Calvin straightened his clothes and stood up gracefully, his footsteps as light as his mood.“Go back to the hotel and pack your bags. We are returning to New York this afternoon.”That afternoon, Adriana boarded Calvin’s private plane.The deluxe version of the flight had only the two of them as passengers, in addition to the crew.The spacious cabin was furnished with sofa seats, bathrooms, wine coolers, board games, bookshelves, and other amenities—enough to keep anyone from being bored on a ten-hour flight.But sitting next to Calvin, Adriana felt as though each minute dragged on like a year.Calvin caught up in his busy schedule, read documents for more than two hours after boarding, then moved on to a video conference.Adriana flipped through magazines and novels, trying to avoid crossing paths with him.The plane soared smoothly through the sky. The man inside sat in the clouds, the drifting whiteness outside the windows casting platinum light into the cabin, sculpting his face
In about twenty days, Adriana went away, and Jessica stepped into the limelight—receiving honored guests, taking on cases, traveling between the three directors, and even winning a not-so-small divorce case without incident.Even her relationship with Carson was surprisingly harmonious.Carson shuffled out of the office, his tie askew, one hand in his pocket, his handsome face carrying that same impatience that came with being woken up.“What’s going on? Not going to work?” he asked.The lawyers scattered—some winking at Adriana, others lingering to watch the drama unfold.Adriana felt uncertain. Something had clearly changed at the law firm while she was away.Jessica deliberately slowed her steps as she passed Carson. She didn’t do anything outright, but to the onlookers, it looked suspiciously like a flirtation.“Oh? Lawyer Jessica and Deputy Director Carson seem quite close.”“Now that Adriana's out of the picture, Carson’s heart is drifting back to Jessica.”“Lawyer Clarke still
Carson asked, “How much do you know about Sebastian?”Adriana told the truth. “What I should have known.”“Oh…” Carson touched the cigarette case clamped between his fingers, hesitated, and then put it back. “What I’m about to say might change your perception of justice. Sebastian doesn’t always operate by common sense.”“I understand. I’ve heard some rumors about Professor Sebastian. They say he can saber-rattle and resort to extraordinary means to win. But to me, it just sounds like routine maneuvering—nothing worth making a fuss over.”Hearing Adriana speak so frankly, Carson snorted and laughed. “I was wondering why Sebastian would make an exception and take on your case. You two are quite the pair.”Then, Carson revealed the real reason Tony’s case was won.Sebastian had gone to the detention center to see Tony. No one knew what was said between them, but Tony went completely silent afterward—didn’t speak for three days. On the fourth day, he met with Sebastian again. After that,
Adriana closed the door with a flick of her hand and raised her smiling face.“Director Aidan, what are your instructions?”Aidan saw that she was in a good mood and rubbed the bridge of his nose.“Bold of you. I thought you'd be fighting with Carson.”“How could I? I have to make a living. Hitting the leader would be a death sentence.”“So... are you doing anything tonight?”Aidan, whose head felt like it was about to explode, really couldn’t get out of it. If he didn’t bring Adriana home to deal with the situation, his parents would kill him for not dragging home their 'future daughter-in-law.'Adriana tilted her head. “Another blind date?”“No, no!” Aidan scratched his ear, scrambling for an excuse. “My parents have been wanting to invite you to dinner for a while. Last time, you couldn’t make it, but now they’re really insisting.”Adriana looked confused. “You haven’t explained to them?”Aidan laughed sheepishly. He didn’t want to. If he did, he’d be handed a string of blind dates
Calvin’s phone calls kept coming one after another.Adriana drank half her coffee but gave up waiting—an internal emergency forced her to head to the restroom first.While drying her hands, she happened to run into Nancy coming out of one of the stalls.With a timid expression, Nancy bowed and apologized again. “Thank you, Lawyer Clarke!”Adriana said calmly, “It’s in the past.”Nancy looked around to make sure no one else was nearby, then leaned in a little closer.“Lawyer Clarke, recently there have been rumors spreading in the company. They say you used your uncle just to get close to the president, and that...”Adriana, already expecting the gossip to be far from kind, didn’t react. “What else?”“They’re saying the president has been bribed by you. He and Anna are getting engaged, and you’re just a temporary fling. They even call you a vixen… saying a small-time lawyer like you is trying to steal a man from the daughter of Phantom Group.”Adriana listened with a faint smile, neith
His intentional making of things difficult for her was not a one-time thing. Adriana asked casually, “What else do you want? Just say it.”The sense of distance between them was precise and well-measured. Calvin wanted to throw a fit but couldn’t find a justifiable reason. He simply looked at her, eyes narrowing slightly. “Was it Aidan’s phone?”At the moment, all he knew was that Aidan was her senior back in the country.Adriana was a little worried Calvin might be working behind the scenes to cause trouble for Aidan. Her response was vague, “I just returned to the country and have a lot of work on my plate that isn’t done yet. If there’s nothing urgent, let’s talk another time. Is that okay?”That last question was only out of politeness. She just wanted a yes.Calvin didn’t like to play slow. “In my opinion, no.”Adriana cursed inwardly. How did I not realize before how shameless he could be? “Then what?”After confirming the time, Calvin picked up the car keys from the table. “Go
Adriana recognized the auntie—she lived in the middle household on the same floor. They had met before in the elevator, once when the woman had been carrying heavy things.“Yeah, just renovated,” Adriana said. “Came to check it out.”The auntie glanced at the unfamiliar man standing next to her. Her eyes lit up with curiosity as she smiled and asked, “This handsome young man—is he your boyfriend? You two look good together! He must be at least one meter ninety, right? So tall and handsome.”Adriana quickly explained, “No, he’s not.”Calvin looked at the plainly dressed woman, radiating small-town gossip vibes. Though he rarely smiled, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. “She will be moving in a few months. She’ll be living on her own, so I’ll need to help her out when needed.”The auntie was momentarily shaken by his smile, a little flustered.“Oh, that’s great. She’s such a good girl—helped me carry things once. So pretty and fair-skinned, and kind too. And those legs—my eyes n
Adriana didn’t want Aidan to see her getting out of Calvin’s car, so she asked him to pull over about a hundred meters in advance.How could Calvin not know what she was thinking? But with a quick push of the gas, the car surged forward, roaring past the spot, and stopped steadily at the restaurant’s main entrance.The contrast between the luxurious Rolls-Royce and the modest Western-style restaurant was striking enough to make passersby sigh.Adriana’s fists clenched, her patience wearing thin. “Calvin, is this supposed to be funny?”Calvin’s face was illuminated by the restaurant sign, alternating cold blue and eerie purple lights washing over his features. “Very funny,” he replied.Adriana glanced left and right, making sure Aidan wasn’t in sight, then opened the car door and slipped out from the side facing away from the restaurant.Unexpectedly, Calvin also unbuckled his seatbelt and followed her out, his tall, handsome frame now aligned with the giant billboard above. The popula
Calvin stood alone in the smoking area, lighting a cigarette and leaning against the parapet.He drew in a deep mouthful of smoke, letting it burn through his lungs.(The young madam even asked me to teach her how to make a fish cake... but it was hard for her. She was a true lady — ten fingers never touching spring water. She burned her fingers, blistered them, but never said a word about the pain.)Fish cakes — such a distant memory.If Emily hadn’t pried open that forgotten gate of memory, perhaps Calvin would never have remembered it again in his life.It had been late — well after 1:00 a.m. — when he returned to New York after a long inspection trip at the England branch.The living room was dimly lit by a single floor lamp.As he put down his luggage, he noticed Adriana curled up on the sofa, asleep.On the table beside her, a plate of fish cakes sat quietly, waiting for him.The next morning, as he passed the dining room, he spotted the plate again and frowned."Why didn’t you
There was no need for Calvin to explicitly say anything; certain unspoken rules were already understood — Adriana knew them all.There was no point in going through the usual formalities again, not against someone like Darren, who couldn’t rise to the occasion.Calvin examined the clear light in her eyes and once again understood what Henry had meant when he said Adriana had changed.In the past, she wouldn't have shown such calmness; her gaze would not have carried the wisdom it held now."Keep your co-worker in check and don’t let her do anything reckless. But of course, if you want to use this chance to get rid of an inconvenient opponent, you can just let it slide."Adriana nodded. "I know what to do."The ambiguous tension between them slowly faded as the conversation unfolded. Calvin glanced around the room. "Rest early."He’s letting me off that easily? Adriana thought."Good night," she said, getting up to see him off, without the slightest intention of trying to make anything
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,