The black Bentley limousine did not drive into the courtyard but instead was parked outside. Luke was not driving his car. After Jason parked the car, he got out and opened the door to the back seat. The boss and his two children stepped out. Just as usual, Luke was impeccably dressed in his business suit and leather shoes. However, one could easily tell from his face that he was more vibrant than usual, as though he had heard some good news. Rainie was in her father's arms, smelling of her father's cologne, while Lanie ran excitedly into the courtyard wearing his backpack. "Hello, handsome young man!" One of the female colleagues greeted the boss's son. 'This trip is so worth it! 'The amenities might not be as good as the city, but I get to see the boss's handsome face and his cute kids! 'How blissful!' Lanie looked around the crowd but did not find Miss Bea, though he did not forget his manners and returned the greeting, "Good morning, Pretty Miss!" The female c
Downstairs, at the courtyard. The buns were bought by some colleagues in the morning shift, while a female colleague cooked the oatmeal in the kitchen. All of them agreed that the store-bought oatmeal was too gritty. It was the first time that the boss's kids ate small-town homemade buns. They ate two each, and that was not enough. Rainie stuffed her mouth full with a bun and blinked innocently at Uncle Doyle. She asked for more while chewing. "Don't rush. I'll go and buy some more." Jason ruffled Rainie's hair. As he got up, he turned to the other colleagues and said, "I'll get some for all of you too." The buns were not enough for everyone. The sudden appearance of the boss, his assistant, and his two children meant that the colleagues had to share their food with them. The scene in town was bustling. Jason stood in front of a food truck and bought fifteen chicken buns. When he took out his wallet and was about to pay, he noticed a woman dressed neatly in office wea
Bianca could sense the forbidding aura emanating from the man's body, though she was also reminded that the man had an opposite sentiment. Rather than forbidding, he only wished to indulge himself. Her heart started thumping hard, and her mouth started salivating when she remembered the ferocious beast hidden under the man's trousers. "You… can wait outside… I can take a shower myself." After the multiple sessions last night, Bianca was too embarrassed to lift her head. That dark, rundown, desolate old house became warm and sizzling because of his presence. The smell of dirt and moisture was strong in the front yard, though the man's wild kisses and heavy breaths covered it. She could give him her all, as though she could meld herself into his passionate body. Then, it was another round of intimacy in the car. Bianca thought that Luke was a cannibalistic demon. No matter day and night, he always hungered for her. However, she had given herself to him so many times!
Bianca and Wanda went upstairs to talk privately. Luke was on an international business call. As he talked on the phone, he could see from their gestures that the conversation between Bianca and Wanda was unnatural. However, he could not clearly hear what they were speaking about. When he ended the call, Luke saw from the corner of his eye that Bianca and Wanda disappeared around the corner. "She says that she is Bianca's aunt." Jason came over and reported the situation truthfully. Luke turned away and instructed Jason, "Run an investigation on that aunt's background." Jason bowed. Luke cast his penetrating gaze upon the second-floor window that was pushed open. His expression remained impassive, though his urges were rising again. In the second-floor room. Bianca was feeling embarrassed, not only because it was her first time meeting the aunt she had heard in rumors, but also because she was afraid that her aunt might catch a whiff of the masculine hormones that p
"Miss Bea… is that true?" Rainie looked at Bianca with her tearful puppy eyes. Bianca lowered her head, kissed Rainie's forehead, and tousled her hair. "No, I won't ever think of you as a nuisance." Perhaps Bianca's tone of voice might have been too serious. Not only was the young girl utterly convinced, but her words had even startled Jason, who was driving. Jason considered himself a weathered man who had seen all sorts of people, from the noble and mighty to the wretched and despicable, in his many years working with his boss. He thought that he was very well-versed in reading another person's character and could easily tell a truth from a lie. At that moment, Jason could not sense any hint of untruth in Bianca's words. He could not help but steal a glance at Bianca through the rearview mirror. For a fleeting instant, he thought that he was looking at the two children's birth mother… In A City Hospital. When Old Master Crawford woke up, he did not see his grandson or h
Bianca shook her head woodenly, indicating that she was OK. Worried that his sullen expression might frighten the child, she hastily moved away from his arms and nodded at him as a sign of thanks. Luke's arms were empty all of a sudden. He looked at Bianca, who was bringing his children away to play somewhere else, with a mixture of care and blame as resentment grew in his heart. He was not happy about how coldly Bianca had responded to him earlier, even when he considered that she was doing so because other people might see. He was also not happy about his excessive desire to claim her as his own. How he wished that he could walk over, hug her in his arms, and announce to everyone that Bianca Rayne was Luke Crawford's woman! Not only that, the woman had given birth to children for him! Not one, but two! Bianca lowered her head, nodded at the town administrators' feet as a greeting, then ran away with her head lowered as though she was escaping. She was worried that the town
With no other choice, Bianca gently opened the door. The children continued to sleep in the small three-hundred-square-foot room under the moonlight, though the two adults immediately hugged each other at the door. Bianca wanted to turn around and head into the room, but the man hugged her delicate body tight in a vice-like grip. "Don't do that. The kids will see us if they wake up…" She was panting hard in Luke's arms. Luke was already an unrestrained beast when he was not drinking, now that he had taken alcohol… Bianca did not want to imagine it. She could only pray that he did not go overboard. "I won't force you if you're not willing. You have to tell me if I'm hurting you. Don't hold back." Luke brought his thin and sexy lips behind her ear and kissed her fair skin, trying hard to hold back his urge to overpower her. Bianca was silent in his arms. She felt slightly more at ease when the man promised her that. She thought it was ironic that Luke was usually an u
"Quit it. You're drunk." Bianca found the courage to look at him eye-to-eye, though her timid gaze was immediately engulfed by the man's domineering gaze. She was at a disadvantage. She wanted to alleviate the situation. It was fine if she had to yield, as long as he did not become aggressive. She did not want the commotion to wake up the children or let her colleagues hear anything out of the ordinary. They might think that she was having an affair… Luke did not take off his shirt and pants. As their two bodies clung to each other, she could even feel the man's metal belt buckle pressing on her abdomen. That was how she could constantly feel the strong presence of the man. "Can't you just say something nice?" The man was busy at work for the whole day and had a lot to drink, so he must be extremely tired. He pulled her pajama pants to the original position and also made sure that her top covered her lower back so that the wind would not get to it. Now that the man seemed
Lucius was different.He did not care about getting close to anyone, whether man or woman. Even when Hera’s attempts to seduce him were blatantly obvious, he still remained unmoved and even showed signs of rejection.Gerald could not help but marvel at Luca’s sharp observations and incisive remarks. He could not help but clap his hands lightly, genuinely impressed.“Lucius truly is exceptional,” said Gerald.Luca came downstairs.When she took the last step off the stairs, the men in the living room immediately fell silent.They held their breath as they watched the woman in front of them. Her hair was straight, not like their boss' companion.The men's gazes grew intense.Luca’s expression darkened.Gerald stood beside her and said, “See, I told you—you’re like a piece of meat dropped into a pack of wolves. Be careful.”One of the men heard Gerald and asked unhappily, “Hey, kid, what are you saying? What wolves? We’re gentlemen. We’d never dream of doing anything inappropr
When Gerald heard this, his face fell. “Huh? Ms. Craw, you're not cooking anymore?”Luca said nothing. Luke had already left with the others. She turned her gaze back before walking inside.Gerald realized that Luca had only been cooking breakfast because of Lucius. The thought puzzled him. Had they taken a liking to each other from the very start? That did not seem right.In this fast-paced modern world, even if they had, using something as old-fashioned as cooking to win someone over did not add up.Still, the timing was too coincidental to ignore. Luca started cooking for everyone when Lucius arrived, and she stopped as soon as he left. That realization gave Gerald an eerie feeling.Thinking they might have known each other back on the island, it all suddenly made sense. Of course! They must have met before. How else could this all line up so perfectly?With that thought, Gerald quickly caught up with Luca. “Ms. Craw, my cooking is terrible. Why don’t you keep doing it?”
Kassy’s eye donor was Hera, the one Abel had brought over.Even though Hera’s eyes resembled Kassy’s, they did not meet the criteria for a transplant. However, Hera’s blood type matched Kassy’s exactly.Hence, Abel decided to use Hera’s eyes. His belief was that her eyes were specifically meant for Kassy.Shanks knew he would not be able to change Abel’s mind, so he did not try. Abel’s stubbornness was something even Kassy herself could not sway.Luca remained silent for a while, not saying anything further. She understood that using a cadaver was the best option as it would not harm anyone.However, the eyes Abel wanted for Kassy were not from a cadaver. He intended to take them from Hera.Luca certainly would not participate in such a surgery. It was too cruel.“What are you thinking?” Shanks suddenly asked.Luca shook her head. “I’m just thinking about the volunteer’s situation.”“You’re wondering if this solution will be marketed, aren’t you?” Shanks suddenly asked.L
“I’m still a bit worried. Let me take a look in your room and change the dressing while I’m at it.” Luca knew Luke would not want her to worry. Therefore, she needed to see for herself that everything was fine before she could feel at ease.“Alright.” Luke knew she was worried about him, so the two of them headed into the room.He took off his shirt, revealing the bandage wrapped around his torso.Luca could not help but chuckle at the sight. The wrapping was done by Gerald, and it was hilariously sloppy. It was haphazardly bound—overly tight in some places and entirely uneven. It looked like it was just meant to cover the wounds, with no thought for neatness.“Stop laughing.” Luke was clearly rendered speechless by Gerald’s lackluster bandaging skills as well.If it were not for the fact that it was difficult to bandage himself, he would never have let Gerald do it.“With it wrapped like this, how are you supposed to sleep at night?” Luca asked as she began unwrapping the ba
Abel chuckled. His voice was low and gravelly.“Hera, let’s agree on something. Don’t use threats of leaving to manipulate me anymore, or I won’t be happy,” said Abel in a low voice.What might have sounded like a plea or a compromise came across to Hera as a veiled threat.The cool sensation of his fingers brushed against her eyelids, and she could not help but shiver. His touch felt as cold as death itself. She could not feel a trace of warmth.Her hands clenched tightly together. The tension in her grip was the only thing keeping her from trembling further.“Alright,” Hera murmured obediently.Abel withdrew his hand. Hera opened her eyes. A strange unease stirred within her. For reasons she could not quite explain, Abel’s behavior filled her with an unsettling dread…“Will you stay at the hospital with me tonight?” Hera could not help but crave some semblance of comfort.Abel frowned slightly. “Stay here with you? And what about Luca?”“You could just send her home. I onl
Luca's expression was serious, and Hera realized she was not just trying to scare her. Ignoring her warnings had already caused her to suffer once.Unwillingly, Hera sipped on the cereal. Her resentment was evident in every movement.Luca noticed it was not difficult for her to handle. She quietly sat down and ate her own bowl of cereal.Hera did not have much of an appetite.Hera took a couple of bites before growing bored. She glanced at Luca and asked, “How did you end up working for Abel?”Luca did not respond. She calmly blew on her cereal and ate in silence, showing no intention of engaging in conversation.“I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” snapped Hera.Luca lifted her gaze briefly and replied, “You should finish your cereal before it gets cold.”“I’m not even hungry.” Hera really had no appetite and was not planning to eat the cereal.“It’s still better if you eat something. Otherwise, when hunger strikes later, don’t expect me to help you,” said Luca, “I’m only he
Luke had never taken the medicine that could speed up healing, so his recovery was nowhere near as fast as the others from the Island of Despair.Luca did not respond to Gerald’s comment. Her gaze fixed on him with intensity.“No stitches,” said Luke, “I trust you.”Luca bit her lower lip.“But if you don’t stitch it, it might tear open,” insisted Gerald, staring at Luke’s wounds.Luke glanced at his injuries and shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, as though the wounds had nothing to do with Luca.“Stitches will leave scars.”“Are you afraid of scars? What kind of man doesn’t have a few scars on him? Scars are a symbol of manhood,” teased Gerald with a playful tone, “Scars show you’re reliable, that you can protect a woman.”Luke gave him a look as though he were an idiot, then his gaze shifted to Luca. “I don’t want too many scars. I’m worried my future wife might dislike them.”Luca’s heart sank at his words, but his lighthearted remark eased her sadness. Despite the severity
Luca could not help but tremble with heartache. She fought hard to resist the urge to rush forward.Everyone in the room had survived brutal training to make it out of the Island of Despair, and they could not help but shudder when they saw the scene. The sound of the whip felt like it was landing on their own bodies.Gerald closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer. It was too cruel for him to watch.The ten lashes felt like an eternity, stretching on for what seemed like a century.Luca looked at the drenched clothes on Luke. His eyes were red, and his shirt was so soaked that you could wring out the blood from it. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that the veins were bulging.Abel tossed the whip aside, looking at Luke’s disheveled state with satisfaction. He enjoyed the thrill of this bloody scene.He turned to Luca, noticing her reddened eyes, and smiled even more devilishly. “Hera is in the hospital now. You’ll go take care of her for the next few da
Luca instantly understood the situation. It was about Hera.Hera was someone Abel valued, possibly as a future corneal donor for Kassy. While Abel might not love Hera now, he certainly took her health seriously.In a calm tone, Luca explained, “She was hospitalized due to inflammation that caused a fever.”Abel furiously flung his half-smoked cigar at her. The glowing embers singed her clothes, leaving a small burn mark.She instinctively stepped aside.Abel roared, “What kind of care is this?! I told you to look after her! Is this how you handle things?”Luca was perplexed. When did he ever tell her to look after Hera?Besides, she did take care of her.”When Ms. Sanchez fainted last night, she already had a low-grade fever. I diagnosed her condition as inflammation and prescribed anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing medication. I also emphasized that she needed to take oral anti-inflammatory drugs. She didn’t trust me and threw out Mr. Shanks’ medication, which led to her con