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
Wanda blinked her eyes. She refused to believe what Luca said. Could taking some herbal medicine help recover Old Man Rayne’s health.This was way too iffy for her…She asked, “Will my dad be physically stronger after taking the herbal medicine? But we’ve visited several doctors throughout the years, and we even went to see the specialists in Japan. All of them told us that he’s suffering from a chronic illness, and there’s no cure for this. He can only take some medicine to alleviate the symptoms. It can’t be healed.”“Indeed, his illness can’t be healed, but my prescription will make Old Man Rayne feel much better,” replied Luca. She did not blame Wanda for doubting her.The medical knowledge that Shanks taught her was abundant, and most of it could not be found or learned in the medical schools out there.Some of the prescriptions could not be obtained from the market today, so many had no idea how good the effects were. Moreover, many people swindled money from patients in t
The maid walked to the backyard and saw Luca pressing on her chest as though she was feeling uncomfortable. She asked, "Ms. Craw, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?"“I’m fine,” Luca replied. She looked at the maid and smiled, then noticed that she was carrying a basket. There were some fresh tomatoes as well as other fruits and vegetables that were currently in season. She asked, “Are these planted in the backyard?”“Yes. Ms. Rayne is usually free, so she’d plant some flowers in the front yard and fruits and vegetables in the backyard. Look at how fresh the vegetables are. These were all planted by her. No pesticides were added. They’re safe and healthy to eat,” replied the maid while showing the fruits and vegetables in the basket to Luca.Luca asked, "Can I take a look at the backyard?"“You’re the guest. Make yourself at home. But there’s a pond in the backyard, so do be careful. Don’t fall in,” the maid reminded her.Luca nodded and headed to the backyard.There were a
“You don’t need to remind me. I was going to check anyway.” Abel shot Luca a chilling look.She took a step back and stayed silent.Abel turned to the pale-faced Hera and said, “If you’ve got low blood sugar, get up and eat something.”“I’ll eat now,” Hera replied, sitting up.Luca handed her the takeout.Abel glanced at the food and then frowned at Luca. “Why didn’t you make breakfast this morning?”“I was busy,” Luca explained with a calm indifference, her expression unwavering. She showed no fear, even under Abel’s questioning.Hera suddenly found herself admiring Luca. Everyone feared this man, yet Luca remained composed even when facing potential punishment. Not just anyone could pull that off.At the thought of this, Hera opened the takeout and kept quiet.Abel narrowed his eyes, glancing between Hera and Luca. His gaze was not exactly gentle as he muttered, “Stop eating this junk. It’s bad for you.”“I know, babe. Just this once. After this, I’ll have what Luca cooks f
Hera panicked the moment she heard that. “I trust her!”Luca and Shanks were both watching her.Hera repeated herself, saying, “I trust her, okay? What kind of treatment does she need? I’ll cooperate with anything. But what about Abel…”“I’ll tell him it’s just to help improve your overall health,” replied Shanks. Then, he turned around, opened the medicine cabinet, and started preparing the prescription.Hera let out a sigh of relief. As long as Abel did not find out about her health condition, that was all that mattered.If he knew she was unwell, he would send her back to A City. Without free medical help and no way to make extra money, she would be in serious trouble.“Thank you,” said Hera.“Wait outside,” instructed Shanks.“Okay.” Hera carefully stepped out.Luca, however, remained where she was, waiting.While preparing the medicine, Shanks asked, “Do you know which acupoints to target for her?”“Yes,” Luca replied confidently. As long as she checked Hera’s pulse, sh
“There are a lot of issues.” Luca did not hide anything and handed Hera the phone.Hera looked at it and frowned.“I can't understand any of this.” Hera felt dizzy just looking at the text, let alone the long list of medical terms. It was giving her a headache.“Look at these summaries and indicators. Compare the values on top with the normal values at the bottom, and you'll see what I mean,” explained Luca.Hera did not trust her. Therefore, Luca decided to let her see for herself. Seeing it with her own eyes would prevent any doubts later.Luca pointed out how to read the test results, and after a moment, Hera managed to understand the report. Her face turned pale. “How can there be so many problems?”She looked at Luca and questioned, “Did you fake this?”“I don’t have the power to make the medical center fake anything. Besides, the report has the medical center’s official stamp. If you don’t believe me, you can go directly to the medical center and ask for the official cop
“I heard from the boss that he's coming because of Vivian.” Gale paused for a moment before adding, “But never mind, you don't seem interested in her affairs anyway. I'm just letting you know he's on his way.”Gordan frowned. Ray was coming for Vivian?What could that ugly woman possibly need?“What do you mean by that?” asked Gordan.Gale smirked. “If you and Ray meet, that’s bound to end in a fight. And since you can't win against him, you might want to mentally prepare yourself, or better yet, find somewhere else to stay. It’d be safer that way.”Gordan's expression darkened. “If you have nothing nice to say, just zip it.”Gale grinned, clearly pleased with himself like he had just hit a sore spot.Gordan exhaled sharply. “Of all times, why is he coming to A City now? He’s just making things worse.”“It can't be helped. Vivian's situation is urgent.” Gale covered his mouth mockingly after he said that. “Oh, right. I forgot you don’t like hearing about her.”Ray wanted to br
Luke sat in the villa, staring at Luca’s message.He was worried.For a moment, he considered calling her, but then he remembered that there were surveillance cameras everywhere on her side. He dismissed the idea immediately.Her safety came first.Luke reminded her: [Take care of yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything. Just focus on keeping yourself safe.] The worry in his heart refused to subside, but at this moment, there was no better solution.“Boss, you’re worried about your wife, huh? If you really can’t stand it, we can sneak you in again during the next shift change, just like last time,” said Gale.It had been his idea last time.Now, the real Lucius was still locked up in the basement of the villa.It had been nearly a month. Luke had forced him to take the antidote Luca had recreated. The man was still alive, proving the antidote worked perfectly.“That plan is too risky.” Luke put his phone away. His gaze was dark and thoughtful.“Risky, sure. But at lea
Luca had not expected Abel and Shanks’ relationship to be like this.It seemed Abel still did not trust Shanks.Shanks continued, “Abel isn’t someone who trusts people easily. He doesn’t trust anyone. You think he’s devoted to Kassy now, right? That’s just his obsession. He's allowing Kassy to receive my treatment, but if it were him… No matter if he were blind or crippled, his safety would always come first. If he were seriously injured, maybe he’d accept treatment, but he definitely wouldn’t do it right away.”Luca stayed silent. Shanks really understood Abel well.Abel did not trust anyone—not even Kassy.Calling him paranoid would not be an exaggeration.Luca felt like they were getting off-topic, but she had never seen this side of Shanks before.In her mind, he was always buried in his work at the lab, only leaving for meals and sleep. Other than that, he was practically never outside.The lab was like his home…“Are you troubled by Hera’s situation?” Luca asked directly
Hera was startled by Luca's words.The refusal that had been on the tip of her tongue suddenly got stuck in her throat.“I…” Hera hesitated, feeling conflicted. Leaving Abel might not be such a bad idea. At least she would not have to live in constant fear.She was finally realizing how unpredictable his moods were. At first, she thought it did not matter as she could still look at other men. She just had to ensure there was no physical contact. In reality, even if she so much as glanced at someone, Abel's expression would darken with anger.It was frustrating. Now, the only person she was allowed to look at was Gerald. Still, what was the point of just looking at Gerald?At that thought, she lifted her gaze to Luca.Luca added, “I’ll give you five minutes. If you refuse treatment after that, I’ll take the medicine back to Mr. Shanks and won’t try to convince you again.”Hera's heart tightened. She did not even need five minutes. She had made her decision within 30 seconds.“I’
“If Abel finds out that Hera's body isn't suitable for organ donation to Kassy, what do you think he'll do?” asked Shanks.He already knew the answer, but he still wanted to hear Luca’s thoughts.“He has invested a lot of time and money in Hera. If he gets nothing out of it, he won’t let her off easily,” Luca said bluntly.Luca and Shanks were on the same page.They did not have a good relationship with Hera, but they had no intention of ruining her either.Hera’s personality was unpleasant, but that was not enough for them to hate her so much that they wanted to see her suffer.“What methods do you think he’ll use?” Shanks asked again.Luca was silent for a long moment.Shanks already knew the answer, yet he still wanted her to say it out loud.After thinking it over, she finally said, “There are plenty of ways he could go about it, but no matter what he chooses, Hera’s fate is sealed. She’s as good as dead…”She lowered her gaze, her tone firm and certain.Shanks nodded.
Hera heard that Luca had returned and immediately went to find Shanks. She narrowed her eyes.That woman went to see Shanks. Could she be talking about her?The thought made Hera uneasy. She had a nagging feeling that something was wrong with her medical report.However, when they left the medical center earlier, Abel asked Luca when the report would be ready, and she said it would be available tomorrow.Hera turned to Gerald and said, “Take these back for me first.”“Alright.” Gerald carried the bags as he walked away. He could not help but wonder what exactly Hera bought. These bags were really heavy!Only after Gerald went upstairs did Hera slowly make her way up as well. Her room was on the third floor, but she stopped when she reached the second floor. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching before heading toward the laboratory.The door was closed.Instead of knocking, Hera pressed her ear against it, trying to eavesdrop.However, the laboratory was special