Luke remained impassive despite Tia's eager hospitality. "When does your lecture start?" "In about half an hour," Tia stayed as her gaze remained glued on Luke. She wished that he would look at her as well. "I'll go around and have a look at the exhibition. I'll be back later," Luke said, turned around, and headed toward the exit. Tia quickly followed behind him. "Let me give you a tour. I know this place very well." Luke stopped walking and turned around to look at the stage. "Your lecture is coming up soon. Shouldn't you stay behind and make preparations?" Just as he finished speaking, Tia's assistant came up to her and said, "Ms. Tia, I've already downloaded your presentation into the computer, but there seems to be some problem with the layout. Did you make any changes?" Tia was angry and flustered, but she could not reprimand her assistant in front of Luke. She maintained her composure and said to the assistant, "I'll go and take a look. Right, reserve a front-row se
The mansion belonged to Percy, and she was only an outsider. Once their illicit relationship was over, what right did she have to remain there? Moreover, she was emotionally unstable now. She was afraid that she might confront Percy if she went back, and she would only be humiliating herself. Luca knew the reasons why Nina was unwilling to go back. She nodded and said, "Alright, let's go together. I don't think I have the courage to face that family myself." Nina looked at her, feeling slightly confused. "It's not like you wanted it to happen. To be fair to you, you didn't kill the security guard. You have nothing to be guilty about." Luca laughed dryly. There were so many things that Nina did not know… "Yes, I didn't kill the security guard, but the thief wouldn't have gotten into my apartment if I had better locks," she said while inputting the address into the navigation app. "Nobody wanted that to happen," Nina said. Luca nodded, started the car, and drove toward the
Even though Nina was not willing to be together with Percy, she had to admit that he took very good care of her. She had a stable job, but the salary could never satisfy her mother and elder brother's voracious appetite for money. "Many people are suffering. We usually don't see the suffering around us because we're too focused on our lives," Luca said, feeling quite emotional. "Mm." Nina agreed with Luca, though she was not in the mood. Seeing that Nina was quite dejected, Luca guessed that what happened in the security guard's house triggered some unhappy memory in Nina's mind. She felt sorry for her best friend, and she held back the urge to give her a hug. When she was Bianca, they hugged each other quite often, no matter if they were happy or sad. However, she was not Bianca now… Luca drove the car back to Luke's apartment, parked the car by the side of the road, and ordered a designated driver from the app on her phone. Nina came to her senses after the car stoppe
Nina was becoming irritated when Percy insisted on not coming back to the mansion. Is he staying away from her because he had found another woman? "I'll wait for you. Just come back when you're done with your business." After that, she ended the call. Percy was a little confused. He knew that everyone had their limits, though Nina had never spoken to him so aggressively before. It made him wonder if that was Nina's true personality. It was the first time that she was impatient toward him. Percy put his phone away. Who could have told her that he was still in the country? He had deceived Nina for the past few days because he was busy dealing with his business, not to mention that Ms. Johnston, the young woman that his mother was trying to match him with, was pestering him twenty-four seven. He had to keep himself away from the mansion so that Nina would not be caught in the crossfire, and he only planned to go back after he dealt with the matters at hand. He was about to s
In the face of Nina's desperate cries, Percy's expression remained cold. Nina's insistence on leaving stoked the fires of anger in Percy's heart. "I've already told you from the start that only I get to end this relationship. Don't even think that you can get rid of me that easily!" Percy said while gripping Nina's lower jaw. He did not offer to explain what he had been doing. Nina pushed his hand away and stood up. "You still don't know how to respect me, Percy Mallory. I'm not your slave, and we've never signed any contract. If I want to end this relationship, you have no reason to refuse!" She had not consented to start the relationship. Now that she wanted to end it, he did not allow it either. What was she to him? Did he want to keep her by his side until she was old and useless? Nina did not understand. She did nothing wrong, yet Percy wanted to treat her that way. "I don't agree with it. If you insist on leaving, you'll eventually return to me crawling on your kne
Luca held her phone in her hand while she slept, in case someone took her phone away and read the messages inside. Any sound or vibration her phone made would wake her up. She clenched her phone tightly when she felt the vibration, and she woke up to find that it was a message from Nina. Something must have happened to her if she sent a message so late in the night. Luca immediately replied: [I'm not asleep yet. Why aren't you sleeping?] Soon, she received a reply from Nina: [I can't sleep, and I want to find someone to chat with. Are you free now?] Luca immediately sat up. After what happened at the exhibition, she was sure that Nina was unable to sleep because of Percy. Knowing Nina's personality, she might have even talked about it with Percy. Luca guessed that the conversation did not go well. Luca sent a reply: [Where are you now? Let's talk face to face.] Nina's heart warmed when she saw how quickly Luca replied to her messages. She would rather not trouble her, but
Tears welled up in Nina's eyes when she saw that Luca came prepared. She thought that Luca was worried about her, and that was why Luca wanted to stay over for a few days… Luca thought that Nina was reluctant to let her stay there. She said, "If it's not convenient for you, I can book the room next door. I don't have my ID with me now, so I might have to borrow your ID to book a room." Her concern for Nina was genuine, but she was also using Nina for her convenience. She would have to go and take the antidote in two days. It would not be very convenient if Luke's subordinates tailed her. Nina said, "I'm happy that you're willing to accompany me. Thank you so much, Luca." She was genuinely touched by Luca's gesture, and she called her "Luca" instead of "Dr. Craw." Luca smiled and put her backpack away. "What would it be? Can you still sleep?" Nina shook her head. "I don't think I can sleep." Luca could see the sorrow in her eyes. Even though she had missed out on what
Nina moaned comfortably. "Where did you learn this technique, Luca?" "I devised it myself. How does it feel?" Luca looked at Nina's face and planned how she could make her life more comfortable. If what Nina said were true, Percy would not let her go that easily, and he might be able to find her by today. "This is great. You're so amazing, Luca. You're well-educated, gentle, and caring, not to mention you're a great cook. You even know how to give great massages too! Any man would be very lucky to marry you," Nina praised. At the same time, she thought of Bianca. Luca's personality reminded her of Bianca before she lost her memories. It was understandable that Luke was interested in Luca. Women like her deserved to be loved and pampered. Any man would want their wife to be like that. Luca smiled but said nothing. She continued pressing certain spots on Nina's temples to make her feel better. She was not as amazing as Nina said. She imagined that Nina would hate her if Nina
“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