Chapter 281 He Doesn’t Value You
Hector walked straight up to Calista and casually pulled down the sleeve she had rolled up.
“Aren’t you cold with the air conditioning set so low?” he said.
Despite the sunny weather, it was late April, and the temperature was cold. The air conditioning was
running because of the crowded mall.
Calista asked, “What brought you here?”
Hector glanced at the composed Yara and replied, “Someone texted me, and I was in the area, so I
decided to drop by.”
It wasn’t purely a coincidence. Hector’s family had been attempting to set him up with Ava. His mother
had convinced him to meet her. Just as he did so, he received a message from Yara.
Ava remained seated on the ground, her eyes fixed on Hector as he assisted Calista in adjusting her
sleeve.
Her frustration simmered just below the surface, stoked by Hector’s evident disregard for her
With a somewhat pitiful tone, Ava raised her head and called out.
“Hector.”
Hector turned his head, his brow slightly furrowed,
“Why are you sitting on the ground? Aren’t you cold?” he retorted.
Ava gritted her teeth, trying to cope with Hector’s undeniable favoritism toward Calista.
presence
He went to great lengths, even concerning himself with minor tasks like rolling up Calista’s sleeves,
signaling that he regarded her as unique.
The stark contrast in treatment left Ava feeling deeply embarrassed.
She mumbled, “I accidentally fell
One would typically offer assistance upon witnessing such a scene. However, Hector’s demanding
military training had toughened him, making him unyielding in such situations.
Thus, he bluntly stated, “If you fall, get up. It’s not a big deal.”
Ava found herself at a loss for words.
Move it, don’t be in the walter’s way, Hector added.
Ava was on the verge of tears, her pitiful demeanor eliciting sympathy from onlookers. However, Hector. remained uncompassionate and grew impatient with her slow response.
Everyone was watching her, including her romantic rival, Calista. The immense embarrassment and humiliation became too much to bear.
Ava covered her face with both hands, got up, and ran out of the cafe.
Yara made a disapproving sound and commented, “I get you’re no gentleman. Better be careful, or you’ll end up a lifelong bachelor.”
Hector sat beside Calista and pulled out his phone to scan the QR code for ordering.
nd when you meet
“I’m only gentle with the ones I care about. The instinct for courtship is ingrained. When you someone you like, you naturally put in some effort,” Hector replied casually.
He looked at Yara and continued, “I’ve heard you’ve been going on blind dates recently. Allow me to share some advice with you. If a guy doesn’t defend you when you are mistreated, it shows he doesn’t value. you. Explanations are just cover–ups.”
Calista absentmindedly stirred her coffee with a metal spoon, her gaze fixed on the window.
She witnessed Ava hastily leaving the cafe, tears rolling down her cheeks as if she had been profoundly
wounded
The sight didn’t evoke a sense of triumph in Calista. Instead, it stirred memories of her past, the years during her marriage when she had experienced a similar emotional state.
Her thoughts drifted back to a vivid memory of the time when she was working in the secretary
department.
People treated her as if she were some kind of spectacle. Some openly mocked her, while others did so more discreetly, all because she had used her connections to advance her career.
She had no means of escape throughout that difficult phase and had to endure it in silence. Frequently,
she wore a mask of composure, particularly in Selena’s presence.
Lucian, her husband at the time, remained cold and detached, merely an observer of her ordeal.
Though people may not have had the audacity to gossip in Luclan’s presence, David likely had overheard
their whispers.
Callsta knew that David had likely relayed the gossip to Lucian during that period, but he had taken no
action
Yara looked at Calista, who appeared lost in thought. She could tell Hector’s advice evoked painful
memories for her friend.
While Hector might have been unaware of the details of Calista’s history, Yara, her closest confidante,
knew all too well.
On multiple occasions, Yara yearned to take a knife and exact vengeance on that despicable man, Lucian.
Yara playfully pushed a leftover dessert from their table into Hector’s mouth and retorted, “Keep your mouth shut, won’t you? And how did you find out I’ve been going on blind dates?”
Yara was perplexed, given that Hector came from a completely different social circle than hers.
Hector responded, “Take a wild guess, would you?”
Yara couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. After finishing their coffee, the group decided to have a meal
at another place
Suddenly, Calista’s phone rang. Lucian’s name was displayed on the screen.
During Calista’s recovery from her foot injury, Lucian had a restaurant deliver three meals to her daily. They spoke often on the phone, mostly about mundane topics such as her meal intake.
Even though Lucian had sent her the food, he was unsure if Calista had enjoyed it.
At first, Calista had responded to his calls with sarcasm, but lately, they had managed to engage in more
peaceful conversations.
However, she abruptly ended the call without a second thought today.
A few minutes later, her phone rang again. But this time, Calista hung up and proceeded to block Lucian’s
number.
Lucian furrowed his brow upon hearing the busy signal and glanced at David, who was leaving his office
with some documents
Find out what Calista is up to right now,” Lucian demanded.
Lucian expected Calista to be home since it was the weekend, especially when she was recovering from
a foot injury.
David felt relieved hearing his order, thinking Lucian might reconsider his transfer to Balmora. However, his spirits plummeted as soon as he heard Calista’s name.
David recognized this as hic karma for underestimating Calista and Lucian, presuming that Lucian didn’t
Ten minutes later, David knocked on Lucian’s office door and entered with a somewhat distant
expression. He conveyed the information to Lucian.
“Madam Calista and Ms. Quinn are having a meal at Elysian Eats. Hector is with them, helping Madam
Calista with her beef steak.”
David muttered a curse under his breath, deeply affected by Lucian’s mention of his potential transfer to the subsidiary company in Balmora.
The psychological impact was significant, and David felt the need to seek solace. He couldn’t bear to be
the sole bearer of this grim situation.
Behind his office desk, Lucian maintained a stoic expression and inquired, “Did Calista eat the beef steak?
“She did, and she had quite a hearty meal,” Davi
responded.
Lucian’s already somber expression grew even darker. The housemaid had shared that Calista didn’t have
a liking for beef.
“Leave me,” he commanded, and David promptly obeyed.
Still wearing his icy demeanor, Lucian redialed Calista’s number, only to be met with a busy signal. Calista
arrived home at around 8:00 PM
The moment she exited the elevator, she caught a faint whiff of tobacco in the air.
Curious about who would be so discourteous as to smoke in the hallway, she quickly spotted Lucian.
He was leaning against the wall near her apartment door, cigarette in hand and squinting as he fixed his
gaze on her.
Lucian was in his well–tailored suit. He had loosened his tie and unfastened two buttons on his shirt,
giving a more casual appearance.
His relaxed demeanor and nonchalant attitude were evident under the spotlight. The bright lights
emphasized his brooding expression.
