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
Johann's gaze became sharp at once, then he replied, "Miss, you'll have to be responsible for what you said just now if the hospital looks into this matter. Half of the cigarette Ms. Norman smoked was taken away by the nurse yesterday. She did not throw it away. The laboratory test report came out today. The cigarette contains herbal ingredients that are not added to other cigarettes. It can harm every organ in the human body, which explains Ms. Norman's situation now. It caused her liver to worsen when it was already not functioning properly. You're the one who gave her the cigarette. Now, she's lying on the bed, unconscious. You're responsible for this."Mandy took a few steps backward, shook her head, and said, "I don't know about that. It was Leia who said she wanted to smoke. Please excuse me. I should leave."She immediately left after that.Queenie stomped angrily. Leia told her that one of her best friends who lived abroad had returned yesterday. She had been abroad for many
Luca felt a twinge in her heart when she heard what Queenie said.A mother’s wish was to watch their children grow up, settle down, get married, and have children. As Luca watched Queenie murmur to herself beside Leia’s ward bed, she thought that she would probably never have the chance again…Johann shot a glance at Luca, then he turned to look at Queenie. He fell silent for a moment. It was only when his pager beeped did he stand up and say, “Dr. Craw, call me if you need anything. I have something to do now.”“Okay. Go ahead. Thank you.” Luca thanked him for helping her reach out to a craftsman. Johann waved at her and exited the ward.Luca kept quiet while she looked at Queenie. She let out a sigh, stood up, and walked to the bedside. She comforted her, "Mrs. Norman, don't worry. I'm sure Ms. Norman will be fine."Queenie pulled some tissue out of the tissue box on the bedside table and wiped the tears on her face. She looked at Luca with tears in her eyes and said, “Luca,
“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