T Corporation.It was almost past lunchtime when Luca walked out of the laboratory. Luca asked Zoey to order takeout for her. That was why she was planning to return to her office and eat her lunch. After that, she would continue to handle her work.Before she returned to her office, Zoey came forward and said, “Dr. Craw, I’ve left your lunchbox on your office desk. And Mr. Crawford is in your office.”Luca was startled for a moment. Zoey deliberately lowered her voice when she mentioned Luke’s name.“I got it.” Luca’s voice was calm, and it carried a trace of coldness. Zoey watched Luca march back to her office from behind. She could not help but let out a sigh. If it was another woman who encountered such a situation, she would not be able to hide the joy and excitement in her voice. However, Luca…Her reaction was so calm, and she was not even surprised to hear that. She was different from the other women. Perhaps that was the reason why their boss was attracted to her.
Luke instantly knew what kind of person Leia was without needing Luca to explain to him.There was no way she would give up easily. She was still asking her so-called friends to help keep an eye on updates in the black market. Although she was broke, that would not stop her from deceiving her father and the Norman family.“What do you think?” Luke asked for her opinion.Luca was silent for some time and slowly said, “Actually, I think that since you already know that she’s back, why not just be frank with her so that she has more options to look for liver donors? Otherwise, she can only wait in the hospital or purchase it from the black market…”She did not say this for the sake of Leia as she was not fond of her either. She just felt sorry for Queenie and Jack. She did not want the couple to be dragged down by Leia’s disease.Moreover, if Leia dragged down the Norman family, it would affect Luke too.Besides, he was still the Norman family’s son-in-law to the outside world.“Yo
“Will telling Luke help Leia? Have you thought about the consequences of doing so?” Although Jack knew that Luke was already aware that Leia had returned, he still looked at Queenie seriously and told her the consequences she might have to face if she did so.“Of course, I know that! Dear, Leia is our daughter. You may be able to steel yourself, but I can’t. There’s a chance that Luke might send Leia back to New York if I tell him, but I won’t allow that to happen. If he insists on doing so, I’ll get down on my knees and beg him to spare Leia in consideration of me being Bea’s biological mother. As long as he’s willing to spare Leia, we can publicly look for volunteers for Leia…” Queenie’s eyes were bloodshot while talking. She was getting emotional because she knew that this was Leia’s last resort…Disappointment could be seen in Jack’s eyes as looking for voluntary donors for Leia may be useful, but would not he be the one to take the fall in the end?If Leia received someone else
After learning that Bianca was not coming back, Queenie’s eyes grew dim.The reason why she put all her attention on Leia was because of Luca’s absence. She could not even worry about her if she wanted to.Besides, Bianca was not always reachable.“I guess I won’t be able to see Bea this New Year’s again. Luke, Jack and I aren’t getting any younger. Who wouldn’t want to have their children by their side at this age? So, I want to tell you something.” Queenie put down her utensils, and her face stiffened with dismay.Luke understood the situation and put down his utensils as well. “Yes, Mother-in-law?”When Queenie glanced at Jack to see him shake his head indicating that she should not say what she was about to say, she ignored him. Then, she looked at Luke and said, “There’s actually something we’ve been hiding from you… Leia is back.”Luke remained silent.Queenie tried to decipher Luke’s expression, but no emotion could be seen on his face as he was too calm.She had no choi
“Let me ask you something. Did Luca come up with that idea?” Jack asked.“Not entirely. I was the one who suggested looking for Dexter.” Luke looked at Jack to see that he had aged a lot because of all the worrying about political affairs and family feuds.Although his heroic bearing was still apparent, Luke could feel that the person in front of him was getting on in years.“Then, how sure are you of finding Dexter?” Jack asked again.“It’s hard to say because Dexter disappeared without a trace ever since that incident, I can have people look for him right now, but I can’t say how sure I am of finding him. However, I do need you to help me confirm something.” Luke folded his arms together.Dexter was just one of the chess pieces that tripped Leia up. When the chess piece became useless, he never bothered batting an eye at him.“What is it?” Jack asked.“I want to know if there’s any news of Dexter’s passing in the records,” said Luke as there must be someone who would have call
Mandy frowned. Did Johann not see it yet? Why else would he not accept her friend request?While she was wondering, she opened her profile.Her photos and posts displayed her beauty and elegance, so all Johann had to do was click on her profile to see them.Mandy was not willing to give up, so she took a mirror selfie and posted it after photoshopping. She said how tired she was from work as the caption.Before she could enjoy all the likes and comments, Matysh’s impatient voice could be heard from the outside. “What are you doing in there? What’s taking you so long to fix your makeup?”“I’m almost done.” Mandy took out her setting powder and used it to touch up the oily spots on her face before applying more lipstick.Finally, she walked out of the bathroom and sat next to Matysh.“Mr. Matysh, let’s have a drink.” Mandy lifted the glass of wine to clink glasses with him.Matysh looked at Luca’s photo and tilted his head back to finish his wine in one go.“You’re really good a
Rainie's words left Luke speechless."Who taught you to say that?" Luke’s mood darkened as he took Rainie's hand.‘If I could say such sweet words to Luca, why wouldn’t I?’If he did, he was afraid that he would scare Luca off. It would not be worth the loss if she opted to retreat and escape...Moreover, he did not like to use his words to show his affection. He believed that his actions spoke louder than words. However, the situation that Luca was in did not allow him to act so recklessly. After all, she still had some scruples holding her back.Luke did not act as he did before considering that she could not reveal her identity. Plus, there was still someone who was manipulating her behind the scenes."No… No one taught me to say that. I just think that what Aunt Nina said made sense..." Rainie shrank her neck and could not help but wonder. She overheard the adults speak, so she thought that that was how things should be. That was why she repeated it to Luke."This does not
In the hospital.Leia took a bite of the breakfast that the caretaker bought and thought it tasted terrible. She could not help but lose her temper. "What did you buy for me? Why is it so unpalatable? Didn't my family pay? Did you steal the money?"The caretaker quickly shook her head. Her face was pale as she said, "I didn’t! Ms. Norman, I wouldn't dare to steal your money...""Why are these things so unpalatable? Explain yourself!" Leia was upset. Her face was sallow, and she squinted her eyes to look at the caretaker in front of her."The Osborne isn't open today. I had no choice, so I bought your breakfast from the restaurant downstairs..." The caretaker explained. Leia was a picky eater. Even though she was sick, had no appetite, and could not eat much, she still insisted on eating the best and most expensive food around.Fortunately, there was a famous breakfast place near the hospital, The Osborne. As such, the caretaker would have to leave the ward half an hour earlier eve
Luke sat in the villa, staring at Luca’s message.He was worried.For a moment, he considered calling her, but then he remembered that there were surveillance cameras everywhere on her side. He dismissed the idea immediately.Her safety came first.Luke reminded her: [Take care of yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything. Just focus on keeping yourself safe.] The worry in his heart refused to subside, but at this moment, there was no better solution.“Boss, you’re worried about your wife, huh? If you really can’t stand it, we can sneak you in again during the next shift change, just like last time,” said Gale.It had been his idea last time.Now, the real Lucius was still locked up in the basement of the villa.It had been nearly a month. Luke had forced him to take the antidote Luca had recreated. The man was still alive, proving the antidote worked perfectly.“That plan is too risky.” Luke put his phone away. His gaze was dark and thoughtful.“Risky, sure. But at lea
Luca had not expected Abel and Shanks’ relationship to be like this.It seemed Abel still did not trust Shanks.Shanks continued, “Abel isn’t someone who trusts people easily. He doesn’t trust anyone. You think he’s devoted to Kassy now, right? That’s just his obsession. He's allowing Kassy to receive my treatment, but if it were him… No matter if he were blind or crippled, his safety would always come first. If he were seriously injured, maybe he’d accept treatment, but he definitely wouldn’t do it right away.”Luca stayed silent. Shanks really understood Abel well.Abel did not trust anyone—not even Kassy.Calling him paranoid would not be an exaggeration.Luca felt like they were getting off-topic, but she had never seen this side of Shanks before.In her mind, he was always buried in his work at the lab, only leaving for meals and sleep. Other than that, he was practically never outside.The lab was like his home…“Are you troubled by Hera’s situation?” Luca asked directly
Hera was startled by Luca's words.The refusal that had been on the tip of her tongue suddenly got stuck in her throat.“I…” Hera hesitated, feeling conflicted. Leaving Abel might not be such a bad idea. At least she would not have to live in constant fear.She was finally realizing how unpredictable his moods were. At first, she thought it did not matter as she could still look at other men. She just had to ensure there was no physical contact. In reality, even if she so much as glanced at someone, Abel's expression would darken with anger.It was frustrating. Now, the only person she was allowed to look at was Gerald. Still, what was the point of just looking at Gerald?At that thought, she lifted her gaze to Luca.Luca added, “I’ll give you five minutes. If you refuse treatment after that, I’ll take the medicine back to Mr. Shanks and won’t try to convince you again.”Hera's heart tightened. She did not even need five minutes. She had made her decision within 30 seconds.“I’
“If Abel finds out that Hera's body isn't suitable for organ donation to Kassy, what do you think he'll do?” asked Shanks.He already knew the answer, but he still wanted to hear Luca’s thoughts.“He has invested a lot of time and money in Hera. If he gets nothing out of it, he won’t let her off easily,” Luca said bluntly.Luca and Shanks were on the same page.They did not have a good relationship with Hera, but they had no intention of ruining her either.Hera’s personality was unpleasant, but that was not enough for them to hate her so much that they wanted to see her suffer.“What methods do you think he’ll use?” Shanks asked again.Luca was silent for a long moment.Shanks already knew the answer, yet he still wanted her to say it out loud.After thinking it over, she finally said, “There are plenty of ways he could go about it, but no matter what he chooses, Hera’s fate is sealed. She’s as good as dead…”She lowered her gaze, her tone firm and certain.Shanks nodded.
Hera heard that Luca had returned and immediately went to find Shanks. She narrowed her eyes.That woman went to see Shanks. Could she be talking about her?The thought made Hera uneasy. She had a nagging feeling that something was wrong with her medical report.However, when they left the medical center earlier, Abel asked Luca when the report would be ready, and she said it would be available tomorrow.Hera turned to Gerald and said, “Take these back for me first.”“Alright.” Gerald carried the bags as he walked away. He could not help but wonder what exactly Hera bought. These bags were really heavy!Only after Gerald went upstairs did Hera slowly make her way up as well. Her room was on the third floor, but she stopped when she reached the second floor. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching before heading toward the laboratory.The door was closed.Instead of knocking, Hera pressed her ear against it, trying to eavesdrop.However, the laboratory was special
“This cup of coffee is from that gentleman for this lady.” The waiter smiled as he explained, placing the cup in front of Luca.Hera followed the waiter’s gaze and immediately recognized the man Luca had been looking at earlier.Her eyes darkened. She had noticed the man glancing in their direction. However, she had assumed he was looking at her.After all, she was dressed seductively, had put on makeup, and was undeniably beautiful. Any man who saw her would be attracted. If a man’s eyes lingered on her, it was not surprising at all.Realizing that the man had been watching Luca the whole time instead of her, Hera suddenly felt annoyed.Luca noticed her displeasure, glanced at Gordan, then smiled and said to the waiter, “Please thank the gentleman for me.”“Of course, miss. Enjoy your coffee.” The waiter, sensing the tension between the two women, quickly grabbed his tray and left before Hera’s sour mood could affect him too.“Hmph, feeling proud of yourself?” asked Hera.Luca
Although Luca did not know the exact value of the clothes, she was certain that anything Luke had specially sent over would not be cheap.So, when she caught the sales associate’s skeptical glance, she felt a bit helpless but did not bother to explain. The truth would speak for itself. Besides, she had no intention of justifying herself to a sales associate.Hera, despite her love for luxury goods, did not actually know much about haute couture. So, when she noticed the sales associate still sizing up Luca, she immediately snapped, “What are you looking at?”“N-Nothing.” The sales associate quickly averted her gaze and turned her full attention to Hera, smiling brightly. “Our esteemed guest, what can I help you find today?”Hera thought for a moment before saying in a serious tone, “Show me your new handbags.”The sales associate’s eyes lit up when she heard this. Anyone who could afford so much designer clothing had to have deep pockets. This meant a solid commission for her!
The sales associate nodded and said, “Yes, we do. I’ve already placed them in the fitting room for you. Would you like some assistance?”Hera shook her head and pointed straight at Luca. “No, I want her to do it.”Luca shook her head helplessly. It seemed that Hera was determined to make her play the role of a sales associate today.Luca asked, “Ms. Sanchez, where’s Mr. Abel?”“What does that have to do with you?” Hera shot her a wary look. “Where he goes isn’t important. What matters is that you’re spending the day shopping with me. And if I’m not happy, be prepared to face his punishment.”Then, Hera strutted toward the fitting room like a proud peacock.Luca had no choice but to follow.Inside the fitting room, Hera closed the door behind them and commanded, “Help me unzip the back.”“Alright.” Luca lowered her gaze. Since they were both women and Hera clearly had no reservations, there was no reason for her to feel uncomfortable. She placed her hands on the zipper.Hera re
After Hera got into the car, Abel turned around. His piercing blue eyes locked onto Luca.“When will the test results be ready?” asked Abel. His primary concern was the results.Luca replied, “It won’t be that fast. She did quite a few tests, so it might take until tomorrow or the day after. But the hospital assured me that as soon as the results are in, they’ll give me a detailed report right away.”Abel looked a little unhappy. “Didn’t I tell you to choose the VIP package?”“Mr. Abel, even with the VIP package, the results won’t be immediate. Getting them by tomorrow is already considered fast,” explained Luca.Abel let out a cold snort.Just then, the car window rolled down.“Baby, I’m still upset.” Hera’s voice dripped with sweetness.Abel turned around, his previously cold expression instantly replaced with warmth and tenderness. “What will make you feel better?”Hera thought for a moment. “How about this? Let her follow me around today and carry my shopping bags. That mi