“Alright, let’s order.” Nina handed the other menu to Sue, while she shared a menu with Luca.After ordering, they discussed the current affairs in A City.Luca did not say anything as she did not know much about what was going on in A City, so she just listened to them talk.They were exposed to much more things than she was.Luca was always in the laboratory working on the research. She practically had no chance of coming in contact with the outside world.However, Nina and Sue were different.They were still the backbone of Brilliant Architectural Design LLC. They were in charge of the decision-making for basically all the matters at the company. It was only when it came to a particularly important decision that they would leave it up to Luke.Sue and Nina talked for some time before noticing that Luca had not spoken at all, so Sue apologized, “Sorry about that, Luca.”“Why apologize? The things you’re talking about are quite interesting,” Luca said with a smile. They were t
“What’s wrong?” Luca noticed the ghastly expression on Nina’s face.“The Rayne family called. They said that Jean is standing in front of the villa with Marie and refuses to leave. The guards could only notify the tenant, so Wanda had no choice but to call me,” said Nina while putting on the jacket she took off.If it were not for the fact that she was Bianca’s best friend, Wanda would have already made a police report. Jean was her brother, so Wanda was just giving her grace by calling her to let her deal with it.Luca stood up as soon as she heard that. “Isn’t Jean a law-abiding citizen now? Why cause trouble for Aunt—the Rayne family?”Luca’s anxiousness raised Nina’s suspicion, and she looked even more distressed. “I reckon it’s because I refuse to give him money. Jean doesn’t have a penny to his name now. Perhaps it’s also because Marie incited him to do this.”Luca thought of the soft and fragile Wanda. She was ill at ease. “I’ll go with you.”Nina wanted to tell Luca to no
Marie bit her lip. She knew all of that?She instantly felt guilty when Wanda looked at her.Luca was puzzled when she heard Wanda’s words and looked at Marie’s guilty expression.What else did Marie and her mother do that she was not aware of?Nina stood at the side and apologized to Wanda, “I’m very sorry, Aunt Rayne. If this happens again, please just call the police immediately without informing me.”She already knew that she would not be able to chase Jean away even before she came.It was because this was the first time this had happened, so she wanted to apologize to Wanda personally.“Nina, what did you say?” Jean did not believe the words that came out of her mouth. He instantly could not bear the sight of her and raised his hand to slap her.Luca reacted quickly and blocked him. She raised her hand and forcefully grabbed Jean’s wrist. “If you dare lay a finger on her, I’ll make you regret it.”Jean looked at Luca’s exquisite face. Even though she was barefaced and lo
After a while, Luke’s people rushed over.Then, Luca briefly explained everything to them and let them go back.Luca heaved a sigh of relief as the matter had finally been resolved. Wanda saw the smile on her face after the problem was dealt with and could not help but lift her hand to dust off the fallen snow on Luca’s shoulders.“You must’ve rushed over here, right? You don’t even have your gloves on. It must be freezing. Let’s go inside,” she said.“Okay, Aunt Rayne.” Luca rubbed her palms together and followed Wanda into the neighborhood.Wanda walked beside Luca, and when she looked sideways at her, she was momentarily distracted by the fact that Luca was the same height as Bianca.Bianca used to walk beside her like this, but walking with Luca beside her gave her the same feeling.She was bewildered.Wanda shook her head slightly. Luca noticed and asked, “What is it, Aunt Rayne?”“Nothing. It’s a cold winter day, so let’s hurry inside the house. Old Master Crawford is he
Wanda carried the tea upstairs and saw that the two old masters were in fact sitting in the second-floor living room playing chess.“Dad, Old Master Crawford, have some tea first. The refreshments will only be done later.” Wanda did not mention the incident with Jean and Marie.However, Old Man Rayne had heard about it from the maid. He waited until she put down the tea before asking, “Has that girl left?”“Dad, you know about it…” Wanda sighed resignedly.“The maid was the one who helped me after I woke up from my nap. How could I not know? Hasn’t it been some time since she came here? Why is she back?” Old Man Rayne may be old and in need of affection from his family, but he did not have even the slightest bit of affection for Marie.He thought that Marie was gone for good. He did not expect her to come again today, which made him feel disgusted.In Wanda’s haste to rush out, she forgot to inform the maid to not tell the old master about this. She then glanced at Old Master Cra
The oven was done preheating right after Luca finished shaping the cookies.After she placed the cookies in the oven, she looked back at Wanda and saw that the eggs in the bowl were beaten as well.“Do I add flour next?” asked Wanda. She knew how to bake cakes. Usually, the next step would be to add flour, but she still subconsciously asked Luca.“Aunt Rayne, let me take it from here.” Luca blinked.“Could it be that you have a secret recipe?” Wanda was curious and passed the baton to her.“Not really, but I’m not making a chiffon cake, so the steps are a little different,” said Luca as she added the melted butter into the egg mixture. Then, she added an appropriate amount of sugar substitute and milk. Finally, she added the flour.Wanda watched her stir the mixture and took out cupcake molds from the cupboard to hold the batter.After Luca mixed the cake batter evenly, she poured it into the molds.Then, she readjusted the temperature of the oven and placed the cupcakes into t
Only after Wanda had called attention to herself did the two old masters who were playing chess realize that Luca was here.Old Master Crawford was all smiles as he watched Luca sit down. He said, “Luca, what brings you here? Did you purposely come over to visit me because you knew I was here?”Old Man Rayne immediately waved his hand and said with a straight face, “I’ve seen my fair share of shameless people, yet I’ve never met anyone as shameless as you. Of course, Luca came here to visit me. Isn’t that right, Luca?”After saying that, he looked at Luca with all smiles as well.Luca did not know whether to laugh or cry when she saw the two old masters behave like mischievous children. She put down the tray in her hands on the coffee table and said, “Old Masters, would you care to try my creations?”The aroma of the cookies on the coffee table smelled amazing. Old Master Crawford could not help but drool a little. “Luca, of course, I know how good your cooking skills are. That bo
“Okay, I’ll be careful. I’m about to drive, so I’ll hang up now,” said Nina as she ended the call with Sue and drove to Jean’s home.While waiting for the traffic light, she thought about what Sue said and reconsidered. She decided to send a voice message to Percy to tell him about what just happened and notify him that she was heading over to Jean’s place.Percy did not reply. Nina assumed that he was busy, so she continued driving to Jean’s home without sending any more messages.She parked her car somewhere nearby as Jean currently lived in the Langdon family’s old house. The parking spaces would be full if she went any farther, so she could only park her car here and walk inside.Several motorcycles were parked in front of the house.Nina frowned. It seemed like not only Jean and Marie were inside but their scoundrel friends too…However, she could not tell whose friends they were.Nina took out her keys and opened the door. The sound of an uproar came from the living room.
Hera was startled by Luca's words.The refusal that had been on the tip of her tongue suddenly got stuck in her throat.“I…” Hera hesitated, feeling conflicted. Leaving Abel might not be such a bad idea. At least she would not have to live in constant fear.She was finally realizing how unpredictable his moods were. At first, she thought it did not matter as she could still look at other men. She just had to ensure there was no physical contact. In reality, even if she so much as glanced at someone, Abel's expression would darken with anger.It was frustrating. Now, the only person she was allowed to look at was Gerald. Still, what was the point of just looking at Gerald?At that thought, she lifted her gaze to Luca.Luca added, “I’ll give you five minutes. If you refuse treatment after that, I’ll take the medicine back to Mr. Shanks and won’t try to convince you again.”Hera's heart tightened. She did not even need five minutes. She had made her decision within 30 seconds.“I’
“If Abel finds out that Hera's body isn't suitable for organ donation to Kassy, what do you think he'll do?” asked Shanks.He already knew the answer, but he still wanted to hear Luca’s thoughts.“He has invested a lot of time and money in Hera. If he gets nothing out of it, he won’t let her off easily,” Luca said bluntly.Luca and Shanks were on the same page.They did not have a good relationship with Hera, but they had no intention of ruining her either.Hera’s personality was unpleasant, but that was not enough for them to hate her so much that they wanted to see her suffer.“What methods do you think he’ll use?” Shanks asked again.Luca was silent for a long moment.Shanks already knew the answer, yet he still wanted her to say it out loud.After thinking it over, she finally said, “There are plenty of ways he could go about it, but no matter what he chooses, Hera’s fate is sealed. She’s as good as dead…”She lowered her gaze, her tone firm and certain.Shanks nodded.
Hera heard that Luca had returned and immediately went to find Shanks. She narrowed her eyes.That woman went to see Shanks. Could she be talking about her?The thought made Hera uneasy. She had a nagging feeling that something was wrong with her medical report.However, when they left the medical center earlier, Abel asked Luca when the report would be ready, and she said it would be available tomorrow.Hera turned to Gerald and said, “Take these back for me first.”“Alright.” Gerald carried the bags as he walked away. He could not help but wonder what exactly Hera bought. These bags were really heavy!Only after Gerald went upstairs did Hera slowly make her way up as well. Her room was on the third floor, but she stopped when she reached the second floor. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching before heading toward the laboratory.The door was closed.Instead of knocking, Hera pressed her ear against it, trying to eavesdrop.However, the laboratory was special
“This cup of coffee is from that gentleman for this lady.” The waiter smiled as he explained, placing the cup in front of Luca.Hera followed the waiter’s gaze and immediately recognized the man Luca had been looking at earlier.Her eyes darkened. She had noticed the man glancing in their direction. However, she had assumed he was looking at her.After all, she was dressed seductively, had put on makeup, and was undeniably beautiful. Any man who saw her would be attracted. If a man’s eyes lingered on her, it was not surprising at all.Realizing that the man had been watching Luca the whole time instead of her, Hera suddenly felt annoyed.Luca noticed her displeasure, glanced at Gordan, then smiled and said to the waiter, “Please thank the gentleman for me.”“Of course, miss. Enjoy your coffee.” The waiter, sensing the tension between the two women, quickly grabbed his tray and left before Hera’s sour mood could affect him too.“Hmph, feeling proud of yourself?” asked Hera.Luca
Although Luca did not know the exact value of the clothes, she was certain that anything Luke had specially sent over would not be cheap.So, when she caught the sales associate’s skeptical glance, she felt a bit helpless but did not bother to explain. The truth would speak for itself. Besides, she had no intention of justifying herself to a sales associate.Hera, despite her love for luxury goods, did not actually know much about haute couture. So, when she noticed the sales associate still sizing up Luca, she immediately snapped, “What are you looking at?”“N-Nothing.” The sales associate quickly averted her gaze and turned her full attention to Hera, smiling brightly. “Our esteemed guest, what can I help you find today?”Hera thought for a moment before saying in a serious tone, “Show me your new handbags.”The sales associate’s eyes lit up when she heard this. Anyone who could afford so much designer clothing had to have deep pockets. This meant a solid commission for her!
The sales associate nodded and said, “Yes, we do. I’ve already placed them in the fitting room for you. Would you like some assistance?”Hera shook her head and pointed straight at Luca. “No, I want her to do it.”Luca shook her head helplessly. It seemed that Hera was determined to make her play the role of a sales associate today.Luca asked, “Ms. Sanchez, where’s Mr. Abel?”“What does that have to do with you?” Hera shot her a wary look. “Where he goes isn’t important. What matters is that you’re spending the day shopping with me. And if I’m not happy, be prepared to face his punishment.”Then, Hera strutted toward the fitting room like a proud peacock.Luca had no choice but to follow.Inside the fitting room, Hera closed the door behind them and commanded, “Help me unzip the back.”“Alright.” Luca lowered her gaze. Since they were both women and Hera clearly had no reservations, there was no reason for her to feel uncomfortable. She placed her hands on the zipper.Hera re
After Hera got into the car, Abel turned around. His piercing blue eyes locked onto Luca.“When will the test results be ready?” asked Abel. His primary concern was the results.Luca replied, “It won’t be that fast. She did quite a few tests, so it might take until tomorrow or the day after. But the hospital assured me that as soon as the results are in, they’ll give me a detailed report right away.”Abel looked a little unhappy. “Didn’t I tell you to choose the VIP package?”“Mr. Abel, even with the VIP package, the results won’t be immediate. Getting them by tomorrow is already considered fast,” explained Luca.Abel let out a cold snort.Just then, the car window rolled down.“Baby, I’m still upset.” Hera’s voice dripped with sweetness.Abel turned around, his previously cold expression instantly replaced with warmth and tenderness. “What will make you feel better?”Hera thought for a moment. “How about this? Let her follow me around today and carry my shopping bags. That mi
“You!” Hera was clearly caught off guard that the driver had the nerve to talk back to her.She yanked off her sunglasses, just about ready to snap back at him when the driver got a good look at her through the rearview mirror.“Oh, it’s you?” said the driver.“Who the hell are you? Do I know you?” Hera’s tone was arrogant as though she was naturally above him.The driver reminded her, “Remember yesterday? You had me tail a cab and park outside some ancestral hall for half the day, and you refused to leave. I wasted a ton of gas just idling there with the A/C on because of you.”Hera’s face turned red, then pale. She did not expect Luca to randomly call a cab and end up with the same driver from yesterday.Luca also found it a funny coincidence and glanced back. Hera’s expression was awful.The driver, being a straight shooter, did not hold back. “Huh. Funny how you didn’t complain about my car smelling bad yesterday, but today, all of a sudden, it stinks? After I dropped you of
Luca also reminded Luke to tell the kids not to contact her during this period. The device could not be removed. If it was, Abel would definitely notice. Rather than making him suspicious or prompting him to install even better devices, it was better to just leave this one in place.Luke quickly replied: [Got it.]Luca put on a faint smile and began narrowing down the search, trying to figure out where that man had installed the device.If it was just for listening, she did not care. It could stay. However, if it was a surveillance camera, she needed to be more cautious. In the end, she found the device under the bed.She did not bother checking whether it was for listening or monitoring. After all, if it was placed there, the only possibility was that it was an audio bug. A camera in that spot would not capture anything useful.Anyone trained on the Island of Despair would not make such a rookie mistake.After a quick wash-up, Luca went to bed.The next morning, she receive