Seven Years a Fool One Day a Queen (Kristine and Colton) novel Chapter 30

Halfway through dinner, Calvin stepped out to settle the bill. Gideon followed right behind.

Jogging to catch up, Gideon lowered his voice to tattle, “Calvin, Eliza’s here too, eating with Josh.”

Calvin’s reaction was unnervingly calm.

It was as if Eliza carried no weight at all in his eyes.

Smug yet sour, Gideon couldn’t resist adding,

“I don’t know how she managed to latch onto Josh, but she’s sticking close on purpose. Could this be her new trick to chase after men?”

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

“Remember when she deliberately dealt with those headhunters just to get your attention? You ignored her, so now she’s changing strategies. She’s really calculating!”

“Got a cigarette?” Calvin asked suddenly.

Gideon froze, caught off guard. “Don’t you… not smoke?”

“I’m irritated.”

Gideon wanted to ask why, but seeing the look on Calvin’s face, he swallowed the words back down.

As for Josh’s so–called “repayment,” it was simply this: he asked Eliza to accompany him to a banquet as his date.

She thought he was joking.

With his status, countless women would line up for the chance.

Seeing her suspicion, Josh laid it out plainly.

“I’ve just been transferred back to Kallis Bank. Every pair of eyes in Washington is watching me right now. I can’t afford even the smallest

misstep. You know what I mean, right?”

He didn’t need to spell it out–she understood.

In recent years, Kallis Bank had been torn apart by brutal infighting. It was a complete mess. His return was clearly to clean house.

Anyone by his side could easily be suspected of ulterior motives.

“You must really trust me,” she teased lightly. “What if I do have an agenda? These banquets are all about connections and resources, after all.”

Josh’s smile didn’t falter.

“If I dared ask you, I’ve already considered the consequences.”

He leaned back, peach blossom eyes glinting with amusement.

“So, will you help me or not?”

12:06

Seven Years a Fool, One Day a Queen

9.0%

Chapter 30

“Of course,” Eliza agreed without hesitation.

In moments like this, even a second of doubt was disrespectful to capital itself.

Dinner turned unexpectedly pleasant. The heaviness Calvin had left her with lifted, swept away by fresh conversation and new company.

Indeed, new faces and new matters were the cure for clinging to the old.

Josh insisted on driving her home. She couldn’t refuse.

Having been there once before, he now found her building with ease.

On the way, he asked, “Did you buy this place or rent it?”

“Rent, obviously. Property prices here are outrageous.”

“With your salary, you could afford to buy. Even a mortgage would be manageable.”

She had never thought seriously about it.

One reason was work, too busy.

The other… she had always imagined marrying Calvin, living with him. Why buy a separate place?

In fact, Calvin’s current home had been chosen by her.

He hadn’t liked the original décor, so she’d overseen a full renovation. Every room layout, every tiny design detail, every object was her careful

choice.

At the time, she had considered it their future home.

She poured her whole heart into it.

Even during the crushing workload of Everest’s IPO–while Calvin practically lived on planes–she’d visit the house before bed just to chase away her exhaustion.

Back then, she had really envisioned a lifetime with him.

She had never imagined Medea would be the one living there first.

So she only gave Josh a vague answer: “I haven’t found the right place yet.”

He seemed to catch the undertone. “You will, eventually.”

Passing a flower shop downstairs, she remembered the bouquet she’d bought had already withered. The table looked bare. She stepped inside and bought another.

The clerk recommended red roses, fresh, of excellent quality.

“Fine, red roses,” she agreed. Any flowers would do.

Flowers could soothe a weary heart.

She was in high spirits, even humming as she unlocked her door.

But the song died instantly when she saw the man inside.

was halluc

For a moment she doubted her eyes. She glanced from her own door back to him–nearly convinced she was hallucinating.

12:06

Seven Years a Fool, One Day a Queen

9.1%

Chapter 30

Hadn’t she reset the passcode?

The apartment was dark, but she could still sense the cold, forbidding aura he radiated.

“How… did you get in?” she asked. The chill of him pressed in too heavily; she quickly turned on every light.

Under the brightness, she caught a flash of something sharp in Calvin’s gaze.

“Change the code as many times as you like. I can still guess it,” he said flatly.

Her chest tightened, stuffed full like with cotton.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify