In Kevin Rayne's house. Jennifer came back from a session of bridge. She went to Marie's room to check on her and found that her daughter was huddled under her blanket. "What's wrong with you? Haven't you slept enough?" Jennifer flipped over the blanket and asked Marie. Marie turned around and frowned. "Go away! Don't come into my room!" "Are you sick? Did you catch a cold?" Jennifer saw that her daughter looked miserable. She touched Marie's forehead. Indeed, Marie was having a cold and a fever. She almost made out with Xavier in the room above his bar. Xavier had already taken off her clothes, but his interest was dashed after realizing that he had mistaken her for the wrong person. She was even forcefully shoved out of the room. The late fall weather was cold, and that was how she got a fever. Early in the morning, Marie had called in sick to Leia's agent. Marie's mind was not occupied with Leia Norman, but with Bianca Rayne… Marie's head was spinning after sleep
An eye-catching puddle of blackness could be seen in the middle of the study floor that was covered by lightly-colored tiles. It was obvious to the naked eye that the lingerie was designed to tease and excite. Bianca, still blushing, picked up the lingerie in her hands and hastily left Luke's study. She went into the bathroom, closed the door, and looked at the things she was holding in her hands. All the pieces did not use much cloth. She could hold everything in one hand… That was too embarrassing! She took out her phone and messaged Wanda. The lingerie was exactly the same designs as those her aunt picked out for her in the store! How did that end up in Luke's hands? Soon, Wanda sent a reply. [That's right, I paid for the lingerie and had it delivered to you. What else could I do? You didn't want it when I gave it to you at the store…] [I really don't need the lingerie, Aunt Wanda. Can you return it?] Bianca did not know how to explain her grievances. Everyone
"Ah! Let go of me!" Before Bianca could reach, Luke had lifted her off her feet and dashed into the cramped room… She looked at Luke's face while her hands wailed at his solid chest under his shirt. She did not want to be captivated by the man's mature charisma. She gulped and said apprehensively, "What… do you intend to do?" Not only were the two people not married and so it was inappropriate for them to make out, but she also could not stand making out so frequently. In the small town, Bianca lost count of the number of times the man had asked it from her. After they made out, she felt groggy and lethargic. She could not focus on her work. That also happened five years ago, when she was with her benefactor. She thought that she did not have to wait for the DNA test results. From how relentless and eager Luke's sexual habits were, she was almost sure that the benefactor five years ago was him. She felt that it was unfair that he did not seem to suffer any consequences
Bianca had just ended the call with Nina. She hugged her legs close to her and tried to hug them under the oversized sweater. She did not want to meet his gaze and expose her weak point. However, she did not look any better by shying away. Their bodies might have bonded many times, but Bianca could never bring herself to look at him directly in the eye. Even when fully-clothed, his body aroused sinful thoughts in her mind… Those long and masculine legs alone carried deadly appeal. Luke lowered his head and looked at her with a gentle gaze. Seeing that she did not speak, he stroked her hair and asked her, "You don't feel like leaving? I didn't bring my pajamas. How about if we sleep here together. I haven't had enough earlier anyway." The man's lips pressed on her hair and slowly moved down to her brows. Then, his moist tongue extended toward her blushing cheeks… Bianca had to admit that she was still feeling the remnants of excitement from earlier. Now that he was kissing
When the two adults arrived at the apartment, Bianca went to the children's rooms to check on them. Lanie and Rainie were sleeping soundly, though the boy kicked away his blanket as usual. Bianca took the blanket on the floor and carefully tucked him in. The children's beds could not fit another adult. Bianca had no choice but to sleep together with Luke. When she lay on the bed and was about to fall asleep, Luke was still busy working in the study. Bianca had heard from Jason that Luke would usually lose track of time whenever he got busy. Sometimes, the boss would even neglect his health. With the development project going underway in the small town, he became busier. The boss had to handle stacks of work every day. Looking at how he exerted himself at work and on the bed, he was really neglecting his health… … The next morning. Marie's fever finally subsided. "Are you done yet, Mom?" Marie stood at the entrance anxiously with a handbag slung over her shoulder.
Kevin wanted to say something. He lifted a trembling finger and pointed it at Marie. Jennifer turned around to look. She saw that her daughter was glaring defiantly at Kevin with an unpleasant expression on her face. Kevin's mouth was slightly open, and he was gasping for air. However, there was no way an agitated late-stage lung cancer patient was going to catch their breath… "Stop talking, Marie. Get out of the room!" Jennifer rushed up, grabbed Marie's shoulders, and pushed her toward the door. While her back was facing Kevin, she winked at Marie and whispered into her ear. "Let Mom handle this. You'll get what you want." "You can't handle it!" Marie glared at her and shouted. She shoved her mother away once more. Marie felt that her mother was being nothing but a burden. She stepped up next to the bed again, towered over the pathetically frail Kevin, and grinned mockingly. "You've been staying in the hospital for a long time, Uncle Kevin. Perhaps you don't know many thing
At the hospital. Kevin was undergoing emergency surgery. The operating theater light remained lit. Jason rushed to the apartment and sent Lanie and Ranie to school. Luke postponed an important meeting in the morning and went with Bianca to the hospital. Kevin had lung cancer and not some minor illness. Families of cancer patients lived in the worry that the patient's condition might suddenly worsen and leave them behind. Bianca had experienced the pain and agony of waiting in front of the operating theater five years ago. She was not unfamiliar with that sensation. However, her worries had been alleviated recently, thanks to her being busy at work, and to reconnecting with Lanie and Rainie. She had a hunch that her father would soon recover. Every time at the hospital, the doctors and specialists would tell her, "Mr. Rayne's condition is stable. It's a good sign. Don't worry." She had believed their words… Just last afternoon, the doctor had said, "Mr. Rayne's condi
It was considered normal for someone suffering from hypoglycemia to pass out from extreme sorrow. As far as Jason knew, hypoglycemia was not a serious disease anyway. When he heard from his boss that Bianca had passed out, instead of asking his boss to talk in the corridor, he told his boss in the ward what he had found out about the situation earlier. "Before Mr. Rayne's condition took a turn for the worse, his wife brought his daughter to visit him…" Jason observed his boss's expression as he spoke. Luke turned to look at him with surprise. "His wife and daughter visited him?" "Yes. His wife is Jennifer Lee, and his daughter is Marie Rayne. Mr. Rayne and his daughter share the same surname, but she is not his birth daughter. Jennifer had given birth to her ex-boyfriend's child when she married Mr. Rayne," Jason explained. "Why are they here?" Luke frowned hard. He believed that the matter was not as simple as one might think. Jason reported truthfully, "Mdm. Jennifer
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
“Don’t worry, it won’t affect you in the slightest,” said Abel.The villa was bought under Shanks’ name.So while it appeared to be the Island of Despair’s property, it was, in fact, Shanks’ personal asset.Abel shot a glance at his subordinates, who stood beside him. Without hesitation, they grabbed the doctor and hauled him away.As Hera watched the scene unfold, she felt a sudden pang of unease. She was well aware of Abel's methods. Punishment was never off the table. However, seeing the way things were unfolding, Hera could not shake the feeling that Abel might actually take the doctor’s life.Still, they were in A City, a country with strict laws. Would Abel really go that far?As Abel turned to leave, Hera said almost nervously, “Darling…”“I have some matters to take care of. Be good and stay here. Don’t wander around, okay?” Abel’s mood was apparently lifted by the successful surgery. His voice was unexpectedly gentle.Hera’s unease only deepened. She grabbed the slee
All three of them stepped out of the vehicle.Hera realized that the surgery might already be over and could not wait to hear the results.Abel, equally eager, immediately asked as soon as he saw them, “Is the surgery finished?”“Yes, the surgery was successful. The transplant was completed, and all the nerves we could connect have been repaired. Now, it’s up to the follow-up treatment,” answered Shanks.The doctor who had been kicked out earlier stared in disbelief.They actually succeeded in the transplant? How was that even possible?“Great, fantastic!” Abel let out a sigh of relief before bursting into laughter.What had seemed impossible in modern medicine had achieved a different outcome in Shanks’ hands.Unlike others who might celebrate the medical breakthrough, Abel’s joy came from a more personal place—Kassy would soon return to his side. His delight was unmistakable.“T-This can’t be!” muttered the dismissed doctor, who was still in shock. “A surgery this revoluti
After returning to her room, Luca told Luke about the surgery that day.She explained that she had not been able to participate in the operation and was uncertain if Abel would prevent her from being involved in the future. If she was not allowed to take part, she might lose her excuse to stay here. Also, she would not be able to help with what was to come.Luke replied to her message quickly, assuring her that everything was already planned out and she did not need to worry.Luca frowned slightly as she read his message. She wanted to ask about his plan but hesitated for a moment and decided against it. Knowing too much about Luke's men might backfire.Luca deleted their chat history but soon received another message from him.He told her that T Corporation had successfully won the bid and that he had already found someone to replace Lucius’ role.Luca let out a sigh of relief. Finding a replacement for Lucius meant that he was out of danger for now. The worry that had been we
However, Abel was not fooled by her words.He asked again, “Who are you looking for?”“Oh, I'm looking for Gerald. I've noticed that most people are here, but Gerald is missing, so I was just curious,” Hera replied honestly, knowing that Abel was naturally suspicious.“I’m starting to feel like you’ve become quite close with Gerald recently,” Abel asked suspiciously.Hera froze for a moment, then laughed and explained, “I often ask him to help with little things. He might not have many qualities, but he’s pretty diligent.”Abel did not respond right away, as though he was considering her words carefully.Hera lowered her voice and teased, “What's the matter? Are you jealous?”Before he could answer, she quickly added, “You’re so outstanding. How could I ever be interested in some ordinary man?”As soon as she said that, a flicker of unease crossed her mind.Abel was far superior to Lucius in looks and wealth. However, she seemed to be more drawn to Lucius.Despite her actions
For Shanks, no matter how skilled the two ophthalmologists were, they could not compare to Luca. The key was their smooth coordination. They were used to working together. If it were other doctors, they would probably start asking questions once they entered the operating room, making it impossible for Shanks to focus and perform the surgery calmly.Shanks believed this was a groundbreaking procedure, not just another teaching surgery for ophthalmologists.Abel understood Shanks’ concerns, but he still insisted, “They’re not just any doctors. They’ve signed agreements, and they won’t interrupt you with questions during the surgery. They’ll cooperate fully.”As Luca listened to Abel, she realized what he was really worried about. Besides the risk of the surgery failing, he was not confident in her.This surgery was important, and Abel was worried she might sabotage it in the operating room.Shanks furrowed his brows and looked at Luca.Luca gave him a faint smile. Whether or not
As Gerald shook his head furiously, it was not difficult for Luca to figure out what was going on.She glanced at Hera's irritation and figured it all stemmed from Luke being reassigned. Not being able to see him was clearly driving her to act like this.Luca secretly let out a sigh. They said women were the cause of trouble, but honestly, men could just be the same.Even with Luke disguised as an ordinary man, his cold and commanding air still captivated Hera.She glanced at the bowl nearby. The food Gerald brought Hera was barely touched.It seemed like she was so consumed with thoughts of Luke that she had lost her appetite...Luca’s expression remained unchanged. She was long accustomed to keeping her emotions in check around others.“Ms. Sanchez, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not close with Mr. Lucius, so I don’t have his contact information.” Luca kept her face impassive.“You’re lying!” Hera narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You’re so close to him. How could you not have it?”
As soon as Luca returned to her bedroom after dinner, she received a video call request from the kids.It had been a long time since she last saw them. When she saw the call request, she locked the door, put on her headphones, and immediately answered.“Ms. Luca!” As soon as the call connected, the faces of all three kids appeared on the phone screen.“Sweethearts!” Luca blew them a kiss.“Ms. Luca, we miss you so much!” Tommy was the first to express how much they missed Luca.Luca's heart stirred with waves of longing when she heard them. She had been so busy recently, hoping to finish everything here quickly so that she and Luke could reunite with the kids. That was why she had not contacted them much.Plus, with Old Master Crawford taking care of them, she felt at ease.Now that Luca saw the faces of the three kids, her longing for them instantly surged and overwhelmed her.Her eyes reddened. “I miss you all so much too.”Rainie, always the thoughtful one, noticed her em