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
Old Master Crawford thought that Luke had been careless. Even if he had feelings for that woman, he should have waited until he divorced the impostor Bianca. Luke carried T Corporation's public image. Now that the scandal had broken out, he might be known as a disloyal person. "I'm indeed interested in her, Grandfather, but it's not like what you think," Luke said. He explained that he had invited Tia for dinner because he suspected she had connections with the Island of Despair. Old Master Crawford was not relieved even after hearing that. His concern was not that Luke was not interested in Tia, but that Luke was still searching for the Island of Despair. In other words, Luke had not given up on looking for Bianca. It had been three years, but Luke's affection toward Bianca had not decreased. That was not normal. Old Master Crawford began to worry. If Luke could not find Bianca, was he going to stay single for the rest of his life? Luke was at the prime of his life. Th
Earlier, Tia had tried to give the impression that the situation was not like what everyone else thought. However, Sue could tell that she hoped that Jason would misunderstand her. Tia had also mentioned that she was worried about Bianca being emotionally agitated after reading the news. However, she hoped that Bianca could read the report and lose her temper with Luke. Sue knew exactly what Tia was thinking. Jason could only stare at Sue, at a loss for a reply. After arriving at Brilliant Architecture, Sue stepped out of the car. Before she left, she said, "You'd better not let Bianca know about this. She won't be able to accept the news!" Jason nodded. He did not tell Sue that the woman that was thought to be Luke's wife for the past three years was an impostor. Sue still thought that Bianca was traveling overseas. "Come home early today so that we can go to the supermarket. We need to buy supplies for our daughters' birthday party the day after tomorrow," Sue said. "
Luca read the comments on the statement. Most of the commenters said that they did not believe it. Even though both parties had already issued their statements, they still believed that something was going on between Luke and Tia, and the statements did not reflect the full picture. A public figure like Luke Crawford would definitely attract a lot of attention, especially when he was rumored to have done something that defied social norms. Naturally, the people did not wish for the incident to end just like that. It seemed that the scandal would continue to brew for some time. The commenters either said that Tia was shameless to seduce a married man, or they stood on Tia's side and said that she was a good match for Luke. Luca put her phone away and sighed. She did not know why she sighed. She could not clear her thoughts. … The next day, Luca stayed in bed. When she woke up and looked at the clock, it was already noon. She had a long and turbulent dream about Luke and
Luca's expression remained impassive as Mrs. Sullivan continued to beg her. Talia and her mother exchanged glances. Even though she felt guilty for asking Luca for help, she realized that she really needed Luca's help to get her out of that mess. She tried to evoke Luca's pity. "You don't have to say that, Mom. It's all my fault. I'm the silly one." Streams of tears gushed from Mrs. Sullivan's eyes. She had suffered multiple shocks over the past two days. When those hooligans came to threaten Talia's life, Cole did not show up at all. She resented her daughter for sleeping with that man. Mrs. Sullivan wiped her tears away and sobbed. "I can't blame you, Talia. That man must have tricked you to get in bed with him, but now… now… how heartless can he be? Tell me, Ms. Craw, does that man deserve to be a department manager?" Luca did not think that Cole was qualified to be a department manager, but she had no say in the hiring process. "You're complaining to the wrong person,
Talia's despair grew as Luca said those words. She only felt regret as she looked at Luca's frigid expression. She regretted what she did just so that she could placate her envy and satisfy Cole's ambition. "I can explain, Dr. Craw," Talia still tried to get on Luca's good side. Luca took a step back and stared at Talia coldly. "There's no need for explanation, Talia." Talia opened her mouth but said nothing. Seeing that Luca had no intention of helping her, her despair slowly turned into resentment. "No matter what your decision might be, you're not going to get out of this scot-free. In any case, it's better to own up before the other people find out what you did. Your body is weak now, and you need nutrition. I can only wish you good luck in your future." After Luca said that, she turned around and left the room. In the corridor, she met Mrs. Sullivan, who had returned from the cafeteria with some food. "Are you leaving already, Ms. Craw?" Mrs. Sullivan said eagerly, t
Luca skimmed through the news articles. Some of them were criticizing Tia, while others did a thorough analysis of the two people. There were many reports, and all of them contributed to the popularity of the scandal. Luca smiled bitterly and shook her head. … The next morning, shortly after Luca woke up, she received a message from Sue, asking if she would attend the birthday party today. Luca sent Sue her reply and began to freshen up. It was a children's birthday party, so there was no need to be too formal. Luca changed into a plain-colored long dress, wore a pair of flats, picked up the presents, and left the apartment. When she arrived at Jason's mansion, she rang the doorbell. The young caretaker jogged over and opened the door. She was wearing a headband with the words "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" on it. "Welcome, Dr. Craw," the caretaker said with a smile. She addressed Luca like how Jason did. "Yes. That's a cute headband," Luca said as she walked through the gate wit
“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