Seeing that Luke had already made up his mind, Johann replied, "Alright, I'll make arrangements for that immediately. If you can provide me with the hair of one of the children, I can give you the results in three days." "I'll get Jason to deliver it," Luke said. He went back to his company and told Jason to deliver a lock of Tommy's hair to the hospital. Jason went and did what he was told. Luke went back to his office. His desk was piled with documents waiting for him to process. He sat on his chair but did not immediately read through the documents. Instead, he opened his mailbox and sent an email to the address that Johann had given him. He waited for the entire afternoon, but Tia did not give him a reply. Luke sank into deep thought as he stared at the screen. After a while, he picked up the receiver of the internal phone and spoke to Tina, "Book me a flight to New York." "When do you want to fly?" Tina opened the flight booking app immediately after hearing the re
Four days later, Luke picked Tia up at the A City International Airport. Tia was wearing shades. She narrowed his eyes in appreciation when she saw the man in front of her. Luke was dressed in a bespoke polyester shirt and a pair of neatly-pressed slacks. He exuded an overbearing yet attractive aura. Tia could feel her heart flutter. She had seen many handsome men before, but it was the first time she had met someone with Luke's demeanor. She felt as though she might lose control of her emotions at any time. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Tia." Luke went forward and greeted her. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Crawford," Tia extended her hand elegantly. Luke shook hands with her. He rarely shook hands with people, but Johann had cautioned him repeatedly that Tia was a demanding woman, and he should not go against her wishes. Tia felt dizzy when their hands touched. Fortunately, her shades obscured the gushing emotions from her eyes. Trying to maintain her composure, Tia elegantly pulled
Tia narrowed her gaze and continued reading. At the end of the report, she grunted coldly and said, "She's no one remarkable. Why does she deserve to be Luke Crawford's wife?" "Regardless of what you think of Bianca Rayne, she's nonetheless Luke Crawford's wife." That was what the assistant wanted to say but dared not. She knew that she would lose her job if she offended Tia. After reading through Bianca's information, Tia flipped to the first page and began to read Luke's information again. She seemed obsessed. Half an hour later, she put the folder away. The assistant asked her carefully, "Would you like to have your meal now, Ms. Tia?" "No. Help me set up a meeting with Johann. I'd like to ask him why is Luke Crawford looking for me," Tia said. The assistant thought for a while and said, "I believe Mr. Crawford is looking for you to help his wife." "His wife?" Tia frowned. She did not want to hear about Luke's wife. "I read on the Internet earlier that Mr. Crawford
Tia nodded and looked at her assistant. "Make arrangements in my schedule." Tia had already told her assistant what to do. The assistant nodded and said, "You have a free two-hour slot from nine to eleven tomorrow morning." "Would nine to eleven a.m. do, Mr. Crawford?" Tia looked at Luke. "I'll have to conduct a comprehensive assessment with the patient. Of course, I hope that no one else will be present while I conduct my assessment." "That is possible." Luke nodded as he understood what Tia wanted to do. His profound gaze showed no emotion. "I'll make arrangements with my wife, and I'll prepare transport for you from your hotel." "Alright." Tia lifted her glass and prepared for a toast. The two people clinked their glasses. Tia slightly pursed her lips and emptied the contents of her glass. … Meanwhile, at the Island of Despair, Bianca overheard the conversation between Abel and a mercenary while she was walking from the training grounds to her room. "Latest news fr
The next day, Jason went to the hotel under Luke's orders and brought Tia to the hospital. Guided by Dr. Osmond, Tia went into the ward and saw Bianca, who was in a daze. The nurse smiled when she saw Tia walk in. "Good morning, Ms. Tia." Tia was a renowned psychologist. Everyone in the department wanted to catch a glimpse of her when they heard that she was coming. Tia arrogantly ignored the nurse's greeting. She took off her shades and said to the nurse, "I don't want anyone else present during my consultation sessions." The nurse understood what she meant; the management had already informed her about Tia's temperament. "Understood. I will be waiting outside the door." Tia did not listen to what she said. Instead, her eyes were transfixed on Bianca. After the nurse left the room, Tia's assistant closed the door. "Bianca Rayne?" Tia called out. The woman on the bed gave no response. Tia had met many similar cases like Bianca before, so she was not flustered. If she
Luke was immediately fraught with worry. "Mentally prepared? Why?" Tia glanced at Johann and found a good excuse. "The objective of the hypnotherapy session is to make her forget the traumatic events of her past, but I'm not sure how much she had forgotten." "Will she be able to forget everything that happened to her in the past nine months?" Luke was most concerned about that traumatic part of her life. "Generally, it shouldn't be a problem, but I can't guarantee if she forgot anything that happened more than nine months ago. When I tried to access her subconscious memories, she did not seem to have a sense of time," Tia explained. Johann frowned when he heard that. As far as he knew, no matter how insane a person might be, their subconscious should be laid bare once they were hypnotized. It was rare that Bianca lost her sense of time even after she was hypnotized. Seeing that they did not speak, Tia looked at the time and said, "She will wake up in another half an hour. Y
Johann left the ward. When he saw Luke's gloomy expression, he said helplessly, "I’ve done a basic examination and there are no issues with her body."Luke's expression turned even more dejected.Johann patted his shoulder and comforted him. "Now that she doesn't reject you, why don’t you go in and spend some time with her?"Luke walked into the ward.Johann looked at Tia. His attitude was cold as he said, "Come to my office.""I'm not going to." Tia became snobbish when she saw the man she was once involved with speaking to her in a rude tone and attitude.Johann put his hands in his pockets and said, "It's okay if you want me to talk to you here.""What do you want to talk to me about?" Tia looked at him vigilantly. She was wondering if he had found out about what she did.However, she was very cautious. Seeing that Bianca had amnesia, it was unlikely that he noticed anything.Johann stared straight at her with a calm expression.Even as a psychologist, Tia could not read h
Two years later, on the Island of Despair.Bianca hurried back to her room as soon as she was done with training.After Nyla was weaned, Abel took her away and stipulated that Bianca could only see Nyla one night per week.She was finally able to see Nyla after a long week of waiting.Eler and Amur followed behind her with the same fast pace. When they were about to reach the entrance, Amur took out a small wooden windmill from his pocket and said, "Miss, I made this for Nyla..."Bianca looked at the windmill, smiled, and said, "Amur, thank you."In the past two years, Eler and Amur had been by her side. The three of them were training together as well. They had made great progress compared to when they first met."Miss, you’re welcome." Amur touched the back of his head shyly. "Nyla is adorable, and we all love her."Bianca smiled slightly.When she pushed the door open, she saw Nyla sitting on her bed waiting for her. Her heart melted. "Nyla!"A bright smile appeared on Nyl
“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