“Thea isn’t a kid anymore. As her grandmother and guardian, aren’t you going to teach her some manners?” Old Master Crawford frowned as could not bear the sight of Susan spoiling the child.Compared to Lanie and the other two, Thea was very bad-mannered.“That’s enough, Father. Keep your voice down. Our Thea wasn’t always like this. She turned out this way because of the trauma she experienced three years ago. Speaking of which, someone is to blame for that.” Susan deliberately glanced at Luke.In her opinion, Old Master Crawford behaved this way because he favored Luke’s children.Thea was also his great-granddaughter, yet he often lectured her in front of the other three children, which bothered Susan.After Thea’s trauma from three years ago was mentioned, Old Master Crawford was speechless.Allison’s behavior at the time had directly hurt Thea and left an indelible psychological wound in the child’s heart.Since then, Thea’s character had changed.Louis and his wife even to
Silence filled the bedroom as no one replied. It was as though his words fell on deaf ears.Luke’s hands trembled, and his heart could not help but beat faster. He had never felt this anxious before…“Luca, if you don’t say anything, I’m going in,” he said, yet there was still no sound.Luke put his left hand on the door handle and pushed the door open without hesitation.The lights in the bedroom were off, so he fumbled around the switch to turn on the lights. Luca was not inside.Luke walked to the closet and opened the door.Luca’s clothes were still hanging inside, along with her suitcase. It did not seem like she left.The lump in his throat slowly disappeared. Although he did not know where Luca went, it seemed that she did not leave.He took out his phone to call Luca.Not being home this late meant that she must be busy with something, but it was hard to say what it was she was busy with.Luke was worried that she was sent on another mission by the Island of Despair.
Luca was explaining to him.After the meeting ended, she saw the missed call from Luke.However, she gave up the idea of calling him back after she saw the time. It was late, and Luke must have already slept…She did not expect to see the villa brightly lit up when she came back. Luke was even working in the living room, waiting for her.“I know.” Luke saved the file and closed the computer screen.Luca glanced at the time. It was already 12, yet Luke waited for her until now…“Mr. Crawford, aren’t you going to sleep?” she asked.Luke stood up. “Has the drug research been taken care of?”“No, there’s data that does not match the hypothesis. We’re still trying to find out why,” said Luca. After having a meeting that lasted the whole day, they still had not found where the problem came from.“No rush. Take your time. Go rest,” said Luke.Luca nodded and was about to head upstairs when she heard him say, “I’ve picked up the children.”“They’re back?” She was a little surprised,
Percy sneered when he heard Pierre’s words. He and Luke knew he would say this.Old Master Mallory flipped through the bidding document and looked up at the two brothers.“This bidding document…” He tossed the bidding document to the side of the couch.“This is my bidding document,” Pierre said through gritted teeth. Although this useless bidding document had cost him a large sum of money, he could only bite the bullet and say that it belonged to him.“Pierre!” Percy’s lowered his voice as he issued a warning.“What? Are you still going to help an outsider to teach me a lesson? You had me out at sea with my hands and feet tied up for so many days. How could you do such a thing to your own brother?” Pierre looked at him provocatively.“What?” Madam Mallory exclaimed before Old Master Mallory could even react. “You were tied up for so many days? Are you hurt? Dear God, how could you do this to your brother, Percy?” Madam Mallory looked Pierre up and down.At the same time, Old Mas
"Mm." Old Master Mallory continued to study the bidding document without looking up.Mr. Bennet left with his teacup, came back, and served him the re-brewed warm tea.Old Master Mallory was still looking at the bidding document.Upstairs.As soon as Pierre walked to the second floor, he could not help but ask Madam Mallory, "Is it true that Percy and Nina are engaged?"Madam Mallory frowned when she heard Pierre's anxious tone. "They’ve announced the engagement. It’s happening. He hid the news from the family, so Old Master Mallory is fuming.""You should’ve sent someone to keep an eye on him. Maybe you could’ve stopped it." Pierre clenched his fists."How did you expect me to do that? Mallory Corporation is in his hands. It’s not easy to keep an eye on him. Besides, even when we arranged for the Johnston woman to be his partner, he ended up messing up their family. Everyone in A City knows that he loves that b*tch. No one dares to try anything because of what happened to the J
The atmosphere in the living room turned chilly almost instantly.Old Master Crawford stared coldly at Old Master Mallory and could not help but sigh. "When you and I used to be in the corporate world, you were so shrewd. How did you become a different person after you retired?"Old Master Mallory snorted coldly as he knew that Old Master Crawford was secretly mocking him. "You said that this bidding document was prepared by Luke. What evidence do you have?"Old Master Crawford had been waiting for him to say that.He held out his hand and said, "Glasses."Zander quickly placed the glasses in his hands.Old Master Crawford put on his glasses and flipped over the bidding document. "You want evidence? I'll give it to you now. Don't say that I wronged your precious grandson."Old Master Mallory frowned. Old Master Crawford's reaction made it seem like there was some evidence in the bidding document that could prove that what he said was true."Show me what you’ve got. If you find
Pierre finally understood why Percy chose to stand on Luke's side even in front of Old Master Mallory.That was because Luke had left his logo on the design draft.Luke had seen the contents of the bidding document in M Group, so Pierre was certain that Luke had plotted against them and made sure that his employees would not notice what he did.Although Luke did not intend to go after him, he got looped into it.‘Damn that Abel! He deceived me twice in a row, and now, he has caused me so much trouble!’Pierre put on his coat. He knew he could not do anything to Abel.He did know what organization Abel led. The phone number Abel gave him was no longer valid, so he could not get in contact with Abel. There was only one way to find him..."What are you thinking about? Hurry up and go downstairs. When you apologize later, you should be more sincere and blame it on someone in the company. Tell Old Master Crawford that you don't know anything, but since you’re the boss of the company,
Madam Mallory was not as nervous as Pierre upon hearing the news. "There’ll always be someone willing to step up if you offer enough money.""I don't have that much cash on hand now," Pierre confessed. He had already lost a lot of money to his business partners because of the closure of many industries. On top of that, he bought a bidding document from Abel and placed an order to assassinate Luke.He did not have much money on his hands now.If there was no one to help him, he would have to use the company's cash. However, at this stage, he did not need to do so.Pierre knew that Madam Mallory would not let him stoop so low."Don't worry. Go look for someone and tell me how much you need." Madam Mallory said exactly what Pierre thought she would.Madam Mallory's response was within Pierre's expectations."I'll find a scapegoat." Pierre nodded. Although the latest development was beyond what he expected, it was not impossible to solve with Madam Mallory's help.On the other hand
After signing the agreement, Karen eagerly handed it over to the man she believed to be the lawyer.The moment the doctor took the shares transfer agreement, a syringe containing anesthesia slipped from his sleeve and was swiftly injected into Karen’s hand.“You...” Karen felt a sharp sting, but before she could speak, her consciousness faded.At the same time, the knife in her hand clattered to the floor.The doctor quickly steadied her to prevent her from hitting her head when she collapsed.“Luckily, the dose was strong enough, or she wouldn’t have been knocked out so quickly.” He gently laid her down, checked to make sure she was unconscious, and then hurried out of the office to notify the hospital director.Percy quickly stepped forward, gently lifting Nina’s chin to examine her wound.“I’m fine,” Nina said in a soft voice, lowering her head to hide the injury on her neck.“Let me take a look at you,” Percy insisted, gently lifting her chin again. After checking, he added
“Mr. Mallory, won’t you feel guilty if something happens to Nina?” Sue did not understand why he refused to call the police.“It won’t happen.” Percy furrowed his brows as his mind raced to find a solution.Sue was even more confused. “Just because you say it won’t happen, does that mean it won’t? Yes, Madam Mallory is your mother, but Nina is also your wife. If your mother harms your wife, shouldn’t you call the police? Instead of doing that, you’re leaving her in this dangerous situation. I honestly feel sorry for Nina.”Sue had always been straightforward. She thought Percy would protect Nina for life, but seeing him defend Karen at the cost of his wife’s safety, she was deeply disappointed.She felt she was in no position to feel sorry for Nina, but she could not understand Percy’s actions.Percy furrowed his brows. Calling the police was not an option.The Mallory family could not afford this kind of turmoil.If Old Master Mallory found out that he handed his mother over to
Nina trembled when she was touched. Her whole body was shaking.Karen’s touch was icy cold, and when her hand fell on Nina’s face, it carried a chill.“Don’t hurt her!” Percy’s voice was hoarse, his anger barely concealed in his eyes.He was furious but kept reminding himself not to provoke Karen.“Hmph, look at how nervous you are.” Karen's patience wore thin. Without another word, she laid out her conditions. “If you want me to let her go, fine.”“What do you want me to do?” Percy knew the conditions she was about to propose would not be as simple as keeping her out of the psychiatric hospital.It could involve Pierre.Perhaps even the company.Even though Karen had spoken to him about the high hopes she had for him, Percy did not believe a word of it. To her, from beginning to end, the only person who mattered was Pierre.Percy was merely a tool to secure her position in the Mallory family.“See? You still care about this woman. You’ve disappointed me!” Karen glanced at Ni
“Mr. Mallory, I didn’t dare to go in. Nina and your mother are still inside.” After Sue realized that Nina might be in danger, she had been waiting outside, unwilling to leave.She had been planning to rush in with the other employees if she heard Nina scream.Percy's expression darkened. He did not blame Sue for the situation, so he did not say anything. Instead, he quickly walked to Nina’s office door and pushed it open.The sight before him sent a chill through his veins, as though his blood had turned to ice.“You're here?” Karen fixed her eerie gaze on the person who had opened the door. A strange, sinister smile curved at the corners of her lips. She stood behind Nina with a knife tightly gripped in her hand.The sharp blade was pressed against Nina’s neck, already leaving a faint red mark.Sue gasped at the sight and instantly lost her composure.Karen frowned in dissatisfaction, moving the knife slightly and muttering, “Why is there another woman here? Tell her to leave!
“'ll contact someone in A City to investigate,” said Gale.“Let Percy know while you're at it,” added Luke. “He needs to be aware of this.”“Got it.” Gale hurried off to handle the matter.…After taking Gale's call, Percy hung up and stared icily at the middle-aged man standing before him.Under Percy's chilling gaze, the man nervously dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.“Mr. Mallory, my sincerest apologies…” The man, the director of the psychiatric hospital, had come to personally apologize to Percy today.Karen had escaped.Two days ago, Percy admitted Karen to the psychiatric hospital. After an evaluation, the doctors determined her condition warranted hospitalization, so she was admitted.Even though Karen was against it, given her mental state and with the consent of an immediate family member, the hospital was legally authorized to proceed.Percy had even informed the hospital to take special care of Karen. He had explicitly instructed them not to
When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened slightly.Luca mumbled, feeling the warmth beside her. She instinctively curled closer. “What time is it?”“It's a little past five.” Luke gently rubbed her back, offering a quiet comfort to help her feel at ease.Since he could not be there beside her, he could only make these small gestures to bring her some peace of mind.“An entire afternoon just passed like that…” Luca was reluctant to leave at the moment. Her slender fingers lightly pressed against his chest.Luke took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss, holding it as if it were something precious and tenderly stroking it.Luca's hands had once been delicate and smooth, but during their time in the small villa, they had become much rougher.“You've got calluses.” Luke felt sorry for her.Luca gently traced her finger over his lips, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on him. “It’s just from the needlework and the experiments I’ve been d
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,