[Present Time]-When he was young, Michael tended to joke around most of the time. His humor was a little different, but that was probably because he expressed it in a strange, somewhat dark way.Camille had thought he was just joking back then, since it was so dramatic and all…And Michael even agreed with her afterwards. “Just kidding” was what he said after saying those words. He didn’t say anything more and just let her chuckle it away.But even then, Camille had sharp eyes. She hadn’t missed the way the dark look had never left his eyes that day.She knew that he had been serious.But she forced herself to forget. To think it was just her own wild imagination.But as the days passed, she couldn’t help but notice the signs. It was as if this small incident had opened the door to a startling revelation.He had been subtle about it. But he was indeed protective of her and especially observant. Whenever he heard people gossiping about her and murmuring complaints during class, he wo
It wasn’t difficult to do an investigation on Hailey at that time. With the power and wealth of the Callahan family, it was relatively easy to get everything he needed to know.Not only that, but his father even helped him with some crucial events.-[Thirteen years ago…]-“You were… what now?” Christian said blankly.Gregory Callahan sat in his leather chair in front of a majestic mahogany desk strategically placed before a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the gardens below. Warm afternoon sunlight filtered through the silk curtains, casting a soft glow on the room’s polished oak floor.He leaned back in his chair and took a long drag from the smoldering cigar tucked between his fingers. “I was one of the major investors for their hotel business a long time ago. That girl hadn’t been born during that time. I should know.” He gave a lopsided smile. “After all, both their wives were still pregnant before things got awry.”That caught Christian’s interest. “What do you mean ‘bef
They arrived home a few hours later after the party ended.Camille was stiff the whole time while Christian gloated over the pained expressions he had seen tonight. First it was Michael McGregor’s and then Camille’s.They were both so pathetic it was amusing.For Christian Callahan, love was an unnecessary emotion. It was one of the ruins of mankind. It could make someone do foolish things. He did not want that kind of emotion to affect him personally.He had been living in this world for more than thirty years now. He was confident that he had never felt anything resembling a romantic emotion and that he never would. He believed that imprinting in his brain that love was an unnecessary emotion would prevent him from falling into such foolish traps like the rest of the idiots in this world.Needless to say, Christian had grown up not believing in love. His parents had been in an arranged marriage. They had no feelings for each other.His father, Gregory, was more focused on his busine
It didn’t take long for Michael to contact her after the party.He had been mulling over this decision for weeks. He was taking a risk, he knew. But the risks were worth it as long as he could help Camille to the best of his ability.He had never really considered the company as the most precious thing in his heart. His father, John, was the one who cared more about it.Michael, on the other hand, simply used the position to his advantage, just to search for his first love. There was no strong attachment whatsoever.He hadn’t told his family this, but he planned to pass the position on to his brother William after the recent major construction project was completed. If all went well, Michael would be able to pass the baton, per se.“Perhaps you should learn to rely on your family more,” Grady remarked one day as they were working on the documents for a recent deal.Michael lifted his head to look at his assistant in the eye. “Are you prying into my personal affairs right now?”Grady r
[Nineteen years ago…]-“Oh my god!”“You’ll be okay. You’ll be okay, Michael!”“Can you hear me?”“Michael!”“Little brother — please be all right!”Voices echoed in his head as he felt himself being rushed to the emergency room. Earlier, he had felt himself being lifted onto the gurney, the blaring siren of the ambulance almost deafening his ears.A sharp jolt of pain shot through his body, sending waves of agony. He tried to focus, but the pain was relentless, overwhelming every other sensation.His vision blurred. He couldn’t see anyone’s face clearly. He could tell that his family was there, screaming his name, worrying incessantly about him.He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but even breathing was a struggle. The air suddenly felt thick and suffocating, and his body felt heavy and unresponsive.“Please tell me he’s gonna be okay!” he could hear his mother screech. She sounded like she was sobbing, but her voice was starting to fade into the distance. He tried to stay awake
Michael watched in stunned silence as Joanna stormed out of the living room and up the stairs to her room. His mind was instantly thrown into confusion, and his stomach twisted with a strange feeling.Was it… guilt?But another strong emotion rose as well, and he recognized it in an instant.It was anger.“So I deserve all this, huh?” he voiced out to nobody in particular. He couldn’t hide the irritation in his tone. “Well, you’re welcome for saving you, by the way!”He yelled out that last part hoping that she would hear it.But if she ever did, she didn’t give any indication of it. She was long gone.Michael laid back against the bed, huffing. He couldn’t help but feel that this was all so unfair.He used to be so energetic and eager to run around and exercise. He wanted to play soccer more and even play with his friends during recess.But now he was forbidden to do all these things. After the accident, he underwent several surgeries to stabilize his leg. Because of the severity of
Since that day, Joanna began to avoid him. It seemed that Will’s conversation hadn’t gone well at all. It wasn’t that surprising.Not that it mattered to Michael. Being 13 years old, he could care less about his sister. He was more concerned about his school life, his friends, and what he could do from now on.He had been such a free spirit before the accident, so he hated being tied to the bed. He had so much energy, but he couldn’t release it the way he used to. It was an overall frustrating situation.His parents were aware of the simmering discord between him and his sister, but for some reason, they chose not to intervene.He once overheard his mother telling his father, “It’s just puberty. She’s been having mood swings lately, and she probably has her period. She’ll come around soon.”Michael did not know what that meant, and he didn’t really care to know. Not when he had a leg to pay attention to from now on.Once upon a time, he had admired his sister. Will was competent, but
[Present Time]-Michael stared at Camille, who sat stiffly on the sofa in front of him. She had never met his eyes since they arrived here. Her demeanor was a little unnerving, but he figured it had to be.After all, it was he who had invited her to his private villa.He didn’t know what had come over him. Before he could think twice, he had sent her a message a few days ago, asking her to meet him somewhere far away, where they could talk privately.To be on the alert, he asked Grady to pick her up at a public mall and drive her to the location in a conspicuous car. That way, Christian wouldn’t be able to easily track them down.Unless he put a GPS tracker on her or something.Michael knew a great deal about Christian Callahan. The first time they met was during Michael’s training to inherit the company. The two of them were at a social event after his father introduced him to Christian and Gregory Callahan.He was 25 years old at the time. He heard good and bad things about Gregory