Chapter 230 A Show of Force
“All that nonsense with the media gossiping about you being his girlfriend. Are you so touched that you’re going to devote yourself to him?”
Lucian’s voice got lower and grittier with every word. It was like sandpaper grinding against a person’s
heart.
“I know you’re not the kind of girl who obsessed over vampire romance novels as a teenager. Is that kind of trashy flirting worth your time?”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I am a harpy. I prefer my men like him.” Calista wrenched her arm out of his grip. “He’s miles better than a certain someone who keeps his wife in the shadows despite being
married for three years.
His lips were pressed into a thin line.
“If you wanted us to go public …”
She knew what he wanted to say before he could finish and interrupted him.
“Forget it. Everyone knows we’re divorced now. Any further entanglements between us would be rude. Let me remind you again. It hadn’t been that long ago when you said that you would be no better than a dog if you were to bring up the remarriage again. So, are you a dog now, Mr. Northwood?”
Lucian’s handsome face alternated between various sickly shades of green. His jaw was tense. He was so angry he was tempted to strangle the uncooperative woman in front of him.
Calista took advantage of how tensions were running high after she provoked him and got into her car.
She started the car and drove off, leaving him with a face full of exhaust fumes.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Notre Garden, Selena let out a huff and got into a Rolls–Royce with the door
open.
That weekend, Calista and Yara made plans to dine at a newly opened restaurant renowned on the Internet for its stew. On Calista’s way there, she received a call from Mr. Mysterious.
“Come to the manor, there’s a job.”
“Now?”
The man had seemingly vanished off the face of the earth after the contract had been signed.
+15 BONUS
She had tried to contact him through calls and texts to find out more about her mother but there was no
response.
“Yes.”
“Can we-”
It was already noon. It took Yara three days to secure a reservation at the stew restaurant Calista didn’t want to let her down and was about to ask if this could wait till after lunch.
However, before she could finish, the call died. She took a deep breath and turned to Yara with an apologetic look.
“They’re looking for me, Yara. I have to go.
Yara frowned.
“Is it the manor in the hills?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll go with you.
–
She decisively turned the car around and headed for the manor without waiting for Calista to agree.
“I’ve asked about it. That manor has been left uninhabited for years. Restoring an artifact wouldn’t require going to a place like that. So, why is he insisting you go there? What if something happens? No one will know even if you scream yourself hoarse. I have a bad feeling about him.”
If this mysterious man wanted this done aboveboard, why would he keep his face hidden? He claimed to
be interested in Calista’s skills, but the way he requested her service was far from sincere.
He had sent two men to play the bad cops and show her a blurry photo of her mother to lure her in. Then,
he took on the role of the good cop.
He was wrapped up like a mummy as if he were afraid to show his face. All of that didn’t seem like
something a good person would do.
Yara’s concerns mirrored Calista’s. But there was nothing to gain if Calista didn’t step into the lion’s den. She had already steeled herself for this the moment she stepped into the spotlight.
“You shouldn’t go. What if something happens? We might both fall into a trap. Who’s going to help call the police then?”
“I’m just going to scout the place out. If anything happens, being familiar with the layout will help us lead
“That makes sense. But don’t you think you’re jinxing this? Go scout out the place all you want, just shut your trap. What if something does go wrong?” Calista asked.
“Come on we should go knock on wood to ward off the bad luck.”
The car pulled up at the manor’s entrance. It was located halfway up the mountain. The lush vegetation and the lack of care from being uninhabited for a long time gave it an eerie vibe.
This feeling hadn’t been present the last time Calista visited. Perhaps Yara’s words were affecting her. Before they got out of the car, Yara sent their location to Hector.
“If we don’t contact you in twenty minutes, call the police. I’m accompanying Calista to survey the location of her new job.”
Then, she took a few photos of the manor and sent them as well.
A servant came answering the door after a few minutes of ringing the doorbell. Everything was just as it was the last time Calista was here.
“Sir is waiting in his study on the second floor.”
Calista thanked him and began ascending the steps with Yara. The servant stopped them.
“Sir doesn’t like meeting strangers. Please wait in the living room, Miss.”
Yara’s worries didn’t abate but she had to respect the man’s peculiar habits until all pretenses were off.
“Call me if you need anything
She paused.
Or, scream.”
“If you’re not out of there in ten minutes, I’ll come get you.”
The manor had excellent soundproofing. If Mr. Mysterious truly had bad intentions, it was likely signal
Jammers were also installed.
She had been keeping an eye on her phone the whole time. The signal bars were full. She could send and
receive messages without issue. But, they weren’t sure about the situation upstairs.
Calista felt touched.
*Alright.”
She knocked on the door to the study on the second floor. The room was pitch black with heavy black–out curtains tightly drawn.
She could barely make out his figure in the bit of light streaming in from the corridor.
Everything was dark. And yet, Mr. Mysterious remained in full disguise. He was either insane or planning something big enough that he didn’t want anyone seeing his face to pin it against him.
“The job?”
“On the desk.
The man’s voice sounded clear but she wasn’t certain if it were his real voice or a voice changer.
Without waiting for his consent, Calista reached for the switch on the wall to switch on the lights. Laid
out on t
the table was an artwork from the early Pollos Dynasty.
It was moderately damaged; something that any skilled professional could easily restore.
“I want to see the painting my mother took on before she died.”
She didn’t know if her mother’s death had anything to do with the painting in question. But its sudden appearance followed by its sudden disappearance had raised suspicions.
“Not now.”
“When?”
Calista had signed the contract because he mentioned her mother and acted as if he knew everything
about her past.
“Allow me to jog your memory, Ms. Everhart. What we share is an employer–employee relationship. Your have no right to make demands. As for that painting, you’ll see it when you’re qualified enough.”
She sneered, refusing to back down.
“What do you mean by ‘qualified enough? Do you expect me to wait till I’m in my eighties?”
“Rest assured. Just because you can wait that long doesn’t mean
He paused. It was probably because he had nearly slipped up. She could hear the suppressed irritation in
his voice.
“We can’t wait that long either. Show me what you can do if you want to see that painting. Once you get to
your mother’s level, we will force you to see it even if you want to back out.”
