Marcos and Andy, the two foreign people, were sitting at the table. Even if Tina did not wave at them, they were able to see where they were sitting with just a glance.Luke held Luca's hand and walked toward them. Then, they sat on the humble-looking red-colored plastic chairs.Tina saw the two of them were holding hands, and she also noticed that the coat draped over Luca’s shoulders was a men’s coat. Even so, she did not say anything. It was as though she did not see it. After the two of them sat down, Marcos smiled and handed the menu to Luke. “Mr. Crawford, here’s the menu.” Luke glanced at the paper clipped onto the menu. They had already placed their orders, and they had ordered many dishes. Luke did not choose anything. Instead, he lowered his head and asked Luca, “Is there anything you’d like to eat?”“These will be fine…” Luca replied and shook her head.She did not have the habit of eating supper at night, and she was not feeling hungry after having dinner.Luke put
After supper, Luca and Luke left together. Luke had drunk some beer, so Luca was the one who drove the car. Marcos and Andy got into Lliam’s car. Marcos leaned back on the chair to rest after drinking a few cans of beer. Andy picked up his phone and glanced at it, then reported to Marcos, “Boss, everyone in the company already knows that you’ll be going back soon.” “Okay.” Marcos kept his eyes closed.That would mean Matysh also knew about it.There had always been the old master’s and Matysh’s subordinates in the company. The purpose of doing that was simple. It was to keep an eye on Marcos and to see if he had any motive fo taking over the company. Marcos thought it was nothing even though these people were watching him. After all, everything he did was for the sake of the company. Hence, he had never done anything wrong to this family and the company. No matter how they watched him and reported everything he did, it would not affect him either. However, now…The gloom
Matysh knew Luke was the one who sent the car, but he was unhappy with Marcos’ explanation. “No way. Tell that kid that I want the chauffeur to follow me around,” Matysh said in an overbearing manner. He was unconcerned that his target was Luca and she had something going on with Luke.Bill would take care of it, after all.Marcos knew why Matysh did not agree to his arrangements and said, “The chauffeur I’ve hired drives a Rolls-Royce too.”As a big city with a booming economy, A City had never been short of wealthy people. That was why it was easy to rent a Rolls-Royce here.Mandy, who was listening to their conversation, was secretly surprised. How easy it was for them to rent a Rolls-Royce. It seemed like her Russian friend was right. Matysh’s family was rich. It was a pity that she could never have the chance to marry into such a wealthy family. She could only seize the chance to curry favor with Matysh.Matysh frowned. He wanted to throw a tantrum, but Marcos' arrangem
The cup of tea placed in front of Luke smelled good. Luke knew the churning alcohol smell in his stomach would stop once he drank it. However, he was not in a hurry. Instead, he patted the seat beside him and said, “Take a seat.”Luca noticed that Luke had something to tell her. Hence, she sat down on another sofa. It was late at night. Nina and the kids were already in bed, and it was quiet. However, she still kept a suitable distance away from Luke. Luke did not force her to sit beside him. Her nerves would be on edge as long as Nina was still around.“Matysh found a woman to accompany him. And that woman has a pair of eyes that look like yours,” said Luke.Luca looked down, feeling helpless. It was not a good thing. That would only show how much Matysh desired and wanted Luca. She replied in a soft voice, “Okay.” “If something happens to you, don’t hide it from me. You have to tell me. Although he’s not a local, he approached a criminal organization for help. That’s why i
Luke smiled when he looked at Luca from behind. She was trying to avoid him. He turned off the lights and lay down on the bed.There was a wave of warmth on Luca's waist as Luke wrapped his arms around her. He said, "Good night." It was as though his deep and husky voice was expressing his gentleness.‘Good night…’Luca muttered in her heart and quietly closed her eyes. Luca never had any problems with sleeping when Luke was by her side. She could sleep through the night. The following day. Luke had already gotten out of bed when Luca woke up in the morning. She sat up on the bed and listened carefully to her surroundings. No noises were coming from the bathroom. It looked like Luke had already left. Luca touched the mattress beside her. It was still warm. Luke had cuddled with her last night. The warmth on Luke’s body made her feel like her body was on fire. Luca was not overwhelmed by the warmth she felt last night. The uneasiness in her reminded her that she should
As soon as Aunt Neile finished her sentence, everyone in the dining room turned to look at Luca.Luca felt helpless for being in the spotlight. Aunt Neile had entered their bedroom and cleaned it up. Of course, she knew that Luke’s pillow was not in his own bedroom anymore and had been moved to her bedroom instead. Luca helped herself with a croissant, trying to look nonchalant as she explained, “Mr. Crawford woke up early. He’s working in his bedroom. Aunt Neile, can you please bring breakfast upstairs?”Aunt Neile nodded, turned around, and strolled into the kitchen.After a while, she carried a tray that held the breakfast and a cup of coffee. She brought it upstairs for Luke. Nina, who was sitting at the dining table, shifted her gaze and ate her breakfast as though nothing had happened. The three kids were looking at Luca. The kids went to bed early last night and woke up late this morning. They had no idea Luke had been sleeping in Luca’s bedroom for the past few days.
“Sure. I’ll do everything I can to help.” Luca’s heart was wrenched.Although Jack and Queenie did not raise her, what happened at that time was involuntary. Luca could understand that. The kinship between them made her unable to reject Jack’s request. "My wife isn't in great condition. Please look after her for me," said Jack. Queenie was the one he was most worried about.Luca felt even more upset when she heard that. As their daughter, what she hoped the most was her biological parents could live happily and stay healthy when they were in the latter years of their life. However, Queenie and Jack had to go back and forth to the hospital because of Leia. “Let me take a look at her.” Luca nodded. She was afraid that Queenie would be even more anxious if she did not head there now. “Okay. Then I’m… going back to the provincial capital first. I have a lot of work to do,” replied Jack. He was assured when Luca promised him to look out for Queenie. It was a pity Jack promised L
“Smoking?” Luca’s voice was raised a few pitches higher. If what Johann said was true, then Leia had really made a big mistake. Luca knew Leia had the habit of smoking, but she should have quit smoking after knowing that she was sick. She asked, "Hasn't she quit smoking yet?" "Yes, but she smoked a cigarette after the woman convinced her to do so. That one cigarette almost took her life away. The nurse persuaded her not to smoke in a serious tone. She was unconvinced, but she stubbed out the cigarette when she had smoked half of it. The nurse took the rest of the cigarette out of her ward. The doctor on duty saw it and asked the nurse to keep the rest of the cigarette. If anything happened to the patient, this would be considered evidence. I bet you know why," Johann explained to her.For someone with a social status like Leia, if something happened to her and the doctor could not find out the reason, everything she did and every meal she took might become the reason. It was bec
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