Luke shook his head and was able to understand his intentions. "I'll book flight tickets for tomorrow for all of you.""Bro…" Gordon put on a serious look. He sincerely wanted to stay back to help look for Bianca."You guys have been here for too long. We can't just ignore the issues in Russia," said Luke. Gordon had ditched all his work to come here just to repay the debt. If he did not return even after such a long time, things on the other side would have to be delayed.”Besides, Ray was still worried about Vivian."Let Faceless go back," said Gordon in a determined tone. Vivian was not a weak woman. After all, with a younger brother like Ray, she certainly had the ability to carry out her job well."No, I want to keep you company." Vivian immediately rejected him as she wanted to be wherever he was.Gordon frowned and looked at her. Just when he was about to lecture her for being immature, Luke said, "The two of you should go back.”"Bianca's case is much more urgent." Gordo
"What do you mean by that? I think dealing with it according to the standard procedure will be for the best. At least, no one will talk crap about it." Susan had been standing at the stairs for quite some time. She had overheard the conversation between the three people. She could not help but interrupt when she heard her son saying that."Mom…" Louis turned around to look. 'Why did she come downstairs?'After the previous incident, Thea grew paranoid and could no longer sleep on her own. She had to cling to Susan or Yuri before she could fall asleep. Tonight, it was supposed to be Susan's turn to accompany Thea to sleep."You shut your mouth!" Susan looked at him, disgruntled. If she had not heard Louis speaking up for Allison herself, she would not believe that her son would side with that woman.Louis obediently kept quiet, afraid she might cause havoc if she got mad.Susan walked over with wobbly steps. She had been feeling like she was on cloud nine when she learned that Alli
On the next day in T Corporation.Luke was handling some issues at work when Jason knocked on the door and entered. He said, "Boss, Miss Douglas is in the lobby downstairs. She said she needs to meet up with you regarding a very important issue.""Which Miss Douglas are you referring to?" Luke did not lift his head and was in the middle of a conversation with the people from the Middle East to clarify the death of Robert's foster son.Jason replied, "It's Madam's niece, the young lady from the capital."Luke knew who she was. He continued to type on the keyboard. He did not think much about it and immediately rejected it. "I'm not going to see her without an appointment.""Yes, sir." Jason knew what to do and left the office, closing the door behind him. The atmosphere in T Corporation was currently very tense because Luke was in a foul mood. No one dared to offend him.Upon returning to his office, Jason called the front desk and relayed Luke's message.Maxine was sitting on
"Yes, Boss, understood," Jason replied quickly, relieved that his boss was not angry at him. Luke frowned hard and did not say anything after that. His fingers tapped swiftly on the keyboard. Jason glanced at the time and said, "Boss, we have a quarterly work meeting in ten minutes." "Mm," Luke grunted his acknowledgment. The Middle Eastern military was not very cooperative, and they were not willing to divulge any more information on Robert's godson. He was still communicating with them, hoping that they would tell him more. After sending the email, Luke frowned and clasped his hands together, waiting for a reply. Jason knew that he was still searching for Bianca and did not want to disturb him. He walked out of the office and closed the door gently behind him. Meanwhile, two security guards brought Maxine out of T Corporation. Before she could straighten her clothes, she saw several news vans parked at the roadside. The logos on the vehicles showed that they were from
"Actually, I have a suggestion." Hera could tell what Maxine was thinking and could not help but find it amusing. Despite studying abroad for most of her life, why would Maxine be so oblivious when it came to relationships? Luke would not be so easily swayed by Maxine's persistence. Hera thought that it would be easier if she did something to gain Luke's attention. "Say it." Maxine was unhappy because of what Hera said, but she could also tell that it was the truth. "To win a man's heart, you should start from looking the part. Look at you, you're charming and beautiful, and men usually fall for that, but look at Bianca Rayne. She's so plain that she's almost tasteless, but Luke loves her. Doesn't that tell you that Luke likes women of that type?" Hera analyzed. Maxine thought for a few seconds. She thought that what Hera said made sense, but she needed more data points to confirm that it was indeed the case. "Other than Bianca, has Luke ever had any other relationships?" She
The Island of Despair. Bianca lay in her bed weakly. She had not eaten well for the past few days, and she was showing signs of miscarriage. Dr. Shanks instantly treated her. It took him a lot of effort, but he managed to stabilize Bianca's condition. Looking at Bianca's pale face, Shanks realized that his supplements could only sustain Bianca's life but could not promise that the baby in her womb would be safe. He told Abel, "No matter what, you'll have to let her eat something. The baby can't survive on the supplements alone." Abel frowned hard. He looked at Bianca, half-dead on the bed, and could not help but curse, "How troublesome. Can't you invent a supplement that can nourish the baby?" "Even if I could, it'll take time," Shanks said. His supplements were developed for the League of Shadows's agents. Sometimes, the agents would have to stay in less-than-ideal conditions to complete their mission, so the supplements would provide them enough nutrients to carry out t
Shanks observed Bianca eating the spaghetti. After not eating anything for a few days, Bianca found it difficult to swallow. She did not complain. Instead, she chewed slowly and swallowed carefully. Shanks was secretly impressed. Abel was Robert's successor and wielded supreme power on the Island of Despair. No one under him had the right to talk back. However, Bianca, a powerless woman, managed to negotiate with him. What surprised him the most was that she did not ask for Eler's younger brother's release by offering him money. Instead, she offered her unborn child for the life of a stranger, and Abel actually accepted the offer. Shanks grunted coldly, feeling something in his usually cold heart. He turned around and prepared to walk away. At the door, he stopped and said, "Don't eat too much in your first meal in a while. You should still eat your supplements and only stop when you can eat the normal amount." When Eler heard that, she replied on behalf of Bianca, "Yes,
Eler slowly pulled her hands away as tears brimmed in her eyes. "Are you thinking of your family?" She had caught a glimpse of Bianca's husband while in the surveillance room. Even though she only saw him remotely, she could tell from the man's face that he loved Bianca very much. "Mm." Bianca's eyelashes fluttered. She did not open her eyes, so she could imagine that she was not imprisoned in that small room but that her lover was not far away. Eler saw the tears in her eyes. She helped her wipe them away with a paper towel. She stood there without saying a word. Just like Bianca, she had lost her family after being abducted, and she would often dream of her family whenever she slept. Such memories could only exist in the mind, and she would have to face the cruel reality once she woke up. Eler knew how it felt, so she did not know what to tell Bianca. She was not going to comfort Bianca with false promises. Bianca quietened down and said nothing. Eler took a chair and
“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