“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
The expression on Luca's face was stern. She would agree to help Nina to improve her health so she could get pregnant if she was married and Percy and Nina wanted a baby. However, it was not the right time to do so now. “Nina, it’s not necessary to get the Mallory family’s permission if Mr. Mallory wants to marry you. You can get married abroad, then come back to sign the marriage license. Your marriage will still be legalized here. It’s the same,” said Luca.Getting married in A City would require a household registration permit. It might be difficult to get married if either side of the family disapproved of the marriage. However, it was different in countries abroad. Any couple could be legally married as long as the two of them had their passports and related documents."I know. I know that." Nina let out a sigh. "But I don’t want to see Percy be caught in the middle between me and his family. Luca, they're his family members. If they disagree with us getting married but he
Aunt Neile said, “It was rare to see you sleep in today. That’s why I didn’t wake you up. I didn’t expect you’d look so tired.”“I’ll be fine after drinking a cup of coffee,” Luca ate a mouthful of oatmeal. She thought she needed a cup of warm coffee to perk herself up a little.“Let me get you some coffee,” replied Aunt Neile as she walked into the kitchen.The kids finished eating their breakfast. Tommy glanced at the time and said to Luca, “Ms. Luca, we’re heading to school first.” “Okay. Be good and listen to your teacher,” replied Luca. Usually, it was Uncle Zander who picked the kids up and sent them to school. When Luca was making her way down the stairs, she glanced outside the villa and saw Uncle Zander’s car already outside and waiting for the kids. “Ms. Luca, see you later.” Rainie waved her hand at Luca and walked out of the dining room.Luca was watching the kids as they left and disappeared at the entrance of the dining room. Only then did she shift her gaze and c
Luca let out a sigh helplessly. Nina was so close to living a happy life, but someone stabbed her in the back at this time. Sue added, “I’m afraid that she might overthink now. After all, her past is her deepest wound. It’s cruel for someone to use this against her. That’s…”Sue felt helpless and angry at the same time. There were no words that could describe how upset she was.Luca did not know what to say either. Although Percy protected Nina well, after their conversation last night, Luca could sense that Nina was still sensitive. She would still feel worried and insecure. Now, such awful things had happened to her. “Luca, is there anything we can do for her?” Sue was overwhelmed.“Let’s show more concern for Nina. There’s nothing we can do about the reporters. Things aren’t as simple as they are. The reporters are looking for her now…” replied Luca. She knew what kind of people the Mallory family was. They were probably annoyed after getting exposed this time, thinking t
Luca was doing experiments in the study the entire time. The kids did not come upstairs to disturb her either. Only when the alarm rang did Luca stop doing her experiment. She disinfected her hands and walked out of the study.Luca ran into the kids when they were making their way upstairs. “Ms. Luca, have you finished your work?” Tommy smiled cheerfully and came forward to hug her.Luca stroked Tommy's head and looked at Lanie and Rainie, "Come on. Go clean yourself up. It's time for bed." “Okay, Ms. Luca,” the three kids replied at the same time. Luca returned to her bedroom. She got herself cleaned up at the same time as the kids did so. Then, she tucked the kids into bed.Her phone rang when she was about to do some reading before heading to bed. Could it be Luke?Luca could not suppress the quiver in her heart. She picked up her phone and looked at it. It was Nina who called. She quickly answered the call and said, “Nina, what’s wrong?”Luca had a feeling that som
“Most of what the news articles wrote about me are true.” Nina took a deep breath as she was not afraid that Luca would know about her past.It was because she knew Luca would not do anything to hurt her even if she knew everything. “Mr. Mallory should already know about your past. He’s not making a fuss out because of the news articles, right?” said Luca. Percy knew Nina well, just like her.“No, he’s not. He’s been busy handling the matter the whole day. It’s still a hot topic on the internet, and it’s not because he’s not doing anything to stop it. He’s planning to find out who was the one to expose the information to the reporters and proceed with the next step.” A bitter smile swept across Nina’s smile. She agreed with Percy’s way of handling the matter. After all, only a few knew about Nina’s past. They should be able to find out who was the mastermind behind all these soon if they were to look into it. After that, they would implement the next plan. That would be the best.
Nina nodded and said in a soft voice, “Okay. I’ll be quiet.”The two of them walked into the bedroom one after another.Luca opened the closet and took a new set of pajamas and underwear. "Your figure is almost the same as mine. These are new. Hurry up and take a shower."“Thank you.” Nina sniffed and took the clothes that Luca handed to her.Something came across Luca’s mind, and she said, “Hold on. Let me get you a set of new towels and toiletries.”Luca walked out of the bedroom and headed to the storeroom to get a new set of toiletries and towels. Aunt Neile had prepared all these.Luca returned to the bedroom and handed everything to Nina. She said, "Off you go. You can use the shower gel, shampoo, and skincare products in the bathroom."“Luca, there’s no doubt I’d fall in love with you if you were a man,” Nina playfully joked with her.Luca was amused by Nina's joke and pretended to be serious as she said, "No way. I'm not going to fight over a woman with Mr. Mallory. I'm
“Even if she succeeds in becoming the Mallory family's young mistress, you’re not her. Although both of you were born to the same mother, what’s the point of defending her now when your futures are going to be worlds apart? Jean, wake up! Her good life has nothing to do with you. So, you should drag her down instead of seeing her marry rich. She wants to get rid of you to live a luxurious life, so you can’t let her wish come true!” Marie continued to provoke him after seeing him remain silent.Jean frowned and looked at Marie.She had a point.Judging from how Nina currently acted, he would not have anything to do with her after she became rich.She could not be counted on in the future.At the end of the day, he could only count on himself. If he had to watch Nina live a good life while he lived a miserable one, he might as well do as Marie said and drag her down.The change in Jean’s expression caught Marie’s eyes. She said, “Am I right? The press pays generously. Aren’t you sh
“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