Seeing that the apartment was not very far away, the driver nodded and said, "You should be careful. Don't talk to strangers." "Yes, I know. Thank you, Sir!" Tommy smiled sweetly and skipped toward the apartment. After the driver left, he stopped skipping and began to frown. He was very far away from Crawford Manor now, but he did not know where he should go. "Sigh." Tommy frowned and looked at the budget hotel nearby. Should he stay there for a few days? Tommy walked toward the hotel. It was better to stay there than to stay out in the open. A short while later, Tommy walked out of the hotel dejectedly. He was too young and had no ID, so the hotel staff did not allow him to check in no matter how much money he gave them. They even said that they would bring him to the police station. He knew that he had to stay away from the hotel as far as possible, and he turned a corner into a narrow alley in case someone was following him. Several hooligans were smoking in the narr
Luca's heart melted when she heard that childish voice. When she turned to look at Tommy, she was immediately stunned. "You…" She could not make a sound, as though a fish bone was stuck in her throat. The hooligans saw that she was standing there in a daze. They dared not provoke her again, and instead, they quickly got to their feet and left the scene. Luca did not care about the hooligans. She stared at the little child in front of her. It had been two years, but she could instantly tell that the little boy in front of her was Tommy, her son… "What's wrong, Miss?" Tommy was wondering what the lady was thinking. Even though she had defeated the hooligans so violently, he was not afraid of her at all. In fact, when he held her hand, he thought that the feeling was somewhat familiar. "Nothing." Luca came to her senses and took his hand. He was much taller and bigger. Even his hand in her palm felt bigger. Luca felt a little emotional when she thought that she had missed
Bianca stood next to Luke and watched the footage of Tommy sneaking away. She was unhappy about what she saw. Was Tommy giving her trouble by running away from home at this juncture? She might be unhappy, but she managed to conceal her emotions. She placed a hand on Luke's shoulder and showed a worried expression. "What should we do now, Luke?" Luke had been replaying the security footage. The cameras could only track Tommy until the front gate. Beyond that, Luke did not know where he went. He was incredibly frustrated. "We'll have to find him." Tommy was still young. Where could a young child possibly go? However, Luke was worried precisely because Tommy was a young child. He called Jason on his phone to look for Tommy immediately. Bianca looked at Luke's gloomy expression. He did not say it, but she could tell that he knew the reason why Tommy ran away. She began to blame herself. "It's all my fault. Tommy is still so small, I shouldn't have scolded him. He's my son too…"
The butler could only do what he was told. "Give Dr. Cairn a call." "Yes," the servant picked up the phone and made a call to the Crawford family doctor. The other two caretakers carried Bianca upstairs and placed her on the bed. While the entire Crawford Manor was in chaos because of Tommy's disappearance, the culprit was enjoying himself. After his shower, he stepped out of the bathroom and smelled the fragrance of food. That made his stomach growl loudly. Luca seemed to have sensed Tommy behind her, and she turned her head around. She smiled when she saw Tommy standing at the kitchen door and said, "Are you done with your shower? Go and sit at the dining table. I've prepared some warm milk for you. You can drink that first, I'm almost done." "You're so nice, Miss." Tommy giggled, turned around, and sat on the chair. He took a sip of the milk that she had prepared for him, then turned his head to look at the woman in the kitchen. He liked the place, and he liked that wo
"Yes, Miss. I promise that I won't leave the house!" Tommy held up both of his hands and promised solemnly. His father would not find him so easily if he did not step out. "Good boy!" Luca patted his head. Of course, she knew her son very well. Tommy was not someone who could sit still. To ensure that he could stay with her for a longer period, Luca decided to tell him to stay in the house. If she let Tommy out, Luke's subordinates would easily find him. Tommy thought for a while and continued asking, "How would you know that I'd be discovered by my Daddy's subordinates if I go out? Do you know who my Daddy is?" "Who is your Daddy?" Luca pretended that she did not know. "He is…" Tommy paused and grunted angrily. "Never mind, let's not talk about him. He's a big baddie." "Don't say that. I'm sure that your Daddy loves you very much. Who knows that it might only be a misunderstanding? As for how I know that your Daddy has subordinates, I can tell that from your clothes."
After Tia closed the bedroom door, she sat down on the couch and waited for Bianca to wake up. She felt quite bored. She looked around the room and chuckled slightly. Nothing in the room indicated that Luke stayed in the same room as Bianca. Tia was quite happy to find out about that. As loyal as Luke might be, he would not be able to accept the woman with such a tarnished past. It was a miracle that Bianca remained in the Crawford household despite what she had been through. After all, her existence was a humiliation to Luke. The more Tia thought about it, the more indignant she got. Bianca, lying on the bed, did not hear any movement and decided to be done with her act. She slowly opened her eyes and groaned in pain to tell Tia that she was awake. "Ugh…" When Tia heard that, she stood up and looked at Bianca on the bed. "You're awake, Mrs. Crawford." She might have utter contempt for Bianca, but she did not show that on her face. Bianca sat up and looked at Tia. She
Luca went to the kitchen and made dinner for Tommy. She did not have many food ingredients left, so she had to be extra creative with the eggs. She remembered that Tommy was not very fond of eggs, and she had to be very meticulous so that Tommy would eat. An hour later, the fragrance of food wafted out of the kitchen. Tommy wore the slippers that Luca had prepared for him and ran toward the kitchen. He stood at the door and blinked. "It smells really good, Ms. Luca." Luca was wearing an apron. She turned her head and smiled. She was standing in front of the window, and Tommy could only see her silhouette because of the lighting. Tommy was stunned. 'Why does she look so familiar…' Luca did not notice the change in his expression. She said, "Go and wash your hands, Tommy. Dinner will be ready soon." "Yes, Ms. Luca!" Tommy's eyes were like crescent moons when he smiled. He bumbled over to the bathroom and washed his hands. Luca brought the food out of the kitchen. Tommy wa
Luca came out of the kitchen with a plate of sliced apples. Tommy was sitting on the couch wagging his legs while watching the cartoon on the television. He behaved as though he was at home instead of a stranger's house. Luca smiled and put the plate on the coffee table. "I only have apples in my fridge. I'll go to the supermarket tomorrow and buy your favorite fruits." "Thank you, Ms. Luca!" Tommy said. He picked up an apple slice with a toothpick but did not eat it. Instead, he handed it to Luca. "You should eat some too!" Luca smiled sweetly seeing how sensible Tommy was. She took the toothpick and said, "Thank you, Tommy." Tommy could see the warm glow in Luca's eyes and could not help but lean closer. "Ms. Luca, can I lean on you?" Luca was taken aback, but she soon knew what Tommy wanted. She smiled and nodded. "Of course." Tommy inched closer to her carefully in case she was uncomfortable. Luca ate the apple and picked him up with both hands. "Come and lean on me
For Shanks, no matter how skilled the two ophthalmologists were, they could not compare to Luca. The key was their smooth coordination. They were used to working together. If it were other doctors, they would probably start asking questions once they entered the operating room, making it impossible for Shanks to focus and perform the surgery calmly.Shanks believed this was a groundbreaking procedure, not just another teaching surgery for ophthalmologists.Abel understood Shanks’ concerns, but he still insisted, “They’re not just any doctors. They’ve signed agreements, and they won’t interrupt you with questions during the surgery. They’ll cooperate fully.”As Luca listened to Abel, she realized what he was really worried about. Besides the risk of the surgery failing, he was not confident in her.This surgery was important, and Abel was worried she might sabotage it in the operating room.Shanks furrowed his brows and looked at Luca.Luca gave him a faint smile. Whether or not
As Gerald shook his head furiously, it was not difficult for Luca to figure out what was going on.She glanced at Hera's irritation and figured it all stemmed from Luke being reassigned. Not being able to see him was clearly driving her to act like this.Luca secretly let out a sigh. They said women were the cause of trouble, but honestly, men could just be the same.Even with Luke disguised as an ordinary man, his cold and commanding air still captivated Hera.She glanced at the bowl nearby. The food Gerald brought Hera was barely touched.It seemed like she was so consumed with thoughts of Luke that she had lost her appetite...Luca’s expression remained unchanged. She was long accustomed to keeping her emotions in check around others.“Ms. Sanchez, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not close with Mr. Lucius, so I don’t have his contact information.” Luca kept her face impassive.“You’re lying!” Hera narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You’re so close to him. How could you not have it?”
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