Rainie puffed her cheeks out and explained, “I’m the leading role, so the teacher said that my costume should be different from the other students.”The teacher also knew that she had plenty of dance costumes at home, so she did not prepare one for her.Lanie frowned. “But I don’t know how to pick one.”“Brother, aren’t you the smartest?” Rainie looked at the tutus. These few were the best-looking ones, but she somehow could not pick a favorite among them.Lanie raised his hand and flicked her forehead.“Ouch, what are you doing?” Rainie touched her head and looked at him in confusion.“I’m just a few minutes older than you. You should let mommy help you pick,” said Lanie. How could she let him pick when he knew nothing about tutus?“Shh.” Rainie immediately covered his mouth when he referred to Luca as Mommy. She looked back. Thank goodness no one was there.They had agreed to not address Luca as Mommy even behind her back to avoid Luca finding out.Instead, they should get u
Tommy could not help but exclaim, “I’m so full.”Aunt Neile was cleaning up the dishes and chuckled when she heard the child’s words. “With Ms. Craw here, Ms. Rainie and the young masters are not picky eaters at all.”Luca patted Tommy’s head. “Go walk around the living room okay? Aunt Neile will cut fruit for you later.”“Okay, Ms. Luca.” Tommy had always been hyperactive, so walking around was not a difficult task for him.Luca looked toward Lanie, who also ate a lot today.Lanie took the initiative to say, “Don’t worry, Ms. Luca. I’ll walk around to digest the food too.”“Ms. Luca, I don’t need to, right?” said Rainie as she was a girl, and her appetite was not very big. Although the meal Luca made was delicious, she did not eat as much as her brothers.The food on the table was mostly eaten by Lanie and Tommy.Luca shook her head. Girls were more concerned about their bodies and diet, so Rainie did not eat much.Rainie stood up and said, “Ms. Luca, help me pick out the tut
“Okay. Thanks, Tommy.” Luca took it from him and had a bite.“Ms. Luca, is the apple nice?” asked Tommy as he looked at her eagerly.“It’s delicious.” Luca took another bite. Aunt Neile was the one who picked out the apples, so there was no doubt that they would taste good.Tommy also picked up a slice of apple to eat as he snuggled next to Luca. He ate the apple while watching cartoons. He was over the moon.After the show ended, Luca urged the children to wash up and go to bed.The kids listened to her. An hour later, after Luca had made sure that everyone had gone to bed, she went back to her bedroom.She picked up the phone on her dresser to see that she had multiple missed calls. Her heart immediately dropped.When she opened her phone, she saw that they were all from Amur.Luca immediately called him back.The call went through, and Luca immediately asked, “Amur, are you back from your mission?”Amur sounded a little tired from the other end of the line. “Yes, I’m back.
Rainie’s teacher understood immediately. None of Rainie’s family members came. That was why the woman in front of her who claimed she was Luke’s subordinate came here. She said, “I see. Then will you stay to watch Rainie’s competition?” “Yes. I will,” replied Luca. Was it not obvious enough with Luca carrying a camera with the camera strap on her shoulder?“We’ve reserved seats in the auditorium for the kids’ family members. It usually starts on the second row. Please wait there,” said the teacher. Luca nodded. She put a smile on her face when she saw Rainie walk out of the room after getting changed. The look in her eyes was gentle and kind. “Ms. Luca, can you help me tie this?” Rainie walked past the teacher and asked for Luca’s help. Luca nodded, squatted down, and helped Rainie tie up every strap that needed to be tied. “Done.” Luca rose to her feet and encouraged her, “I’ll be watching your performance from out there. You got this!” “Alright, Ms. Luca.” Rainie smile
Luca could sense that Yuri was unhappy, but she did not say anything. She focused on watching the performance. Rainie was the star ballerina. She attracted everyone’s attention the moment she stepped on the stage. The expressiveness of her facial expressions and her skilled elegant dance moves were a display of the dancing skills she had picked up over the years.Luca picked up the camera and kept taking photos of Rainie dancing on the stage. At the same time, she noticed that something was wrong as she was sitting near the stage. The stage was bright enough, and that was why Luca did not switch on the flash. It did not affect the photos’ quality either. The ballet performance lasted for 40 minutes. Luca heard Thea talking to Yuri after the dancers made their curtain calls, “Mommy, I want to get into the dance academy too. Sign me up please.” Yuri shot a glance at Luca. She was lowering her head and fiddling with the camera as though she was not paying attention to what the
Rainie was smiling as she noticed that Luca was about to say ‘Mommy’…That would only mean Luca still saw them as her children. Hence, it must be what their father had told them. Their mother had some unspeakable reason, and that was why she did not acknowledge them. Rainie was thinking of telling Lanie about it after he came back from school. Luca brought Rainie out of the amusement park. All the open-air parking lots were occupied with cars. Hence, Luca parked her car in the multi-story car park when she came here. Luca and Rainie ran into Yuri and Thea when they walked into the car park. “Hello, Aunt Yuri. Hello, Thea,” Rainie greeted them. Rainie was looking for Luca when she was on the stage, and that was when she saw Yuri and Thea sitting beside Luca.“Oh Rainie, you did such a great job.” Yuri complimented her while her gaze fell on the two’s interlocked hands.Those who did not know would have thought that they were mother and daughter. "Thank you, Aunt Yuri." Rain
Luca sat there doing nothing after she finished ordering the food. It was inconvenient for her to talk with Amur as Rainie was there.Amur knew Luca had wanted to meet him alone in the beginning, so she must have something to tell him. However, Rainie was here together with them. She could not tell Amur what she wanted to say.After all, the child was not that young anymore. She understood a lot of things.Rainie glanced at Luca, then she turned to look at Amur. She smiled and said, “Ms. Luca, I saw a swing there. Can I go over there to play?”"Ah. Sure." Luca turned to look at the swing. It was a play area designed by the restaurant for the kids so that the parents could relax when they brought their children here. "Be careful. Don't go anywhere else."“Okay. I know.” Rainie stood up and strolled toward the play area. Luca was happy that there was a kids’ play area in the restaurant. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient to talk to Amur. “Is she one of your children you’ve been
“There’s no need to get anything for her. We’re just meeting up and having lunch together. We don’t need to make it so formal, right, Rainie?” Luca lowered her head and looked at Rainie, who was drinking her water, with a smile on her face.Amur noticed how gentle Luca's smiling eyes were. It was how she looked at Nyla when she was on the Island of Despair. It must be difficult for Rainie to part with Luca if she had to. Luca was a good mother, after all.However, Nyla could not bear to part with Luca either. They were her daughters. How could she stand the thought of parting with her daughters? Amur made up his mind. He must work hard to prevent Luca from going through the pain of parting with her family again.Rainie nodded and agreed with what Luca said, but Amur thought it was inappropriate. Amur stood up and said, “No. It’s impolite of me. The dishes aren’t served yet. Please excuse me for a minute.”“Wait.” Luca stopped Amur while thinking fast. “It’s really okay. There
“As long as he stays out of your sight, I won’t make a move,” said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Luke’s pals, he would have been long gone.Anyone who dared to mess with someone Ray cherished would not be let off easily. The only reason Gordan was still breathing was thanks to Luke.“Alright, Ray. Just let it go. I’ve moved on and started a new life. Plus, I’m studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, we’ll just be strangers. There’s no need to step in for me or act impulsively.” Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.“Is it the clothes delivery?” asked Ray.“No, while you were talking with Mr. Crawford, I asked someone to buy some medicinal cream. The ones here work better than the ones in Russia. A little massage with it should help you heal faster,” Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.“Miss, is the boss alright?” asked one of Ray’s subordinates.“He’s fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, “Can you walk me through your plan?”“The prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. I’ve already spoken with the prison officials, and we can use that passage to transport her out. It connects to the sewage system, which leads directly to another detention facility. "The only catch is that this facility’s underground pipes don’t connect to the outside world, so the remaining 10% risk lies in moving Kassy onto the main road and securing her at the new location.“This whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why I’m confident it’ll work.” As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. “Here’s the layout I had someone retrieve. This is the starting point, and this is the destination. If we take this route, we can move Kassy without alerting Abel’s people.”Abel’s men were keeping a constant watch outside the prison now. That was prec
Luke had no idea what kind of mindset the person who poisoned Vivian had. However, he found Gordan’s current behavior quite intriguing.“Luke, what’s with that look?” Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.“You seem pretty concerned about Vivian,” Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. “What? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, don’t say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.”Luke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. “Why are you here?”“Speaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.” Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. “Man, Ray really didn’t hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.”Luke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. “Unlock it.”“All set, boss.” Gordan unlocked the phone and went back to pressing an ice pack against his face.Luke scanned the scr
It was the sound of a body slamming onto the ground.Gordan’s furious curses rang out. “Damn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?”Another loud thud followed.Vivian frowned. What the hell were they doing? Were they really going to fight until one of them won?Both of them were skilled fighters. If they kept this up, neither would walk away unscathed.“Enough!” shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.“Vivian, stay out of this. I’m beating him to a pulp today,” growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.“Ray, I don’t want to see him,” said Vivian. She did not want Ray fighting him. It was not to protect Gordan but because she did not want Ray getting hurt.Also, she definitely did not want Gordan to see her like this. She could already picture his smug face, his sarcastic remarks and his gloating.“Fine. If you don’t want to see him, I’ll just beat
After returning to the hotel from the hospital, Vivian felt much better.To her, the fact that Ray had taken her to the hospital meant there was hope for the future, which lifted her spirits. She picked up an apple from the fruit platter the hotel had provided and took a bite.“Ray, this apple is really good. Want to try one?” asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. “You go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?”Vivian nodded. “I only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.”Ray walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.“You didn't bring any food with you?” asked Ray.“I haven’t really been in the mood, but the food here is way better than Russian food, so I didn't feel the need to bring anything.” Vivian’s tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.“That's true.” Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. “Alright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, we’ll still need your help.”“For toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Don’t worry, if I can help, I definitely will,” Luca assured him.“Alright, thank you.” Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, “If Vivian was really poisoned, don’t worry. Previously, Luca discovered that her biological mother had been poisoned with a slow-acting toxin. She prescribed herbal medicine and used purely traditional herbal medicine to detoxify her. It didn’t take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If it’s something she can fix, she’ll do everything she can.“Besides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?”“Yes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. “Ms. Sanchez, what's wrong?”He was eager to get back upstairs and stash his cigarettes before someone noticed and took them.Hera yanked open his bag, glanced at the cigarette brand, and scoffed. “I thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And you’re acting all deferential to her over this?”Gerald was rendered speechless. “I knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand I’m used to. Maybe it’s not expensive to you, but for me, it’s what I can afford.”Realizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. “Still, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?”“It’s not about the money,” replied Gerald. “It's just a nice surprise. I never expected to get anything out of helping Ms. Craw, and this kind of unexpected gift has nothing to do with the price. Besides, I'm not being overly grateful. I'm just happy.”He was ba
Luca’s lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Luke’s eyes, was utterly captivating. It tugged at his nerves, stirring an uncontrollable desire within him.At that moment, he had only one thought, and it was to completely lose himself in her.…The two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, “Hello, Mr. Crawford.”“Vivian, don’t worry. Everything will get better,” replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Luca’s hand and led her away.It was only after hearing the door close that Vivian finally turned back around.Ray glanced at her and said, “Vivian, they’re your friends. You don’t have to act this way around them. They won’t judge you.”“I know they won’t…” Vivian let out a soft sigh. “I just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didn’t want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But it’
“I once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivian’s. Given that your family has good genetics, yet Vivian is different from the rest of you, and her skin improved after leaving her original environment, all of this confirms my suspicion.“Could it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.”“If she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?” asked Ray.Luca shook her head.“The poison I’ve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victim’s skin dark. I don’t know exactly what it was, but long-term exposure to any poison has an effect on the body. It's just a suspicion now. I need to consult someone I know. And honestly, I can’t be sure what’s really causing Vivian’s condition.“Is her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a