Se connecterA faint smile touched Zhao Hua’s lips. “That’s a good question.”“Then answer it.”“Maybe because someone is protecting her,” Zhao Hua said casually. “Someone who doesn’t want the world to know she’s still alive.”A name surfaced in Falcon’s mind almost instantly.Cale Miller.“She’s in Cale’s hands
“You’re earlier than I expected,” he said flatly.Falcon took the seat across from him without waiting to be invited. “I don’t like wasting time.”A faint smile touched Zhao Hua’s lips. “And I don’t like being approached without a clear reason.”Falcon ignored the remark. He pulled a tablet from ins
Naomi blinked, caught off guard by the question. “What are you talking about?”Cale gave a small shrug. “For all I know, there could have been some kind of romance between you.”Naomi nearly threw the cushion resting on her lap at him. But she stopped herself at the last second. Cale was just as int
The servant who had brought breakfast could only stand there awkwardly. “Miss… you should at least eat a little,” she said softly.“I’m not hungry,” Naomi replied without turning around. “Take it all back.”“At least—”“I said no,” Naomi cut in, sharper this time.The servant finally retreated, st
“And what does all of this have to do with Don Falcon? Who is he?”This time, Lydia stayed silent longer. Her thoughts turned in circles, weighing how much she could say without exposing something she didn’t even fully understand herself. Her fingers tightened against the bedsheet, her breath catchi
Lydia stared at Cale without blinking, her breath caught tight in her chest while his last words still hung in the air. Two days. In two days, she was supposed to leave with Naomi. No real explanation, no space to refuse beyond a few words he clearly wasn’t willing to hear.“Is that your decision?”
“No,” she growled under her breath. “Not today.”Eli opened her eyes; her breath caught in her throat.“Tomorrow is important,” Selena continued, more to herself than to Eli. “Your face can’t look ruined.”Eli stared at her mother, confused. “Important for what?”“Go to your room,” Selena ordered. “
“Yes. He didn’t like it,” Lydia continued. “He said if Selena had a goal, why did she have to force Eli like that? Josh felt sorry for her. He said… Eli is a good girl.”Silence followed, as if each of them was processing the weight of Lydia’s words. None of them had expected Selena to be using Eli
Oscar slowly lifted his head. His breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling unevenly.“If you refuse,” Cale continued—his voice calm, stripped of any overt threat, which somehow made it far more terrifying—“you never should’ve thought about refusing in the first place. You do remember your
“Once you’re inside,” Oscar continued, his voice dropping even lower, “Callister Group will be paralyzed. The board of commissioners will scramble to save themselves, including Bret, who personally gave me my orders. Domestic and foreign investors will start pulling out. I think it began a few days







