Chapter 186 Regret?
The following day, Calista had just finished her lunch at Justa when Jacob approached her.
“Callie, want to grab a coffee? Someone’s interested in meeting you.”
Jacob didn’t provide details, but Calista had a hunch as they drove onto the familiar road.
As she entered the private room, Calista was not surprised to see the man who often appeared on
television and in various interviews.
“Mr. Beaumont.” She greeted. It was none other than Augustus Beaumont, the Director of the
country’s most prestigious museum.
Augustus looked at Calista and responded kindly, “You appear even younger and more beautiful in person than on television. I feel content seeing young talents like you in this field.”
Calista replied, “Mr. Beaumont, you’re too kind. I still have much to learn from you. My
grandfather told me I should grab any chance to see the artifacts you’ve restored. It’s the only way
to truly grasp the heights of this profession.”
Augustus chuckled and humbly responded, “Well, it’s quite fortunate because you have the
chance now.”
Half an hour later, their meeting ended.
Calista and Jacob walked Augustus to the door, where he made a stopping gesture and added, ”
Take your time to think about my offers. Our museum is always open to you. We have some
exceptionally demanding restoration projects and haven’t found the perfect candidate in years.”
Once Augustus left, Jacob mentioned that he had some business to attend to in the city center and
went.
Just as Calista prepared to leave herself, Hector unexpectedly appeared from the side, holding a
bouquet of roses and wearing a mischievous grin.
Hector didn’t hesitate and thrust the flowers into Calista’s arms, his entire presence as vibrant as
the bouquet.
“Congratulations!”
Calista had no choice but to accept the bouquet shoved into her.
“Thank you,” she replied.
“Instead of just saying thank you, I prefer something more tangible, like…”
Hector paused, noticing Calista’s guarded and tense expression. Without further ado, he extended
his arm and embraced her.
“A hug.”
Hector intentionally waited for Calista here upon learning of her scheduled meeting.
In an unexpected moment, Calista found herself enveloped in Hector’s embrace, a bouquet of roses
in her hand.
She wanted to resist, but Hector’s gentle release halted her. These fleeting two seconds injected
an extra burst of energy into the atmosphere.
Coincidentally, Lucian appeared out of nowhere. He spotted Calista holding roses and smiling at
Hector.
Calista was dressed in a white outfit that made the bouquet of red roses wrapped in black paper
stand out prominently.
Lucian narrowed his eyes. He told the person on the other end of the phone, “I’ll call you back.”
He then walked over to them with an extremely displeased look.
First, there was Paul, then the waiter, and today Lucian had another encounter with Hector. After
their divorce, Calista’s life became increasingly eventful with each passing day.
If this trend continued, it seemed that all the men in the world would flock to her.
As Hector saw Lucian drawing near, he promptly shielded Calista and quipped.
“Mr. Northwood, do you possess an insatiable desire to be the voyeur in others‘ love affairs?”
Why was Lucian always around and haunting him?
Hector considered arguing with Lucian but recognized the importance of upholding a positive
image in public, especially since Calista had a sense of decorum, unlike Lucian.
It led him to choose his words carefully.
Lucian let out a low hum and sneered, “So, are you guys a thing now?”
Nwchalantly resting his hand on Calista’s shoulder, Hector retorted, “Well, since you two are exes. #t’s one of your busmess, right? But Mr Northwood, you seem pretty determined. Regretting your decisions? Thinking of pulling off a grand romantic gesture to win her back, perhaps?”
Hector appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he screamed, “Deny it Tell her you’re not used to seeing your ex being with someone else. Make her understand it’s just wishful thinking”
Lucian tightly clenched his hands, battling to retain his composure as he observed Hector’s
provocative grin
Abruptly, he chuckled “Regardless of whether we’re divorced, I could never
Suddenly, Calista gestured behind Lucian mid–sentence and interrupted, “Your sweetheart is here.
“Lucian I need to talk to you about something.” Lily’s voice resonated.
Lucian furrowed his brow Calista was uninterested in their drama, so she tugged on Hector’s
sleeve and prompted
“Let’s go
“Calista
Lucian reached out to grab Calista, but she sidestepped him. When he tried again, Lily was already
holding his arm
“Lucian, I have something important to discuss with you. Can we…”
Lucian watched as the two walked away, and he shrugged off Lily’s hand, intending to catch up
with them
“Lucian…”
Lily blocked him. She had spent the entire night without sleep, her eyes bloodshot, and her
complexion paled.
You promised my father that you would care for me.”
Calista and Hector had already vanished from sight. Lucian redirected his gaze, his impatience evident in his furrowed brows.
“What’s the matter?”
“People are gossiping that your divorce with Calista was my fault online,” Lily explained
Lucian shrugged.
“So what?”
Lily persisted.
“They’re portraying me as a home–wrecker. Queenie has even terminated my contract. If this continues, my career is going down the drain. Lucian, can you help me out?”
Lily’s expression no longer bore the air of arrogance it once did. Instead, it reflected an urgent
desire to escape her current predicament.
Lucian replied, “Fine.”
“Lucian, thank you…”
“I can have the PR department from Northwood Corporation clarify my divorce has nothing to do
with you.”
Just as Lily began to feel triumphant, her smile faded upon hearing Lucian’s following remarks.
“Consider it my way of making amends for the misunderstanding that played a part in your
father’s unfortunate death. I won’t help you anymore, so please don’t call me again.”
Lily appeared distressed.
“Throughout all these years, you never felt anything for me?”
“Never.”
Lucian’s tone remained icy.
Just as Lily was poised to retort, she raised her head and saw Calista approaching. Her words
hung in the air, unspoken. Had Calista overheard their conversation?
Lily could endure the public humiliation of Lucian’s cold rejection, but she couldn’t fathom Calista
witnessing it.
For years, she had masterfully portrayed herself as Lucian’s devoted girlfriend, and the thought of
Calista viewing her as a laughingstock was unbearable.
On the other hand, Lucian’s gaze was fixed on Calista, wishing she had overheard his
Despite the tense and complicated expressions on Lucian and Lily’s faces, Calista walked past them and entered the cafe. She had left her belongings behind.
Hector had offered to retrieve them for her, but Calista was worried it might trigger another
confrontation with Lucian.
The cafe’s customers had already witnessed their recent argument, and she didn’t want to add to
the embarrassment.
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