Chapter 9
Calistas smooth forehead blended seamlessly into gracefully arched brows, framing eyes that sparkled with warmth. Her perfectly sculpted nos paired well with her full, rosy lips.
She wasn’t conventionally drop–dead gorgeous, but there was something about her–an elegance, a refinement, like a Renaissance painting brou
to life
s, with their delicate upward slant, gave off a soft warmth. Her dignified, almost serene demeanor just added to the effect, i she’d been crafted by angels themselves
Those captivating eyes, 1
rian’s gaze lingered on Calista’s face, something inside him stirred, something that had been dormant for seven long years,
Aknowing smirk tugged at the corners of his thin lips. He never imagined he’d encounter her again in such circumstances after all this time.
The Calista standing before him wasn’t the same 20–year–old girl he remembered. She’d matured. Composed. There was a depth in those famili eyes now, a kind of mystery that both intrigued and unsettled him at the same time.
In the seven years she’d spent abroad, Calista had attended more fancy business events than she could count. What used to make her anxious. being the center of attention–now felt like second nature.
With a poised, graceful smile, she casually scanned the room, her gaze eventually landing on Adrian. She paused for a second, taking in the way F once–gentrel air now carried a subtle edge of authority that hadn’t been there before.
She couldn’t lie–seeing him again stirred something. But it wasn’t heartache.
Time really was the best healer. Even the deepest scars faded with enough years. It had been a first love, nothing more. People changed. Life mow
What she mostly
dy felt was a surprise. Stonebridge was the Cole family’s stomping ground. She hadn’t heard a word about Adrian attending this eve in Zandora when she’d agreed to come along with Connor,
Her gaze shifted to the woman beside Adrian. Tessa. She’d gotten even more beautiful,
Bon the siblings–they looked less and less alike as they aged. A flicker of amusement passed through Calista’s eyes as the thought crossed her mine
Tena met Calista’s gaze, her composure crumbling. She could barely maintain her smile, inwardly seething at Calista’s unexpected yet irritatingly eye–catching presence.
Alarmed. Tessa glanced up at her brother. Adrian’s gaze remained fixed on Calista, his frameless glasses reflecting the light. Tessa couldn’t decipher the emotions swirling in his eyes or guess at his thoughts
“Adrian.” Tessa began, but Adrian was already moving.
“Let’s go say hello,” he said, his tone low and controlled, heading straight for Connor and Calista.
approached. “Is that Adrian from the Cole Group!”)
he asked softly.
Connor leaned close to Calista as Adrian and T…. Connor was undoubtedly one of the few patrons who recognized Calista’s talent in her meteoric rise to become a t Financial Street, where she famously generated over thirty million in a single day
a top–tier trader on Mystoria’s
Our of gratitude, Calista rarely refused Connor’s reasonable requests. This time, she’d even postponed starting at her new company to accompany him as his plus–one.
“You have a good eye, Mr. Halls, Calista replied with a graceful
nod, her smile flawless as she answered his query.
Conner, with his striking looks from his mixed heritage and considerable wealth, made quite the pair with the elegantly smiling Calista,
At the sight of their apparent intimacy, a flicker of emotion passed through Adrian’s eyes, and his smile faded slightly.
Tema’s par daned between Calista and Commor, bermind racing with suspicions.
