Chapter 181 You’re Just Her Ex–husband
“They want me as a designer for the CrossTime project and are offering 200 thousand dollars in
design fees. I don’t have to be on shift. Meetings will be conducted at my own time. They’re also
offering an advance on my paycheck.”
Yara choked.
Once she recovered, she said, “Are you an idiot? That’s such a good job opportunity. Why are you
even thinking about it? Say yes! What boss is that amazingly generous….? CrossTime project.
CrossTime project,” she muttered to herself twice.
Then, she shot Calista a teasing look and winked.
“Isn’t that the project the Bakers are working on? Did Paul come to see you?”
“Is the design fee that high?”
Calista wasn’t familiar with that particular sector. If the offer was unreasonably high, she
wouldn’t take the job. Despite her financial slump, that wasn’t the way she wanted to earn money.
“It’s alright. Nothing outrageous given your worth. Once the show gets broadcast and gets good
ratings, you’ll be a celebrity. Your presence could boost the project’s popularity when it opens.”
Yara put her cheeks in her hands as she thought about it.
“It has a market value but no market. You’re just an amateur after all. There are very few ancient
architectural projects like this one. It’s a good opportunity. Don’t let it pass you by.”
Yara noticed Calista had down several mouthfuls of wine while she was speaking and snatched
the glass out of her hands.
“Ma’am, drink less. I never want to see you drunk again. Hurry up and send Paul a text. Tell him
you accept his offer. Don’t risk losing this opportunity because you hesitated.”
Having made her decision, Calista wasted no time and texted Paul. The man probably happened to
bé using his phone as he replied quickly.
You can drop by the company to sign the contract at 1 pm tomorrow. Send me your banking
details
The advance wait till the project officially kicks off,” she said.
+15 BONUS
She hadn’t even signed the contract yet. She wasn’t that bold.
“This is a deposit,” Paul insisted.
So, Calista reluctantly sent him her banking information. Minutes later, she received a transfer of
100 thousand dollars. Yara watched the exchange go down and reached out to poke Calista in her
arm.
“You should ask Mr. Baker if he has friends to introduce. I’m available,” she joked.
“Of course, he does. His name is Lucian Northwood.”
Yara scoffed.
“Aren’t we besties? Why are you pushing me into the line of fire? Are you jealous my credit limit is higher than yours?”
As soon as she got the money, Calista immediately wired it to Lucian. She had a transfer limit of 50 thousand dollars per transaction. So, she sent it to him in two, maxing out her daily limit.
Back at the Everglade Manor, Lucian glanced at his phone when he heard it vibrate. He had received a text from the bank confirming a successful transaction.
He hadn’t bothered to check at first until he saw the amount. He frowned.
50 thousand dollars? No one would wire him such a pathetic amount. He checked it to find that it was indeed Calista who wired it to him.
He stared at the text and asked Cade, who was sitting across the couch from him, “What did you say?”
I’m saying because of your falling out with Paul, I had to pay for dinner twice. Time costs nothing to you, am I right?”
“You said you ran into Calista at the golf course this morning.”
Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in the whereabouts of an irrelevant person and ask me not to tell you? What’s wrong? Are you suddenly interested?”
the sight of the two transfer records had his stern face suddenly losing all its warmth His lips
pressed into a thin line.
“You and Paul went golfing today?”
+15 BONUS
“Are you fucking stupid? I called you this morning. You were the one who didn’t want to come.”
Cade frowned, watching Lucian stare at his phone as if he were in mourning.
“What did you see? Did Calista send you an invitation to her second wedding?”
“She wired me 100 thousand dollars.”
Cade seemed taken aback. It took him a split second to figure out that it was Calista who
transferred the funds.
“Okay, she wired the money. You were the one who demanded she pay you back. So, she did.
What’s got your panties in a bunch?”
“She doesn’t have money,” Lucian answered.
It hadn’t been long since the last time Calista tossed him 1.2 million dollars. He had been
suspicious of where she got her funds from and looked into her bank statements and balances at
first.
Ultimately, it was determined that the money came from a loan from Yara. Calista only had a small amount left in her bank for living expenses.
It had only been a short while since then. How did she come up with another 100 thousand? How coincidental was it that she met Paul this morning and now she had money?
“What? So, you won’t even let her earn money? Isn’t she a well–known conservator? She should be able to make a decent income,” Cade said.
“Do you think restoring artifacts is an easy process? It takes months to restore a single piece. The meager salary she earns at Justa is barely enough to feed your dog. The relics restoration field values experience. That’s something you build up over time. At her age, she’s only slightly better than her peers
Cade was not in a pleasant mood. He wouldn’t have come drinking with Lucian in the middle of the night otherwise. He didn’t bother mincing his words.
That has nothing to do with you. You’re just her ex–husband Even if she sold her body for money, it’s none of your business If you’re so lonely, find yourself a woman. I don’t think Ms Everhart is Interested in rekindling an old flame
Lucian finally retracted his gaze from his phone. He turned his attention back to Cade.
“You should leave. You drank two bottles of wine. You better pay me back tomorrow.”
+15 BONUS
The next day, Calista got out of bed early and went to the DNA testing center to collect the results.
She had submitted the samples before the New Year and pulled some strings to have the results
expedited.
She received a brown paper envelope from a staff member but didn’t open it right away. She
instead found a bench nearby and sat down.
The test center was fairly empty as it was only its first day back in operation. Her numb,
expressionless face was reflected in the polished glass.
Calista thought she came prepared. But as the moment drew near, she realized that no amount of
preparation could keep her indifferent.
She carefully untangled the thread that kept the envelope sealed. Just then, her phone suddenly
rang. Her tense body seemed to go lax as she heaved a sigh of relief. It was Zachary.
“Why are you still quarreling with Lucian, Calista?”
Zachary hadn’t called Calista in a while because she knew she was stubborn and had to figure
things out on her own. Moreover, couples tend to have a cooling–off period after a fight.
Lucian had demanded that he repay the money, but the former never followed up on it. Zachary had assumed that it was an empty threat.
Just yesterday, he was planning to whisk his wife and daughter away on a short vacation.
However, a lawyer had unexpectedly visited him this morning.
Are you trying to drive your father into an early grave, you ungrateful wench?”
Calista smirked when she heard her father raging through the receiver. It gave her an
overwhelming surge of courage. She could barely wait to see the results.
Do you know where I am right now, Dad?”
Where?
