Adriana didn’t really want to talk to Jessica. She didn’t think there was anything worth discussing.“Go ahead.”However, the red veins in Jessica’s tired eyes and her overall haggard appearance stirred a bit of sympathy in Adriana, softening her heart.In the empty conference room, only the two of them remained—one with swollen, tear-filled eyes and the other still trying to sort out the mess in her head and heart. The atmosphere wavered between awkwardness and tension.Jessica sat down by the window, the light casting shadows over her face, making half of it bright while the other half remained dark. Tears welled up in her eyes.“Lawyer Clarke, I’m sorry.”Adriana sat diagonally across from her. The chair had been moved slightly out of place—she didn’t bother adjusting it, only tilting her head to the side as she observed Jessica.“This apology… what is it for?”Was it for talking behind my back? Or for ganging up on me at the firm to isolate me? Adriana wondered.She had already he
“Deputy Director Carson, you can be bold in choosing your rivals, but there’s no need to drag me into the vanguard.” Adriana wrenched her wrist, trying to push the man away.Carson overpowered her effortlessly, not budging. “What’s your relationship with Calvin? Judging by your reaction, it doesn’t seem like you’re in love. What is it? Does he have his eyes on you and want to possess you?”From his words, Adriana could at least be certain that he didn’t know about her past with Calvin. That was a relief.She forced a stubborn smile. “In what capacity is Deputy Director Carson inquiring about my private life?”Carson’s smile widened as if he had just received a long-awaited gift. “What identity would you like me to use? Or maybe you’d rather assign me a new one? Boyfriend would be nice.”People were all different from one another.Adriana clutched her bag in front of her, and for some reason, the image of sleeping in the car with Calvin last night surfaced in her mind. Her cheeks flush
Frequent in and out of Grand Empire, Adriana is considered a familiar face. The front desk does not repeatedly confirm her visit time—just a simple inquiry, and then they let her through.Adriana took the lift to the Legal Department and went straight to the conference room.Marshal Cooper, the head of the Legal Department, was the first to stand up and greet her. “Lawyer Clarke, this way, please.”Adriana recognized some of the people from the Grand Empire Legal Department. After all, they were the ones who had drafted the divorce agreement between her and Calvin back then.Take Marshal, for example—the legendary pickpocket. If he was involved in a case, the opposing party would either lose layers of skin or pay a hefty fine.She had personally experienced it.But nowadays, everyone pretended not to know each other.Adriana nodded and sat down in the seat marked with her name tag, thinking to herself that Grand Empire was indeed a rigorous and sophisticated corporation. Even for a sm
The deeper meaning was self-evident—she had been discarded in the divorce, yet now she was being specially invited to participate in an important case for the company.Marshal could see this implication, and the others weren’t foolish either. Sensing the situation, they quickly followed suit, laughing and saying:“Thanks to the president’s appreciation, today’s hardest-working person is Lawyer Clarke. She wrote the entire draft, and it took a great deal of effort.”“Lawyer Clarke is meticulous in her work—a role model for us all.”“Despite her age, Lawyer Clarke considers issues with remarkable depth and a fresh perspective.”Adriana didn’t feel pleased. Instead, she felt immense pressure.These people were experts at reading the room. The moment they sensed Calvin’s attitude toward her, they immediately started singing her praises.She kept her expression neutral and replied modestly, “Compared to all of you, I’m still a novice. I’m grateful that you seniors are willing to guide me d
Adriana knocked on the door and entered after receiving Calvin’s permission. “This is—”Before she could finish, Calvin’s landline rang. He gestured for her to come forward while answering the call.“Cancel tomorrow’s appointment with General Manager Park. Is he waiting for my time, or am I waiting for his? Let him think carefully before reaching out again."It seemed like things weren’t going his way over there, and Calvin’s tone was strong.Adriana placed the two documents on her left and right and waited with her head lowered.Calvin answered three calls in a row. Ten minutes passed before he finally freed himself. “What’s this?”“This one is paperwork, and this one is a document the secretary asked me to bring in,” Adriana replied.Calvin wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly. “The secretary told you to bring it in?”“She had an emergency and had to meet someone in the parlor. I just happened to be delivering something to you, so she asked me to bring this along.”Calvin leaned b
Carson wasn’t blind, nor was he stupid. The lingering redness at the corner of Adriana’s mouth wasn’t from accidentally scraping it while drinking water.“You left too quickly at lunch. I hadn’t finished what I was saying. Busy now?” he asked.Adriana replied calmly, “Just finished work. I was about to head down.”Carson nodded, finally turning his attention to Calvin, who was practically radiating hostility. “Calvin, I’ll be taking my person with me. I wouldn’t want to disturb your office. See you later.”Calvin’s fingers casually brushed over the corner of his mouth. Then, as if savoring the moment, he deliberately glanced at the faint traces left on Adriana’s lips—his traces.“Miss Clarke, seven o’clock—don’t be late.”Adriana’s head buzzed for a moment. Can’t you phrase it more clearly? Now it sounded like they had some private rendezvous.She quickly corrected him. “Of course, Mr. Calvin. The Grand Empire Legal Department is full of industry elites. I’ll be sure to learn from the
In the evening, the Grand Empire lawyers dined at Savory Spice Heaven.Adriana kept her thoughts to herself—after all, her last traumatic experience had taken place here, and revisiting the same place felt like an emotional wipeout.As they entered the private dining room, Marshal smiled and said, “Lawyer Clarke, this way, please.”Marshal, holding the highest position, rightfully should have taken the seat across from the door. However, he reached out to invite Adriana instead, even offering her the most honorable chair.Wasn’t that cynicism?Adriana politely declined, took a seat on the left side, and pulled out a chair. “Minister Marshal, you are too polite. You are the host, and I am the guest. Where is the reasoning in competing with the host for a seat?”Lawyer Miller smiled. “Lawyer Clarke, with your relationship with the president, why be so modest? Not to mention just a single seat—this entire restaurant must look up to you!”Adriana didn’t show even a hint of anger. She simp
Calvin said, “Whether we are falling out or not, Chairman Blake, there’s no need for you to know too much. I didn’t see Albert.”No one could force a word out of him if he didn’t want to speak.Karl, understanding Calvin’s style, knew better than to press the matter. Truth be told, there was no need to ask—Carson had likely crossed a line that Calvin, who couldn’t tolerate even a speck of sand in his eyes, found unforgivable. Perhaps even Albert himself was not worth seeing in Calvin’s view.This is tricky.Karl kept a smile on his face and said, “Carson—that boy lacks determination. Albert has mentioned many times that… well, never mind. Even raising his own son hasn’t been easy for him. It’s clear that mistakes are inevitable in other areas as well. But let’s not dwell on it.”Despite his lighthearted tone, Karl was struggling internally.With his current cash flow issues, he had planned for Albert to meet Calvin tonight, hoping to reinforce his confidence and secure financial suppo
She had quite a bit of potential for uttering so many non-repetitive curse words in one night.Calvin caught her hand, not allowing her to leave.Then, right in front of her, he dialed a number.The call connected after just a few rings.“Mr. Walker? Wow, what an honor! What brings you to call me?” the voice on the other end said, half-joking.Calvin said coldly, “Contact Richard. Get him out of there — use whatever excuse you need.”The person on the other side didn’t dare to ask for details. “Yes, understood!”Calvin hung up and turned to look at Adriana, whose eyes were red with rage.“Aren’t you going to thank me?” he said lazily.Adriana tried to shake off his hand but couldn’t.“Calvin, you’re only making things more awkward between us. Please pay attention to boundaries…”Calvin leaned in and said lowly, “If I hadn’t watched my step tonight, you'd be lying on my bed right now, under me, crying for mercy.”Adriana’s face flared with anger.Without hesitation, she raised her foot
Last time, she had been half-proud of herself for bravely refusing to go home with Calvin — but she didn’t expect to be back here again, in the blink of an eye.Adriana scratched her hair in distress.“To be clear, I’m just borrowing the room,” she muttered.Calvin glanced at her miserable-looking face and said lazily, “I suggest you clean yourself up first. I won’t lay my hands on a female ghost — even if I’m horny.”Adriana rushed into the restroom, only then realizing how horrible she looked with half her makeup removed during the car ride.Come to think of it, Calvin had kept his cool the entire way — not even driving the car into the green belt.His psychological endurance was strong enough, she had to admit.The bathroom was fully stocked with toiletries.After showering, Adriana came out wrapped in a bathrobe, only to find Calvin on the balcony, making a call.He stood near the window, one hand in his pants pocket, his back straight and imposing.“Send someone to keep an eye on
On what grounds?Because he was Calvin — a character you couldn’t afford to mess with, couldn’t afford to offend.Adriana wanted to answer for him, believing, you don't have a second choice.But Calvin’s actual response was more official and impossible to refuse: “Believe it or not, it’s up to you!”His desire to catch him worked. After a brief moment weighing his options, Darren engaged in a more thorough conversation with Calvin, roughly covering how to help him clean up his act, as well as the cooperation that would follow.The matter was negotiated without Calvin needing to mobilize a single soldier.Darren cheerfully took the initiative to toast, saying, “Since we’re partners now, can you tell us your name?”Calvin didn’t touch his wine glass. “Next time, I’ll naturally let you know.”Kevin crossed over and spoke to Darren: “Mr. Darren, waiting for your good news in three days!”Richard and Liam looked at each other in dismay. Darren was normally a cautious man; otherwise, his bu
Darren was an unfamiliar name to Adriana.But Calvin wouldn't mention someone unrelated for no reason.After thinking for two seconds, Adriana understood: this man, Darren, who hadn't shown his face until now, was probably Scar’s big brother.Scar himself didn’t even know what his Big Brother’s real name was — so how did Calvin just point it out directly?Richard’s face shifted from green to white, little by little.He felt that the worst kind of situation was about to happen.This strange man seemed to know far more about them than he should.And the more this became apparent, the more Richard dared not be careless.He forced a smile and tried to stall: "Darren? Which Darren is Brother referring to?"Not only Richard — even Liam, who was nearly drunk, and Austin Mark, still dizzy from slamming into the wall, were staring at Calvin warily.With their connections in New York City, most powerful people at least had recognizable faces.But this man — no one had any information on him at
Mina’s eyes could see six ways at once; she thought tonight felt unusual. She didn’t know who he was, but she knew she had to serve people because of Liam. If anything went wrong, Darren’s business could be soaked, so she smiled carefully."Two brothers, if there's something to say, let’s say it properly. Roughness can scare people off, you know."Kevin’s skin practically crawled from her flattery, and he snapped, "None of your business."Mina smiled softly and picked up a glass of wine. "Handsome, don’t be angry. Why don’t I have a drink with you?"She drank it all in one go, tilting the glass upside down to show not a single drop remained. "Satisfied, handsome?"Kevin said coldly, "Not satisfied."Mina blushed profusely, tugging awkwardly at the corner of her mouth. "Then, what would satisfy the handsome man?"Kevin kept a stern face and said nothing.Mina circled around the table and half-squatted down, trying to tap Calvin’s leg, but he dodged her with a disgusted look, as if a sl
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