Luca tried to read Luke's expression, but he did not express any emotion on his face. "Should I prepare anything?" She knew that she could not refuse, so she asked him more questions, hoping to find out what he wanted from her. "No," Luke said and left her office. He did not give her any chance to ask any more questions. Luca was speechless as she watched the door close. Judging from Luke's attitude, he did not seem like he wanted to ask her out on a date. If that were the case, why else would Luke ask her out? She could not think of a reason… However, she was quite relieved that Luke did not ask too much of her. The next day, Luca went downstairs at half-past seven in the morning. True to his word, Luke's car was parked next to the neighborhood entrance, and he was already waiting for her. As she approached the car, Luke got out of the driver's seat and opened the door on the other side for her. "Good morning, Mr. Crawford," she greeted him. "Good morning. Let's go,"
Johann nodded and said casually, "It seems that you’ve been paying attention to Mr. Crawford."Johann had no particular intention when he said it but Luca read into it. She lowered her gaze to look at the cyan floor tiles and replied softly, "I noticed it by accident."Johann did not notice the change in her tone. All he was thinking about was Allison's situation.The prison guard took them to the visitation room.Luca did not prepare anything and walked in empty-handed, but Johann brought a bunch of equipment that was packed in a medical kit.The guard asked him to open the box so that he could check the equipment inside.Johann cooperated and opened the box for him to inspect. After the inspection, no contraband was found so the prison guard walked Allison out.Luca looked at the other door where a frail-looking woman was led out by the guards. The woman had her head lowered, so they could not see her face.Luca noticed her thin arms and noted that the woman seemed malnourish
Allison's pulse was steady, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.Luca stared at the peeling skin on Allison’s face and asked, "Have you taken any special medication or used any uncommon products before you arrived at the prison?"Allison smiled contemptuously and said, "I only take big-brand health supplements. Are these considered special medications?""Can you tell me what you consumed?" Luca guessed that her condition had something to do with her lifestyle before she went to jail."There’s no problem when others take it, so why would it be a problem when I take it? All of the skincare products and cosmetics that I use are branded. You can't afford them." Allison did not forget to show off as she spoke.Luca reacted neither haughtily nor humbly. She did not humor Allison but instead asked, "Can you tell me the brands that you use? Also, does this only affect your face?"Allison frowned and replied, "Yes, it only affects my face. It was three years ago, so I don’t remem
He had only been in Allison this villa once or twice, and he did not pay too much attention to the furnishings.However, Luca seemed to be familiar with Allison’s villa. She knew what was there without Luke having to tell her.Luke said nothing and continued to observe Luca.After she walked into the beauty room, she stood there and took a few glances. The skincare products on the shelf were not dusty because of the regular cleaning. However, she thought that the products were likely expired."Mr. Crawford, can I take these?" Luca pointed to the bottles and jars on the shelf. There were several well-known international brands that she was familiar with. As for the others, although the packaging looked premium, she was unsure what brands they were."Do you suspect that these caused my mother's skin to deteriorate to such an extent?" Luke asked.Luca nodded. To be cautious, she said, "I have such suspicions, but I’ll know more after I analyze the ingredients.""You can take all of
After the security guards left, Luca opened the box and took out all the equipment. She started the installation process.She was familiar with the equipment, and it did not take much time for her to assemble everything.After she was done, Luca took out the skincare products she brought back from Allison’s villa and checked the brands one by one. There were only two of them that were from brands she did not know. She decided to start with these two products.Luca casually ate some bread that she bought on her way back and started analyzing the components.It was not a difficult task but it would take some time. She worked until midnight and finally got the component analysis report of the two products.One of the serums included bleach, an alcohol mixture, and an unknown chemical.Luca frowned. Except for the unknown chemical, the other ingredients were very cheap. ‘Why would Allison use a product like this?’She looked at the ingredient list and instantly understood that alt
Luke listened to her explanation and asked the question that Allison was most concerned about, "Can her skin be cured?"Luca stayed silent for a while and told him the worst-case scenario, "Even if we find out what the chemical substance is, the condition of her face may not be reversed. It's been too long. All I can do is guarantee that the skin on her face will no longer deteriorate. It would be very difficult for it to return to its original appearance."Luke nodded and understood the logic behind her statement.If Allison had not been stubborn and insisted on standing against Luke, her situation would not have progressed to where it was now."Mr. Crawford, the other skincare products used by Ms. Tanner are all well-known brands except for this serum… I think someone deliberately harmed your mother," Luca said.Luke nodded. During that time, his attention was on Bianca and T Corporation. He did not know much about Allison's situation, but if someone had deliberately plotted aga
"Dr. Craw, are you free now? If possible, I'll go to your company. Let's discuss Ms. Tanner’s treatment plan," Johann said.Allison's current state was not something that could be solved by cosmetic surgery. She needed medication."Mm, I’m free now. I'll see you at Cafe Perfecto below T Corporation in 20 minutes." Luca thought that this matter should be attended to sooner rather than later. If she found a treatment plan for Allison earlier, Allison might be saved from another day of suffering.After they agreed on the time, Luca let Rhett know and went downstairs.She sat in the corner of Cafe Perfecto and ordered an americano.Johann walked toward her as soon as he stepped into Cafe Perfecto. He noticed how haggard she looked and reminded her. "Dr. Craw, you don’t have to go all out like this next time.""I’m fine." Luca took a sip of coffee. This was her first cup of coffee that day. It was effective at helping her stay alert and awake."Look at the dark circles on your face.
Luke nodded. With their help, there was no need to worry too much about Allison.Johann touched his chin and smiled cheekily. "Luke, you're being too polite today, I'm not used to it."Luke gave him a cold stare but did not answer. "Get the bill."The waiter hurried over to take the banknotes in his hand when he heard Luke."Keep the change," Luke said.Luca drank the last sip of her coffee and lowered her eyes. Luke's obsession with cleanliness remained unchanged. He never asked for change because he felt that the banknotes that others touched were dirty.Since there was no need for change, that was the tip for the waiter. He happily thanked Luke, "Thank you, Sir."Luke stood up and looked at Luca. "Let’s go up."Luca nodded. Since the boss had given an order, she could not continue to laze around in the cafe so she stood up.Johann saw that they were leaving and found it pointless to stay there alone, so he stood up as well. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "Luke
“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