After Nina sighed in her heart, she opened the bedroom door and walked out.She checked in on the children one by one. They were all fast asleep, not awakened by their moving about.Nina confirmed that they had not rolled out of bed, then closed the door and shook her head.‘How could Luca have woken the children up when she was so careful all throughout?’She returned to Luca's bedroom, closed the door, and said, "Don't worry, Lanie and the others are sound asleep. They didn’t roll off the bed."Luca opened her eyes and looked at Nina. A slight smile appeared on her face. She knew that Nina was going to stay here tonight and did not want to turn her kind gesture down. She said, "I have a new blanket in my closet. If you want to sleep here, you can share the bed with me as long as you’re okay with the smell of blood on me.""I don’t mind it, but I’m not going to sleep here tonight. I'm afraid that I’ll accidentally hurt you when I’m asleep. I'll sleep on the sofa. The sofa in you
"I feel awkward listening to you thank me. By the way, I've already talked to Mr. Doyle but didn’t share any details. If you decide to go to work, let him know. You’re going to be late if you leave now, so if you insist on going, I'll drive you there." Nina glanced at the time. Luca would most definitely be late for work.Luca glanced at the time. It was late, and she had to go. "I still have to go, or work will start to pile up."While eating breakfast, she texted Jason and told him that she would be half an hour late.Jason replied immediately: [Okay, Dr. Craw.]Luca put down her phone and took her breakfast in big bites.Seeing this, Nina said to her, "Don't eat in such a hurry. Work is important, but your body is more important."Luca nodded and continued to eat breakfast.Nina held her chin, looked at Luca, and sighed. "I think Luke is lucky to have an employee like you."Luca paused what she was doing but said nothing.Nina did not continue to say anything. She just look
After a few minutes, Tina walked in with a few documents. "Dr. Craw, these are the documents you'll be working on today.""Okay, thanks." Luca took them and put the documents on the table.Tina looked at the thick folder. It looked like a lot, but compared to Alya's workload, it was not much at all.After all, Alya did most of the translation work."Dr. Craw, there are more documents today, so it’ll be a bigger pile than yesterday’s," Tina explained."It's okay, I can handle it." Luca smiled, turned on the computer, and started to work.Tina did not want to disturb her and walked out of her office....On the other hand, in South Korea.Luke checked Allison into a well-known plastic surgery hospital in Seoul.Allison looked at the interior and frowned, dissatisfied. "You put me in a hospital like this? The environment is not very good."Luke looked at the luxuriously decorated ward. It was still a ward, after all. It was a little different from a five-star hotel. He said ind
The young woman beside was secretly astonished while listening to the conversation between the mother and her son. However, Luke was her boss now. She could not say anything about it. She only had to listen to his arrangements. After Luke handled Allison's affair, he signed the relevant documents and left the hospital. He refused to stay any longer in South Korea. He could not wait to go home. He missed Luca so much. However, there was no flight back now. He had to stay for another night. Luke returned to the hotel. He picked up his phone and glanced at it. There were no other messages other than the ones from Jason and some other senior managers who were reporting to him. He had not received any messages from Luca or the kids. Luke put on a helpless expression on his face. Previously, the kids would send him messages every day to tell him how much they missed him whenever he went on a business trip, but there was not even one message from them now. It seemed like the k
Abel was in charge of Luca’s life. Luca pursed her lips so hard that her pale lips had turned purple. Even so, she did not say a word. Abel sneered when Luca did not reply to him. He continued, “I’ve already sold the formula. Things are going to get interesting now. Luca, I’d like you to do something for me.”Luca had a bad feeling about it. Her voice sounded hoarse and weak. “What—”Abel replied, “Make everyone think that it was Albus who sold the formula.”Luca was shocked. Let everyone think that it was Dr. Albus who sold the formula?If everyone suspected him, then Dr. Albus would definitely get fired. The company would hold him liable for selling the formula. Luca suddenly realized that Dr. Albus, whom she had been suspecting all this time, was not one of Abel’s men. Who had he sent here, then?Luca felt lost. She filtered through every subordinate under Dr. Albus in her mind, only to realize that none of them could overthrow Dr. Albus’ decision…Luca could not help bu
Mr. Bailey would certainly apply for the patent before Dr. Albus applied for it and launch the product after that.They only had to make up a list for the clinical trial, then they would be able to apply for the patent.Luca suspected that they would choose to launch the product around the time when T Corporation was bidding for the project. Besides, now that Luca had stolen the document, this series of events would deal blow after blow to Luke. Luca held her forehead. T Corporation would face a great crisis if this really happened. It would still be alright if T Corporation’s reputation was still well protected. What she feared the most was that Abel would think of a way to ruin the corporation's reputation. This way, Luke would have to face such a crisis and a huge burden at the same time.Luca recalled a few years ago when the property built by T Corporation was deliberately bombed by someone, causing the building to collapse. Luke had put in a lot of effort to get to the b
“I wasn’t feeling well, so I didn’t get to finish my work today,” Luca smiled and explained. “It’s just some translation work. It’s not a big deal.”Nina shook her head and muttered, "Translating is one of the most nerve-racking jobs. It’s a shame I don't know how to speak Russian. Luca, you're amazing." "When you live in an unfamiliar environment for a long time, you’ll naturally pick up the local language,” Luca said as she opened the document and laptop. Luca did not undergo any systematic training. She just learned the language herself during her three years on the Island of Despair. During that period, she often asked Eler and Amur to teach her Russian. Luca knew very well that mastery of language was an essential skill to survive in such a horrible environment. She had to know what the others were talking about behind her to be able to have the chance to survive.That was why she spent a year mastering basic Russian phrases. She then spent two years constantly picking up
Luca could clearly hear the voice that came from the other end of the phone call. She said immediately, “It sounds serious. You’d better get going.”“What about you…” Nina was worried about leaving Luca alone at home.“I’m fine. Look at me. I was fine last night, so nothing else will happen tonight. Don’t worry. Family is most important.” Luca convinced her. Nina pursed her lips. Something might happen to Jean at the hospital if Nina did not show up.She had no choice but to head to the hospital. “I’m going to the hospital, then. Remember to call me if anything happens here.” “Don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen. Oh, you’d better inform Mr. Mallory about this.” Luca reminded her. “Percy is someone with high social status. The hospital and police officers will cut Jean some slack even if something has happened.”"I got it," Nina replied. Then, she turned around and left. Luca slowly walked toward the door. She watched Nina leave the villa through the glass window, and she
Luca walked over to another couch and sat down. “I think I’ll stay here. How about letting Luke come down so that we can all catch up? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”Gordan’s face fell. “Ms. Craw, are you doing this on purpose?”Luca pretended not to know anything. “Doing what on purpose?”Gordan quickly shook his head. “Nothing. Just go upstairs already. Brother Luke’s been waiting for you.”Luca had intended to tease Gordan a little longer, but after not seeing Luke for the past few days, she found herself missing him deeply. Standing up with a smile, she said, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Oh, by the way, Mr. Gale, could you help me pick up a few things? Someone over there asked me to get them, and I couldn’t refuse.”“Sure, no problem. What do you need?” Gale agreed immediately.After handing him the list, Luca turned and headed upstairs.Gale watched Luca leave from behind, nudging Gordan’s arm. “Let’s go. We should leave and give the boss and Ms. Cr
The security guard remained completely unfazed.This was because the village chief was his uncle, and in their tight-knit community, they always stuck together and never favored outsiders.With directions from the people inside the ancestral hall, Hera found the village chief.“You’re the village chief, right?” Hera looked at the man in his fifties in front of her and spoke with an arrogant tone, completely unbothered.“And you are?” The village chief, seeing her attitude, was puzzled. He had no idea whether she was an investor or someone looking to discuss a major partnership to bring development to their quiet village.“It doesn’t matter who I am. I see you have surveillance here, and I need to review your footage,” replied Hera.The village chief was even more confused. “Are you a police officer?”“No.” Hera frowned. She thought reviewing surveillance footage was no big deal. Why was this village chief being so difficult?The village chief gave her a look as if she were a fo
“Wait a little longer. By the way, what kind of ancestral hall is this?” asked Hera.“It's a local family's ancestral hall. I heard it's been designed by the owner of a large company, and now it's also one of the tourist attractions.” The taxi driver was not from around here, so he did not know all the details, but he knew it had become a popular spot. “Now, thanks to the reputation of that boss, many architects come here as one of their reference points.”Hera frowned deeper. What was Luca doing here?The driver suggested, “If you're interested in sightseeing, the attractions inside are pretty good. But for outsiders, they charge an entrance fee. Maintenance costs a lot of money, so they charge tourists from outside.”“I'm not here for sightseeing,” replied Hera, “Don't worry. I'll pay you for however long I stay here. You’ll get your money.”The driver heard that she was paying, and did not press her further and remained quiet.Hera stared at the entrance of the ancestral hall,
Hera let out a cold sneer, feeling that Gerald's apology was not sincere.Hera did not want to press the issue at the moment. She gave him a sharp look. “Come with me.”Gerald knew that Hera was up to something again. If it were a normal order, she would have just said it in the living room. Whenever she called him aside, it meant whatever she had to say could not be overheard by others.Reluctantly, Gerald followed her out.It was midday, and as soon as Hera stepped out of the living room, a wave of heat hit her face.The intense warmth made her feel uncomfortable.Hera got straight to the point, turning to Gerald. “What did Luca say to you just now?”“She just asked me to help keep an eye on the volunteer,” Gerald answered honestly. This was not something that needed to be kept secret.Hera frowned. “Is she going out”Gerald hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to say anything.“I’m talking to you, not the wall. Are you mute?” Hera threatened. “If you lie to me, I’ll te
Gordan was puzzled. At most, it was just brotherly camaraderie. After all, they had been through thick and thin together. Their bond might be stronger than usual, but falling in love? That was a bit of a stretch.Luke said, “The way you acted just now, doesn't really seem 'straight' to me. Also, if you're into women, maybe you should consider finding one. Otherwise, if you're always single, people might start misinterpreting your feelings for me.”“Luke, actually, you're not bad at all. In fact, you're probably better than a lot of women,” Gordan replied with a sly grin.As a man himself, he honestly thought Luke was a great guy. If he were a woman, he would be utterly captivated by him.“Shut up!” Luke knew he was joking, but he still felt a chill run down his spine. He seriously worried that Gordan might do something inappropriate when he turned his back on him.Shivering from the thought, Luke put down his glass and headed upstairs.Gordan let out a deep sigh.The night w
“Anyway, I'm saying it here—I'm not going to Russia because of that ugly woman, Vivian. If I go to Russia, it's for you. I've already divorced her. Besides, I’m already trying to avoid her, how could I possibly go to Russia for her?” Gordan took a sip of red wine, then continued his rant. “And, Ray is still in Russia. I really can't go. His men are all brutal, and I've had enough of being beaten all these years.”“Then why did you buy an apartment in Vivian's neighborhood?” Luke continued to tease him. His sharp eyes glinted with intelligence.Gordan denied it, but whether he believed it or not was his own business.“It was just a coincidence!” Gordan raised his voice, trying to convince Luke.Or maybe himself.“Coincidence?” Luke sipped his wine, every gesture as graceful as a nobleman.“Of course, it’s a coincidence, Brother Luke. You wouldn’t know, but that apartment is in a school district, surrounded by college towns. There are a ton of hotties there, I picked the place just
As Luca listened to his tone that was full of regret, she felt a slight pang in her heart. She recalled when she had a child and continued pursuing her education. If she had given up on herself back then, perhaps she and Luke would not find themselves here today.Luca felt she was much more fortunate than the volunteer. Even though she loved her father, she also understood the importance of education and did not let her father’s illness cause her to give up. She was also fortunate to have a father who supported her education.At the thought of this, Luca could not help but ask, “Do you regret it?”“No, I don’t regret it,” the volunteer smiled. “Actually, I always look at it in a positive light. Back then, several boys in my class liked her. If I hadn’t confessed, she might have become someone else’s girlfriend. If there’s anything I regret over the years, it’s that I was too selfish and it affected her studies.“I never thought that being in a relationship at a young age would
As Luca thought about it, she heard the volunteer exclaim, “With a wife like you, your husband must be so lucky and blessed.”Luca shook her head. To her, being cherished by Luke was a real blessing.“You’ve got it wrong. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”Luca had often wondered what her life would have been like without Luke.Perhaps she would have married Jean, only to watch his true nature slowly reveal itself. She would have struggled, eventually unable to endure it, and maybe even ended up divorced.It could be something worse. She might have been taken advantage of, lost all hope, and spiraled downward...Anything was possible.However, Luca knew that no matter what happened, life would not be as good as it was now without Luke.Though she remained under someone else’s control, and life on the Island of Despair was fraught with hardship, with Luke by her side, she felt an unshakable courage.A light laugh from the volunteer interrupted her thoughts.Luca
The volunteer did not mind. As long as it meant he could recover, he was willing to endure any pain. “It's okay. I can handle it.”Luca nodded.The door to the vehicle opened, and a man stepped inside. Due to the lack of sterilization, he did not dare approach the inner part of the vehicle. Instead, he placed several bottles of saline on the outside.“This is the saline that Mr. Shanks prepared. He asked you to inject it when you can,” the man relayed Shanks' message.“Got it.” Luca reached out to take the bottles. After thoroughly disinfecting them, she brought them inside.It was more complicated than being in a hospital.Since the volunteer's body was still weak. They had to maintain as sterile an environment as possible.However, it still fell short of the ICU's standard.Luca stayed with the volunteer until evening. Gerald stood outside the medical vehicle and called, “Ms. Craw, it's time for dinner.”Luca took off her protective gear and stepped outside.“Ms. Craw, di