CLAIMED BY BOYFRIEND'S EX-STEPFATHER

CHAPTER 12 A BAD SITUATION

Callista was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, but Evander's presence made her sigh in annoyance. After hours of traveling from London to New York, Callista shouldn't have run into him again.

But there he was, Evander, with his dark smile. Callista had to hold her breath when she faced him again.

“Dad, why is he here?” Callista asked sarcastically.

“I don't know. He said he had worked in London, but in fact he followed us,” replied Dhruv.

Callista wanted to suspect her father because it was Dhruv who invited Evander in the first place.

“You're not lying to me, right?” Callista's eyes stared fiercely, making her father laugh.

“I've prepared a special house for you, then Evander and I will sleep in another house. So you don't need to feel disturbed. I know you came with me not only for work, but also because you missed me, right?”

Callista closed her lips, nodded, and hugged Dhruv. “I’m sorry if I upset you. But I also need a change of scenery after the unpleasant days that have passed.”

Dhruv’s hand gently rubbed Callista’s back. “Are you still thinking about Lucas, Babe?”

“A little,” Callista answered honestly.

“Did he ever hurt you before?”

“Never, Dad. Lucas and his family were very good to me. I never felt betrayed before Issera D'Arc came along.”

“So, until the night you were dumped, do you still love him?” Lucas asked more seriously.

Callista stretched her arms, looking at her father with teary eyes. “I loved him, Dad. I was really happy that night.”

Callista sighed. “I saw the ring, I saw the whole Evans family come, but it turned out that the ring was never for me. I never heard congratulations on our relationship, and instead heard the news of Issera's pregnancy.”

“When I heard their insults, that was when my love for Lucas and my respect for the Evans family finally disappeared.”

“For the first time, I felt betrayed, and for the first time, I felt sad for myself.”

“So you finally met Evander?” asked Dhruv, making Callista nervous in an instant.

“Evander told me he found you unconscious on the side of the road and took you back to his house. When morning came, you told him about your condition, and that's why he offered to help.”

Callista blinked repeatedly. Evander had lied to Dhruv, twisting the facts from a one-night stand at a bar into a scene of unconsciousness on the street.

“Ah, I can’t imagine what would have happened to you if Evander hadn’t been there, Babe.”

“There might have been other predators out there who could have hurt you.”

Callista swallowed hard. “Y-You’re right, Dad.” Callista forced a smile. “We should thank Evander.”

“That's why I gave you guys vacation tickets, but you refused. It's okay, I just want you to forget your worries and fears. Especially since you just had an unpleasant incident, right?”

Callista nodded. “It seems like the Evans family sent someone else to harm me, Dad. I recognize the ring worn by the perpetrator.”

“That ring is usually worn by Evans family employees as an official sign that they are part of the family. The ring is also sworn, and the wearer must not lie about the ring to anyone,” Callista explained.

“Wow, that means the Evans family will be questioned by the police because that person was caught, right?” asked Dhruv.

“Unfortunately not.” Suddenly Evander joined their conversation. “Viviane has an assistant, and she made a statement at the police station. Unfortunately, she denied that the person was an Evans family employee.”

“They evaded the question and said that they were also being slandered, and that the ring was stolen,” said Evander, quoting the report given by Ronnie.

Callista was shocked, as was Dhruv. That meant the Evans family couldn't be sued for the risks that had happened to Callista. They had pinned all the blame on that person.

“So they won't be punished?” Dhruv asked incredulously. “How sneaky!”

"That's why Callista can't be alone. Someone has to watch over her, right?" Evander looked at Callista with a different gaze, slowly sipping the coffee in his hand.

“Unfortunately, you and I are both busy, Dhruv. You're a business person with many big projects, while I have many hotels that are always crowded towards the end of the year,” Evander said again.

“I guess I’ll have to hire extra bodyguards for my mansion,” Dhruv replied.

“Or my mansion?” Evander offered. “I have plenty of servants and big, strong men who’ll obey Callista.”

“And one more thing....” Evander turned toward the door, calling someone.

The woman entered, her presence causing Callista to stare in disbelief.

Sabine, Evander's secretary, the seductive woman who annoyed Callista every time she saw her. Sabine hugged Evander's arm from the side, then glanced at Dhruv briefly. Her hand reached out to Dhruv, her slanted eyes staring at the man with her beautiful smile.

“Long time no see, sir. You still remember me, right?” Sabine greeted him warmly.

Dhruv laughed. “Of course, miss. I didn't expect you to come either.”

Sabine looked at Callista for a moment, then said, “Evander can't seem to be without me, sir.”

“Sabine will take care of Callista—”

“I can take care of myself,” Callista interrupted before Evander could finish his sentence. “Thank you for the offer, Mr. Evander. But I don't associate with women who are not my equal.”

Sabine's expression changed, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists as she felt insulted by those words. As for Callista, she chose to leave. She didn't want to see Evander being affectionate with Sabine.

She didn't know what scenario Evander was preparing now, but it seemed that the man intended to toy with Callista by using Sabine. Yes, Callista could see for herself how Evander was trying to make Callista seem as if she wanted him very much.

“You think I'll melt just because I'm jealous?” Callista muttered as she threw a pillow onto the bed.

“No! I'm not jealous!” Callista exhaled roughly.

“No way!”

Denial, but Callista admitted to herself that it was difficult to forget what Evander and Sabine had done a few days ago. Callista shouldn't feel cheated on, Evander wasn't cheating, the man was free to have s*x with anyone he wanted.

However, Evander didn't have s*x with her just once or twice. They wanted each other, slowly, roughly, and warmly. It was as if the relationship wasn't based on lust alone.

Callista still felt cheated... just like when she saw Lucas' betrayal. It felt like Evander was showing Callista that this woman deserved to remember all those bad things and feel traumatized over and over again.

“Okay, Callista, calm down...” she said to herself.

“All you need to do now is sit quietly and refocus on your goals.”

Callista remembered Evander's words about Viviane refusing to take responsibility for the ring accusation. Callista knew Viviane was lying because the ring would not be stolen and could not be stolen.

“It's obvious this was planned. Viviane deliberately used that person as bait and then discarded them when her mission failed. She would never want to go to jail just for a ring.”

Callista closed her eyes for a moment, remembering that in all the time she had known Viviane, the woman had never done anything this reckless. Viviane was too perfect to be called a prospective mother-in-law. That was why Callista had never realized she had been betrayed.

Suddenly, the sound of a knock on the door interrupted Callista's concentration. She turned her head for a moment, then opened the door.

In front of her, Sabine came in carrying a glass of warm milk. Her full lips smiled sweetly, but her eyes did not.

“Evander told me to make you some milk,” said Sabine.

“No need to bother. Tell him I don't like milk. You can take that glass back to the kitchen.” Callista was about to close the door again, but Sabine stopped her with her foot.

Sabine's gaze changed, becoming investigative. “If you're not the Turner family's daughter, I think you're just an ordinary woman,” she said.

“You deserve that label. No wonder... Lucas Evans and his family think you're trash. You smell like it.”

A slap grazed Sabine's cheek. Not only that, Callista also spilled the still-hot milk over the woman's head.

Sabine's screams echoed throughout the room, her head blistered, and Callista didn't care. She closed the door, just as Evander and Dhruv arrived to check on the situation. Callista realized her actions were cruel and reckless, but she had no regrets.

“Good, right? Everyone will only focus on Sabine, and I'll be able to carry out my plans without anyone bothering me.”