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
Jason noticed Luke's gloomy expression. He was sure Luca had something to do with it.“What are you doing?” Luke’s face darkened, and he asked Jason when he did not hear his report. Jason immediately came back to his senses. He put on a serious expression and reported to Luke about the progress of the acquisition. Another American-owned company was planning to purchase Brown's company at the same time. That was why they were hardly making any progress with the acquisition. Luke frowned and asked when he heard Jason reporting to him, "It's too slow." The words were sonorous and powerful. Jason could deeply feel Luke’s dissatisfaction. Then, Jason explained, "It has become even more difficult to acquire the company as other American-owned companies are joining in. That's why the progress slowed down a little…"Luke looked up and shifted his gaze to Jason. He looked at him with his cold, dark eyes. Jason understood what he meant. This was not about the slow progress. It was Lu
Luca got out of the car after she parked the car. She closed the door quietly so that she would not wake Rainie up. Luca walked past the front of the car and opened the passenger seat’s door. She unfastened Rainie’s seat belt and pulled the jacket up as it had slid down Rainie’s body. Then, she carried Rainie in her arms. Even though Rainie was skinny, she was heavy. However, Luca managed to carry Rainie in her arms and walk into the villa without much effort.Aunt Neile was surprised to see Luca carrying Rainie back in her arms. Luca shook her head when she was about to speak, so Aunt Neile immediately shut her mouth. Luca carried Rainie up the stairs. Aunt Neile followed behind closely, worried that Luca could not carry the child. After all, Rainie was already a ten-year-old child, while Luca looked so skinny. What if Luca could not carry the child all the way to her bedroom?However, Luca carried Rainie in her arms and made her way up the stairs steadily. It showed that
Luca and Rainie were baking cookies in the kitchen, while Aunt Neile was tidying up the living room.The villa's telephone rang. Aunt Neile answered the call with a puzzled look on her face. After all, people nowadays used smartphones, and there was hardly anyone who would call the villa's landline number. The telephone was basically a decoration in the house. Besides, it was the first time the telephone rang after she started working here. "Hello, this is theCrawford family." Aunt Neile picked up the receiver. “Is Luca there?” Luke’s voice came from the other end of the line. Aunt Neile was startled for a moment, and she replied, “Mr. Crawford? You're looking for Ms. Craw, right?”“Is she in the villa?” Luke asked. "Yes. Ms. Craw is in the kitchen. She's baking cookies with Ms. Rainie. Do you need me to inform her to pick up your call?" Aunt Neile asked.“Never mind. If she’s at the villa, then it’s fine,” said Luke. He called Luca after the meeting ended, but no one was an
“Not many. Lanie, you should try.” Tommy was worried Lanie would not allow him to eat the cookies, so he moved the plate toward him. Lanie turned to look at Luca helplessly. Luca could feel Lanie’s gaze on her. She seemed to understand what he meant. It was like Lanie was telling her, ‘Look at your greedy little son…’Luca cleared her throat and said, “Lanie, take a few of them. Leave the rest for tonight.” Lanie nodded and took three pieces of cookies.Tommy was looking at them eagerly and asked, “Ms. Luca, can I take some too?” Luca looked at the cookie crumbs on the corner of Tommy’s lips, and the eager look on his face. It softened her heart. She glanced at the plate, and she briefly knew how many cookies Tommy had eaten. If Tommy continued to eat the cookies, he would not be able to have dinner later, or he might be stuffed. “Ms. Luca…” Tommy tried to act cute again when he saw Luca not saying anything. He wanted to win another chance to eat more cookies. Luca th
“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