“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
Marie was filled with resentment as she saw him hold up the ten dollars.“You don’t want it? I’ll take it back then.” Jean saw that she did not move and was about to take back the money until she swiftly snatched it from him.Jean smiled contemptuously.“It’s not enough,” said Marie as she held out her hand.“If ten dollars is not enough, how much do you want?” Jean frowned and was obviously unwilling to give her too much.“Even if you’re covering the costs of my stay, what about my food and daily transportation expenses? You can’t leave me empty-handed. Even if I were to stay at home, I’d need money to order takeout too,” said Marie.“How troublesome.” Jean took out his wallet and handed her a public transport card.“This is…” Marie looked at the public transport card and frowned as the card could only be used for rides and not for consumption. Plus, who even took public transport nowadays?“There are ten dollars on the card. You can take the subway when you go out. It’ll last
“You didn’t have to get up early. Besides, sleeping a little longer is good for you.” Luca served her a bowl of oats.Nina smiled and said, “It smells so good. Would I still have gotten such a hearty and delicious breakfast if I had continued to sleep?”Aunt Neile stood aside and smiled. “Ms. Nina, the breakfast reserved for you is still in the kitchen. Since you’re awake, I’ll bring it out right now.”“Thank you,” thanked Nina.Luca placed a bun on her plate using tongs and said, “That’s Aunt Neile, the maid who works here. Tell her if you need anything, and try not to go out during this period of time. If you really have to go out, there are cars in the garage. You can ask Aunt Neile for the keys.”“The cars in the garage belong to Mr. Crawford, right?” Nina took a bite out of the bun and immediately gave Luca a thumbs up. It was delicious.“They’re Mr. Crawford’s, but it doesn’t matter,” said Luca as Mr. Crawford had mentioned that if she wanted to drive, she could drive those
Although she told other people that she was okay, Nina did in fact mind it.She frowned as she saw those disgusting comments and could only sigh. She did not even have to strength to speak up for herself in the comments section.Nina tossed her phone aside and rested her head in her hands.If someone were to see her in her current state, they would definitely know that she had been defeated by those comments on the internet.If she knew who was the one that made her so miserable, she would not let them get away with it.Her phone rang.She glanced at the screen to see that it was a call from Percy.She knew that if she did not answer, Percy would keep calling her, so she had no choice but to pick up.“Don’t you have to work?” Nina did not ask why he called as even the stupidest person would know what he called her for.“I’m worried about you. Are you okay?” Percy’s voice was hoarse.Nina frowned because of his hoarse voice. Did he drink a lot?“I’m doing fine here. Which oth
“Pfft.” Luca looked at how helpless Nina was and laughed.Tommy shook his head and deliberately lowered his voice, “Ms. Nina, it’s not like our homework is difficult.”“I know it’s not difficult, but you all… I can only say that you’re too smart. There’s no need for me to get involved.” Nina sighed.“Yeah, they don’t need tutoring, but they need someone to check their homework later. Nina, I’ll go help Aunt Neile in the kitchen. Can you check the kid’s homework later?” said Luca.“Alright, I’ll promise to get the job done.” Nina gave her an OK gesture.Luca turned around and walked into the kitchen.Tommy whispered, “Great, we’ll have good food again tonight.”Nina listened to the child and patted his head. She said, “Aunt Neile’s cooking is also very good.”“But Ms. Luca’s tastes even better!” Tommy handed his finished homework to Nina. “Ms. Nina, I’m done. Check it, please.”Nina was glad. She finally had something to do. She took the workbook and checked it while saying, “D
"Okay, got it. How did they know Nina was here?" Luca's expression was stern. It seemed that the Mallory family was dead serious about wanting Nina to leave Percy.However, how was Nina at fault?She did not cause the misfortune that came upon her blood family nor did she have an option.Pierre was the one who caused all of Nina’s recent suffering. She was the victim!Nina sighed when she saw Luca’s sour expression. "It should be Joanne… They came for me. I'm sorry for putting you in such a difficult position, Luca. I'll go out.""No, you stay here." Luca wanted to make a call but realized that her phone was not there. She then remembered that she left it in the bedroom.She said to Aunt Neile, "Aunt Neile, I'm going to make a call. In the meantime, please open the door for the Mallory family and have Lanie and the others go upstairs. I don't want the Mallory family to scare them.""Okay, I'll do it right now." Aunt Neile nodded and was about to leave the bedroom."Another thin
Pierre was raving mad at Luca when he thought of the suffering he went through because of her. He wanted to take revenge right there, right then.However, he could not afford to act recklessly in that situation.After all, they were in Luke's territory. The explanation that he promised Luke previously had not been made.No matter how much money he offered, no one in the company was willing to be the scapegoat. Mr. Peralta knew what was coming and opted to resign immediately.Pierre looked stern as he sat beside Old Master Mallory."Who is this?" Old Master Mallory's tone was unfriendly. He looked at Luca with contempt.Luca frowned. She had met Madam Mallory and thought that her arrogant and domineering appearance was not at all like the demeanor of a lady.After she met Old Master Mallory, she finally understood that Madam Mallory's arrogance came from him.Old Master Mallory and Old Master Crawford were from the same era. They should be about the same age. However, the pers
Even after some time had passed, Pierre could not forget the pain that he suffered.He wanted the pain to end, but it felt like he was stuck in a bottomless pit of suffering. He took so many painkillers that his mouth was bitter and his stomach felt uncomfortable. He did not want to go through that once more."Pierre." Old Master Mallory gave him a way out.Pierre sat down and glared at Luca. He was fuming and swore to find an opportunity to teach this woman a lesson."Ms. Craw, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Since the police didn't bother Pierre about it, mind your words." Old Master Mallory knew about it, but he would never admit it in front of Luca. "Mind my words? Mr. Pierre is unwilling to admit what he did in the past, but Nina is innocent. How can you accuse her of being a b*tch?" Her gaze was cold as she stared at the man in front of herIf Percy was not the only one who was nice to Nina, she thought that the entire Mallory family would go to hell because none of
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,
Hera let out a cold sneer, feeling that Gerald's apology was not sincere.Hera did not want to press the issue at the moment. She gave him a sharp look. “Come with me.”Gerald knew that Hera was up to something again. If it were a normal order, she would have just said it in the living room. Whenever she called him aside, it meant whatever she had to say could not be overheard by others.Reluctantly, Gerald followed her out.It was midday, and as soon as Hera stepped out of the living room, a wave of heat hit her face.The intense warmth made her feel uncomfortable.Hera got straight to the point, turning to Gerald. “What did Luca say to you just now?”“She just asked me to help keep an eye on the volunteer,” Gerald answered honestly. This was not something that needed to be kept secret.Hera frowned. “Is she going out”Gerald hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to say anything.“I’m talking to you, not the wall. Are you mute?” Hera threatened. “If you lie to me, I’ll te
Gordan was puzzled. At most, it was just brotherly camaraderie. After all, they had been through thick and thin together. Their bond might be stronger than usual, but falling in love? That was a bit of a stretch.Luke said, “The way you acted just now, doesn't really seem 'straight' to me. Also, if you're into women, maybe you should consider finding one. Otherwise, if you're always single, people might start misinterpreting your feelings for me.”“Luke, actually, you're not bad at all. In fact, you're probably better than a lot of women,” Gordan replied with a sly grin.As a man himself, he honestly thought Luke was a great guy. If he were a woman, he would be utterly captivated by him.“Shut up!” Luke knew he was joking, but he still felt a chill run down his spine. He seriously worried that Gordan might do something inappropriate when he turned his back on him.Shivering from the thought, Luke put down his glass and headed upstairs.Gordan let out a deep sigh.The night w
“Anyway, I'm saying it here—I'm not going to Russia because of that ugly woman, Vivian. If I go to Russia, it's for you. I've already divorced her. Besides, I’m already trying to avoid her, how could I possibly go to Russia for her?” Gordan took a sip of red wine, then continued his rant. “And, Ray is still in Russia. I really can't go. His men are all brutal, and I've had enough of being beaten all these years.”“Then why did you buy an apartment in Vivian's neighborhood?” Luke continued to tease him. His sharp eyes glinted with intelligence.Gordan denied it, but whether he believed it or not was his own business.“It was just a coincidence!” Gordan raised his voice, trying to convince Luke.Or maybe himself.“Coincidence?” Luke sipped his wine, every gesture as graceful as a nobleman.“Of course, it’s a coincidence, Brother Luke. You wouldn’t know, but that apartment is in a school district, surrounded by college towns. There are a ton of hotties there, I picked the place just
As Luca listened to his tone that was full of regret, she felt a slight pang in her heart. She recalled when she had a child and continued pursuing her education. If she had given up on herself back then, perhaps she and Luke would not find themselves here today.Luca felt she was much more fortunate than the volunteer. Even though she loved her father, she also understood the importance of education and did not let her father’s illness cause her to give up. She was also fortunate to have a father who supported her education.At the thought of this, Luca could not help but ask, “Do you regret it?”“No, I don’t regret it,” the volunteer smiled. “Actually, I always look at it in a positive light. Back then, several boys in my class liked her. If I hadn’t confessed, she might have become someone else’s girlfriend. If there’s anything I regret over the years, it’s that I was too selfish and it affected her studies.“I never thought that being in a relationship at a young age would
As Luca thought about it, she heard the volunteer exclaim, “With a wife like you, your husband must be so lucky and blessed.”Luca shook her head. To her, being cherished by Luke was a real blessing.“You’ve got it wrong. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”Luca had often wondered what her life would have been like without Luke.Perhaps she would have married Jean, only to watch his true nature slowly reveal itself. She would have struggled, eventually unable to endure it, and maybe even ended up divorced.It could be something worse. She might have been taken advantage of, lost all hope, and spiraled downward...Anything was possible.However, Luca knew that no matter what happened, life would not be as good as it was now without Luke.Though she remained under someone else’s control, and life on the Island of Despair was fraught with hardship, with Luke by her side, she felt an unshakable courage.A light laugh from the volunteer interrupted her thoughts.Luca
The volunteer did not mind. As long as it meant he could recover, he was willing to endure any pain. “It's okay. I can handle it.”Luca nodded.The door to the vehicle opened, and a man stepped inside. Due to the lack of sterilization, he did not dare approach the inner part of the vehicle. Instead, he placed several bottles of saline on the outside.“This is the saline that Mr. Shanks prepared. He asked you to inject it when you can,” the man relayed Shanks' message.“Got it.” Luca reached out to take the bottles. After thoroughly disinfecting them, she brought them inside.It was more complicated than being in a hospital.Since the volunteer's body was still weak. They had to maintain as sterile an environment as possible.However, it still fell short of the ICU's standard.Luca stayed with the volunteer until evening. Gerald stood outside the medical vehicle and called, “Ms. Craw, it's time for dinner.”Luca took off her protective gear and stepped outside.“Ms. Craw, di