Getting a hit from George wasn't that bad, as after that day, Calvin didn’t come to look for her, and she had a few peaceful days.Adriana went to the law firm as usual, looked at the case file, set the date for court, and met the defendant’s lawyer.As expected, Calvin didn’t appear in court himself but sent the head of the technical department of Grand Empire. The man in front of her was in his forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a formal suit, exuding a noble aura.It was probably the corporate culture of the Grand Empire, as even the few staff sitting in the audience had a noble temperament.According to Calvin’s request, the Grand Empire asked the other party to pay a compensation of $2 million. This figure was much higher than the previous similar lawsuits, so it was rejected.However, Adriana had expected that.After the court, Adriana and the executive briefly chatted. The main reason was that she wanted him to talk to Calvin. If the compensation claim were reduced to the
The female doctor looked at Adriana’s wound and frowned angrily, “You are such a big person, but how can you be even worse than a child? Even children knew that wounds can’t touch water. Aren’t you afraid of infection?”Adriana frowned in pain but didn’t argue with the doctor, “It gets wet while bathing. Please help me apply more medicine to it.”The doctor frowned, “The wound is infected. I will help you deal with it. If you can’t take it for more days, then just stick to two days. Just don’t take a bath for two days. Anyway, it’s not that hot.”Adriana nodded, but in her mind, she thought about what Calvin had said.At that time, they had been married for less than a week. One time, Adriana was busy for a whole day and when she came back, she was so tired that she didn’t want to move from the sofa. She looked at him and said softly, “Today, I am too tired and didn’t want to take a bath.”Calvin looked at her, “Do you still think that you are not dirty enough?”His tone was not jokin
Sitting in the car, Adriana's mind was in a mess.If it were any other person, once Adriana knew his identity, she would certainly go over to thank him personally.But how could it happen to be Calvin?The accident happened to be at night, and the neighborhood she lives in is in the opposite direction of the place where Calvin lives. So, how did he happen to be in her neighborhood?Anyone with a little bit of brain could tell that Calvin was following her.‘But why did he do it? To see how she was doing. To make snide remarks?’‘No! With such a warm and beautiful woman by his side, there was no reason for him to come to look for his ex-wife, by leaving beauty alone at home.’So, after overruling all the impossibilities, the only most believable reason she could think of is that the great Mr. Calvin Walker must have something wrong with his brain.Adriana was about to send him a thank you message, but after thinking for a while, she put her phone back into her bag.Since he does good t
This was his black history and he only told them once when he was drunk.Seeing him in a daze, Mona kicked his leg, “Brother, don’t tell me you are still thinking about her?”Aidan depressingly stuffed the few mouthfuls of food and said, “What’s the big deal about being dumped? Who hadn’t been hurt in love once? Why would I think about her? I don’t even remember her.”Adriana nodded as he handed him a glass of juice, “Right! Who hasn’t fallen out of love once? It’s okay, heartbreaks make people stronger.”Aidan was tired of thinking about the bad things in the past and didn’t want to talk about it again. He drank the juice and asked, “What about you? How many boyfriends do you have?”Adriana smiled, “Let me search the database and do a tally.”Aidan rolled his eyes in strategic contempt of her.Mona became interested as she asked, “Adriana, when was your last relationship? Why did you guys break up? I am sure, it must be you who had dumped the other party.”Mona was Aidan’s cousin and
“Are you busy? Why don’t you buy me a drink?”It’s been already four hours past the end of work time, however, Calvin was still in his office, dealing with a pile of papers in front of him. He always stayed late in his office and worked overtime. He seemed didn’t know what exhaustion was, as he looked at the black and white characters in front of his eyes flying fast alternating.So, after being disturbed by Henry, Calvin was not in a good mood. He said coldly, “There are a lot of oleander downstairs, mashed up, and drink as much as you want.”“Fuck! Calvin, can you not be so toxic? Have you taken your pills? It’s not that I am threatening you, however, if you don’t come to have a drink with me today, then don’t look me for cry if you regret it later?”Calvin didn’t say anything and was ready to hang up the phone.Of course, knowing Calvin’s temper, Henry used his ultimate move and said in a cheeky voice, “By the way, don’t you think Adriana has become even more beautiful than three y
Calvin leaned back against the sofa, folded his long legs, and placed them on the table, exuding a lethargic and wanton air to the extreme. "Where did you meet her?"Although he didn’t mention the name, Henry knew he was talking about Adriana.Henry looked at him mysteriously. "Guess."Calvin said, "Don’t you want to drink more?"Hearing that, Henry quickly picked up the bottle in his hand. "Don’t mind me! I was kidding!"He had only taken a few sips.Fearing that Calvin would really take the bottle away, he quickly poured himself a glass. "Where else could I meet her? Of course, at the hospital. She was injured and came for treatment. I checked her medical records. Blunt force trauma, wounds oozing pus—the injuries were shocking. Even a strong man would flinch at the sight of them."Calvin slid his finger over his cell phone, saying nothing.She got a bruise from Grandpa hitting her with an ashtray. Was it still not healed?Henry paused before continuing in a somber tone. "It’s not e
At that moment, the door of the private room opened again, and a handsome man walked in. As he approached, the strong smell of alcohol wafted from his body.Ray hung up the phone and walked familiarly to his exclusive seat—a short sofa on the right. As he settled in, a waiter approached, helping him remove his suit jacket and thoughtfully whispering to ask what he needed.Ray said, "Today, I’ll eat vegetarian."It meant no women.The waiter understood and, without disturbing them further, quietly exited the room.Henry’s hands didn’t stay idle. He touched and teased the woman beside him and asked, "What’s wrong? Are you tired? It’s rare to see you eating veggies."Ray loosened his tie and dropped himself onto the sofa in a disheartened manner, one arm propped up, revealing a Rolex watch. Even his sophisticated attire couldn’t conceal his exhaustion."Don’t ask! I was almost drowned in alcohol by those old cronies tonight."Calvin snorted coldly. "The entertainment industry hasn’t been
Calvin drank all the wine in his glass and placed the crystal glass on the table with a bang! “Adriana… Adriana… Adriana… Are you her fan? Can you just stop talking about her?”Ray couldn’t help but laugh, “Hahaha… Wow! It seems that only Adriana can make Calvin angry. Henry, don’t stop… don’t stop, let me see his angry face a little longer. I can’t imagine Calvin Walker, who has maintained an expressionless face for the past twenty years, finally showing some emotion.”Calvin ignored his ridicule. “I think you’re quite comfortable recently and have lost water in your brain. Why don’t you go to Africa to sunbathe for a while?”Ray stopped laughing and looked at him flatteringly. “Don’t threaten me. It’s not like I swindled two hundred million from you. What’s more, it’s not decided yet—maybe that project will be able to restart.”Last year, Ray had negotiated with Arab countries to develop an oil field project and pulled Calvin in as a shareholder. However, even after drilling the gro
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