Hera sat up and chuckled. "That defective baby in your stomach? Heheh, you should thank me instead. If you delivered that baby, I'm sure that the Hiltons will disown you, even if you're already married. Consider this as a blessing in disguise. It's better that you lose the baby before you're married instead of being driven out of the household." Leia clenched the hem of her gown tightly. Her stomach was aching, and she had to sit on the toilet. "You know that I only get to marry Brody because of the baby, Hera. I wouldn't have agreed to help you if I knew that I'd become like this." Listening to Leia's accusatory words, Hera could tell that she would not tell Luke. If Luke wanted to take revenge, Leia would be the first victim. After arriving at that conclusion, Hera said impatiently, "Understand this, Leia, you volunteered to do this. No one forced you." Leia gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She felt as though she was adrift at sea. She had lost the support of the Hil
"You'd better leave, Wayne. The caretaker might wake up any time…" Leia begged. Her eyes were transfixed on the caretaker on the couch, wondering why she did not notice despite them talking at a normal volume. "I knocked her out." Wayne turned on the bedside light, which dazzled Leia's eyes. He sat down on the bed and looked at her pale face without any sign of care. Leia grabbed the bed sheets tightly. Wayne's gaze slowly shifted down from her face to her stomach. Leia noticed that. She wanted to cover her stomach with the blanket. Wayne's gaze turned vicious suddenly. "How dare you harm my child, Leia!" Leia shuddered when facing his gaze. "It was an accident, Wayne. It's all Bianca's fault. Bianca made me lose the child." Wayne reached out and touched her stomach. Through the hospital gown, Leia could feel the icy coldness of Wayne's touch. She shuddered again and explained, "It's really not my fault, Wayne. Bianca planned all this." Wayne gripped her lower ja
In the western Pacific Ocean, a ship bobbed up and down the waves as it sailed northward through a thunderstorm. Bianca laid on the bed. She had been force-fed multiple times. The area surrounding the bed was indescribably messy, and it was starting to stink. She did not know how many days it had been since she boarded the ship. There was only one door, and there were no windows. Her hands were tied, and her mouth was gagged, though her legs were free. However, she was limited to the cabin, so she did not know if it was day or night. Her stomach churned as the boat swayed. She had the urge to vomit, but the cloth in her mouth made her unable to do so. She turned her head away and took deep breaths to calm her stomach down. She had only met three other people aboard the ship -- Abel and the two mercenaries. They did not care that the conditions of the cabin were deteriorating. The bed was beginning to get moldy, but they had no intention of changing it. That was w
Seeing that he had not rested for days, Old Master Crawford was worried for his grandson. He put a sleeper sofa in Luke's bedroom. Luke turned on the light, sat up, kept the bed, and walked out of the study. He opened Tommy's bedroom door. There was a small orange night light next to the bed. Ever since Bianca was abducted, the usually cheerful and playful boy had fallen silent and easily cried. He used to love to watch cartoons and eat snacks, but those could no longer pique his interest. He would even wake up from his nightmares and look for Bianca. Johann suggested that he put a nightlight next to Tommy's bed to soothe his emotions. After doing so, Tommy rarely woke up in the middle of the night. Luke gently stepped inside and saw that Tommy had kicked the blanket onto the floor. He pressed his lips together and covered him again with the blanket. Bianca used to be the one to do that. Bianca would wake up once or twice in the middle of the night to check on their child
Percy stared at her. Seeing the sorrow and loneliness in her eyes, his heart trembled, and that made him feel uncomfortable. "Luke will find her." Percy was surprised that those words came out of his mouth. He was not used to comforting others. Nina looked at him profoundly. She thought that she had misheard just now. Before she could react, Percy stood up. "Go to bed." Nina chuckled wryly when she heard that command. Indeed, she had misheard. Percy was never going to talk to her like that. Nina could not disobey him. Even though she was not in the mood to sleep, she stood up, went into the bedroom, and lay by his side. After she closed her eyes, her other senses became more sensitive. She could not ignore his breathing after being used to living alone. Percy used to want to make out with her very often, but he did not want to sleep with her, so she had some time for herself. Now, all her private time had been occupied by Percy. Nina sighed, and her mind wandered to
"You’re back." A man was sitting right in the middle of the room with his back facing the entrance and against the light.Abel looked at the medical equipment in the room and walked to that man. He sat down. "Yeah, I'm back.""Did you succeed in taking revenge?" The man glanced at Abel and lowered his head, continuing to read his medical book."I'd say it's a success." Abel chuckled and picked up a glass filled with red wine, swaying it. When he saw it at a distance earlier, he thought it was a glass of red wine. However, now that he had gotten a better look, he realized there was a finger inside the red wine.His face went pale and he placed the glass of wine down while cursing. He called the man a maniac for doing such a thing. ‘Why the f*ck is he using wine to preserve his samples?’"What do you mean by that?" asked the man with a spooky voice. He talked softly as though he did not possess any ill intention."I didn't harm Luke Crawford but I've brought his woman to the island
Eler saw that Bianca had woken up. She took out a thermometer and stuffed it under her armpit.Bianca opened her mouth and noticed her mouth was no longer stuffed with anything. She tilted her head only to see an unfamiliar Western-looking face. She then asked weakly, "Where is this place?""I can't tell you that." Eler shook her head, her blue eyes glinting with terror. She was not born and raised here but brought captive to this place.Bianca glanced at the surroundings and noticed she was still locked up in a room with only a door and no window.She wanted to sit up, but when she supported herself on the bed, her body felt weak and she quickly fell onto the bed.Eler quickly discarded the towel that was drenched in alcohol aside and came over to check whether Bianca was injured. "Are you alright?"Bianca ignored her and insisted on sitting up.Eler came over to help her up. "Miss, you're still having a fever. Please refrain from moving about."Bianca looked at the young lady
Bianca widened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.Eler looked at the blank stare in her eyes and pitied her. She conveyed Shanks' instructions, "This is what Dr. Shanks specifically prescribed for you and it's very good for restoring your energy. You were sailing across the ocean for so many days and your body is very weak now. Besides, this tonic can alleviate all the side effects one would have during pregnancy."Still, Bianca did not move an inch as though she was petrified.Eler suddenly got down on her knees. "Miss, I'm begging you, please don't torture yourself. Or else, my little brother is going to be in deep trouble…"She was well aware that if the woman on the bed did not recover, her entire family would be in trouble. She did not mind being killed but her younger brother…Bianca shifted her eyes. She had heard all the threatening words Abel said to Eler earlier."I don’t even have the right to do anything now?” Her comments carried traces of sorrow.Eler shook her he
“As long as he stays out of your sight, I won’t make a move,” said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Luke’s pals, he would have been long gone.Anyone who dared to mess with someone Ray cherished would not be let off easily. The only reason Gordan was still breathing was thanks to Luke.“Alright, Ray. Just let it go. I’ve moved on and started a new life. Plus, I’m studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, we’ll just be strangers. There’s no need to step in for me or act impulsively.” Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.“Is it the clothes delivery?” asked Ray.“No, while you were talking with Mr. Crawford, I asked someone to buy some medicinal cream. The ones here work better than the ones in Russia. A little massage with it should help you heal faster,” Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.“Miss, is the boss alright?” asked one of Ray’s subordinates.“He’s fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, “Can you walk me through your plan?”“The prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. I’ve already spoken with the prison officials, and we can use that passage to transport her out. It connects to the sewage system, which leads directly to another detention facility. "The only catch is that this facility’s underground pipes don’t connect to the outside world, so the remaining 10% risk lies in moving Kassy onto the main road and securing her at the new location.“This whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why I’m confident it’ll work.” As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. “Here’s the layout I had someone retrieve. This is the starting point, and this is the destination. If we take this route, we can move Kassy without alerting Abel’s people.”Abel’s men were keeping a constant watch outside the prison now. That was prec
Luke had no idea what kind of mindset the person who poisoned Vivian had. However, he found Gordan’s current behavior quite intriguing.“Luke, what’s with that look?” Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.“You seem pretty concerned about Vivian,” Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. “What? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, don’t say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.”Luke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. “Why are you here?”“Speaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.” Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. “Man, Ray really didn’t hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.”Luke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. “Unlock it.”“All set, boss.” Gordan unlocked the phone and went back to pressing an ice pack against his face.Luke scanned the scr
It was the sound of a body slamming onto the ground.Gordan’s furious curses rang out. “Damn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?”Another loud thud followed.Vivian frowned. What the hell were they doing? Were they really going to fight until one of them won?Both of them were skilled fighters. If they kept this up, neither would walk away unscathed.“Enough!” shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.“Vivian, stay out of this. I’m beating him to a pulp today,” growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.“Ray, I don’t want to see him,” said Vivian. She did not want Ray fighting him. It was not to protect Gordan but because she did not want Ray getting hurt.Also, she definitely did not want Gordan to see her like this. She could already picture his smug face, his sarcastic remarks and his gloating.“Fine. If you don’t want to see him, I’ll just beat
After returning to the hotel from the hospital, Vivian felt much better.To her, the fact that Ray had taken her to the hospital meant there was hope for the future, which lifted her spirits. She picked up an apple from the fruit platter the hotel had provided and took a bite.“Ray, this apple is really good. Want to try one?” asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. “You go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?”Vivian nodded. “I only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.”Ray walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.“You didn't bring any food with you?” asked Ray.“I haven’t really been in the mood, but the food here is way better than Russian food, so I didn't feel the need to bring anything.” Vivian’s tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.“That's true.” Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. “Alright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, we’ll still need your help.”“For toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Don’t worry, if I can help, I definitely will,” Luca assured him.“Alright, thank you.” Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, “If Vivian was really poisoned, don’t worry. Previously, Luca discovered that her biological mother had been poisoned with a slow-acting toxin. She prescribed herbal medicine and used purely traditional herbal medicine to detoxify her. It didn’t take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If it’s something she can fix, she’ll do everything she can.“Besides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?”“Yes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. “Ms. Sanchez, what's wrong?”He was eager to get back upstairs and stash his cigarettes before someone noticed and took them.Hera yanked open his bag, glanced at the cigarette brand, and scoffed. “I thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And you’re acting all deferential to her over this?”Gerald was rendered speechless. “I knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand I’m used to. Maybe it’s not expensive to you, but for me, it’s what I can afford.”Realizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. “Still, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?”“It’s not about the money,” replied Gerald. “It's just a nice surprise. I never expected to get anything out of helping Ms. Craw, and this kind of unexpected gift has nothing to do with the price. Besides, I'm not being overly grateful. I'm just happy.”He was ba
Luca’s lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Luke’s eyes, was utterly captivating. It tugged at his nerves, stirring an uncontrollable desire within him.At that moment, he had only one thought, and it was to completely lose himself in her.…The two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, “Hello, Mr. Crawford.”“Vivian, don’t worry. Everything will get better,” replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Luca’s hand and led her away.It was only after hearing the door close that Vivian finally turned back around.Ray glanced at her and said, “Vivian, they’re your friends. You don’t have to act this way around them. They won’t judge you.”“I know they won’t…” Vivian let out a soft sigh. “I just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didn’t want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But it’
“I once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivian’s. Given that your family has good genetics, yet Vivian is different from the rest of you, and her skin improved after leaving her original environment, all of this confirms my suspicion.“Could it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.”“If she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?” asked Ray.Luca shook her head.“The poison I’ve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victim’s skin dark. I don’t know exactly what it was, but long-term exposure to any poison has an effect on the body. It's just a suspicion now. I need to consult someone I know. And honestly, I can’t be sure what’s really causing Vivian’s condition.“Is her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a