Seeing Adriana squatting down like this, Calvin couldn't help but frown. He thought that she was just pretending to be weak to gain his sympathy.
"Adriana, you don't have to pretend in front of me, I know you well! Just get the hell out of here! I can't stand your hypocrisy. It made me feel disgusted!" Calvin said coldly.
Hearing his words, Adriana felt as if someone had stabbed a knife in her heart. She wanted to stand up and leave, but the weight of those memories was too much for her to bear.
Adriana felt that as if her legs got weak, and all her energy of her body had been drained out. No matter how hard she tried to stand up, she couldn't.
"Calvin?"
Just then a sweet woman's voice came, breaking the tension.
Adriana looked up, only to see a beautiful woman walking towards them.
The woman was wearing a white shirt and black skirt, with delicate, fair skin. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, making her look even more beautiful.
"Rose! What are you doing here?" Calvin asked lightly.
The woman was Rose Richard, Calvin's therapist. Over the past three years, Calvin had suffered from insomnia, only managing to get about three hours of sleep a night, relying on medical interventions. However, he hadn't seen her in a week. Rose had planned to reach out to him to check in, but instead, she found him here.
"Oh, I am here to meet a friend." She said sweetly.
Seeing Adriana collapsed on the floor, her eyes filled with confusion as she asked, "What happened to her? Does she need my help?"
"Oh, no. She won't die now," Calvin said, his voice cold and cruel, completely different from his earlier gentleness.
"Well, okay then." Rose didn't press the issue further. She glanced at Calvin from head to toe, nodding slightly before saying, "You look much better. You haven't been to therapy this week, how are you feeling? Sleeping better?"
"I am much better, all thanks to your help," Calvin replied, his tone unexpectedly soft, a stark contrast to the anger he had shown when he was strangling Adriana just moments ago.
"Even if you are feeling well, you still have to take care of your routine and diet. You can't drink too much caffeine and you can't be working till late." Rose advised, her concern evident.
"Hmm, don't worry, I will. I have got more important things to do this week, so I didn't come to the therapy. But I am confident I can cure my insomnia. You know that, it all started because I was betrayed. But I am not stupid anymore," Calvin said sarcastically.
Adriana knew exactly who he was speaking to with those words, he was making it clear that by "curing my insomnia" he meant removing her, the "culprit."
Adrian felt like her heart had been crushed in his hands, and no matter how much she begged, he refused to let go, wanting her to suffer until the end.
In the past, she had loved him deeply, given him all her heart, hoping that one day he would fall in love with her.
But now, he was using her heart, which she had offered to him, as a tool to hurt her, carelessly squeezing it, with no end in sight.
For the past three years, she had told herself that this man was a cold-blooded, dangerous creature, incapable of love, incapable of tenderness.
But now, she could no longer deceive herself.
It wasn't that he didn't know how to love, he just reserved his warmth for others. It would never belong to her. And she had begged him like a desperate, tail-wagging beggar, only to end with nothing.
HOW FOOLISH!
Adriana cursed herself inwardly, clenched her fists, and tried to rise to her heart.
Ding-dong…
At that moment, her phone pinged with a message. Without even looking, she grabbed it as if it were lifeline, rising with all her strength. The sorrow on her face disappeared, and she quickly fixed her hair, acting as though nothing had happened. She softly called to the two still in conversation, "Sir, if there is nothing, I will finish it soon as possible and send it to you. It's been a pleasure working with you!"
Without waiting for Calvin to respond, she turned and left the cafe.
In her three years of living, the one thing she learned the best is to make her pain as her strength.
In that instant, she understood. Since he wants to keep dwelling on the past, let's see can be more ruthless!
"Adriana Clarke, STOP BEING WEAK! You are not the same person you were three years ago!" she told herself.
The two descended the stairs. The manager and staff bowed obsequiously.“Sir, Madam, do you have any preferred style?”Adriana bit her lip and glanced sideways at Calvin.He remained expressionless, his face cold as he said,“Pack all the dresses that fit her size.”Adriana: “…”Wow.So this was how Calvin shopped for clothes? She had truly seen something new today.The manager’s joy erupted like fireworks, his excitement probably no less than winning the lottery. He quickly asked,“What about the men’s section?”This time, Adriana had to speak up.“The few items on the rack outside the fitting room were all his size.”“Alright, alright!”Calvin pulled out a black card, his long finger pointing at it lazily.“Bring the clothes and the bill over together.”The moment the manager
Unlike her awkward methods, Calvin stripped her naked as easily as peeling an egg.Adriana was both embarrassed and annoyed. She grabbed a piece of clothing to cover herself. “I don’t need your help. I’ve been dressing myself since I was three or four years old.”Calvin looked her up and down, then handed her the smallest strapless dress. “Are you going to put it on inside, or here?”He hadn’t even acknowledged what she’d just said.Adriana nearly crumpled the silk nightgown in her hands, forcing a smile. “Since you want to see, how could I spoil the fun?”With that, she confidently slipped the nightgown over her head in front of him.The smooth fabric slid effortlessly over her shoulders and fell to her knees, hugging her curves and showing off her perfect S-shaped figure.Some clothes, when worn, seem as if they’re not there at all—yet they highlight the curves
Adriana had never been to the third floor before and had no idea that even casual wear and pajamas were so abundantly stocked here. Though not custom-made, compared to high-end brands outside, the color palette and designs here were clearly several tiers above.Before she could finish her quick inspection, she realized Calvin had dismissed the staff.“Send them away? Then who will serve the guests?” she asked under her breath.Calvin walked over to a dark green leather sofa, sat down with effortless elegance, crossed his legs, and leaned against the armrest. Propping up his left arm, his long fingers traced the sharp line of his jaw as his eyes roamed over her from head to toe, like precise measuring tapes.“There are only two of us,” he said smoothly. “We can serve each other.”Adriana squirmed under his gaze. Pulling her shawl tighter, she wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive gesture. “Although
“Can the Deputy Director walk again?”“Yes, just like before. He walks with such confidence and dignity, as if he doesn’t recognize anyone.”That made sense. They had hired top-notch doctors—of course, they might have ways to speed up recovery.Adriana followed Lisa’s instructions and stopped meddling in that case, thinking it was already closed. But when she heard about it again today, she couldn’t help asking, “Did they mention any key points about the Blue Star Technology case?”“I didn’t get to hear it before. I was caught and scolded. Judging from the Deputy Director’s expression, it doesn’t seem like good news.”Adriana didn’t have a license now and couldn’t get too involved, so she could only call Aidan to ask.“Don’t worry about it for now. We don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.”“Master, where are you? There’s no case right now, so you’re not busy. Want to go out for dinner tonight? A friend just opened a hot pot restaurant, let’s go support them.”“Tonight probably wo
The computer screen displayed a typical French face—a middle-aged man in his fifties, clearly a corporate executive.Adriana instinctively covered her face, afraid the other person might see her appearance.Calvin caught her hand, covering her lips and pinching her fingers. Her fingers were slender and delicate, fitting perfectly in his palm like a piece of art. The corner of his eyes held a faint warmth as he gently pried each of her fingers open.Despite Adriana’s resistance, she couldn’t match his strength. Eventually, her face was exposed, and she helplessly burrowed into his embrace.Because of the meeting, he was dressed in a neat suit—a deep black jacket, an elegant gray shirt, and a silver tie. The soft, smooth fabric felt warm against her skin, and she caught a faint whiff of his masculine cologne.Too preoccupied with avoiding the camera, Adriana had neglected her posture. She was sitting on Calvin’s lap, hidden so easily because of the way his legs spread naturally apart. S
Last night, he had planned to go to Adriana’s house, but on the way he spotted her car and followed it all the way to the bar. Before he could even get out, he saw Adriana with Mark. In that moment, rage surged through him—he nearly smashed his own car in fury.And then, by coincidence, Rose knocked on his car window.So everything fell into place.Adriana shrugged indifferently and laughed. Are you explaining this to me? There’s no such thing as a coincidence. If you’re going to make excuses, at least make them decent. she thought.“You don’t believe me?”“Whether I believe it or not doesn’t seem that important.”The phone rang, and Calvin left it on speaker.On the other end, Henry laughed mockingly. “Hmm, hmm, hmm. Looks like Anna didn’t check the almanac before going out. This time, she really messed up. Multiple facial injuries, a broken nose, cuts on her che