“Adriana?”The maid recognized her and greeted her.Looking at the person in front of her, Adriana breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Maria, long time no see!”Maria is a woman in her fifties. She is George’s nanny, in charge of his food and living. Maria is a clean and tidy lady. Even after so many years, she hadn’t changed much. She is still as gentle as before.Maria is the only person who treats Adriana well in this house.Maria looked around before taking a few steps forward. “Have you had a good time these past few years? Why did you lose so much weight?”Adriana and Calvin’s divorce was unknown to the outside world. Even the maids of the house didn’t know about it. They had inadvertently learned about it from their master’s conversation a few months later. Then things about the netting of the family and the sweeping of their reputations came to their ears one after the other.Other people discussed privately that Adriana was kicked out of her house, some say that the Clarke
Only when George stopped scolding, Calvin opened his mouth, “Grandpa!”The servant who had been scolded like an amnesty, stood at the door holding the tea tray. Looking at Calvin, he greeted, “President!”Seeing Adriana behind Calvin, he was dumbfounded.‘How did the president bring Adriana back?’George also didn’t expect to see Adriana again in this life. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Adriana coldly, “Outsiders are not welcome here?”Hearing this, Adriana was overjoyed. She couldn’t wait to go away.However, before she could move, Calvin pulled her wrist and said, “I am the one who asked her to come here.”George sat on the sofa angrily. His body was surrounded with a murderous aura, “Do you think you have a lot of money and asked her to spend for you? But let me tell you, even if you have a mountain of gold and silver, some people are still able to empty them!”Hearing his words, Adriana's ears turned red, feeling uncomfortable in her heart. Her eyes sank downward.Calvin said
“What do you mean by this?”“It’s simple, feelings will disappear, but assets can be always there. If she wants to marry into our Walker family, first I have to see how much money Karl can afford to put down. If we get married, Walker's family can give them the resources they can’t even imagine. So, I also want to know what can I get from them. To put it bluntly, I have what he has, and I also have what he doesn’t have. So, it is him who needs to flatter me, not me!”George appreciates Calvin’s wisdom and strategy, so he is the most valued among his many descendants. However, when he used this wisdom against him, he didn’t like it.Calvin added, “Anna's looks are also normal and she didn’t look like a fairy. I also don’t need their wealth to lead the Grand Empire as it had been already in the top for a hundred years and I don’t think anyone would be able to shake it. So, in this deal, no matter how you look, I am at a loss.”Adriana listened from the sideline and her outlook was const
“You… Shut up!” Naturally, George wouldn’t question his grandson in front of outsiders, so the one in the wrong could only be Adriana.“Have you forgotten how many benefits your family received from the Walker family? Even if you work for your lifetime, you still can’t repay them! And do you think you deserve to say that you owe us nothing!”Adriana laughed bitterly, “Good, good, very good! After being held back for so many years, you finally said it out! What, are you feeling bad?”At this moment, Adriana wanted to say that, what my family had taken from your family, I will return a single penny!But she knew that she didn’t have the strength to do so. Even if her father, brother, and everyone in our family sell their bones and meet to compensate, it will not be enough.“The day we got divorced, we made it clear that from now on there is no longer any relationship between us and we will not interfere in each other lives. If it weren’t for your grandson forcing me to be his lawyer, le
Calvin’s cold and clear presence stood out starkly in the room—like a noble eagle trapped among vultures. From the moment he sat down, the atmosphere shifted. It was as if this seedy box suddenly became a royal court, simply because he was in it.Adriana had to admit, deep down, that sometimes it wasn’t the place that mattered—it was the people who entered it.Calvin turned to the man and asked flatly, “Tell me, what kind of dog are you?”“Damn it! Did you just insult me?”Furious, the man raised the wine bottle and swung it toward Calvin’s face.Crash!With a smooth backhand, Calvin caught the bottle mid-air—and in the next second, red liquid flowed down the man’s head. It was a mixture of wine and blood, trailing from the broken shards that remained.The man stood frozen in place, stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected anyone would dare lay a hand on him.&l
Adriana hurriedly stood up, letting Richard's arms miss her as she fled to the song selection table. She quickly picked a song she was already tired of hearing herself.The prelude began. Adriana sat on a high stool as the disorienting lights flickered and danced, casting her features in shifting patterns of light and shadow. In the haze, her face became half-hidden, half-revealed—mysterious and luminous.As the song started, the room fell silent.Mina, holding her glass of wine, joined a few men in turning their attention to the small stage.There, in the corner, sat a woman like a frightened deer—yet somehow too mesmerizing to be real.Where did she come from?Was she just trying to help out a newcomer, or had she accidentally brought in a job-stealing troublemaker?Fortunately, that lecherous Darren Venzor wasn’t around tonight. If he had been, he would’ve already been seduced by that little fox.Adriana sang with her lips,
Interesting. Things were getting more and more intriguing.If she could catch evidence of Richard cheating, she could kill two birds with one stone today.“Good… Good!”Adriana’s red lips curved into a subtle smile, though no one could see the sharp calculation flickering beneath her eyes. She extended her long, slender legs. Her clothes weren’t particularly revealing, but her confident stride and graceful movements hinted at an understated allure.It wasn’t delicate, but it was undeniably captivating.Richard smiled, his eyebrows raised, and patted the seat beside him. “Sit next to me!”The woman on his lap let out a reluctant grunt and clung to his neck. “Richard, don’t you love me anymore?”Richard slid his hand along her leg and said, “Be good. Wait for me.”Obediently, the woman moved to the side, vacating the seat, and shot Adriana a venomous glare.Adriana leaned over and sat down, still catching her breath, when
A few moments later, Anna wiped her tears and walked out of the parlor—no one came to see her off.Leon spotted her first. “Brother, Anna’s here!”“Sit tight. I’m going out.”Peter got up quickly and followed her, gently offering a handkerchief.Anna kept her head down as she walked, not looking around. Suddenly, the appearance of a handkerchief and a dark figure startled her—she mistook it for Calvin and instinctively smiled,“Calv—”She stopped mid-word, realizing it wasn’t him.“Peter?”Peter stood there with his arms folded, his black suit crisp and sharp. A faint smile played on his lips; he looked like a knight in polished armor.“Did Calvin bully you? I’ll straighten him out if he did.”Anna clutched the handkerchief, shaking her head. “No…”“Oh? Then maybe Grandpa gave you a
A knowing line officially opened the topic of the day.At that moment, both Peter and Leon fell silent—this was not a cold arrow they were prepared to receive.Peter’s peripheral gaze landed on Calvin, who calmly said, “Stocks go up and down all the time. Grandpa has been in the business world most of his life and understands the laws of the market better than I do.”“Don’t blame the market for a malignant result caused by individual behavior. Do you think I don’t watch the news? Or do you think I’m deaf?”The statement was serious, and instantly, the atmosphere in the garden dropped to freezing. Peter and Leon held their breath in unison, not daring to make a sound.Calvin remained calm and composed. “What did Grandpa hear?”George let out a cold grunt, his frowning brows folding into deep, angry lines. His sharp eyes seemed to carry blades.“I haven’t been
If a man cheats on his wife during the marriage, it’s considered a serious breach of marital obligations. The woman can hold him legally accountable, and in the event of a divorce, she may not only receive financial compensation but also have an advantage in gaining custody of the children.Adriana said calmly, “Special circumstances can certainly turn things around.”Jessica curled the corner of her mouth into a smirk. “I’ll find out.”The marriages of successful men often carried the shadow of extramarital affairs. If the defendant’s private misconduct could be uncovered, it would be in the plaintiff’s best interest to investigate thoroughly.After thinking for a moment, Jessica softened her tone and smiled. “Lawyer Clarke, thank you for being willing to help. I thought you didn’t want to get involved.”Adriana replied, “Work and personal life shouldn’t be mixed. And I&
“Thank you for the invitation, but today is obviously not suitable for a door-to-door visit. I’ll treat you to dinner another day as a thank-you for your frequent help over the past two days, whether it’s rare for you or not.”Adriana didn’t give Calvin a chance to respond. Today, she would not set foot in his house again—no matter what.A man and a woman in a closed space—it was easy to make irrational decisions, especially for a woman. The atmosphere could quickly lead to something impulsive. And besides, she wasn’t entirely immune to Calvin’s charm.Calvin stood calmly outside the car door, noting the resistance in her eyes.“Very well. I’ll wait for Lawyer Clarke’s thank-you banquet!”He was testing Adriana’s boundaries little by little, figuring out how to get along with her.The corner of Adriana’s mouth twitched into a polite smile. “Goodbye.”Turning the car around, Adriana gripped the steering wheel. The open window let in fresh air, and the sunlight warmed her face. The most
“Huh?”Kevin thought he’d misheard. “Green Lake Village? The village you went to yesterday, President?”“Yes,” Calvin replied. “Especially the house on the hill—Tony’s place. Fix it up for the old woman. Send some furniture and get everything properly arranged. You can take care of the details.”Adriana glanced at his serious profile as he focused on driving. Her earlier embarrassment vanished in an instant, and her heart gave a subtle flutter.Kevin’s brain short-circuited for a second, then quickly caught up. “Understood, President. I’ll contact a construction team and arrange everything on site.”The call ended, and the car fell silent again.Adriana touched the bridge of her nose. “Um, I’ll thank you on their behalf.”Calvin chuckled. “Is the next thing you’re going to say, ‘You’re a good person’?”Well… that was almost exactly what she was about to say. But saying something like that now? With everything going on? It felt… a bit out of place.Calvin added, “You can say anything y
Calvin looked at her as she instinctively reached out, her slender fingers curling with tension, knuckles protruding from the force.“Lawyer Clarke,” he said, “if you want something, just say it straight. There’s no need for adults to play games.”Adriana awkwardly lowered her head and cleared her throat. “Calvin, please watch your words. Can you not always say things that make people misunderstand? Like this morning, and just now—what exactly did you mean? Is there nothing else in your head besides that?”Calvin responded casually, “Which sentence did you misunderstand? Misunderstand what? Lawyer Clarke, please be specific. Maybe I’ll consider changing.”Adriana clenched her teeth and rolled her eyes at him, but couldn’t bring herself to explain further. “In short, it’s uncomfortable to hear.”When they found the car, Adriana was ready to hop into the driver’s seat, but Calvin pulled her toward the opposite side and shoved her gently into the passenger seat.“Be honest—sit. I’ll driv