Speaking about bubble tea caught Nina's interest. She nodded her head as she walked in the direction of the bubble tea shop arm in arm with Luca. In the beauty salon, Sophia shot a glance at Tia. The look on her face was terrifying.“Ms. Tia…” She reminded her in a soft voice. “The people in the beauty salon are looking at us.”As Tia watched Nina and Luca leave arm in arm, she turned around and asked the staff working in the beauty salon. "They were in the room next to us all along?""Yes, Miss." The beauty salon manager nodded her head and replied. She did not expect something like this to happen and wondered if she should renovate the beauty salon to improve the soundproofing. Tia took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions that were about to explode within her. “When did they start their facial session?” “Probably ten minutes earlier than yours,” the beauty salon manager replied in a soft voice. Tia staggered. Then it mean they had heard everything she told Sophia.Sh
Luca walked in after the door was opened. She was surprised to see Abel sitting on the chair. He was actually in A City…Back then when she was on the Island of Despair, she often saw Abel in A City. The errands were always run by someone else. Ever since she got out of the island, the chances of him being in A City were higher. Sometimes, Luca thought that he did not rebuild the Island of Despair for the sake of money. It was to deal with Luke Crawford. Luke Crawford was a thorn in his heart. He wanted to get rid of it, and she was his tool. "Why are you so late?" Abel complained and glanced at the time. She was half an hour late for the appointment. "Your reckless way of doing things has caused me to be followed closely by his men now. I needed some time to get rid of them," Luca explained with many grievances in her tone. Abel listened to her and chuckled. Then, he made eye contact with his men. His subordinate received his signal and handed the vial to Luca. Luca s
As the agent listened to her concerns, she smiled and explained, "Miss, don't worry. The apartment is located in a high-end residential area. The landlords who can afford the apartment units there are certainly are people with good personal qualities. And the apartment uses an electronic door lock. The password can be reset. Others won’t know the password except for the tenant herself." Luca nodded her head and did not say anything more. It was a steal for Nina to be able to rent an apartment at that price. The agent had explained to them that the landlord was planning to immigrate and thought that it was a pity to leave the house empty, so he wanted to rent it out as soon as possible. That was why the rental was so cheap.It was a reasonable explanation, but Luca had this weird feeling from the beginning. Nina signed the agreement and agreed with the agent that she would be moving in tomorrow. She had been excusing herself from work because of all sorts of matters in the past
Luke walked into the guest room, and Luca was right there lying on the bed.He went closer and reached out to put his hands on Luca's forehead. Her body temperature was burning… “How long has she been having a fever?” Luke asked."She was having a slight fever when it was noon, but I have no idea when her fever got worse," Nina answered helplessly. She believed that Luca must have gotten worse during her sleep.Luca did not even mention it when she was feeling uncomfortable. Luke shot Nina a glance when he heard that and remained silent. Just a glance and Nina knew he was blaming her for being careless. She then said, "I thought she was just tired. I didn't think much about it. And I dared not to wake her up in the afternoon…" Luke threw off Luca’s sheets and carried her in his arms right away.“Are you sending her to the hospital now?” Nina watched him carry her away and asked. “I’ve informed Johann. He’s waiting at the apartment,” Luke replied and carried Luca out of th
After half an hour, Johann walked into the bedroom to take Luca’s temperature. Given the effects of the antipyretic injection, Luca’s body temperature was getting back to normal. Johann let out a sigh of relief. After he left some antipyretics for backup, just in case Luca's fever returned in the middle of the night, he left Luke's apartment.When he left, he brought Nina along with him.Since Nina did not drive here, when Johann offered to send her back to the hotel, she accepted his offer happily. Both of them left the building and got into the car. Nina could no longer suppress the confusion in her heart. "Dr. Park, you've known Mr. Crawford for such a long time. Do you get the feeling that something is wrong with him recently?"“Something is wrong with him? I don’t think so.” Johann knew what she was going to ask. He denied it with a smile. Nina saw his smile that was as sly as a fox and pouted, "I know both of you are best friends. And men will certainly cover it up for eac
Of course, there was another kind of situation, which was Abel was trying to contact her.The numbers they had been using to call each other were a bunch of messy codes. If Nina and Luke saw such a thing, they would definitely suspect what kind of phone call it was. At the same time, there was no need to unlock the screen to answer a call. What if they answered it…When Luke saw her knowing that someone had been calling her but she was not in a hurry to check her phone, he started to suspect something. When a person knew they had missed calls, they would immediately check their phone to see who had called. However, Luca did not do so. Her expression was slightly unnatural as well.Was she sick and confused, or was she afraid of something? “Are you not taking a look at your phone?” Luke asked as he stared at her.Luca snapped back to her senses and took her phone out of the bag. As she unlocked the screen, then there were indeed a few missed calls. She was slightly relieved.
His words sent Luca's heart stirring with waves after it had started to slowly calm down. With those unintentional words, she could not help but suspect. Was Luke already suspecting her identity?If he did, would he do anything behind her back?The caretaker kept the bowl and cutleries away. Luke stood up and said, “The caretaker will leave tomorrow. If there’s anything you need, you can ask her to buy them for you.”"Alright. Thank you, Mr. Crawford." Luca was feeling uneasy, but her tone was still polite. Her reply was always distant and calm. Luke stared at her and wondered when would her emotions be affected.Probably when she was in fear. Luke did not say anything more. He picked up his briefcase, turned around, and left. He did not let her see him off. He walked to the entrance, opened the door, and closed it. He left the place with his lingering aura. Luca was feeling a little melancholic. The caretaker walked out after she had finished cleaning the dishes. She a
However, thinking from a different perspective, there was not much of her stuff here. It was unnecessary for her to use the maid's room, so naturally, she would not go in that often. Even though Luke's belongings were left here, it was not a big deal.At the thought of this, Luca walked to the table and pretended to ask inadvertently, “So, does that mean the people that Mr. Crawford sent won’t be coming today?”“Yes, I’ll be moving out after I tidy up all these. By the way, Ms. Craw, I bought some groceries for you when I went to the supermarket to get the bedding. They’re in the fridge. I’ve also put the receipts you requested in the plastic bag,” said the caretaker.“Alright, thank you.” Although Luca was not having a fever anymore, her body was still weak and she was fatigued. She was probably still going through the effects of the antidote. After all, it was the antidote that Abel had mixed something else in. Her body needed more time to recover.Now that the caretaker had bo
“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