"There will be another announcement at the conclusion of the investigation, right?" Luca did not say that she knew who was behind it. Instead, she only said that she was not curious. She knew that curiosity killed the cat. Jason smiled as he listened to her explanation. He came to her office to find out what she knew, but it seemed that he did not find anything interesting. "You're right. We'll definitely publish the findings once the investigation is complete," he said. Luca nodded. "Mm. That's why I don't need to make any baseless guesses now." Jason smiled. He felt his phone vibrate, so he took it out and glanced at the screen. "Alright, Dr. Craw, I won't take up any more of your time." "Take care." As Luca watched Jason leave, the smile on her face slowly disappeared. He must have been testing her… Luca closed the office door behind her and went to the laboratory to continue her research. … Back at Watson Biopharmaceuticals, Cole was exasperated when he read the
At this point in time, Cole was not going to be threatened by the photographs in Talia's hands. "Talia, this incident has already grown beyond our control. Mr. Doyle isn't stupid, and if we keep this up, both of us will end up in trouble. Let me get straight to the point. What do you want me to do so that you'll take the fall?" He asked. Talia clenched her fists tightly. The man sounded as though he did not wish to be implicated at all. If she did not take the fall, it would soon be over for the both of them. Talia said, "I can't be the only one to claim responsibility in this incident, Dr. Kidman. You're already a veteran in this industry, and you have strong backing from your family. Even if you were exposed, you still have other options. I'm only a nameless rookie, and my future would be ruined if I have to take the fall!" Cole glanced at her coldly. He did not like it when she spoke to him like that. "Take the fall, and I'll give you money." "Money? You can give me a mi
Even though Luca's research team had moved to T Corporation, they soon knew what happened at Watson. A researcher told Luca that Talia had passed out and was sent to the hospital by an ambulance. She stopped working and turned her head to look at the researcher. "Talia Sullivan? Is that Dr. Kidman's assistant?" "Yes. The people in the company chat group are all talking about it. They said that she passed out in Dr. Kidman's office. Before that, they seemed to be arguing about something," the researcher said. Luca raised her eyebrows. She was not interested in company gossip, and she had left her phone in the office. She turned around and continued her research. "Dr. Craw, do you know why they were arguing?" The researcher asked. "How would I know?" Luca said, though she guessed that they must have had a disagreement. She swirled the test tube in her hand and said, "How would the people there know that they were arguing? Dr. Kidman's office should be soundproofed." "Well…"
Luke looked at Luca, who was deep in thought. He did not know what she was thinking. Ding! The elevator arrived at the basement parking lot. Luca came to her senses. She wanted to refuse Luke's offer, but Luke had already walked away. She had no other choice but to walk behind him. She could not treat Luke like how she treated other men. Those tricks did not work on Luke. Luca eventually caught up to Luke, and they walked to Luke's car together. She was about to open one of the doors at the back and sit inside when Luke said, "I'm not your driver. Come and sit next to me." Luke had interrupted her before she could open the door. She felt a little dejected, but this was not the time for her to hesitate. She did not want anyone else to see her, so she lowered her head, went to the side passenger seat, and sat down. She had just fastened her seatbelt when Luke started the car and drove away. It was the evening rush hour. If they were unlucky, their car would have to stop e
Tommy was too young to tell that Luca was only giving him a non-answer. He clapped his hands happily and said, "Really? Rainie will be happy to hear that!" Luca felt a little guilty for making Tommy so happy. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep your hopes up. I want to tell you that I'm your real mother and shower all my love on you, but I'm not strong enough to do that.' Luke drove to Luca's neighborhood and stopped near the supermarket. Luca unfastened her seatbelt and said, "You can wait for me in the car, Mr. Crawford. I'll be back soon." She did not expect that Luke would be coming for dinner, so there was not enough food in the fridge. Luke nodded. Tommy wanted to go to the supermarket with Luca, but Luke stopped him from doing so. He could only sit and wait in the car. In the car, Luke and Tommy stared at each other. "Daddy, why am I the only one who gets to eat dinner at Ms. Luca's house? Lanie and Rainie want to come too," Tommy said. Luke looked at his young
While Luca prepared the dining table, she noticed that Luke was checking Tommy's homework. Instinctively, she took care not to make too much excessive noise. Tommy was sprawled on Luke's back, looking at his father going through his homework. Luke found a small mistake on the last page, and he got Tommy to correct it. After Tommy did so, he signed on the last page of the workbook. He looked up and noticed Luca was looking at them. He wondered if she had been watching them. The gaze in her eyes was gentle and elegant. Luca felt the atmosphere become tense when their gazes met. She quickly turned away, placed the dishes on the dining table, cleared her throat, and said, "Dinner is ready." "You're the best, Ms. Luca! I'm so hungry!" Tommy cheered and clapped his hands excitedly. He stood up and went to wash his hands. Luca watched the boy enter the bathroom, then turned to look at Luke. Luke was still looking at her. "Mr. Crawford, would you like to have some soup before d
Luca did not have any children, but she prepared those cupcake boxes… It was as though she was doing that for Rainie. Luke did not voice his thoughts. Looking at the clock, he stood up. Before he said anything, Luca picked up Tommy's backpack. "Ms. Luca?" Tommy did not understand what Luca was doing. At the same time, Luke also looked at her. Luca felt a little awkward being stared at like that. She handed the backpack to Luke and cleared her throat. "It's getting late, Mr. Crawford. Tommy needs to go home." "But I want to watch the cartoon before I go, Ms. Luca," Tommy said as he looked at the clock on the wall. It was only eight o'clock, which was one hour earlier than the usual time. Luca thought for a while and said, "The cupcakes won't be as nice if you eat them later." Tommy thought that it made sense. He knew that Lanie and Rainie wanted to taste Luca's cooking again, but only he had the chance to do so. He nodded, took the backpack, and waved his hand reluctantl
"Great-Grandpa! I'm back!" Tommy greeted the old man first and skipped up next to him. Old Master Crawford smiled at his great-grandson. He was not happy that Luke had arranged for Tommy to go to Luca's house to have dinner every night. After all, they had a competent cook at home, and he did not understand why Tommy needed to have dinner at an unrelated woman's house. Moreover, that woman used to be Luke's rumored mistress… He was impressed with Luca's work capabilities, but he was not happy with Luke's arrangement. It felt as though Luke was trying to get close to her. Old Master Crawford looked at the grin on Tommy's face. Every time Tommy came back from Luca's house, he would always be so happy. Other people might even think that Luca was Tommy's mother. "How was dinner today?" Even though Old Master Crawford was not happy about the situation, he cared for Tommy's well-being. Tommy grinned and nodded. "Ms. Luca cooked so many amazing dishes today. I'm so full!" "M
“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