The next day.Bianca only left the house at eight o’clock.It only took her twenty minutes to get to work via subway. At times like these, Bianca was really glad that she managed to rent a cheap place this close to the company.When she walked out of her unit, Bianca could not help but raise her hand to try and shield her face from the rising sun.She had not managed to sleep last night, so her eyes were really tired when she got out of bed this morning.The sunlight was enough to make her eyes very uncomfortable.Last night, Bianca had spent a lot of time mulling over it and analyzing all the possibilities. Why was the almighty president giving her so many gifts like this?Were the house call and healthy feast back then really a sign of his appreciation because she helped take care of the kids for a while?Were the imported flowers really a friendly greeting to her since she was ill?Nevertheless, that man did not look friendly in the slightest.She was even more stumped abo
Blanche watched as his father drove away grumpily. The boy knew that he had definitely hurt his father this time, stabbing his words right into his father’s frigid heart.Rainie came down the stairs and walked out of the house, asking her brother, “Where did Dad go?”“He just left. I think I might have hurt him.” The boy lowered his head guiltily, sounding really upset as he admitted to his younger sister.“Big Bro, I miss Miss Bea!”What about Dad, you ask? What about him? He was not tasty or fun, and he always looked at her so fiercely. She liked him even less than her annoying chatterbox of a teacher. Rainie Crawford never really cared if her father was around on the weekends.Miss Bea was different, though. She was pretty and smelled good too.“Rainie, do you want me to take you to Miss Bea’s place? I know where she stays!” Blanche said, picking up his sister’s hand.Rainie nodded.The twins immediately came to an agreement.They left the house, hailing a ride on an app.
Luke did not even look at her. He just reminded her, “The food’s growing cold.”With that, he turned around and went to her narrow little balcony, less than two meters squared, as though he knew the place like the back of his hand.Bianca stayed frozen on the spot.Luke acted like he owned the place, pulling out his box of cigarettes as he walked. After that, he tapped a cigarette out of the box and put it in his mouth, lighting it.His every action was so smooth and cool.This was her house, but the two children sat at the table with their spoons, looking at their empty bowls and waiting to be fed as though she owed them food. Still, they were obedient and very adorable.The only problem was the adult over there. He was completely disregarding her as the owner of this house.Anyone else would at least be polite enough to explain how they got inside.…Bianca first served the children food, but she did not eat anything herself. Instead, she hid in the kitchen.She had done ba
Luke’s warm and sexy lips moved down to Bianca’s collarbone…There was a whoosh.Bianca felt as though her brain had exploded.Hot tears flowed from her eyes unbidden. Her thoughts had been forced back to those unspeakable nights five years ago.She could hear nothing but a man’s heavy and rough panting.Bianca remembered what happened back then after she gave birth. She and Nina had been on a video call when she accidentally saw the rich tycoon on the TV news.A deal was a deal. It did not matter what kind of a man he was; Bianca had no right to refuse.Now that she was being forcibly kissed, though, Bianca could not help but remember that middle-aged man. A wave of nausea surged over her, and she felt dizzy.Luke could tell that she was distracted. Holding her chin with one hand, he lifted her head slowly, his lust-filled eyes staring intently at her. “What are you thinking about? Why are you crying?”Bianca followed his voice, looking at him dazedly.Luke was too tall, and
That night, at Crawford Manor.The whole family was having dinner, but Luke Crawford was not there.Allison Tanner put a piece of cucumber into Lanie’s bowl and then one into Rainie’s bowl. “Grandma just wants what’s good for you. You have to eat some even if you don’t like it. You’re growing kids, and you don’t want to stay short forever, do you?”Everyone else at the table was eating.Blanche looked at the cucumber in his bowl and put it into his mouth, eating it obediently. After that, he raised his head and looked at his grandmother. “Grandma, why don’t you eat onions?”There was a platter of stir-fried onions on the table. Blanche and his sister both loved them, as did Great-grandpa. Uncle Louis and Grandma Susan liked onions too. Only Grandma did not like them.She would always push the stir-fried onions far, far away from her. Grandma always said that the stench made her lose her appetite.Before Allison could say anything, Susan Armstrong subtly harrumphed. “That’s a h
There were many things the boy still did not understand, so he stood at the bathroom door and waited for his father to come out after his shower.When Luke emerged from the shower, he only had a towel around his waist. He was completely shirtless, his well-toned chest glistening with sexy water droplets.“Dad, I’m sure Miss Bea has parents too, so why do you have to raise her?” Blanche could not figure that part out.Luke sat down, spreading his legs and wiping his dripping hair with his towel. He asked, “How old are you? How old is she?”“Hmm, I’m five…” Blanche replied. “But I don’t know how old she is.”Luke looked at his son and replied seriously, "You’re five and she’s twenty-four. You two are nineteen years apart. You’ll grow up very soon, and you’ll become a grown man just like me. When that happens, you’ll have a career and a dream you want to pursue. At that time, I’ll be in my fifties, soon to grow old. The same goes for your Miss Bea. One day, we’ll become as old as you
Bianca called Jean.However, Jean’s phone gave her the same message. “Sorry, the number you called is currently unavailable.”All of a sudden, Bianca felt uneasy.She hoped that nothing bad had happened.Next, she gave Nina a call.Nina picked up in a flash, asking, “What’s the matter, babe?”Bianca explained everything to her.However, Nina said, “Maybe someone suddenly called her to play mahjong? You don’t know this, but she keeps her phone in her bag when she’s playing mahjong, so she won’t be able to hear you. As for my brother, he’s probably busy.”Since Nina said that, Bianca did not think too much of it.Putting down her phone, Bianca walked to the bathroom and took a shower. That helped her brighten up a lot more, and as she was drying her hair, she saw her phone ringing on the coffee table in the living room.The caller was Jean.“Hello.” Bianca picked up in an instant.Jean was silent on the other end. After a long time, he seemed to hold something back before ask
The older woman looked at Bianca, whose expression had not changed at all. She thought to herself with full contempt, ‘As expected of a homewrecker, she’s so cold-blooded and heartless! Her own sister has been insulted, but she doesn’t seem to care at all!”Daisy was really regretting it now. If she had known this would happen, she should have used that insult on the b*tch instead!The subway had barely passed the East Gate station when Daisy could not hold it in anymore. She looked at Bianca and said, “How could you be so heartless, girl?”Bianca looked at her.How was she being heartless?At the same time, she was very curious. What else could this old Daisy hag say with her wagging tongue and utter lack of scruples?Daisy glared at her. “When we boarded the subway, you tried to take my seat, didn’t you? Look at me! I’m already over fifty, so why are you trying to fight me for a seat? You’re so young, but you’re not good enough to earn enough money for a car, so you come to th
“Something I like?” Luca laughed. “What could that be?”“You’ll find out when we get there.” Luke kept it mysterious.“Alright then, I’ll wait for your surprise, Mr. Crawford.” Luca was in good spirits without letting family issues dampen her mood. Therefore, she video-called the kids.Luca dialed Mr. Griffin’s number.After Mr. Griffin answered the call, he handed the phone to Lanie. “Young Master Lanie, Ms. Craw wants to talk to you.”“Thank you, Mr. Griffin.” Lanie took the phone and pressed ‘accept’.Luca positioned the camera to include both her and Luke. She waved at the screen. “Lanie, Rainie, Tommy, what are you all doing?”“Lanie! Lanie, I want to talk to Ms. Luca!” Tommy waved excitedly at the camera, eager to take the phone.Lanie handed it to him. “Go on, tell Daddy and Ms. Luca about your good news.”Luca smiled and asked with curiosity. “Good news?”“Daddy, Ms. Luca, I made it to the next level in the math competition! The finals are this Saturday!” Tommy said e
“Why are you being so slow?” Allison was irritated. She shoved the products into Sophian’s hands.“I told you to use them, so just use them.” Allison ran out of patience. After urging Sophian, she lay back down.Sophian had no choice but to follow her instructions and poured out some product. The texture of the product in her palm made her pause for a moment. It was incredibly moisturizing!She gently patted it onto Allison's face and noticed the area she touched felt just as smooth.Allison let out a content sigh. “This essence is really soothing.”Even though Sophian was still worried about potential side effects, she could not help but admire the instant hydrating effect. She asked in a low voice, “Madam Allison, is this really developed by that woman?”She could not believe that Luca had such skills and wondered if the essence had just been repackaged into another bottle and sold as her own creation.“That's what she says,” replied Allison. “But she's into pharmaceuticals, s
After agreeing to become the maid, Sophian’s excitement gradually turned into anxiety.The villa was so large. Could she really handle all the tasks a maid was supposed to do?As she thought about it, she accidentally left the bread in the toaster for too long. After serving it to Allison, she was scolded.“What’s this? It’s just a slice of toast. How could you burn it like this? How am I supposed to eat it?” Allison was clearly displeased.Sophian awkwardly explained, “Madam Allison, this is my first time using this toaster. I didn’t quite get the temperature right...”Allison was about to keep complaining but paused for a moment, remembering that Sophian was the one she had brought in to be the maid. Now, she was the only one who could make breakfast for her. She disdainfully tore off the burnt part and took a bite. “Where’s the soy milk?”“It’ll bring it out,” replied Sophian, heading back to the kitchen. She brought out two glasses of soy milk and another slice of toast tha
“Are you planning to tell me that Madam Allison brought someone back?” Luca had a feeling she knew what was going on. Luca had been wondering why Allison had taken such a big risk by going out during the day, but it all made sense now.“Yes, she brought someone back and said she'll be taking over my job,” Aunt Neile replied helplessly. She was worried she had lost her competitive edge, which made her feel anxious.“I got it, Aunt Neile.” As soon as Luca spoke, there was a cheer from inside the lab. She glanced back and saw that there seemed to be progress in the research. Rhett gave her a thumbs-up to signal success.She slightly smiled and nodded before hearing Aunt Neile's voice again on the phone. “Ms. Craw, there’s something I’d like to say, though I’m not sure if I should. I’ve thought about it, and I feel like I should. Even though Mr. Crawford isn’t the type to fool around, you have to be careful. He has no interest in that woman, but she’s clearly interested in him. You sh
Allison watched the two of them go upstairs, and instantly, her temper flared.Not allowed, huh?Allison refused to believe it. She would find a way to turn things around and reclaim her position in this family!…The next morning, as Luke and Luca came downstairs, they noticed Aunt Neile looking at them with red, puffy eyes.“Aunt Neile, what happened?” Luca was puzzled. What happened?“Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, Madam Allison just told me that I’m fired.” Aunt Neile looked distraught. She thought Allison’s words yesterday were just a joke, but first thing in the morning, she was told to settle her wages and leave. She was completely stunned.“Mr. Crawford, did I do something wrong?”Luke’s brows furrowed. Allison’s behavior was truly astonishing.“You’re not fired,” replied Luke. “Is breakfast ready?”Relieved to hear she still had her job, Aunt Neile quickly wiped away her tears and let out a sigh of relief. “Yes. Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, please have a seat. I’ll bring it out.
Luke was driving back home with Luca. It was already 9:00 pm when they arrived at the villa.Just as they reached the foyer and had not taken more than a few steps, Allison's voice rang out.“Oh, so you're finally willing to come back from Crawford Manor?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.Luca did not know how to respond to Allison and looked over at Luke.Luke let go of Luca's waist and whispered, “Go upstairs first.”“Okay.” Luca nodded, changed her shoes, and was about to head upstairs when Allison said again, “Stop. Who told you to go upstairs?”“Madam Allison, is there something you need?” Luca's tone was cold, carefully masking the helplessness inside her.Since she learned that Allison would be returning to the country and moving here, Luca had mentally prepared herself to be put in a difficult position. She loved Luke, so she was willing to tolerate whatever troubles came with it.Luca believed that as long as she and Luke faced things together, there was nothing th
After finishing work, Luca headed straight to Crawford Manor.When she arrived and greeted Old Master Crawford, the three kids came running down the stairs and surrounded her. They each took turns expressing how much they missed her and Luke.Luca missed them too, so after exchanging a few words with Old Master Crawford, she went upstairs with the kids to help them with their homework.It did not take long before Luke arrived.Not seeing Luca in the living room, he asked Old Master Crawford, “Grandpa, has Luca arrived?”Old Master Crawford was in a good mood. He nodded and replied, “She's upstairs, helping the kids with their homework.”Luke sat on the couch and watched the evening news with Old Master Crawford.“Has your mother caused any trouble lately?” asked Old Master Crawford.“Not really,” answered Luke. He could still manage Allison.“That doesn’t sound like her,” added Old Master Crawford, assuming Allison would always be causing trouble.“Her condition is bad right
“What do you mean ‘suppose so?” Allison hated vague answers like that. The more uncertain she was about how Old Master Crawford felt about Luca, the more she wanted to know.“Where's the car key?” asked Allison.“Madam Allison, what do you need the car keys for?” asked Aunt Neile, already knowing the answer but trying to delay her.“Of course, I’m going to Crawford Manor. Old Master Crawford is the strictest with Luke, and I can't let him ruin everything because of a woman." Allison was already planning ahead. She was worried that the old master would not like how Luke was behaving and that he might strip him of his power. A wave of panic washed over her.“Madam Allison, it’s already too late to go to Crawford Manor now,” Aunt Neile quickly said. “If you drive over there now, they’ll already be having dinner. If you go now, Old Master Crawford will just scold you for being disrespectful. You just came back. It’d be better not to upset him, right?”Allison paused for a moment.
On the other hand, Allison could not sleep, so she got up early. She first checked the master bedroom, noticing that Luke and Luca were already up. Thinking of her own matters, she quickly headed downstairs.When she came to the living room, she found Aunt Neile tidying up and asked, “Aunt Neile, where’s Luca?”“Ms. Craw is already off to work,” replied Aunt Neile. She could not help but flinch slightly when she looked at Allison’s face, but she quickly tried to hide her reaction, not wanting to offend Allison.“Already at work?” Allison’s voice rose a little. “Isn’t that a bit early?”“Madam Allison, it’s almost 9:00 am. It’s not that early,” Aunt Neile pointed out, noting that most people were already at work at this hour. Luca was probably settled in at the company by now.“Isn’t 9:00 am early?” questioned Allison. “Isn’t she working at Luke’s company? Why would she have to clock in on time?” Aunt Neile finally understood what she meant.Allison was clearly expecting that