Calvin and Alana went to the restaurant, and anxiety began to creep into Calvin's mind. It had been several days since he had seen Han Xin's men, and this tranquility made him uneasy. It felt too quiet, like the calm before the storm. However, he had too many issues to deal with, leaving him no time to dwell on this. Just thinking about his wedding with Alana was enough to give him a headache.They arrived at La Belle Époque, a restaurant with a romantic and elegant atmosphere. The restaurant was situated by the river, offering beautiful views through large floor-to-ceiling windows. Crystal chandeliers hung low, casting a soft glow that created a warm and intimate ambiance. The tables were neatly arranged, covered with pristine white tablecloths, and adorned with flickering candles. The soft hum of classical music added to the enchanting vibe, creating a perfect setting for an intimate dinner.Alana and Calvin were guided to their table in the corner of the room, giving them a bit of
After Kevin left, Alana tried to calm Calvin down. Her voice was firm as she said, "Kevin doesn’t matter. Don't listen to him."Calvin sighed, his frustration evident. "It’s natural for Kevin to be hurt. It feels like you’re playing with both of us. When you were my wife, you had an affair with Kevin. Now you want to come back to me."Alana's face tightened with a mix of guilt and frustration. "Calvin, can we stop dredging up the past? I made mistakes, yes, but I won’t repeat them. I’ve learned from them, and I’m committed to making things right between us."Calvin looked at her, his expression conflicted. "It’s hard to just forget everything, Alana. Trust isn’t something that can be easily restored."Alana reached across the table, taking his hand in hers. "I understand, Calvin. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to rebuild that trust. I want us to have a future together, a better one."Calvin stared at their intertwined hands, feeling the weight of their complicated history. He
Calvin cautiously cracked the restroom door open, peering out to ensure the coast was clear. The dim light from the restaurant seeped into the bathroom, casting elongated shadows on the tiled floor. Just as he was about to step out, the heavy sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor, and one of Han Xin's men entered the restroom. Calvin's heart pounded in his chest like a drum. He quickly ducked back into a stall, holding his breath, listening to the man's every movement.The man walked to the sink, turned on the faucet, and splashed water on his face. Calvin could hear the water running, each drop amplifying his anxiety. The man lingered, and Calvin's mind raced with thoughts of Alana and the danger they were both in. He waited, straining to hear any sign that the man was leaving. After what felt like an eternity, the faucet was turned off, and the man finally left, the door creaking shut behind him.Calvin exhaled slowly, the tension in his body momentarily easing. He cautious
Inside the dimly lit hotel room, the atmosphere was thick with tension, the kind that settled in the chest and made every breath feel heavy. The room itself was quiet, the only sound coming from the muted hum of the air conditioner and the distant murmur of city traffic below. Calvin stood by the window, staring out into the night, his mind racing with thoughts of their narrow escape and the lurking danger that still loomed over them. His reflection in the glass looked back at him, a man burdened with the weight of too many responsibilities and too many unresolved emotions.Alana, sensing the distance in his demeanor, watched him with a mixture of concern and determination. She knew Calvin well enough to recognize when he was shutting her out, and tonight, she wasn’t going to let that happen. The silence between them had stretched long enough."Calvin," she began softly, her voice breaking the stillness. She let a small smile play on her lips, though it was tinged with something more—
Calvin let out a long sigh, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a heavy blanket. The hotel room felt stifling, the walls seeming to inch closer with every passing moment. His gaze drifted to the ceiling, searching for answers in the patterns of the plaster, but none came. Deep down, a nagging unease refused to leave him, gnawing at his resolve. Accepting Alana back as his wife was never something he had envisioned for himself, and now, being trapped in this hotel room at night with her felt like a twist of fate he hadn’t prepared for.He knew what Alana might be thinking—alone together in a room, the intimacy of the situation could easily lead to expectations. But Calvin had already decided that he wouldn’t allow things to go in a direction he didn’t want. The last thing he needed was to complicate their already fragile relationship with physical intimacy.His thoughts wandered to Lizzie, his sister, whose loyalty and care had always been a source of comfort. Worry f
Calvin hesitated, his thumb hovering over the answer button. He knew the conversation that awaited him would be anything but easy. The quiet tension of the room seemed to thicken, pressing down on him like a physical weight. Alana’s eyes never left him, her gaze sharp and almost expectant, as if she knew what was coming.Finally, with a resigned sigh, Calvin accepted the call. Christina’s voice came through, soft and warm, a stark contrast to the cold tension that surrounded him. The sound of her voice, so familiar and comforting, was a temporary balm to the storm raging inside him."Calvin," Christina’s voice held a gentle concern, the kind that made his heart ache even more. "I haven’t heard from you in a while. How have you been?""I’m fine, Christina," Calvin replied, though the words felt hollow. He tried to infuse his tone with some semblance of normalcy, but even he could hear the strain in his voice. "You don’t need to worry about me."A brief silence followed, and Calvin coul
Calvin’s gaze was intense, his dark eyes locking onto Alana’s with a steely resolve. He stood tall, his posture rigid, as if bracing himself for the inevitable storm. His voice, low and measured, cut through the tension that hung thick in the air between them. “You need to stop with this jealousy, Alana,” he said, each word deliberately chosen, leaving no room for misunderstanding. “You have to accept the reality that the only reason I’m considering remarrying you is because of the agreement. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t even think about coming back to you.”Alana’s face flushed with anger, a deep crimson spreading across her cheeks. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing the fury rising within her. She could feel the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not in front of him. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms as she fought to maintain her composure. “How can you be so cruel, Calvin?” she spa
Calvin glanced at his watch, the ticking of the second hand oddly loud in the otherwise quiet room. It was well past midnight, and the day’s events had taken a toll on him. The argument with Alana had drained him emotionally, leaving him feeling hollow and exhausted. The situation outside the hotel only added to his weariness—Han Xin’s men were still out there, prowling the streets with an air of menace, their intentions veiled in shadow. Calvin didn’t know exactly what they were after, but he knew enough to understand that stepping outside now could be a fatal mistake.With a heavy, resigned sigh, Calvin made the decision that they would stay put for the night. The last thing he needed was to expose Alana, and himself, to whatever dangers awaited them beyond the hotel’s doors. He turned to her, his voice tinged with exhaustion, his shoulders slumping slightly as if bearing an invisible weight. “We’ll stay here,” he said, trying to mask his weariness with a tone of authority. “It’s to