After he exited the call, Luke subconsciously opened the window that displayed the surveillance footage.Luca was no longer in her office. It was likely that she was off doing research.There was nothing to look at in the empty office. Luke turned off the surveillance and picked up the cold take-out box on the side. After he took a few bites, he stopped eating.The delicious lunch was no longer so after it had cooled. He was always picky about food so he did not continue eating it.Luke threw the take-out box into the trash can, took a sip of the cold coffee, and continued to work.After half an hour.Jason appeared at the door of the laboratory. Instead of walking in, he stood there and said to the people inside, "Hello, can you please call for Dr. Craw?"One of the researchers heard him and said to Rhett, "Mr. Link, Mr. Doyle is looking for Dr. Craw."Rhett looked up from the microscope, saw Jason at the door, and immediately stood up. "Dr. Craw is in the cultivation room. Mr
Luca watched him lying there. Although he was suffering from gastric, he still maintained a calm expression. It was not obvious that he was in pain.She suddenly stood up and asked him, "Mr. Crawford, is there milk in the pantry?""I don't know," Luke said. He did not touch any drinks except for coffee.Luca remembered that Tina was responsible for replenishing the drinks in the pantry. Although Luke did not drink them, many guests came to visit. They might not all drink coffee, so there were always a variety of drinks prepared for the guests.She said, "I'll go check it out."Luke did not make a sound. Luca walked out of the office and toward the pantry.When she walked into the pantry, she happened to bump into Tina, who was putting milk in the refrigerator. She asked, "Hello, is this milk?"Tina turned her head to look at her, nodded, and handed her the milk in her hand. "Would you like some?""Yes, thank you." Luca took the milk and looked for a cup for Luke from the steril
"Yes." After Luke sat up, he stood up.Jason wanted to step forward to help him but Luke glared at him. "I'm not disabled yet."Jason immediately let go and stood there. He knew that Luke was in so much pain that even his brows were tightly knitted together, but after Luca arrived at the office, the expression on his face returned to normal.Jason stroked his chin and wondered. ‘Would he rather suffer in silence to save his dignity?’Luke stood up and walked to the lounge.Luca brought the dry needling tools and followed behind him.Jason was going to follow along but received a call from Tina. He had no choice but to say, "Boss, I’ll answer the call first.""No need to follow me in," Luke said as he walked into the lounge.Luca followed him in.Jason watched as the two of them walked into the lounge. He could not help but wonder. ‘Doesn’t he suspect that Luca is from the Island of Despair? Isn’t he worried that she’ll hurt him if I’m not around?’He thought about it for a wh
Luca sat on the sofa and felt as though the air around her solidified slightly.Luke was lying there, unable to do anything. Furthermore, his chest was bare. If someone came in at that moment and did not see the needles on his acupuncture points, they might misunderstand.Luca wanted to find something to do to distract herself but she did not have her phone with her.Her gaze fell on the bookshelf on the side. It was not a bad idea to spend half an hour reading a book.Luca pointed to the bookshelf and asked, "Mr. Crawford, can I read the books on the shelf?""Go for it," Luke said. There were various types of books on the shelf. They were not for display as he had read them all.Luca stood up and picked an architectural design book on the shelf. When she was sitting down, she heard him ask, "You’re interested in architectural design?"She was startled. If there were a pile of books up for choosing, her first choice would be books related to architecture.After all, her previou
Previously, Tia said that she treated the fake Bianca with hypnosis, but since Luke found out about the truth, he thought that things were not that simple. Perhaps Tia could be an entry point for investigating the Island of Despair.Otherwise, how could everything be so coincidental?Luke believed that the fake Bianca faked her madness. Otherwise, there was no good explanation as to why she appeared out of the blue and did not remember anything from the past.As long as she acted crazy enough, no one would ask her about the past.After Tia appeared, she used hypnosis to soothe her emotions. Around the same time, the fake Bianca happened to lose all memories of the past.Luke was skeptical and thought that someone had conceived a well-laid-out plan and was plotting against him.Since the fake Bianca was planted there by someone from the Island of Despair, Tia could be involved as well...Luke sat in the executive chair, squinting his eyes while he thought about it all.Jason tho
"Recently, a French restaurant opened near the International Center. I heard great things about it. Why don't we go and try the food tonight?" Luke said. Although he was inviting Tia, he still had no expression on his face.Tia immediately became excited when she heard his invitation.In the past three years, she had frequently appeared in front of Luke because she liked him.Tia has always felt that only she could be worthy of a good man like Luke. This time, he had finally asked her out alone. Although she thought that women should be reserved, at that moment, she threw that notion out of the window. Maybe Bianca going abroad to study was a good thing.‘Look, as soon as she’s gone, Luke noticed me and even asked me out. This is the moment many women dream of!’"Sounds good." Tia nodded. She had a wide smile on her face. She was unable to hide the joy in her heart.Luke glanced at the time. It was almost time to get off work, and he said, "I still have some work to attend to. Wh
Luca looked at the numbers on the elevator and kept thinking in her heart about whether Luke had truly moved on. Although she knew that it was hard for him to take care of their three children while managing T Corporation, when she thought about a woman appearing next to him to replace her former position, she still felt very sour.However, Luca knew that even if she was sour about it, it was pointless. After all, she was no longer Bianca and she could not tell him that she was once Bianca.Zoey saw that Luca kept silent and her expression was calm with no waves of jealousy. She thought a woman with an indifferent temper like her was not interested in these gossips, so she said, "Dr. Craw, do you know Tia?""I don't know her." Luca’s reply was short and simple. There were no fluctuations in her tone as well. Zoey was sure that she had no interest in Luke’s affairs, so she said, "I heard that Tia is Mrs. Crawford’s therapist. Maybe the boss is treating her to a meal to thank her.
Luca could guess why Luke did not tell the people from the Crawford household. He should want to protect Tia's reputation… She heard the elevator doors open and watched Sean and Tommy go inside. Before the doors closed, Tommy peeked out of the elevator, waved at Luca, and said, "Bye-bye, Ms. Luca!" Luca forced a smile and waved back at him. After the elevator doors closed, she closed the door of her apartment. She could not stop herself from thinking that Luke was currently at dinner with Tia while the people in his family knew nothing about it. She sat down on the couch. A commercial was playing on the television. She was irritated by the noise, and she switched off the television with the remote control. Before Luca returned to A City, she was already mentally prepared that Luke would have had an intimate relationship with the impostor. She even guessed that they might have had another child. She did not feel sad. After all, Luke was also a victim of Abel's deception an
Hera let out a cold sneer, feeling that Gerald's apology was not sincere.Hera did not want to press the issue at the moment. She gave him a sharp look. “Come with me.”Gerald knew that Hera was up to something again. If it were a normal order, she would have just said it in the living room. Whenever she called him aside, it meant whatever she had to say could not be overheard by others.Reluctantly, Gerald followed her out.It was midday, and as soon as Hera stepped out of the living room, a wave of heat hit her face.The intense warmth made her feel uncomfortable.Hera got straight to the point, turning to Gerald. “What did Luca say to you just now?”“She just asked me to help keep an eye on the volunteer,” Gerald answered honestly. This was not something that needed to be kept secret.Hera frowned. “Is she going out”Gerald hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to say anything.“I’m talking to you, not the wall. Are you mute?” Hera threatened. “If you lie to me, I’ll te
Gordan was puzzled. At most, it was just brotherly camaraderie. After all, they had been through thick and thin together. Their bond might be stronger than usual, but falling in love? That was a bit of a stretch.Luke said, “The way you acted just now, doesn't really seem 'straight' to me. Also, if you're into women, maybe you should consider finding one. Otherwise, if you're always single, people might start misinterpreting your feelings for me.”“Luke, actually, you're not bad at all. In fact, you're probably better than a lot of women,” Gordan replied with a sly grin.As a man himself, he honestly thought Luke was a great guy. If he were a woman, he would be utterly captivated by him.“Shut up!” Luke knew he was joking, but he still felt a chill run down his spine. He seriously worried that Gordan might do something inappropriate when he turned his back on him.Shivering from the thought, Luke put down his glass and headed upstairs.Gordan let out a deep sigh.The night w
“Anyway, I'm saying it here—I'm not going to Russia because of that ugly woman, Vivian. If I go to Russia, it's for you. I've already divorced her. Besides, I’m already trying to avoid her, how could I possibly go to Russia for her?” Gordan took a sip of red wine, then continued his rant. “And, Ray is still in Russia. I really can't go. His men are all brutal, and I've had enough of being beaten all these years.”“Then why did you buy an apartment in Vivian's neighborhood?” Luke continued to tease him. His sharp eyes glinted with intelligence.Gordan denied it, but whether he believed it or not was his own business.“It was just a coincidence!” Gordan raised his voice, trying to convince Luke.Or maybe himself.“Coincidence?” Luke sipped his wine, every gesture as graceful as a nobleman.“Of course, it’s a coincidence, Brother Luke. You wouldn’t know, but that apartment is in a school district, surrounded by college towns. There are a ton of hotties there, I picked the place just
As Luca listened to his tone that was full of regret, she felt a slight pang in her heart. She recalled when she had a child and continued pursuing her education. If she had given up on herself back then, perhaps she and Luke would not find themselves here today.Luca felt she was much more fortunate than the volunteer. Even though she loved her father, she also understood the importance of education and did not let her father’s illness cause her to give up. She was also fortunate to have a father who supported her education.At the thought of this, Luca could not help but ask, “Do you regret it?”“No, I don’t regret it,” the volunteer smiled. “Actually, I always look at it in a positive light. Back then, several boys in my class liked her. If I hadn’t confessed, she might have become someone else’s girlfriend. If there’s anything I regret over the years, it’s that I was too selfish and it affected her studies.“I never thought that being in a relationship at a young age would
As Luca thought about it, she heard the volunteer exclaim, “With a wife like you, your husband must be so lucky and blessed.”Luca shook her head. To her, being cherished by Luke was a real blessing.“You’ve got it wrong. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”Luca had often wondered what her life would have been like without Luke.Perhaps she would have married Jean, only to watch his true nature slowly reveal itself. She would have struggled, eventually unable to endure it, and maybe even ended up divorced.It could be something worse. She might have been taken advantage of, lost all hope, and spiraled downward...Anything was possible.However, Luca knew that no matter what happened, life would not be as good as it was now without Luke.Though she remained under someone else’s control, and life on the Island of Despair was fraught with hardship, with Luke by her side, she felt an unshakable courage.A light laugh from the volunteer interrupted her thoughts.Luca
The volunteer did not mind. As long as it meant he could recover, he was willing to endure any pain. “It's okay. I can handle it.”Luca nodded.The door to the vehicle opened, and a man stepped inside. Due to the lack of sterilization, he did not dare approach the inner part of the vehicle. Instead, he placed several bottles of saline on the outside.“This is the saline that Mr. Shanks prepared. He asked you to inject it when you can,” the man relayed Shanks' message.“Got it.” Luca reached out to take the bottles. After thoroughly disinfecting them, she brought them inside.It was more complicated than being in a hospital.Since the volunteer's body was still weak. They had to maintain as sterile an environment as possible.However, it still fell short of the ICU's standard.Luca stayed with the volunteer until evening. Gerald stood outside the medical vehicle and called, “Ms. Craw, it's time for dinner.”Luca took off her protective gear and stepped outside.“Ms. Craw, di
“Don’t worry, it won’t affect you in the slightest,” said Abel.The villa was bought under Shanks’ name.So while it appeared to be the Island of Despair’s property, it was, in fact, Shanks’ personal asset.Abel shot a glance at his subordinates, who stood beside him. Without hesitation, they grabbed the doctor and hauled him away.As Hera watched the scene unfold, she felt a sudden pang of unease. She was well aware of Abel's methods. Punishment was never off the table. However, seeing the way things were unfolding, Hera could not shake the feeling that Abel might actually take the doctor’s life.Still, they were in A City, a country with strict laws. Would Abel really go that far?As Abel turned to leave, Hera said almost nervously, “Darling…”“I have some matters to take care of. Be good and stay here. Don’t wander around, okay?” Abel’s mood was apparently lifted by the successful surgery. His voice was unexpectedly gentle.Hera’s unease only deepened. She grabbed the slee
All three of them stepped out of the vehicle.Hera realized that the surgery might already be over and could not wait to hear the results.Abel, equally eager, immediately asked as soon as he saw them, “Is the surgery finished?”“Yes, the surgery was successful. The transplant was completed, and all the nerves we could connect have been repaired. Now, it’s up to the follow-up treatment,” answered Shanks.The doctor who had been kicked out earlier stared in disbelief.They actually succeeded in the transplant? How was that even possible?“Great, fantastic!” Abel let out a sigh of relief before bursting into laughter.What had seemed impossible in modern medicine had achieved a different outcome in Shanks’ hands.Unlike others who might celebrate the medical breakthrough, Abel’s joy came from a more personal place—Kassy would soon return to his side. His delight was unmistakable.“T-This can’t be!” muttered the dismissed doctor, who was still in shock. “A surgery this revoluti
After returning to her room, Luca told Luke about the surgery that day.She explained that she had not been able to participate in the operation and was uncertain if Abel would prevent her from being involved in the future. If she was not allowed to take part, she might lose her excuse to stay here. Also, she would not be able to help with what was to come.Luke replied to her message quickly, assuring her that everything was already planned out and she did not need to worry.Luca frowned slightly as she read his message. She wanted to ask about his plan but hesitated for a moment and decided against it. Knowing too much about Luke's men might backfire.Luca deleted their chat history but soon received another message from him.He told her that T Corporation had successfully won the bid and that he had already found someone to replace Lucius’ role.Luca let out a sigh of relief. Finding a replacement for Lucius meant that he was out of danger for now. The worry that had been we