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
Jean narrowed his eyes wearily, appraising Bianca from head to toe. “When you were sixteen or seventeen, you were all soft and cuddly. But now you’re covered in thorns, defensive thorns that stuck out when you’re exposed for who you really are.”Bianca listened to Jean’s insults and remembered all of the ridiculous accusations he had hurled at her yesterday. His tone could be so very sharp when he was trying to hurt someone.It pierced thousands of holes into Bianca’s heart, leaving her bloody and bruised.She had completely given up now.“It’s almost time to work now,” Bianca said calmly as she walked past him.However, Jean grabbed her wrist, holding onto her tightly and forcibly pulling her back. His eyes red, he howled, “We haven’t cleared this up yet. How can we go to work?!”Just then, Nina ran out in a hurry. “What are you doing, Jean? Let Bea go!”Bianca was wearing her compulsory high heels to work. Her heels were very low, but that did not mean they were steady. Jean
Bianca returned to the design department.She had managed to throw Jean off downstairs, but she would still see Jean’s face at their workstations.Thankfully, they were seated far away from each other.Sue Carter watched Bianca take her seat and immediately checked her reflection in her mirror, sighing resentfully, “Both of us went outstation and stayed up all night, so why am I covered in black circles while you’re perfectly fine, Bianca?”“What brand do you use to remove your black circles, Bianca?” asked one of her female colleagues asked anxiously.Bianca raised her head and said a little awkwardly, “I never used one…”“Not at all?!” Her colleague was shocked. “Are you a fairy? How could you stay up all night without black circles?! Sooob… We should throw all of the all-nighters here at the department onto you…”Sue put her mirror aside and said teasingly, “Don’t you bully Bianca now. Her boyfriend Jean is right here protecting her!”Everyone felt another wave of envy at Bi
They reached the city center.Jason gripped the steering wheel, asking Charlotte, “Miss Shaw, do you want me to send you to your hotel or the shopping center so you can explore?”“Neither. I invited a friend out for lunch,” said Charlotte as she patched up her make-up and put her lipstick away.Jason understood and asked, “Have you decided on where you’ll eat? If you haven’t made a reservation, we can make you one whenever you want.”If T Corporation was an empire in the business world, Luke would be its emperor and Jason, his trusted aide, its prime minister. Jason obeyed one man and commanded all the rest.Of course Charlotte would feel cocky when a man like that treated her with such respect.“Oh, we’ve made our reservations.” Charlotte told him where she was going to eat.The car headed straight for her destination.About ten minutes later, Jason stopped the car by the curb. “Here we are, Miss Shaw.”“Thank you!” Charlotte grabbed her bag and flipped her wavy brown hair. B
Sensing the looming danger fading away, Hera furiously demanded, “What is wrong with that man?”Gerald let out a sigh of relief. He had been truly worried that Shanks might take a few swipes at Hera.It was common knowledge that medical professionals could be terrifyingly skilled. They could cut with precision, avoiding vital organs, leaving you in excruciating pain but far from death.Gerald had witnessed Luca’s expertise in this field and knew Shanks likely had the same skills. That was why he would not dare provoke him.If Hera ended up hurt and miserable, Abel would hold them accountable for failing to protect her. Shanks, however, would walk away unscathed. The blame would fall squarely on them.“Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Shanks doesn’t like people entering his lab without permission. Everything in there is extremely valuable to him.” Even though Gerald did not understand why, it was what the others told him, and he dutifully passed on the message.“I knocked, and he told me to come
Not only did Luke not give in, but he wasn't intimidated by Hera's threats either. Instead, he turned the tables and intimidated her right back.Gerald could not help but feel a sense of admiration for Luke. If it had been him in that situation, he would not have had the guts to refuse Hera outright. Even if he did not want to comply, who would dare offend the boss’ future wife?Even though her position was not set in stone, for now, Hera’s status remained unshakable. Yet Luke did not try to curry favor with her. Faced with threats and temptation, he stood his ground, even flipping the situation to intimidate her instead.Gerald quietly gave a thumbs-up.“This guy’s the real deal,” he muttered to himself.After venting her frustration on the tree, Hera stormed back. Her eyes were red and swollen.When she came to the second floor, she caught sight of Luca stepping out of the lab with a tray in hand. She quickly approached.“Stop right there!” Hera snapped sharply.Luca frow
A flash of disgust flickered in Luke's eyes. He was completely fed up with Hera's relentless pestering.“If you have something to say, just say it here.” Unlike other men, he did not address her politely as 'Ms. Sanchez'.His tone was so indifferent, and he did not even bother to call her by name.Hera’s smile did not falter. She thought he was only acting this distance because there were so many people around, and he could not openly show his affection for her.Hera replied in a soft voice, “It’s something important, and they won’t be able to help. Come with me.”Luke frowned and remained motionless.People around them grew envious.Even if Luke did not actually have a romantic interest in her, just helping Hera would be enough to earn points in their boss’ eyes. Their jealousy turned into playful teasing.“The boss’ girlfriend’s asking for help. Just go already. What’s with the cold act? It’s no fun,” teased one of them.Others chimed in, “Yeah, seriously. Just go. Who are y
“I know you’re not interested in her, but still, we should be cautious,” Luca joked, trying to lighten the mood.She was actually worried that Hera’s feelings for Luke might interfere with their plans.Luca looked at him with concern. “You weren’t in your room last night. If she really went to your room, she must've noticed your absence. How will you explain that?”“There are plenty of reasons I could give.” Luke already had an explanation in mind.However, if Hera really had feelings for him and stayed here, it would definitely cause him some trouble.“Just be careful.” Luca felt helpless. Abel’s sudden appearance had already messed up a lot of their plans.There was no way for her to leave this little villa now.With Abel bringing Hera here and her developing feelings for Luke, it was bound to cause more trouble for him later.Luca felt frustrated. She had enough trouble on her own. She did not want Luke to get caught up in trouble too. She had never intended for him to be
The man remained cautious. When he heard Hera was looking for Luke’s room, he immediately asked, “What do you need with Lucius?”Hera felt like her intentions had been seen through, and a sense of unease washed over her. However, when she thought about her status and position, she confidently replied, “Your boss said that Lucius is to serve me from now on. I'm hungry now, so I need him to go get me some late-night snacks. What's the matter? Is that not allowed?”The man remained silent, thinking that Hera could just order delivery.Why go to another man's room in the middle of the night?He thought about a possible reason and could not help feeling a little jealous, thinking that he was definitely more handsome than Luke. His feelings of imbalance grew. Why go to Lucius and not him?Hera, noticing his hesitation, snapped, “What are you zoning out for? Are you going to go for him?”If it had been any other task, the man would have been happy to step in. Still, something like g
“Alright, I'm really tired. How about we rest for a bit?” After kissing him, Luca snuggled against his waist and playfully whined. “The medication I took has some strong side effects. I've been feeling drowsy for hours. Can we sleep now?”A flash of concern appeared in Luke's deep eyes. His voice was hoarse as he replied, “Okay.”After lying down, Luca suddenly remembered Hera. She asked, “Have you met Hera?”“Hera? That woman?” Luke pulled her closer into his embrace.“Yeah.” Luca could tell from his tone that he did not remember who Hera was, so she explained, “Hera was a classmate of ours in high school, the popular girl. She was interested in you back then. We even ran into her once when we were abroad.”Her memory was sharp, and she remembered clearly all the details about people and events that did not seem important.Luke only caught one detail—she was a former classmate.“I don’t remember,” replied Luke.Luca continued, “Back then, Hera had a crush on you, but... I didn
“It's nothing. I just think you and our boss make a perfect match.” Luca decided not to say anything more. She was unwilling to risk causing trouble for herself.Hera felt that there was something mocking in her tone. It was meant to be a compliment, yet it felt like mockery, leaving her with the sense that something was off.Hera let out a cold snort. “Of course, we’re a perfect match. No need for you to say it.”Even though she knew there was an undertone of sarcasm, she still acknowledged it. She sized Luca up with a look of disdain. “You’re a doctor, right?”Luca shook her head. “Not exactly.”Gerald explained, “Ms. Sanchez, she’s skilled in medicine, but she wouldn’t call herself a doctor.”Hera shot him an annoyed glance and then turned back to Luca. “It’s fine as long as you know medicine. I’m not feeling well. Come help me with some treatment.”Gerald had no choice but to awkwardly suggest, “Ms. Sanchez, if you're not feeling unwell, perhaps I could ask Mr. Shanks to che
The volunteer was attended to in shifts, and he asked the person in the current shift, “Did that person leave?”“Yes.” The man attending him let out a sigh of relief. He had been so nervous when Abel was here that he could barely breathe.“Who was that person?” the volunteer asked curiously. He could not see, but he could still sense the heavy, oppressive aura. It was as though the person might take his life at any moment.“Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t know. Just focus on your recovery,” replied the man.The volunteer heaved a sigh and gently turned around. Lying here, he had no idea when it would end. However, ever since the nerves had started reacting, he felt that his legs were getting better day by day.After a while, Luca entered, carrying a tray of dry needling tools. She glanced at the attendant, noticing that it was another man today.Luca asked, “Did the boss come by earlier?”“Yes.” The man nodded.Luca’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at the volunteer, wh
Shanks furrowed his brows. He knew Abel would snap, but he did not expect him to go this far.He grabbed Luca and pulled her behind him. “Abel, what the hell is wrong with you?”Luca touched her quickly swelling face. A flash of hatred crossed her mind, but she was also worried about Luke. If Luke found out that Abel hurt her, he would definitely lose it. She had to keep everything under control for the sake of her child.With that thought, Luca took a step back, exposing half of her swollen face to look at Abel.Abel was furious at the sight. “She’s useless, and that’s why the experiment is going so slowly. What’s wrong with me giving her a slap?”Shanks’ face turned livid at his crazy words. “This experiment is mine. If you have an issue with it, take it up with me. There’s no reason to take it out on her. I’ll do what you want and increase the dosage. But if this volunteer dies, you’ll have a hell of a time finding another one for the clinical trials. Abel, is this really how y