"Is that so..." Luca frowned slightly. He still wanted to attend the event even though he was injured."I don't feel comfortable handing the task over to others for important occasions as such," Luke said. He finished the warm water and put it on the table.Luca looked at his cast and said, "But your leg...""Start packing. You’ll be going on a business trip with me," Luke said. Not only was he going, but she was going too.If he had to go by himself, it was impossible for him to find out who was controlling Luca when he had to face so many bidders.Luca felt awkward. "I'm going too?""I need someone to take care of me. You’re more attentive compared to Jason. Do you have any objections?" Luke asked."No, I’m fine with the arrangement." Luca shook her head. ‘Am I allowed to say no? Of course not.’Even if the wound on her waist had not healed, she could not say anything. Since Luke asked, she could only say yes..."Get ready. We’ll leave next week." Luke finished speaking and
What he wanted to see most was Luke being pushed into the abyss by the woman he loved most.Luca was angry, and her current mood was complicated. She wanted to put a knife to Abel’s neck but did not even know where he was at the moment..."Are you done?" She took a deep breath. She wanted to escape from it all."No." Abel chuckled and continued talking, "Since you’ve completed the task I assigned you, I should give you an appropriate reward, right?"Luca wanted to turn him down because she knew that his so-called reward was of ill will.Abel said, "You haven't found what drug is in your wound, right? I’ll tell you.” "No need." Luca hung up the phone, not believing a word of what he said.Past experience told her that Abel's rewards and good deeds were all lies.If she believed him, it was most likely that her wound would worsen and she would not be cured.Abel pursed his lips when he heard the busy tone on the other end of the phone. He browsed through the photos Luca sent an
Abel looked at her delicate lips and smiled evilly. "You have a sweet mouth. Since you’re so happy, you can make me happy too."Hera understood what he meant. Her face blushed as she said shyly, “Cheeky.’"What? You don't want more money?" Abel took her hand and did not let her leave.Hera blinked her eyes and looked at him with fascination. "Of course, I want money. Since you’re not letting me learn from you, I can only ask you for money...""Serve me well. You'll have more money as long as I'm happy," Abel spoke bluntly. He then stood up and pulled Hera into the bedroom....The next day.When Luca came downstairs, she found Jason and Tina standing in the living room."Dr. Craw, good morning,” the two greeted her in unison."Good morning, why are you..." Luca looked at them and instantly understood. "Is the bid about to be completed?""Yes, we’re close to finishing it, so I came over with Tina to help the boss finalize the document." Jason smiled. After so many months, they
Mrs. Laurel listened to Luca. She nodded and agreed with her. "You're always so attentive. I'll do as you told me. What should I do?" Luca looked down. Even though she had done so many things, she still felt guilty. “Please help me prepare some side dishes.”“Alright.” Mrs. Laurel agreed happily. She had no idea that there were so many complicated things running through Luca’s mind.Luca was able to finish preparing the noodles quickly. The bread was spread with butter and put into the toaster. Then, she started to make coffee.Luca made a pot of coffee after she ground the coffee beans and filled it in the thermos flask. “Aunt Laurel, I’ve finished preparing. I’m guessing that they’re still busy. Why don’t we bring these in?” said Luca.“That’s a good idea.” Mrs. Laurel nodded and put the bowls of noodles on the tray. “Wait, Mr. Crawford can’t drink coffee. Let me make a glass of juice for him.” Luca remembered that Luke had not been drinking coffee for a long time. He mus
Mr. Peralta and Ms. Malone left Pierre’s office together. Ms. Malone could not help but tremble at the thought of Pierre’s expression when he warned them, then she looked at Mr. Peralta worriedly. She said, “Mr. Peralta, is it really alright for us to do such a thing?”They had stolen T Corporation's bidding document…Pierre would save himself if Luke investigated this matter. He would pass the buck to the two of them. Then, they would have to bear the responsibility for everything. They were the ones who would be in deep trouble. Mr. Peralta looked miserable too, and he replied, “I’m not sure either. If Luke sees the bidding document when it’s released to the public, I’m afraid he’ll find a way to deal with our company. Mr. Mallory might shift the blame to us to protect himself.”Mr. Peralta had already thought of that when he was doing this.However, what else could he do even if he knew it?As Pierre’s subordinate, he had no choice but to accept his boss’ arrangement. Besid
Mr. Peralta fell silent with embarrassment. The two of them had strong auras. It was not his place to say a word. Pierre walked into the lounge and ordered Mr. Peralta, “Go to my wine cabinet and bring a bottle of red wine here.” Abel replied as soon as Pierre said, "Red wine won’t be enough. The alcohol content isn't high enough, Mr. Mallory."Pierre frowned. Was this guy trying to make him drunk early in the morning?However, Pierre had heard that Abel was Russian. Thus, he turned around and ordered Mr. Peralta, “Get a bottle of Martell cognac for me.” “Yes, sir,” replied Mr. Peralta. He closed the door and went to prepare the liquor for them. Pierre sat down on the sofa opposite Abel with a cold and haughty look on his face. “Mr. Abel, what can I do for you this time?” The way Pierre talked to him was considered polite. Although he had no idea about this man’s identity and background, he must be capable enough since he was able to steal T Corporation’s bidding document
Mrs. Laurel smiled and shook her head. “Of course not. Ms. Luca was the one who made the coffee. It’s good, right? I watched her make the coffee in the kitchen this morning. She was a professional.”“It’s good, but we’ve completed our work today. I’ll have a glass of juice too, just like Tina,” said Jason. That explained why the coffee had a rich taste and aroma. It was Luca who made the coffee.“Alright. Just a moment.” Mrs. Laurel turned around and returned to the kitchen to prepare juice for them. Tina sat on the sofa and asked Jason, “Mr. Doyle, should we ask Dr. Craw to come down?”She reckoned that Luca must be upstairs.“Dr. Craw must be busy now. Why don’t you go and ask her?” Jason could not be bothered, and he thought if Luca was still in love with Luke, she must be feeling bad after everything she did.“What if she’s in the midst of something?” Tina shook her head, afraid that she would disturb Luca.“Then just sit here quietly,” said Jason. He picked up the phone an
Luca tore the report apart and closed her eyes with her hand on her forehead to calm herself down.There was not much time left. The inflammation of the wound was getting serious day after day. It would leave an ugly tunneling wound on her waist if it took any longer for her to look for the cure.However, she refused to ask for Abel’s help even if it would leave a scar on her.This man only knew how to make terms when talking with others. He would probably assign Luca on another mission if she went to look for him. Luca had already placed Luke and her in a difficult position. She had no idea what Luke and T Corporation would have to face next if Abel forced her to do something else. That was why she could only depend on herself. Luca pulled herself together. She picked up her phone, trying to find whether there were any laboratories available for rent in A City. She needed a laboratory with advanced facilities. There was indeed one once she searched the internet. Luca gave
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
“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