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
Luca looked at Marie and suddenly thought of Jean.A leopard never changed its spots. They really suited each other. They behaved this way before they landed themselves in prison and were still the same after they got out. They took everything for granted. They refused to put in the effort to make a living and blamed others for their misfortune. She remembered that she still addressed a person like Marie as her sister back then. Now, she felt disgusted at the thought of it…“I’m their guest, that’s why I can come in. But you’re not, so what makes you think that you can come in here? The owner of the villa doesn’t want you here. You shouldn’t be messing around here. You’re going to end up getting kicked out even if you do manage to come in. Do you find this fun?” Marie was startled by the bunch of words that Luca said. She did not expect a guest to be so good at lecturing someone else.“You!” Marie clenched her fists.Luca said, “Ms. Marie, it’s just a coincidence that you have
Luca looked at Marie, who seemed to have lost her mind and was desperate to get in. It was as if she could stay here forever once she got here.People like her were the most pathetic.Luca felt sorry for everything that Marie had gone through alone, but that was no excuse to be merciful. She had no intention of letting Marie stay here either. Marie had not changed even a little after being in prison for years. If she stayed here, she would definitely disturb Old Man Rayne’s peace.She heard footsteps behind her. Luca turned around and looked at Luke. When he walked out of the door, he had already heard Marie’s voice from afar. Jason had mentioned to him before that Marie was often seen wandering around the ground floor of T Corporation. She was looking for a chance to get into the building. The reason why she wanted to get in was simple. It was the same reason she showed up at the villa's entrance. Marie's eyes brightened when she saw Luke as if she had seen her savior. Sh
"She's the kind of person who doesn't give up easily. Don't worry. Leave the rest to me. I'll arrange it," Luke said. He would deal with this matter.Wanda looked at him as her eyes gleamed. She nodded and thought of Bianca.Poor Bianca. No one knew her whereabouts now. Moreover, her identity had been stolen by some impostor. Wanda felt a little wistful. The maid came in and she snapped back into reality. She said, “Let’s start preparing lunch.”“Alright.” The maid nodded and headed into the kitchen.Wanda no longer thought about Bianca. Two more people were joining them for lunch today. She planned to help in the kitchen, so she said, "Luke, I'll be helping out in the kitchen. Tea is ready. You and Ms. Craw can just make yourselves at home.”“Sure. I’ll go upstairs and continue the chess game with Grandpa,” said Luke as he headed to the stairs. Luca was hanging around in the garden. She still could not calm herself down after seeing her grandfather and aunt again.They were
“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