Meanwhile, Leia stepped out of the elevator and turned around to urge Charmaine. "You're so slow. Walk faster." Charmaine gritted her teeth. She would not have carried Leia's bags if not that Leia had paid for her shopping. Those bags were very heavy. "You're walking too fast," she could not help but grumble. Leia stopped walking and waited for her. "Why are you slower than a pregnant woman? Stop fooling around, Charmaine!" 'I'd like to see if you can walk as fast when you're carrying ten shopping bags!' Charmaine thought. When Charmaine got closer, Leia started walking again. "I'll be going to the hotel for a tasting session with Brody. Do you want to come?" "Sure," Charmaine replied. She was not going to let go of a chance to eat delicious food, and she was also quite curious about Leia's fiance. If she got to know him better, he might introduce her to a wealthy man. Leia and Charmaine found their car in the parking lot. When Leia was about to get into her car, a woman
Leia grumbled under her breath when Queenie rejected her offer. The handbag was not meant for Queenie anyway. If she did not want it, Leia would keep it for herself. She put the handbag back into the shopping bag and said, "Can I discuss something with you, Mom?" Queenie picked up the knitting needles and looked at her. "What is it?" "The wedding date is getting close, and we're still overwhelmed with work. I was thinking of getting Bianca to help me with the gown fitting and the guest list," Leia said. To help Hera, Leia had to lure Bianca out somehow. However, it would be suspicious if she asked Bianca to meet her without any reason. Asking her to help out at the wedding was the best excuse. Queenie stopped knitting. They were indeed quite overwhelmed with the preparations. She had started knitting the sweater before she met the Hilton family, and she was not done with it yet. She would not have the free time to pick up her knitting needles if Leia had not gone to the h
Rainie nodded her head earnestly. "You look nice, Aunt Vivian. Mommy said that we shouldn't lie, so I'm not lying to you. Isn't that so, Lanie?" Lanie was not as talkative as his sister, though he nodded and said, "Mm." Vivian's smile became wider as she said to Bianca. "I love your children, Sis." They were true angels. "Tommy knew that you're in A City since yesterday. He's been saying that he wants to meet you," Bianca said. Her children seem to be very friendly toward Vivian. "I miss him too," Vivian said with a smile. Her heart felt warm as she took the milk bottle in her hands. Bianca drove the car back to the mansion. She did not see Luke's car in the garage and knew that he was not back yet. As she unfastened her seatbelt, she gave him a call. The call was answered after two rings. "Bea." Luke's resonant voice came in through the phone. "Are you still in the company?" Bianca asked. "I'm on my way back," Luke said. "There's a bit of traffic, so I'll be delayed.
"Vivian?" Gordan instantly frowned when he heard that name. "Why can't she leave me alone?" Bianca and Vivian were bringing dinner out of the kitchen when they heard what Gordan said. Vivian's smile froze on her face. She knew that Gordan did not like her, but her heart ached when she had to hear him say that. She seemed dejected as she placed the dishes on the table. Bianca looked at the two and sighed. "Gordan, I've invited Vivian here for dinner." Gordan might not be happy, but he dared not offend Bianca. After all, she was the woman he respected the most. He looked at the dishes that Vivian brought out and said mockingly, "Can that be eaten? Did you drug the food?" Vivian shook her head and explained, "I didn't." Ray had drugged Gordan in Moscow because he wanted to help his elder sister hasten her relationship with Gordan. Even after Gordan was drugged, he locked himself in the room. From then on, he thought that Vivian had drugged him. Vivian tried to explain
Vivian, standing behind the door, felt dejected when she heard Gordan's room door close. She hoped that Gordan would care for her, even just a little bit… There were no sounds beyond the door. The sound insulation between the rooms of the presidential suite was great. She could not hear what was happening in the other room. … By the next day, the news that Luke had enlisted Gordan's help had spread in the Crawford family. Allison also knew about it. She did not know who Gordan was, but she knew that he was a very capable investigator! Gordan was a notorious figure in the international scene. If he helped Luke, he would bring unwanted trouble for her! Also, she was running out of money. She hoped that the incident would soon blow over so that she could sell those antiques. The more she thought about it, the more flustered she got. She drove to Bianca's office to find her. The front desk assistant instantly gave Bianca a call on the internal line when she saw the arro
"You…" Allison's face changed several shades of red because of her anger. She glared at her son, and the signs of old age appeared on her face. Deep wrinkles appeared on her face, and she seemed to have aged several decades instantly. That shocked Bianca. It was the second time she had seen Allison's skin change so drastically, but Allison seemed oblivious to it. Luke was Allison's son, but ever since he reunited with Bianca, he did not ensure that her whims were satisfied, and sometimes he had even sided with Bianca to bully her. Allison felt more and more like an outsider and a burden, and her hatred toward Bianca grew. She thought that it was the wrong decision to leave her with Kevin Rayne. She should have tossed the baby Bianca into the sea! That would have saved her a lot of trouble in the future. The atmosphere in the office was tense. Neither the mother nor the son was willing to back down. However, Luke was a more composed person than Allison, and Allison found h
Queenie held Rainie's hand and smiled. "Are you sure? I thought that we're eating out because you're tired of my cooking." Jack coughed lightly and said, "You did mention that you were craving bouillabaisse yesterday." Bianca was warmed by her parents' interaction. "Didn't Leia come along with you?" Queenie explained, "Leia is busy making preparations for her wedding, so she couldn't come along." Bianca nodded in understanding. "Luke reserved a private room for us. Do you want to join us for dinner?" She invited them. "Is it a business dinner? Then we shouldn't disturb you," Jack said. He gently pinched Tommy's face; he was very fond of his youngest grandchild. Bianca smiled and shook her head. "I wouldn't have brought the children along if it were a business dinner. It's just a normal family dinner. You should join us." Tommy was happy to see a bigger crowd around the dining table. "Grandpa, Grandma, I'm also inviting you to join us!" Jack and Queenie looked at each ot
Queenie put her hand gently on the back of Leia's hand and said softly, "Leia."Leia snapped out of it. Dark thoughts filled her head the moment she saw Luke. If Queenie did not call out to her, she might still be staring."Mom, what's the matter?" She deliberately acted as though she was aggrieved to gain pity from Queenie. Queenie asked, "Aren't you supposed to be on your way to look for the wedding planner to go through the itinerary with Brody? Did you get into a fight?""It's nothing. We just had a mild disagreement about the wedding." Leia wiped the corner of her eyes and pretended to tear up.Queenie sighed. Leia was pregnant but Brody left her downtown because of a small fight. It was clear to Queenie that Brody was not a dependable man. "Why didn’t you try to talk things through? It won’t do your marriage any good if you get into a fight every time there’s a disagreement. Look at your sister and brother-in-law! They always talk their way through issues. I don’t remember
As soon as Luca returned to her bedroom after dinner, she received a video call request from the kids.It had been a long time since she last saw them. When she saw the call request, she locked the door, put on her headphones, and immediately answered.“Ms. Luca!” As soon as the call connected, the faces of all three kids appeared on the phone screen.“Sweethearts!” Luca blew them a kiss.“Ms. Luca, we miss you so much!” Tommy was the first to express how much they missed Luca.Luca's heart stirred with waves of longing when she heard them. She had been so busy recently, hoping to finish everything here quickly so that she and Luke could reunite with the kids. That was why she had not contacted them much.Plus, with Old Master Crawford taking care of them, she felt at ease.Now that Luca saw the faces of the three kids, her longing for them instantly surged and overwhelmed her.Her eyes reddened. “I miss you all so much too.”Rainie, always the thoughtful one, noticed her em
The men in the room were wincing in pain, but when they heard Gerald’s words, they were so furious they almost wanted to lash out at him. However, all their strength had been sapped by the excruciating pain, so they could only groan helplessly.As Shanks made his way upstairs, he paused halfway up the staircase and asked, “Is Luca cooking?”Gerald glanced at the kitchen and replied, “Yes, Mr. Shanks. It’s their fault. Ms. Craw was delayed in making dinner because of them.”Shanks' expression remained unchanged as he simply said, “Let me know when it's ready.”“Yes,” answered Gerald.After Shanks went upstairs, Gerald hesitated for a moment but decided to help the men to their feet, placing them one by one on the couch or chairs. As they slouched, groaning in pain, Gerald shook his head. “Do you guys now understand what happens when you mess with the wrong woman, especially Ms. Craw?”One of the men winced and asked, “Why did she have to be so brutal when throwing down?”“She
Lucius was different.He did not care about getting close to anyone, whether man or woman. Even when Hera’s attempts to seduce him were blatantly obvious, he still remained unmoved and even showed signs of rejection.Gerald could not help but marvel at Luca’s sharp observations and incisive remarks. He could not help but clap his hands lightly, genuinely impressed.“Lucius truly is exceptional,” said Gerald.Luca came downstairs.When she took the last step off the stairs, the men in the living room immediately fell silent.They held their breath as they watched the woman in front of them. Her hair was straight, not like their boss' companion.The men's gazes grew intense.Luca’s expression darkened.Gerald stood beside her and said, “See, I told you—you’re like a piece of meat dropped into a pack of wolves. Be careful.”One of the men heard Gerald and asked unhappily, “Hey, kid, what are you saying? What wolves? We’re gentlemen. We’d never dream of doing anything inappropr
When Gerald heard this, his face fell. “Huh? Ms. Craw, you're not cooking anymore?”Luca said nothing. Luke had already left with the others. She turned her gaze back before walking inside.Gerald realized that Luca had only been cooking breakfast because of Lucius. The thought puzzled him. Had they taken a liking to each other from the very start? That did not seem right.In this fast-paced modern world, even if they had, using something as old-fashioned as cooking to win someone over did not add up.Still, the timing was too coincidental to ignore. Luca started cooking for everyone when Lucius arrived, and she stopped as soon as he left. That realization gave Gerald an eerie feeling.Thinking they might have known each other back on the island, it all suddenly made sense. Of course! They must have met before. How else could this all line up so perfectly?With that thought, Gerald quickly caught up with Luca. “Ms. Craw, my cooking is terrible. Why don’t you keep doing it?”
Kassy’s eye donor was Hera, the one Abel had brought over.Even though Hera’s eyes resembled Kassy’s, they did not meet the criteria for a transplant. However, Hera’s blood type matched Kassy’s exactly.Hence, Abel decided to use Hera’s eyes. His belief was that her eyes were specifically meant for Kassy.Shanks knew he would not be able to change Abel’s mind, so he did not try. Abel’s stubbornness was something even Kassy herself could not sway.Luca remained silent for a while, not saying anything further. She understood that using a cadaver was the best option as it would not harm anyone.However, the eyes Abel wanted for Kassy were not from a cadaver. He intended to take them from Hera.Luca certainly would not participate in such a surgery. It was too cruel.“What are you thinking?” Shanks suddenly asked.Luca shook her head. “I’m just thinking about the volunteer’s situation.”“You’re wondering if this solution will be marketed, aren’t you?” Shanks suddenly asked.L
“I’m still a bit worried. Let me take a look in your room and change the dressing while I’m at it.” Luca knew Luke would not want her to worry. Therefore, she needed to see for herself that everything was fine before she could feel at ease.“Alright.” Luke knew she was worried about him, so the two of them headed into the room.He took off his shirt, revealing the bandage wrapped around his torso.Luca could not help but chuckle at the sight. The wrapping was done by Gerald, and it was hilariously sloppy. It was haphazardly bound—overly tight in some places and entirely uneven. It looked like it was just meant to cover the wounds, with no thought for neatness.“Stop laughing.” Luke was clearly rendered speechless by Gerald’s lackluster bandaging skills as well.If it were not for the fact that it was difficult to bandage himself, he would never have let Gerald do it.“With it wrapped like this, how are you supposed to sleep at night?” Luca asked as she began unwrapping the ba
Abel chuckled. His voice was low and gravelly.“Hera, let’s agree on something. Don’t use threats of leaving to manipulate me anymore, or I won’t be happy,” said Abel in a low voice.What might have sounded like a plea or a compromise came across to Hera as a veiled threat.The cool sensation of his fingers brushed against her eyelids, and she could not help but shiver. His touch felt as cold as death itself. She could not feel a trace of warmth.Her hands clenched tightly together. The tension in her grip was the only thing keeping her from trembling further.“Alright,” Hera murmured obediently.Abel withdrew his hand. Hera opened her eyes. A strange unease stirred within her. For reasons she could not quite explain, Abel’s behavior filled her with an unsettling dread…“Will you stay at the hospital with me tonight?” Hera could not help but crave some semblance of comfort.Abel frowned slightly. “Stay here with you? And what about Luca?”“You could just send her home. I onl
Luca's expression was serious, and Hera realized she was not just trying to scare her. Ignoring her warnings had already caused her to suffer once.Unwillingly, Hera sipped on the cereal. Her resentment was evident in every movement.Luca noticed it was not difficult for her to handle. She quietly sat down and ate her own bowl of cereal.Hera did not have much of an appetite.Hera took a couple of bites before growing bored. She glanced at Luca and asked, “How did you end up working for Abel?”Luca did not respond. She calmly blew on her cereal and ate in silence, showing no intention of engaging in conversation.“I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” snapped Hera.Luca lifted her gaze briefly and replied, “You should finish your cereal before it gets cold.”“I’m not even hungry.” Hera really had no appetite and was not planning to eat the cereal.“It’s still better if you eat something. Otherwise, when hunger strikes later, don’t expect me to help you,” said Luca, “I’m only he
Luke had never taken the medicine that could speed up healing, so his recovery was nowhere near as fast as the others from the Island of Despair.Luca did not respond to Gerald’s comment. Her gaze fixed on him with intensity.“No stitches,” said Luke, “I trust you.”Luca bit her lower lip.“But if you don’t stitch it, it might tear open,” insisted Gerald, staring at Luke’s wounds.Luke glanced at his injuries and shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, as though the wounds had nothing to do with Luca.“Stitches will leave scars.”“Are you afraid of scars? What kind of man doesn’t have a few scars on him? Scars are a symbol of manhood,” teased Gerald with a playful tone, “Scars show you’re reliable, that you can protect a woman.”Luke gave him a look as though he were an idiot, then his gaze shifted to Luca. “I don’t want too many scars. I’m worried my future wife might dislike them.”Luca’s heart sank at his words, but his lighthearted remark eased her sadness. Despite the severity