Chapter 53 Saw Her With An Old Flame
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Marcus was a chubby man who sweated easily. Calista instantly felt her hands being enveloped
by a damp sensation.
She quickly pulled her hand back before taking several steps backward. Her face turned so cold
that it could freeze water.
“Mr. Packard, please have some self–respect.”
Marcus’s intention of holding her hand was merely a test.
Although he had some interest in Calista, he understood that one should consider the
consequences before stirring up trouble, especially for the sake of a woman and risking
confrontation with Lucian.
He composed himself and apologized, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything bad. I just wanted to ask
what perfume you’re using so I can buy a bottle for my wife.”
There would be plenty of opportunities since he would stay here for a few days.
Marcus was experienced in the business world, so he was good at concealing his intentions.
He put on an act, saying, “I tend to become more frisky around people after I’ve had a few drinks. I
acted out of line just now. I apologize for that. I will personally apologize to Mr. Northwood later.”
Calista was too exhausted even to put up an act. She returned to the sink and washed her hands,
pumping a generous amount of hand soap. Marcus watched from the side, his face dark.
She could feel his gaze on her, and Calista nonchalantly remarked, “I’m sorry, Marcus. I am very
repulsed by germs. I don’t particularly enjoy physical contact.”
Marcus rubbed his hands awkwardly, saying, “It’s okay. It was my mistake.”
With that, he hastily left without even going to the restroom.
Calista continued washing her hands. She finally turned off the tap when her hands turned red.
She disliked Marcus, and his touch made her feel uncomfortable. Although his apology seemed
sincere, his gaze was unsettling.
She thought of how she merely asked for a hundred thousand from Lucian and felt she had been
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She grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands. She strolled toward the main hall leisurely after guessing that Marcus had left. But she had only taken a few steps when she spotted Paul.
He was n the phone. From the looks of it, he seemed to be discussing some business.
His brows were furrowed, lips slightly pursed. This was the first time Calista had seen Paul in his working mode.
“Understood. I’ll handle this when I get back. That’s it.”
It wasn’t clear what the person on the other end had said, but Paul ended the call with a somewhat displeased look.
He took out a cigarette and was about to light it when he saw Calista. He turned his head slightly toward her and raised an eyebrow upon seeing her.
“Calista?”
Paul casually tossed the unlit cigarette into a bin nearby. It was a polite gesture ingrained in him from his prestigious upbringing.
“Are you here on a business trip with Lucian?”
Calista approached.
“Yes, and you?”
She always maintained a cordial relationship with Paul. They would exchange a few words
whenever they met.
Moreover, she couldn’t ignore him after the money–borrowing incident last time. Three million.
wasn’t a small sum, and even though she hadn’t accepted the money, she had taken note of the
favor.
Paul replied, “A friend is celebrating a birthday, so I organized a gathering here. I was just
dropping by.”
Calista nodded. She was about to end the conversation, but she noticed Lucian standing not far
away before she could even say goodbye.
He had a gloomy look on his face. She couldn’t tell how long he had been standing there, but his
gaze was intense and dark. It was as if a husband had caught his wife cheating red–handed.
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Paul noticed her discomfort and looked in the direction of her gaze.
He smiled and said, “Go ahead. Lucian probably realized that you hadn’t returned for so long and was worried something might have happened to you. He must’ve been looking for you.”
Calista chuckled coldly on the inside. That was such an absurd thought. She didn’t believe that.
There’s no way Lucian would be concerned about her. He was probably afraid that she would run into Paul and get too cozy with him. It was more likely he came to see her for that reason.
However, she couldn’t tell Paul about the strained relationship between her and Lucian. Given their relationship, it wasn’t suitable, and it would seem like she was trying to start something.
“Alright, I’ll be on my way.”
She walked up to Lucian, and he sneered sarcastically, “Not going to chat a little longer? It’s rare
for you to run into each other. Marcus and the others have gone back to their rooms to rest. Why
don’t you join Paul’s table again and catch up?”
Lucian didn’t bother to lower his voice. They were standing quite close to Paul. Calista
instinctively turned her head to look over, but fortunately, Paul had already left.
“What’s the matter? Can’t bear to say goodbye?”
Lucian spoke bitterly, his tone laced with sarcasm. Calista rolled her eyes and walked into the
restaurant.
“Your thoughts are always so vulgar.”
She thought about Marcus and instantly felt like her cleaned hands were dirty again.
“Birds of a feather indeed.”
Even his business partners were just like him! Since Marcus and his wife were no longer in the
restaurant, Calista didn’t linger around, either.
The audience was gone, so there was no point in putting on a show.
She asked Lucian without even looking, “Where am I staying?”
“We’re married. Naturally, we’ll be in the same room.”
She had checked earlier. There were no presidential suites in this resort. They only had single
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“No, I’ll stay on my own.”
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Lucian frowned. Anger surged inside. His anger had been boiling since he saw her chatting with Paul in the corridor earlier.
He noticed she had been out for some time, so he was worried she might have encountered some trouble and had specially gone out to look for her.
Yet, she was having a lovely conversation with her old flame in the hallway!
He couldn’t even remember the last time Calista smiled at him like that. Every time they met now, she was like a firework, ready to explode. It was a waste of his kindness. 2
He couldn’t stand it any longer and reminded her, “You’re here as Mrs. Northwood.”
“Yeah, but who said married couples must sleep in the same room? Sleeping in separate rooms doesn’t affect our intimacy as a couple.”
Calista turned around. Her eyes were wide with surprise. As if to prove her point, she reached out and took hold of Lucian’s arm.
“Experts say sleeping in separate rooms can improve sleep quality.”
Lucian sneered, “That’s nonsense. Have him come and explain it to me.”
Calista paid no attention to what Lucian thought. She headed to the lobby on the first floor and
successfully booked another room. Everything went smoothly.
However, while she was opening her room door, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.
