‘Responsible for me?’Luca was frightened by his words. She was thankful that she was not drinking water at that moment. Otherwise, she would have choked."Mr. Crawford, although this incident was deliberate and not an accident, I'm sure you didn’t want it to happen either. You don't have to blame yourself, and you don't have to be responsible for me. I don't blame you." She immediately made her stance clear. She did not blame him for anything.Luke stared at her as she explained herself.She was Bianca. Although she did not want to admit it, she was making sure to keep a distance from him all the time. ‘What does this mean… Does she think of me like a snake or scorpion?’Luke felt upset that the woman who used to be close to him suddenly became like this. Even so, he put up with it when he thought of the bigger picture."I know you don't blame me. Let’s just pack up and go," Luke said.Luca shook her head."You don't want to go?" Luke misunderstood her.She did not want to
After Luke put her things in the boot, he got into the car.He glanced at Luca. She was silent as if deep in thought about something.Luke wondered if what he said before had scared her.However, Luca did not seem like the kind of person who would be scared easily. He asked, "What are you thinking about? You look worried."Luca shook her head, indicating that she was fine.Luke knew that she was full of worries but he had no way of knowing since she refused to share with him.Luke drove back to the apartment and did not stop the car even when he arrived at the gate of the community. He swiped his card and drove in.Luca looked at him but did not say anything about him sending her to her home.No one could stop Luke from doing what he wanted to do, including her former self. She had been long accustomed to his forcefulness.She watched him drive all the way there and park in the parking space.Luca thought about saying something. "Mr. Crawford, thanks for driving me back. I'll
Luca agreed, and the topic ended.There was another round of silence at the dining table.Luca raised her gaze and sneaked a glance at Luke, who was holding a piece of meat that was soft and shredded after being cooked for a while. He was not frowning.In the past, he disliked soft foods as such. It was impossible that Mrs. Nancy did not know his preferences. It was likely that he ordered Mrs. Nancy to cook the food like this so that it was easy for her to chew.Luca looked at the soft dishes on the table and asked, "Mr. Crawford, I assume these meals are not to your taste..."Luke looked up, his eyes carrying an emotion that she could not understand. "You know my taste?"Luca was startled and quickly said, "These foods are too soft. I think your teeth are so good that you probably don't like soft foods. Shall I cook a dish for you?"Luke listened to her concern. It was obvious that she paid a lot of attention to him but she deliberately kept a distance and even thought about ho
Luca remembered her work in the laboratory after she sent a friend request to the cleaning lady. So far, she had not received any messages from Rhett. She presumed that it must be Luke’s orders. Luca took the initiative to send a message to Rhett to ask him about the situation in the laboratory.Rhett responded quickly to her message. He told her that the experiments going on in the laboratory were going on as scheduled. They were ready to apply for a clinical trial now. Luca looked at Rhett's simple response. It was as though he was afraid of disturbing her if he typed a few more words. She shook her head, and the phone screen turned dim. She looked at her reflection on the screen. It was blurry, but she could see that her face was swollen.She let out a sigh. She still could not go back to work even though she thought she was fine now.She would at least have to wait for the swelling and pain on her face to subside completely. Only then would Luke allow her to return to th
The cleaning lady was wearing gloves and an apron. With a smile, she said, “Ms. Craw, I’ve finished cleaning up the apartment. And I’ve already put the fruits in the fridge. Is there anything I need to do?” "No, you can leave now," Luca replied coldly. She glanced at the living room. It had indeed been cleaned and tidied up. “Alright. Then, I’ll leave first.” The cleaning lady took off her gloves and apron after she finished her work. She turned around and left after putting them back in place. Luca picked up the sample and put it into an impenetrable sealed bag. Then, she put it in the disinfection cabinet. She did not have as many equipments as in the laboratory. Hence, she could only use these home appliances to do her research. After all, she could not bring these to the laboratory. After Luca handled everything, she went to take the clams that the cleaning lady had cleaned out of the fridge. She took some out, planning to make a pot of clam chowder as a side dish to have
After Luke left, it did not take long before Luca pulled herself together. She had something more important to do.She could only fix her passive stance in this situation if she could develop the antidote. It felt uncomfortable to be under someone else’s control.The Island of Despair was powerful in both manpower and financial resources. It was because the members were under the drug’s control.If there was an antidote, the Island of Despair would break apart once the members were given the antidote.Luca became even more determined to study and develop the antidote at the thought of this. She took the sample out of the disinfection cabinet. The sample that she took from the straw did not disappoint her. The concentration was high enough. The next thing she needed to do was analyze the composition of it. Then, she would be able to develop the antidote. Luca sat on the lab table and did her research quietly. She stopped her research and talked to Tommy for a while when Tommy
“I was deep asleep last night. I didn’t know you were here.” It was after that Luca realized how contradicting her words were. Then, she said, “I saw the thermos bottle on the coffee table this morning. That’s why I know you were here.”Luke did not expose her and continued to eat his breakfast. After breakfast, Luca still had no idea where he was bringing her to. Hence, she changed into an elegant dress that was not too casual. She put on light makeup before leaving together with him. Luke was driving while Luca was listening carefully to the morning news broadcast.Her expression darkened when she heard the news about Pierre. Obviously, she would not have a pleasant expression on her face when she heard about Pierre. After all, she could not forgive someone who had hurt her before.Luke was listening too. The news broadcast was introducing Pierre’s company, and some of the experts even predicted that Pierre's company would have great prospects. It even had better development t
Luca shot a glance at Luke.He made an inviting gesture. She turned her head and walked into the villa.The villa was not big, but it was furnished delicately. It was enough for the two of them to live here.Luca looked at the front yard that was planted with the flowers that Wanda loved. She could also see some fruits and vegetables planted in the backyard. She turned her head and glanced at Luke. She was grateful for what he had done for the Rayne family.Wanda could never afford to buy such a small villa. It must be Luke who bought the small villa for them. She was no longer around, but he still treated her family kindly. Both of them walked into the living room together. Luke had informed Wanda yesterday that he would be bringing someone here to check on the old man’s health. Hence, she started preparing delicacies from early in the morning.Wanda smiled while looking at them, but she was startled for a moment she saw Luca. She thought Luke would bring an old expert he
“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