“I can tell who sent it without looking at it.” Luca felt annoyed. Giving Enoch the cold shoulder was not working at all. It seemed like she had to find a chance to make things clear with him.“Is it the guy you went on a blind date with?” Tina understood at once. If Luca was not happy to receive flowers from the man, that would only mean Luca was not interested in him.Tina looked at how distressed Luca was. It looked like the man had yet to notice that Luca had no feelings for him. Luca nodded and turned on her laptop. "I'm not planning to date anyone, let alone get married. So, I've been giving him the cold shoulder after we had lunch last time. But it seems like he's not giving up yet."Tina stroked her chin and made a suggestion. “If he’s not planning to give up, then you should just be honest and make it clear to him. If he continues to bother you, you can find someone else to put on a show with you. I’ve done that before to get rid of a nuisance.” Luca knew only too well
“Smokin' Hot Steakhouse? Alright, I’m coming down now.” Luca knew Queenie was looking for her because of Enoch, but she bit the bullet and went to meet her.“Oh, I reserved a private room. Just mention my name to the waiter when you come in later,” said Queenie. It was different this time. Last time, Queenie was hoping Luca's colleagues would know that Luca was on a blind date. That was why she picked a cafe without a private room. This time, Enoch needed to talk to Luca. They needed a quieter place to have a conversation. Hence, Queenie reserved a private room under her name. "Alright, Mrs. Norman. Please give me a moment. I'm heading there now," replied Luca. She hung up the call, stood up, and walked out of the office. While she was in the elevator going downstairs, she wondered if she should make it clear to Enoch in front of Queenie. She knew Queenie would be able to understand her. Love and relationships could not be forced, after all.What made Luca worried was that
Queenie let out a sigh. “Stop pushing yourself. It’s my fault. Love can’t be forced. Enoch, you just have to let it go.”Enoch smiled at her. Love could not be forced, but he had already fallen in love with Luca at first sight.Enoch had been single for years. It was not because no one had ever introduced him to other women, but it was he who felt that those women were no match for him. That was why he had chosen to stay single. That was all until he met Luca. Luca’s appearance, aura, personality, and career were good enough for him. That was how he began to fall in love with her. Enoch thought Luca would be satisfied with him, but he did not expect that Luca would show no interest in him. He had been living a smooth sailing life, but he had encountered setbacks at that particular moment. Enoch did not express his emotions in front of Queenie, but he was secretly holding a grudge against this matter. …On the other hand.Luca hurried back to the office. She let out a sigh
Jason nodded and walked out of the office. When Jason reached the elevator, he realized Luke's elevator doors were still open. He walked toward it curiously. Then, Luke spoke and said, "Come in."Jason nodded and entered the elevator. The elevator doors closed slowly. Jason lifted his head to look at the floor numbers that were constantly going up. Although he had been working with Luke for so many years, he would still feel a little pressured to be in the same elevator as him.Luke was his boss, after all…“Is there anything unusual with Luca lately?” Jason was startled for a moment, then he felt guilty all of a sudden. Did Luke find out about it? No one was spreading the news that Luca had gone on a blind date, though. How did he know about it? Was it because of that bouquet?“Boss, what do you mean by anything unusual?” Jason blinked his eyes. "Is she keeping in touch with any other man?" Luke went straight to the point. He noticed Luca's phone had been constantly ring
"I'm just here to pick you up from work. You didn't drive to work, right? Well, I drove today. The weather is cold, and you'll be freezing if you wish to hail a ride by the roadside. Isn't it good if I can offer you a ride?” Enoch said. A lot of women wanted a man to be thoughtful and care for them. That was why Enoch came here just to wait for her. After all, government staff got off work earlier than employees in the private sector. He had plenty of time to come here and wait for Luca.Luca took another step back. She would have informed the security guards without hesitation if it would not alert everyone in the office. “Mr. Campbell, please understand that I’m not going to change my mind no matter what you do. So, please leave.” Enoch's heart sank, and anger was bottled up inside him, but he did not let it out. "Luca, I like you. Can't you give me a chance? Look at me. I own a car and a house. I'm not that bad…”Tina, who was standing beside Luca, could no longer stand it. She
Enoch drove all the way while following behind the cab Luca was in.Then, he reached the entrance of the villa district. He stopped the car beside the road and watched Luca get out of the car before walking into the villa district. "She's staying in a villa district?" Enoch glanced at the houses in front of him. The prices of such villa districts had surpassed the average real estate prices in A City over the recent years. It was even about to exceed the land price of the mansions built by those wealthy people back then. Those who could stay here were mostly successful entrepreneurs and A-list celebrities. “Is Luca that rich?” Enoch furrowed his brows suspiciously, refusing to believe that. Although Luca had a decent job and she came back from abroad, only a few could afford to stay in these mansions…Enoch picked up his phone and saved the video he recorded. Then, he asked a friend who was working in the housing and urban development field out for dinner before leaving. L
After she did everything, she went back to her bedroom to rest. However, she heard the noises of a car driving in and the engine turning off. Luke had come back…Luca made her way down the steps. When she stepped on the curtail step, she happened to see Luke walking into the house. He looked cold as he closed the door. Luke frowned when he saw her and asked, “It’s late. Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”“I was going to sleep, but I heard the sound of your car…” Luca looked at Luke's face. He still looked energetic, but she had no idea if he had his dinner already. She asked, “Mr. Crawford, I saved some broccoli chicken casserole for you. Do you want some?”Luke did not have his dinner, but it was well past dinner time. He was not feeling hungry either. However, when Luke heard Luca asking him that, he asked her, “You made it?” “Yes. It only takes five minutes to reheat, then you can have it,” said Luca, remembering that Luke had a weak stomach. “Alright. I’ll have it,” replied
When she listened to Luca’s thoughtful words, Queenie was reminded of Bianca.If her daughter was as thoughtful as the person in front of her, she would not have to worry that much. Queenie looked at Luca's gentle face. Queenie always had this familiar feeling and unknown intimacy for Luca. Queenie’s eyes welled up a little while staring at her. She suddenly had inexplicable mixed feelings surging within her. “Luca, I’m sorry for what happened this time.” “Mrs. Norman, you didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing?” Luca shook her head. She smiled at her to calm Queenie down. Queenie was her biological mother. She would not blame her no matter what she did. Besides, Queenie had her own reason for what had happened this time. She could not blame Queenie and Jack for what had happened. “No, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have introduced someone to you before getting to know him better. Enoch must have caused you a lot of trouble, right?” Queenie reflected on everything t
“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