As Luke listened to Luca’s soft breathing, there was tenderness in his eyes while he looked at her.Luke had gotten used to the darkness in the room, and he was able to see the woman who was sleeping soundly on the bed while covered in the blanket. ‘You little devil,’ Luke could not help but secretly blame Luca for a moment. Luca did not pick up his calls, nor did she return his calls. She only explained it to him once by sending him a message. She was behaving so indifferently, and she was not concerned about his situation either. If it were not for the Mallory family who came to the villa, Luke would not have had the chance to listen to Luca's voice while he was out on the business trip. Heartless little woman…Luke was like a scorned woman, complaining to Luca about how she was being cold to him. However, there was nothing he could do. Luca was the only one who could make him experience such helpless feelings. It felt awful. Luke tiptoed to the bedside and quietly clim
Aunt Neile nodded and immediately took a bag out of the shelf. She took the American ginseng out and said, “Yes, ginseng is good for health. The old master asked Uncle Zander to send the ginseng here. He said it’s to improve your health. I was thinking of making some ginseng soup when Mr. Crawford came back. I’ll prepare it tonight.” Luca looked at the American ginseng in Aunt Neile’s hands and glanced at it. It was a wild ginseng root over a hundred years old. Although the Crawford family was not short of supplements, Old Master Crawford was willing to spend a lot on these. Nina brought the kids downstairs when breakfast was almost ready. Nina had hardly slept in for the past few days. She followed the kids’ routine and would wake up once they were awake. Then, she would urge the kids to freshen themselves up and head downstairs together. Luca told Nina that she did not have to do that and she could sleep in as long as she liked. After all, she knew Nina used to sleep in a lot
Luke did not say a word as he stopped. His gaze was as sharp as a razor, piercing through the skinny woman in front of him. He had to admit that everything that Nina had gone through was because of him and Bianca. However, after Nina experienced all those things, Luke had done his best to compensate her. He did everything he should have done. Although he owed her a favor, he would not take things too far. Nina saw Luke’s sharp gaze. What kind of gaze had she never seen after living together with Percy for such a long time? However, she felt an inexplicable fluster in her heart. She suppressed her emotions and said calmly, “I wasn’t asleep when you came back last night. I was sitting on the balcony outside the house without the lights on. That’s why you didn’t notice I was there.”Nina had been positive and calm for the past few days, but deep down in her heart, she felt like she was on pins and needles. She could hardly fall asleep at night without taking Luca's medicine. It
It had been a long time since Luke had a lie-in. He blamed Luca's scent that remained on the bed even after she had already gotten out of bed. Luke happened to fall asleep again when he closed his eyes. It was as though he was cuddling with her in bed. He unknowingly woke up late. “I could see you were tired and needed more rest…” Luca said in a depressed tone. At the same time, she was confused. This man was cold to her when he was on his business trip, but he was hugging her now, refusing to let her go. Did he really treat her as a toy who was at his beck and call? Luca refused to think so, but it was the reality that made her forced her to think about it like this.“It was tiring,” Luke held her in his arms, resting his jaw on her head. The distance between them was intimate. “I’ve been busy with the acquisition for the past few days. I worked day and night to finish everything, then I came back.”Luca listened to Luke talking about what he did during his business trip. It
Luke came back within three days, and he managed to acquire the company. How did he do that?Andy finally realized that there was really someone as capable as his boss. “Thank you.” There was no arrogant look on Luke’s face. Neither did he show any cheerful expressions on his face. It was as though successfully taking over the company was in his plans, and it was nothing worth celebrating or something to be proud of. Marcos was impressed with how calm Luke was. After working in M Group for a long time, he had seen too many people who grew complacent about their small achievements. They thought that a bright future awaited them regardless.They eventually became proud and ended up being devoured in the business world.A mature man like Luke Crawford could handle surprises and overcome challenges with confidence. He was the king.Tina pushed the lounge door open and Luke invited them, "Mr. Marcos, please."“Thank you.” Marcos and Luke walked into the lounge together while Andy f
As for what kind of measures Luke was going to take, it would depend on how obsessed Matysh was with Luca. “What’s the worst that can happen?” Marcos asked."He'll not be able to return to Russia." Luke was not trying to deceive him. Since they were going to cooperate, then they should be honest. A trace of malevolence flashed across Luke's eyes. If any man had inappropriate ideas toward the woman he loved the most, he would make sure that the other party was doomed.Marcos frowned and replied, “Mr. Crawford, aren’t you afraid that I’ll stop you if you’re so honest? Old Master Abaza has high expectations of him among the others in the Abaza family.”If it were not for Matysh, who showed no interest in running the company, Marcos would not have had the chance to become the CEO of M Group. Besides, Marcos would have to give up everything he had done to develop the company with just a word from Matysh. Luke understood Marcos was concerned about his family.Even though his fami
Lliam drove them back to the hotel. Marcos trotted into the elevator after he leaped out of the car. Andy remained silent as he kept pace with Marcos. He knew why Marcos was walking swiftly.When they returned to their room, Marcos took the document out of his luggage and opened it. He looked at the wrapped kraft paper and picked it up. He was about to take the document out of the kraft paper. Andy asked, “Boss, do you really want to read it?” If Marcos read the document and it was exactly like what Luke had told him, there would be a drastic change in Marcos’ life. “I need to figure it out.” Marcos’ hands were slightly trembling when he took the document out. If it was truly what Luke had told him, there would be a dramatic change in the truth of his father’s death and what had happened to his mother.Marcos had to face it…Andy no longer said anything. He stood there as he fixed his gaze on Marcos.The document was less than two pages. It was difficult to notice that it h
The moment Marcos answered the call, a deafening sound came from the other side of the line. Even though Marcos did not turn on the speaker, he and Andy could hear it loud and clear in the suite.“Why was your phone turned off? Can you assure me that leaving M Group for you to manage is a wise choice?” Matysh’s voice was penetrating and ear-piercing. Marcos could even hear Matysh’s rage.As Marcos listened to him roaring with rage, it reminded him of all those dirty things that Matysh had done. His hands were trembling uncontrollably. He responded as usual and took his time to explain, “I’m sorry. My phone ran out of battery just now.”"Fine. Your phone ran out of battery. Did Andy's phone run out of battery too?" Matysh brought up the main point. He thought they knew that he was coming today. That was why they turned off their phones and refused to receive him. “Andy’s phone was low on battery too,” replied Marcos as he shot Andy a glance.“How could there be such a coincidence?
“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