"Yes. Mr. Crawford changed his mind this morning," Mo said. "Mm, understood." Luca was frustrated by the news article. She would have to face Luke later… She quickly walked into the office to make some preparations for the meeting. Mo watched her walk away and mumbled, "Why does Dr. Craw look so much like the woman in the photo?" Fifteen minutes later, Luca came out of the office. When she arrived at the conference room, almost all the other personnel from the Technical Department were there. Luca looked at the nameplates on the oval table and found her seat. She was relieved when she found out that her seat was some distance away from the CEO. She casually glanced around the room and noticed that no one was paying any attention to her. It seemed that no one recognized her in the photo. Luca felt a lot more at ease. All she wanted was to do her job and not cause any trouble. She knew that Luke would deal with the media outlets, so she was not worried that the news wou
Luca followed Jason to the CEO's office. Watson Biopharmaceuticals was only a subsidiary company, so the furnishings in the CEO's office were not as lavish as that of T Corporation. The dull gray walls gave her an oppressive feeling. Jason stood at the entrance, and he had no intention of going inside. He pointed toward the interior and said, "Please, Dr. Craw." Luca took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Come in." Luke's voice was heard from the inside. Luca's hand gripped the metal doorknob. It was cold to the touch and made her shudder slightly. She pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing Luke sit on the swivel chair, she deliberately left the door open. "Mr. Crawford." "Sit." Luke pointed at the seat opposite him. Luca nodded. She had only taken two steps when she heard Jason closing the door behind her. She turned around and glanced at the closed door. "…" She did not want to close the door because she did not want to share a private space with Luke.
After Luca left the CEO's office, she did not go anywhere else other than the elevator lobby. She was surprised when she saw Luke standing there waiting for the elevator. It had been quite some time, but the elevator had not arrived yet. It was then that she realized that they were not in T Corporation, and Luke did not have a personal elevator in the Watson Biopharmaceuticals building. It should not have been surprising that Luke would be waiting for some time. Luke must have heard her footsteps because she was not sneaking, and it would be very suspicious if she tried to run away. Luca had no other choice but to approach him. "Mr. Crawford." "Mm." Luke nodded. His eyes remained transfixed on the elevator display. The elevator had not arrived yet. Luca stood some distance away from him. She thought for a while and asked, "Is Tommy okay?" "I don't know. I'll have to bring him to the doctor," Luke said. He placed his hands in his pockets, and he looked cool and handsome.
Johann shuddered when he met Luke's gaze. He wagged his hand and said, "Never mind. I wouldn't dare to take your money." When Luke heard that, he took Tommy's hand and left the room. Johann shrugged and shook his head. "Why does he look like he's never satisfied? I don't get it. He's already married, but he's so scary." The nurse captain happened to walk into the room. When she heard Johann talking to himself, she smiled and asked him, "Which married man is so scary?" "It's nothing." Johann resumed his serious expression. "Is there anything?" "The patient in Room 36 is complaining that he's feeling unwell. Are you free to check on him?" The nurse captain asked. "Mm." Johann hung the stethoscope around his neck and left the room. Luke brought Tommy back to his car. "I'll send you back home." "No, Daddy!" Tommy did not want to go back to Crawford Manor. "I want to accompany you, Daddy." Luke was about to start the car when he heard that. He turned his head to look at To
"Don't worry, Ms. Luca. I didn't sneak out this time. Daddy brought me here!" Tommy smiled sweetly. "Ha, I hope you won't do that again!" Luca took the opportunity to discipline the child. She hoped that he would not run away from home again. If he ran away again, he might not be so lucky. "Don't worry, Ms. Luca, I won't!" Tommy reassured her. Luca remembered that Luke said that Tommy was sick. She placed her palm on his forehead but did not think that he was having a fever. Tommy thought that Luca's hand was warm, and it had given him an inexplicable sense of security. "What are you doing, Ms. Luca?" he asked. "Aren't you feeling unwell? I thought you'd be having a fever," Luca said. Tommy shook his head. "I lied to Daddy. I'm feeling very healthy!" Luca was relieved when she heard that, though she pretended to glare at him. "You're such a naughty boy. You shouldn't lie to your Daddy." "I wouldn't be able to meet you if I hadn't lied to Daddy, Ms. Luca," Tommy said m
However, when Luke heard Tommy's suggestion, he was suddenly interested in trying Luca's cooking. He looked at Luca and asked her, "Would it trouble you?" Luca was about to say that it would trouble her very much, but Tommy spoke before she could. "Ms. Luca says that it's okay as long as you agree." "…" Luca was speechless. The child was always faster than her. "Alright, sorry to impose on you then," Luke said. "…" She felt as though the two were ganging up on her. Cooking was not something hard for her, especially after Tommy stayed over in her house. She had regained her confidence in her cooking skills. However, she hoped that Tommy and Luke would not come into contact with the other people from the Island of Despair. She was afraid that Amur might give away something if he knew who Luke was, even though Amur might be worried about her. She did not want to put Nyla in danger just to satisfy her selfish needs. "Yay!" Tommy clapped his hands and cheered. "I h
Luca shook her head helplessly and said, "Didn't you promise me that you won't run away from home anymore?" Tommy stuck his tongue out. He could be a little reckless whenever he was anxious. "I was just saying it for fun, Ms. Luca." He took her hand and rubbed it against his cheek. Luca could not help but smile when she saw how Tommy was acting. She patted the boy's head. Luke sat in the car and observed their interactions. There was a motherly glow in Luca's gaze. That expression could not be faked. Luke could sense that Luca's feelings were genuine. Tommy looked to his right, and his eyes sparkled. "Daddy's car is here, Ms. Luca." Luca looked at the car that was slowly approaching them and nodded. "Mm." Tommy moved to the back while Luca helped him open the door. After Tommy went inside, Luca prepared to sit beside him when he said, "You should sit next to Daddy, Ms. Luca." "Huh?" Luca glanced at the side passenger seat. She felt a little awkward. The side passeng
Tommy looked at Luke, who seemed to be lost in thought. "What are you thinking, Daddy?" he asked. "Nothing." Luke did not tell him about his confused feelings. He had only met Luca for only a few days, but why did she seem so familiar? Tommy did not ask him any further questions. He returned to his seat and waited for Luca to come back. Wagging his legs, he mumbled to himself, "I wonder what would Ms. Luca cook for us today?" That made Luke think of the same question too. Meanwhile, Luca went into the supermarket and quickly placed fresh food ingredients into her basket. She knew that Tommy and Luke were both picky eaters, so she had to be meticulous. She devised a recipe as she picked up the food ingredients. After that, she realized that there should be no seasonings or spaghetti in the apartment, so she added those to the shopping basket. Luca approached the checkout counter with a full shopping basket. It was the evening rush hour, so the queue was very long. By t
“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