“I don’t know who leaked the information to the gossip reporters,” Adriana said, “but they’re saying a top-tier businessman is staying in a hotel room upstairs while all the entertainment is going on downstairs.”
Calvin sneered coldly. “What’s that got to do with me?”
Breaking news meant nothing to him. Even if half the nobles and celebrities in New York City had their reputations ruined, he wouldn’t spare them a second glance. The trending searches that dominated the portals all day were just distractions—pointless noise for the public.
Adriana smiled faintly—the same expression she wore while scrolling through her phone earlier.
“What if this top-tier businessman is your…”
Calvin raised his eyes and studied the face across from him, lightly made up with flawless precision.
Adriana deliberately gasped and drew out her words. “That person…
Adriana was once again sure that even if she and Calvin could occasionally get along pleasantly once or twice, overall, it was still unpleasant. There was a lingering stigma in each other’s hearts, and whenever the opportunity arose, they each wanted to stab the other—just a little.It was better this way. At least she wouldn’t dwell on false tenderness long enough to accidentally forget her original intentions.As the VIP elevator descended, Calvin glanced at her tense expression and said, “There are a lot of reporters' downstairs. You’ll definitely be photographed if you go out like this.”Adriana replied, “I’m not some big star or a rich kid. What’s the point of photographing me?”Besides, the reporters were focused on Ray and Anna. Why would they bother with her?Calvin sneered. “You made quite a splash tonight. You drew a lot of attention—even dared to approach the Develop
“I don’t know who leaked the information to the gossip reporters,” Adriana said, “but they’re saying a top-tier businessman is staying in a hotel room upstairs while all the entertainment is going on downstairs.”Calvin sneered coldly. “What’s that got to do with me?”Breaking news meant nothing to him. Even if half the nobles and celebrities in New York City had their reputations ruined, he wouldn’t spare them a second glance. The trending searches that dominated the portals all day were just distractions—pointless noise for the public.Adriana smiled faintly—the same expression she wore while scrolling through her phone earlier.“What if this top-tier businessman is your…”Calvin raised his eyes and studied the face across from him, lightly made up with flawless precision.Adriana deliberately gasped and drew out her words. “That person…
If she had been given a bit more courage, Adriana still wouldn’t have dared to bite Calvin’s arm. She gripped the leather cushion on the sofa, her fingers pressing into it. “No, I’m fine,” she said.Calvin frowned. He wiped the bruised skin around the wound, examined the glass shards embedded in it, then used tweezers to extract a piece and drop it into a glass container. The blood-stained remnants of the glass stung sharply.Cold sweat broke out on Adriana’s forehead, and the tip of her nose glistened with damp heat. The fragments had pierced deep into her skin. No wonder the pain was so intense.“Does it feel better?” Calvin asked, not trying to comfort her. “Don’t move—there’s more.”Adriana drew in several sharp breaths of pain, closed her eyes, and said, “Please continue.”Calvin had once removed bullets from other people’s flesh. He wasn’t a
Wow!With the continuous sound of shattering glass, the champagne tower collapsed completely. Glass shards flew everywhere, followed by the screams of female guests, the shouts of startled men, and the rising noise of a panicked crowd. The ballroom was thrown into chaos.It had all happened at the crossover point—so fast, it was almost unreal.Adriana stared at the person in front of her in shock, her mouth open in surprise, but no words came out.The one who had thrown himself over her, shielding her with his body, was Mark.To protect her, Mark had wrapped his arm around her while absorbing the full impact himself. His body took the brunt of the fall, and his back hit the ground hard with a dull thud. He let out a muffled grunt as he landed.“Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”Adriana shook her head quickly, then nervously reached out to touch his arm. She remembered clearly that he had landed hard on his ri
“I don’t understand what Mr. Ray means. Have I stirred up storms or shouted across the skies? Throwing mud just for the sake of it—how boring.”Ray didn’t bother matching Adriana’s eloquence and exposed his suspicions. “You don’t want me to cause a scene? Tearing your skirt in public isn’t exactly low-profile. Baldwin, Peter, even Mr. Martin from the Development Bank—what are you trying to do? Using the land deal to win people over?”Adriana shook off his arm. “That’s right. The organizer built this platform to create opportunities for contact and exchange. We’re here to connect, to align minds and discuss projects. Everyone relies on their own skills. If you’re not up to it, then work on your network. No need to throw veiled threats at me.”Ray curled his lips in disdain, no longer bothering with superficial civility. “Do you really think those people want to help you rebuild Clarke? They just want to sleep with you!”Adriana responded coolly, “Business is about three things: reputat
Adriana neither admitted nor denied anything. As for Baldwin—she didn’t know him well, but instinct told her he was a bit cunning. The kind of man you could talk business with, but never friendship.“What is it?” she asked, her tone neutral.Baldwin smiled politely and handed her his business card. “Contact me if you need anything. Don’t be shy.”As his fingers reached out, Adriana subtly pulled her hand away.“Mr. Jones is very polite. I look forward to our next meeting.”“Mr. Jones, you know Miss Clarke?”The voice belonged to Peter.His tall, commanding presence made Baldwin seem almost insignificant by comparison.Baldwin nodded. “Vice President Walker, you know Miss Clarke as well?”Peter gave a light smile. “It’s an honor to know her.”Sensing the tension, Baldwin excused himself smartly. “I’ll leave you two to talk—I won’t intrude.”Peter gave a polite nod.Adriana offered a faint smile. “Is Vice President Walker deliberately trying to give me a hard time?”Peter smiled, hiding
“There are still three pounds of bones left in a dead horse—Adriana can't possibly have no capital hidden away,” someone sneered.“You think she’s trying to use tonight to land herself a new sugar daddy and make a comeback?”“She should take a look around and realize what kind of event this is. Throwing herself into the spotlight like that—she must be out of her mind!”“I heard she fought a couple of lawsuits for Grand Empire, and Calvin was quite impressed with her.”At the mention of Calvin, the tone of the crowd noticeably sharpened.Then suddenly, someone gasped, covering their mouth. “Oh my god, can’t you see it? She and Anna are wearing the same dress!”Right on cue, Anna stepped into the whirlwind of gossip, her expression laced with sarcasm. “Lawyer Clarke, what a surprise—I didn’t think we’d end up choosing the same outfit.”Adriana’s brows twitched slightly. Her mind quickly flashed back to Kristen’s abrupt change of heart. Was Anna present at the time?So this had all been
In the clamor of the crowd, a long white dress stood out—warped in style like a waterfall of hair draped over the shoulders. It revealed skin a few shades paler than the hem of the dress, as flawless and luminous as a piece of beautiful jade.The most eye-catching feature was the collarbone, adorned with a diamond-studded necklace, ringed with rubies that gleamed against the white background. A matching ruby bracelet wrapped around her wrist, and her white high heels with red straps complemented the entire look. It wasn’t ostentatious—just the right amount of embellishment, enhancing her beauty rather than overwhelming it.Ray nearly choked on his wine. As he stared at the woman—undeniably more stunning than any of the other female guests—his heart muttered, “Shit,” and his eyes couldn’t help but follow her swaying steps.But soon, he noticed a glaring issue.Turning his gaze to Anna, standing right in front of him, he said in disbelief, “Shit! You two are wearing the same dress?”Fra
Maria felt heartbroken and stifled. In the past, the dresses she wore to banquets were all high-end, custom-made, limited editions.Now, Adriana needed two dresses—together costing nearly $300,000. Where on earth could she get them?After thinking for a moment, she decided to call her former designer, Kristen.Kristen answered brightly. “My lucky queen! It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but it’s really bad timing. All the dresses in your size are out of the store. There’s a business event tomorrow and a film festival the day after—everything’s been booked in advance.”“Not even a single one?” Adriana asked.There was a pause, and some background conversation on Kristen’s end. Then he came back with a grin in his voice. “Actually, there’s one, but the waist was too skinny for your size.”Even borrowing one was already a big favor. Adriana didn’t want to push her luck. “Okay, thank you. I’ll definitely repay you later!”Debts of gratitude are never easy—but when you owe, you pay.