Amur's eyelids drooped. He nodded and asked, "Boss, did you deliberately ask her to come to New York?" Abel narrowed his gaze. He put a cigar into his mouth and lit it. Amur's head remained lowered, even though the cigar smoke stung his nose. He wanted to know what Abel was truly thinking. Abel shot a sideways glance at Amur and suddenly brought the glowing end of the cigar a fraction of an inch away from Amur's face. If Abel moved his hand slightly, the cigar would leave a scorch mark on Amur's skin. Time seemed to freeze at that instant. Amur did not move or flinch even though he could smell something burning. Abel maintained that pose for a full half a minute. He pulled his hand away when some ash dropped on the floor. "All you have to do is follow my orders and not ask any questions," he said coldly. Amur's hands clenched into fists. He hated himself for being not strong enough to protect Luca. If only he were stronger and not under Abel's control! "Why are you still
Dr. Albus was quite excited when he heard that. If the president of the Pharmaceutical Association served him wine from his personal collection, that would be something worth bragging about to his friends back in A City! He lifted his glass and said, "Thank you for your invitation, Mr. Abel. It's an honor to have a drink with you." Abel smiled lazily to cover up the viciousness in his eyes. He lifted his glass and said, "A toast to you, Dr. Albus." The people around the dining table lifted their glasses. Luca knew that it would be strange if she did not follow what the rest were doing, but if she drank from the glass, she was afraid that she might fall into Abel's trap. While she hesitated for a few seconds, the other people turned their hands and looked at her. With no other choice, she lifted her glass and clinked it with the other glasses. The other people began drinking the precious red wine from Abel's personal collection. Luca brought the glass next to her mouth but d
Luca's eyes opened wide when she heard him mention Luke. She was not afraid that Abel would do something to her, but she did not want him to harm Luke. She was willing to sacrifice herself to save the man she loved, and she would not want to give Abel another opportunity. "Tsk tsk tsk. I can see the worry on your face," Abel said. Luca slowly clenched her hands into fists. "They're with me. If something happens to me, they'll definitely suspect something." "They wouldn't suspect me," Abel shook his head and said, "I passed out before them." Luca stood up abruptly, but she felt her head spin, and she was forced to sit down again. "Sleep. Fighting against the drug is futile. You should know that there isn't any antidote that can work against Shanks's drugs. You might as well relax." Abel's eyes gradually became bloodshot as he watched Luca struggle. Luca was struggling because of Luke. What was so good about that man? Why did she continue to love him even though he had ca
Jason immediately contacted the driver and got him to wait downstairs. Tommy saw that the adults were in a hurry. He put down his storybook and asked, "What happened, Daddy?" Luke looked at his son. He was not sure how to explain the contents of the stream to him, so he picked the boy up and walked outside. "It's nothing." Tommy was not so easily convinced. Luke was taking big strides, so all Tommy could do was cling onto his neck. "Daddy, did something happen to Ms. Luca?" "She'll be fine," Luke said and hastened his footsteps. He turned his head and spoke to Jason, "Get someone more people to come along." "Yes." Jason took out his phone and made arrangements. Luke knew how depraved people could be. Those people watching the stream would definitely want to claim Luca, who was lying defenseless in a room, as their own. Even though the hints were limited, someone would eventually find her. The mastermind behind this incident must have some other motive, and Luke could not
Luke went over to the couch and gently tapped Luca's face. "Wake up." Luca gave no reaction, as though she did not know that her life was in danger. If he had not discovered the live stream in time, or if he had chosen to ignore it, she would definitely have been violated. The manager could discern which floor the room was. If the manager or one of the waiters had seen the live stream, Luca would not have been so lucky. Luca's face was flushed, but her body temperature was normal. He looked at her for a while before he reached out, buttoned her shirt, and picked her up in a bridal carry. Luca was not heavy, so it did not take Luke much effort to carry her out of the room. Tommy breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his father come out with Luca. "Daddy, is Ms. Luca okay?" "She's okay. She's just drunk," Luke said. Tommy nodded, though he remained worried. Luke carried Luca toward the elevator. Jason remembered that the three other people were still knocked out downsta
"Let her rest for a little longer. If she hasn't woken up by tomorrow, I'll know what to do. You should go to bed," Luke said to Tommy. Tommy nodded, though he could not be at ease when he saw that Luca was still unconscious. "Can I sleep beside Ms. Luca?" He asked. "You can't," Luke refused without any hesitation. "Why not?" Tommy protested. "I'm worried about Ms. Luca, and I hope that I'll be the first person she sees when she wakes up." "That won't be good for you. If you don't listen to me, I'll bring her downstairs," Luke said coldly. He knew that Tommy was worried about Luca, and the boy would not sleep if he lay by her side. That was why he insisted on Tommy sleeping in his room. When he heard that Luke was going to bring Luca downstairs, Tommy knew better than to challenge his father's authority. "Please don't. I'll go and sleep in my room. I hope you can get well soon, Ms. Luca." Then, he turned around and left. Luke saw that Tommy kept on turning his head ba
Luke seemed pensive. Judging from her current condition, she would only wake up the next morning. Since Luca was not waking up anytime soon, Luke leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes. The next morning, when Luca opened her eyes and saw the ceiling above her, she was quite surprised. Furrowing her brows, she tried to jog her memory about what happened the night before. Hotel, Luke, Abel… Before she could organize her thoughts, she heard Luke's voice next to him. "You're awake." His voice was lazy yet charming. Luca turned her head and saw the man sitting on the chair. The sunlight shone from the window and landed on her back, and the glare made her unable to discern his expression. "I'm…" She sat up and looked at her clothes. She was still wearing the clothes from the night before, though they were slightly wrinkled. "Do you remember what happened last night?" Luke asked. Jason had brought Dr. Albus and the others to have their blood samples taken at the hospital
Even though Luca said that she was fine, Tommy was worried because he could tell that Luca's condition was not back to normal yet. He followed behind her out of the bedroom and to the exit. "I think you should continue resting here, Ms. Luca. If you don't want to sleep in Daddy's bedroom, you can sleep in mine," Tommy said. "I'm fine. I just need to go back to my room and take some medicine. Don't worry," Luca said as she pushed herself out of the suite. She knew the type of drug that Abel had used on her. Even though the initial effect was gone, it took the body some time to fully rid itself of the drug. Luca did not want to wait, so she would rather take the antidote. With the antidote, her body will recover quickly. As Tommy watched Luca leave, he went over to his father's side and tugged his shirt sleeve. "Daddy, is Ms. Luca really okay?" "She'll be fine." Luke remained impassive as he watched her leave. He saw her teeter when she first stepped out of the bed, and he
However, Abel was not fooled by her words.He asked again, “Who are you looking for?”“Oh, I'm looking for Gerald. I've noticed that most people are here, but Gerald is missing, so I was just curious,” Hera replied honestly, knowing that Abel was naturally suspicious.“I’m starting to feel like you’ve become quite close with Gerald recently,” Abel asked suspiciously.Hera froze for a moment, then laughed and explained, “I often ask him to help with little things. He might not have many qualities, but he’s pretty diligent.”Abel did not respond right away, as though he was considering her words carefully.Hera lowered her voice and teased, “What's the matter? Are you jealous?”Before he could answer, she quickly added, “You’re so outstanding. How could I ever be interested in some ordinary man?”As soon as she said that, a flicker of unease crossed her mind.Abel was far superior to Lucius in looks and wealth. However, she seemed to be more drawn to Lucius.Despite her actions
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