Chapter 126 Staying the Night
Seeing Lily at the door, Lucian made a connection as to what had happened after considering Calista’s words. He narrowed his eyes. His gaze had turned glacial with indifference.
He didn’t show any outward signs of anger. But his emotions were palpable. His grip around Calista’s wrist only continued to tighten. It was violent.
“You called her here?”
A severe pain shot up her arm. She couldn’t help but let out a hiss. But before she could break free, he let go of her. He looked down, his gaze landing on her wrist.
“I’m sorry. I lost control of my strength.”
Lucian was acting far more gentlemanly and was sincerely apologizing for hurting her. His words sounded much more sincere than the perfunctory words he had used back at the workshop.
But Calista still kept her distance. To her, he acted no different from crazed characters found in
soap operas on television.
If he were to wear a pair of gold–rimmed glasses, he would fit the image of a civilized scum who
doubled as a psychopathic murderer.
“Since you called her here, you’re responsible for entertaining her.”
Calista had called Lily here knowing that Lucian wouldn’t let her leave. Why would she listen to
him and send the woman away?
“You …”
“Calista,” Lily interrupted their conversation.
Her complexion was as white as snow. Her thin frame was visibly trembling as if she had been
greatly humiliated. She had an expression of grief and anger on her face.
“Lucian and I have not been in contact for a long time. What’s the point of humiliating me this
way?”
She looked at the indifferent Lucian and offered a disdainful smile.
“Even if I had no shame, I would never pester and annoy a man who doesn’t even like me.”
His expression suddenly changed and visibly darkened. He was shooting Lily a warning look. Calista watched it all happen on the sidelines.
Once again, it was a pair of lovers who liked playing the quessing game with one other. Meanwhile, she was a tool used to provoke a jealous reaction How horrible!
What had she done to deserve being treated like a plaything?
She weakly suggested, “Why don’t you come inside? Perhaps I can offer some relationship advice?”
She wanted to know what was bothering them. Weren’t they tired of being stuck in a relationship
like this?
If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought there was some deep–seated vendetta between
them.
“I’ll pass,” Lily spoke.
“Get out,” Lucian said.
The two of them spoke simultaneously–one said with a scoff and another menacing manner. Lily, with her reddened eyes, turned and briskly walked away. Then, she turned around.
“Since we’re all here, let me get the story straight. The invitation was my agent’s idea. She wanted to use the opportunity to promote me since I had plans to expand into the entertainment industry. It was a misunderstanding. I’ve already reprimanded her. It won’t happen again. I apologize.”
This time, she left without looking back. Calista also wanted to leave. Lucian, of course, took
notice before she could do anything.
“You’ll have dinner with me and I’ll drive you home. Feel free to cause even more trouble if you. plan to stay the night,” he threatened grimly.
She watched as the man walked back to the dining hall with large strides.
For a split second, she felt overwhelming sympathy for him. He was rich and powerful. On top of that, he was physically attractive. And yet he loved a difficult woman like Lily.
She would feel sorry for him if he didn’t mistreat her.
“Are you sure you can eat with me there? Should I help convince her to come back?”
If persuasion wasn’t an option, she could drag her back by force. He shot her a cold look.
“You are Madam Northwood. Do you want the reporters to make up stories and tarnish her reputation if you bring her back?”
Calista now wished she could go back in time and slap herself for being soft–hearted. He was being considerate for his beloved and yet she thought he was pitiful. She felt as if she had been
fooled.
Lucian, noticing the lack of sound behind him, asked, “Why aren’t you talking?”
She grumbled, “Because I know to keep myself quiet. Anyone who isn’t your sweetheart would be sent to an early grave if they cause a fuss.”
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He was such a psychotic man! He nearly crushed her hand!
After dinner, he kept his promise and drove her back to her apartment. He was in such a foul mood that he didn’t say a word.
She had originally arranged for Jonathan to make the trip, but Lucian refused. In the end, it was still Jonathan behind the wheel. What a possessive man!
The next day, Calista visited Jacob in his office. She had carefully examined her mother’s belongings the night before. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“What? You’re Rachel’s …”
Jacob stared at Calista in shock. He could barely believe it. And yet, it was the most plausible
explanation.
Both their techniques and appearance were similar. Calling it a mere coincidence was too far-
fetched.
“Why didn’t you say anything when I asked about Rachel? How is your mother? Is she still in the
business?”
“She passed away. She hadn’t cut off contact with you ten years ago. She passed away.”
Telling Jacob her identity wasn’t an impulsive decision on Calista’s part. She hadn’t found
information related to her mother’s death.
She once suspected it to be a mere accident, but her grandfather firmly believed she had been
murdered.
After going around to investigate on her own, Calista found out that her mother had taken on a
project involving the restoration of a painting before the accident.
The restoration of the painting should’ve been unfinished before her passing. But it disappeared after her death. With her enemy lurking in the shadows, she decided to put herself in the
spotlight.
Calista couldn’t be certain if this would yield any results. All this happened a decade ago. Even if there were conspiracies, it would’ve long been buried. However, with no other clues, this was her best bet.
She wanted to make use of Jacob’s connections to spread the news that she was Rachel’s daughter.
“How…” Jacob paused for a moment before continuing. “How did your mother die?”
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She told him her mother’s cause of death, her suspicions, and the clues she had gathered. throughout the years. He frowned and disagreed.
“Your mother would not want you to risk your life. No, I cannot allow you to do this. I’ll keep an eye on you while we investigate the matter. Clues will eventually come to light.”
“My grandfather was concerned about finding the man who hurt my mother even on his deathbed. I can’t let him down.”
“Let’s think long and hard about this,” he said firmly. “First, we’ll publicly disclose your identity as Claude. Once you gain recognition in the circle, you might get more clues.”
“Claude” had gained some recognition in the circle over the years. But Calista kept such a low profile that no one could contact her.
All anyone knew was that she was skilled at what she did. It limited her visibility to a small circle
of people.
“The last documentary was well–received. The director, Lucas, wants to helm an amateur reality show. He asked if you’d be willing to participate to show your face as a means to garner traffic. This is a great opportunity to gain some fame…”
