Luke paused his gesture while he was turning the pages of the document. Then, he continued to read the documents as if nothing had happened. “We have to speed up the progress of the project. We’ll need a regular Russian translator, and we can’t afford any unforeseen circumstances on your part anymore.”Luca, who read between the lines, knew that he had only sent someone to pick her up because he wanted to ensure the company’s project would go on as scheduled.After all, translating was an essential job for overseas projects like this.Luca nodded. She stood up with the document in her arms and said, “I got it. I’ll try my best to translate these documents.” “Okay.” Luke did not lift his head to look at her. Luca was upset. The person in front of her was aloof. That was his true colors, but she could not help herself from being unreasonable. She was hoping that the man in front of her could spare a little warmth for her. However, given her identity and background now, she could
Luca smiled as she shook her head. It seemed like she had been receiving too much special treatment from Luke. She was getting more and more discontented. It was not like she was related to him. Why should he wait for her?Luca carried the two folders and switched off the lights when she walked out of the office. After she turned around and glanced at the dark office, she closed the door and headed to the elevator. Luke was waiting for the elevator. Luca pondered over it. No one would use the executive elevator, so the elevator should be on this floor. Why was he not in the elevator yet?Luca looked at the man's figure as her heart raced uncontrollably. She pulled her gaze away and headed to the elevator for employees. Luke saw her coming over her and pressed the elevator button.The doors slowly opened. Luca, who had her back facing him, heard the sound too. She did not turn around. Luke walked into the elevator and looked at Luca, who was still waiting for the elevator.
“It’s alright. Let me take the maid’s room,” said Luke. He unbuttoned the two buttons on his shirt, pulled off his tie, and headed to the maid’s room.It seemed like he was looking for clothes to change into. Luca felt helpless when he rejected her offer. She had no choice but to take off the coat. Something came into her mind, and she habitually reached her hand into the coat's pocket to check if anything was in it. It was a habit of hers. Sometimes, Luke used to put little things in his coat. For example, a lighter or some other things. Hence, she made it a habit to check his pockets before she put them in the washing machine so that the things would not get ruined after soaking in water. Luke held another clean shirt and walked out of the room. He happened to see what she was doing. Their eyes met. Luca was afraid that he might misunderstand her, so she explained immediately, “Mr. Crawford, I just wanted to check if there was anything in your pocket. If there was nothing in
Luca listened to Luke's simple explanation, but she had a feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed. A ten percent drop in the stock price… The wealth of Johnston Corporation had disappeared into thin air after a second in the market. Percy must have something to do with this. After all, he was not an obedient person. However, he obeyed the Mallory family’s elders to be together with the daughter of the Johnston family. He must be up to something.Luca had a suspicion that Johnston Corporation's share prices would not only drop by ten percent. They would probably continue to fall today and tomorrow. "What's on your mind?" Luke looked at how serious Luca was and deliberately interrupted her by asking a question.Luca snapped back to her senses and said, “If the Johnston family gets into trouble, will the Mallory family sever their ties with them immediately?” “The marriage of convenience between the Mallory and Johnston families is for the sake of their benefits. B
“It’s hard to eliminate the Johnston family not because of their family business or deep pockets. It’s because of their family history and political background in A City. Besides, no matter how abundant their capital is, it’ll only lead to a downfall under the guidance of the person in charge now. Their company has low liquidity. A 20 percent drop means that they’ve lost quite a large amount of money. They won’t be able to take it for much longer.” Luke analyzed."Indeed." Percy nodded and changed to another sitting position. He leaned on the couch comfortably. "Now, all we have to do is to wait for them to seek Old Master Mallory's help. Judging from his character, I'll be able to take action soon." “It’s easy for you to get rid of the Johnston family due to the current situation. But getting Nina back will be hard.” Luke reminded him.Everything that Percy did was never for the sake of the Mallory family; it was for him and Nina.However, he chose not to tell anyone and did ever
Mr. Bennet made a guess. "They probably can't reach Master Percy, so that's why they came here."Old Master Mallory frowned and said, “What troubles are they bringing here? How am I supposed to help them solve the problem? What can I do for them? Well, I guess Percy must have slipped away.”Old Master Mallory did not stand up for them when the Johnston family first got into trouble. It was because he thought the Johnston family would be capable enough to survive the crisis this time, but he did not expect that they would come looking for him the next day. It seemed like what Percy said about the Johnston family was true. They were not as powerful as they expected. Mr. Bennet saw that the old master was getting impatient and asked, “Old Master Mallory, should we let them in?”“They’re already at the entrance. How can I not let them in? Just let them in,” said Old Master Mallory.Mr. Bennet went to open the door and led the Johnston family to the garden.The people who came toda
Old Master Mallory could not help but laugh when he looked at how desperate they were to use the Mallory family’s name to solve their current crisis. He took a sip of the tea and let out a sigh. He remained silent for a long time. Madison and her father exchanged looks at each other. She then said in a sweet voice, "Grandpa, I really like Percy very much. So, I'm asking for your permission to let us get married earlier. After the wedding, I'll try my best to become a good wife for Percy. I’ll help Mallory Corporation penetrate the global market.”Old Master Mallory placed his teacup back on the saucer. He understood how desperate they were.If it were the Johnston family in the old days, then he would certainly agree to it on behalf of Percy, but things were different now. He put on a serious expression and looked at the father and daughter. He said, "I don't think it's the right time now. It'd be better if the Johnston family can focus on solving the problem at hand. After that, w
Luca did not think that the cleaning lady had any intention of buying spoiled ingredients to deceive her. The cleaning lady nodded while she listened to her. She could not help but secretly exclaim how considerate Luca was.After all, she would have to buy many ingredients to make hotpot. If she came here to buy the ingredients alone, it would be a problem for her to carry everything back to the apartment although it was not far away from here. The cleaning lady pushed the trolley and asked, “Ms. Craw, how many people are you inviting over to have hotpot?”“It’s just me,” said Luca. “Huh?” The cleaning lady thought she heard it wrongly.Luca knew why she was surprised, so she explained, "I'm suddenly craving for it, but I don't like the commercial flavor of hotpot sold outside. So, I plan to cook it at home." "Okay." The cleaning lady nodded. She had no idea what the young people today had in their minds. Luca walked in front while the cleaning lady pushed the trolley behi
“Don’t worry, it won’t affect you in the slightest,” said Abel.The villa was bought under Shanks’ name.So while it appeared to be the Island of Despair’s property, it was, in fact, Shanks’ personal asset.Abel shot a glance at his subordinates, who stood beside him. Without hesitation, they grabbed the doctor and hauled him away.As Hera watched the scene unfold, she felt a sudden pang of unease. She was well aware of Abel's methods. Punishment was never off the table. However, seeing the way things were unfolding, Hera could not shake the feeling that Abel might actually take the doctor’s life.Still, they were in A City, a country with strict laws. Would Abel really go that far?As Abel turned to leave, Hera said almost nervously, “Darling…”“I have some matters to take care of. Be good and stay here. Don’t wander around, okay?” Abel’s mood was apparently lifted by the successful surgery. His voice was unexpectedly gentle.Hera’s unease only deepened. She grabbed the slee
All three of them stepped out of the vehicle.Hera realized that the surgery might already be over and could not wait to hear the results.Abel, equally eager, immediately asked as soon as he saw them, “Is the surgery finished?”“Yes, the surgery was successful. The transplant was completed, and all the nerves we could connect have been repaired. Now, it’s up to the follow-up treatment,” answered Shanks.The doctor who had been kicked out earlier stared in disbelief.They actually succeeded in the transplant? How was that even possible?“Great, fantastic!” Abel let out a sigh of relief before bursting into laughter.What had seemed impossible in modern medicine had achieved a different outcome in Shanks’ hands.Unlike others who might celebrate the medical breakthrough, Abel’s joy came from a more personal place—Kassy would soon return to his side. His delight was unmistakable.“T-This can’t be!” muttered the dismissed doctor, who was still in shock. “A surgery this revoluti
After returning to her room, Luca told Luke about the surgery that day.She explained that she had not been able to participate in the operation and was uncertain if Abel would prevent her from being involved in the future. If she was not allowed to take part, she might lose her excuse to stay here. Also, she would not be able to help with what was to come.Luke replied to her message quickly, assuring her that everything was already planned out and she did not need to worry.Luca frowned slightly as she read his message. She wanted to ask about his plan but hesitated for a moment and decided against it. Knowing too much about Luke's men might backfire.Luca deleted their chat history but soon received another message from him.He told her that T Corporation had successfully won the bid and that he had already found someone to replace Lucius’ role.Luca let out a sigh of relief. Finding a replacement for Lucius meant that he was out of danger for now. The worry that had been we
However, Abel was not fooled by her words.He asked again, “Who are you looking for?”“Oh, I'm looking for Gerald. I've noticed that most people are here, but Gerald is missing, so I was just curious,” Hera replied honestly, knowing that Abel was naturally suspicious.“I’m starting to feel like you’ve become quite close with Gerald recently,” Abel asked suspiciously.Hera froze for a moment, then laughed and explained, “I often ask him to help with little things. He might not have many qualities, but he’s pretty diligent.”Abel did not respond right away, as though he was considering her words carefully.Hera lowered her voice and teased, “What's the matter? Are you jealous?”Before he could answer, she quickly added, “You’re so outstanding. How could I ever be interested in some ordinary man?”As soon as she said that, a flicker of unease crossed her mind.Abel was far superior to Lucius in looks and wealth. However, she seemed to be more drawn to Lucius.Despite her actions
For Shanks, no matter how skilled the two ophthalmologists were, they could not compare to Luca. The key was their smooth coordination. They were used to working together. If it were other doctors, they would probably start asking questions once they entered the operating room, making it impossible for Shanks to focus and perform the surgery calmly.Shanks believed this was a groundbreaking procedure, not just another teaching surgery for ophthalmologists.Abel understood Shanks’ concerns, but he still insisted, “They’re not just any doctors. They’ve signed agreements, and they won’t interrupt you with questions during the surgery. They’ll cooperate fully.”As Luca listened to Abel, she realized what he was really worried about. Besides the risk of the surgery failing, he was not confident in her.This surgery was important, and Abel was worried she might sabotage it in the operating room.Shanks furrowed his brows and looked at Luca.Luca gave him a faint smile. Whether or not
As Gerald shook his head furiously, it was not difficult for Luca to figure out what was going on.She glanced at Hera's irritation and figured it all stemmed from Luke being reassigned. Not being able to see him was clearly driving her to act like this.Luca secretly let out a sigh. They said women were the cause of trouble, but honestly, men could just be the same.Even with Luke disguised as an ordinary man, his cold and commanding air still captivated Hera.She glanced at the bowl nearby. The food Gerald brought Hera was barely touched.It seemed like she was so consumed with thoughts of Luke that she had lost her appetite...Luca’s expression remained unchanged. She was long accustomed to keeping her emotions in check around others.“Ms. Sanchez, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not close with Mr. Lucius, so I don’t have his contact information.” Luca kept her face impassive.“You’re lying!” Hera narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You’re so close to him. How could you not have it?”
As soon as Luca returned to her bedroom after dinner, she received a video call request from the kids.It had been a long time since she last saw them. When she saw the call request, she locked the door, put on her headphones, and immediately answered.“Ms. Luca!” As soon as the call connected, the faces of all three kids appeared on the phone screen.“Sweethearts!” Luca blew them a kiss.“Ms. Luca, we miss you so much!” Tommy was the first to express how much they missed Luca.Luca's heart stirred with waves of longing when she heard them. She had been so busy recently, hoping to finish everything here quickly so that she and Luke could reunite with the kids. That was why she had not contacted them much.Plus, with Old Master Crawford taking care of them, she felt at ease.Now that Luca saw the faces of the three kids, her longing for them instantly surged and overwhelmed her.Her eyes reddened. “I miss you all so much too.”Rainie, always the thoughtful one, noticed her em
The men in the room were wincing in pain, but when they heard Gerald’s words, they were so furious they almost wanted to lash out at him. However, all their strength had been sapped by the excruciating pain, so they could only groan helplessly.As Shanks made his way upstairs, he paused halfway up the staircase and asked, “Is Luca cooking?”Gerald glanced at the kitchen and replied, “Yes, Mr. Shanks. It’s their fault. Ms. Craw was delayed in making dinner because of them.”Shanks' expression remained unchanged as he simply said, “Let me know when it's ready.”“Yes,” answered Gerald.After Shanks went upstairs, Gerald hesitated for a moment but decided to help the men to their feet, placing them one by one on the couch or chairs. As they slouched, groaning in pain, Gerald shook his head. “Do you guys now understand what happens when you mess with the wrong woman, especially Ms. Craw?”One of the men winced and asked, “Why did she have to be so brutal when throwing down?”“She
Lucius was different.He did not care about getting close to anyone, whether man or woman. Even when Hera’s attempts to seduce him were blatantly obvious, he still remained unmoved and even showed signs of rejection.Gerald could not help but marvel at Luca’s sharp observations and incisive remarks. He could not help but clap his hands lightly, genuinely impressed.“Lucius truly is exceptional,” said Gerald.Luca came downstairs.When she took the last step off the stairs, the men in the living room immediately fell silent.They held their breath as they watched the woman in front of them. Her hair was straight, not like their boss' companion.The men's gazes grew intense.Luca’s expression darkened.Gerald stood beside her and said, “See, I told you—you’re like a piece of meat dropped into a pack of wolves. Be careful.”One of the men heard Gerald and asked unhappily, “Hey, kid, what are you saying? What wolves? We’re gentlemen. We’d never dream of doing anything inappropr