Percy knew that Pierre would no longer be able to sustain his company if his cash flow was removed.Luke's gaze deepened. He knew that Pierre was not as capable as Percy when it came to managing a company."Where did his money come from?" He was aware of Pierre's companyโs current situation, so he wondered where Pierre got so much money to acquire the shares."There are many in the Mallory family who are helping him right now," Percy said in a calm tone. "Old Master Mallory, as well as my mother and father, are probably providing him with funds to buy the shares."The entire Mallory family was supporting Pierre because of the choice that Percy made.On top of some relatives of his, Old Master Mallory, Madam Mallory, and the others were silently providing funds to Pierre.They could not take the company back from Percy and hand it over to Pierre. It would cause a lot of public opinion and would be detrimental to the company's development.As such, they supported Pierre and wanted
"Itโs not that easy to find out more about the situation. Our best entry point is Pierre," Luke said. However, Pierre wanted nothing to do with him.He would not tell him anything about the Island of Despair."I can't help in this matter although he's my younger brother," Percy said helplessly.Pierre's whereabouts were erratic. Percy had not paid attention to the people he knew and what he was doing. After all, Pierre's rebelliousness was not obvious at that time."He's your brother but even you don't know. It's making it more difficult for me to investigate," Luke said.All he knew now was that Luca was being controlled by someone from the Island of Despair.However, he had no idea where the base of the Island of Despair was.The fake Bianca did not leave any useful clues before she died from the poison. The earth was huge. He was not sure where to even start. "Don't worry. At least Luca is by your side now. Thereโs still time." Percy did not know what to say, so he could on
โAlright, one moment, please.โ The waiter who brought in the wine went back out to prepare the A-meals and snacks. Meanwhile, the floor manager was at a loss on how to salvage the situation with a long face.What else could he do if Percy refused to have any of the food and beverages he served?It was not like he could vacate the room for them by chasing Percy out while he was in the middle of drinking.The waiter served all the food Percy wanted in swift motions.โAlright, you can all go out now.โ Percy made a gesture, indicating that their service was no longer needed here.โMr. Mallory.โ The floor manager had something to say.โGet out,โ Percy ordered once again with an annoyed expression.The floor manager had no choice but to follow the waiter out of the private room.Jason frowned at the sight of the amount of alcohol. โMr. Mallory, will you be able to finish this much wine?โโWho said anything about finishing everything? Iโll open one bottle at a time, and Iโll just b
โMr. Holston, youโre quite observant,โ Jason mocked him before the other two said anything.โI was just looking out for Mr. Mallory by spying on them,โ Jim said joyfully.โYou could recognize a thousand-dollar watch? Has your taste in fashion downgraded after getting married?โ Percy seized the opportunity and dealt him a mighty blow to get revenge on him for making fun of Nina for not being able to cook.Even if Nina did not know how to cook, she was still the best. They could just leave the cooking to the maid. As long as she stayed by his side, that would be way better than mastering any skill.โThe year is ending soon, so I did my research because of employee benefits.โ Jim noticed his uninterested expression and asked, โAre you really not going over there to take a look?โโAfter what happened between him and Pierre, thereโs no way he would go over there.โ Luke picked up his wine glass and slowly swirled it unlike the other two who downed theirs.Percy took a sip of wine and r
โIf itโs not an internal decision, our chances of winning will be greater if we work together with the bidding. We have to secure the bid this time,โ said Jim after analyzing the situation.โWhen the detailed announcement is out, we need to have a meeting to discuss it, and if there are no problems, the company will start working on the bidding document.โ Luke took a sip of wine.Once the three of their companies joined forces, got their quotations, and T Corporation put together a proposal, the other participating companies would not stand a chance against them, whether it be in terms of price or quality of the project.Moreover, the other companies would have greater competition in finding partnering companies after the three of them joined forces.โSure.โ Jim nodded as Luke would always come to him when his company needed entertainment for his development projects.Vice versa, when he needed construction for his entertainment projects, he would also go to Lukeโs company to cond
She had sold that house a long time ago, but the money was squandered before she was even put in jail.Hence, she had no money left at all.โYou donโt have money? Then shut up!โ Jean bent down with a sinister look on his face and slapped Marieโs face a few times with the cash in his hands. โIn my house, Iโm in charge. If you donโt have money, just shut the f*ck up!โHis breath reeked of alcohol, and Marie looked at him full of hatred.โWhatโs with that look? Just looking at you makes me lose my appetite! If you donโt want to live here, get out. With that run-down body of yours, no one will take pity on you and give you a place to live!โ Jean showed no mercy as he pinched her chin forcefully.Instantly, Marieโs face was bruised by the pinch.โIt hurts!โ She was in so much pain that her tears started overflowing.Jean grunted and let go. He was put in a good mood again upon seeing the cash in his hand.โIf you still want to live here, be more honest with me. For old timesโ sake,
Jean did not like coming to the hospital because of the germs.If there was money in her card, it would be more convenient for her to give money to Jean.โI donโt even have money for a taxi right now. Do you want me to walk to the hospital?โ said Jean. Previously, when he ran out of money, he even sold his motorcycle.Now, he did not even have a way of getting around.โSo what can you do? You canโt starve either. How about this? Iโll go ask that stupid girl for some money. Give me a moment,โ said Anna.โOkay, Iโll be waiting to hear from you.โ Jean hung up after that.Nina might not care if he were dead or alive, but there was no way she would ignore Anna.In the mansion.Nina was getting ready to go to work when she received a call from Anna.Nothing good came from Annaโs calls, so Nina sat in the car with a slight headache. She waited for the phone to ring several times before she answered it.โYes?โโAdd a few hundred dollars to my card. I need to use it,โ Anna asked her
Besides, their home was as messy as a doghouse. Anna was not a fool. She knew that the hospital had a better environment than her home.Plus, she did not have to worry about food or clothing in the hospital. No matter how unhappy Nina was, she still had to pay.Jean could not help but fret. Not only did he not get any money, but he even got nagged at by Anna. Then, he said, โI donโt know how she saw meโโโSo, you do have money?โ Anna interrupted him. She always thought that Jean did not have much money, so he could not take care of her.However, he had the money right now. Not only did he not spend a single penny on her, he still asked her for money, which made Anna extremely unhappy.โI had money last night, but the money is all gone now. Mom, I donโt have money!โ Jean said as he switched his phone to a different hand. When he saw his empty wrist, his rage started burning again.โHow did you lose all the money in one night? Did you gamble it away? Or did you spend it on a woman?
โAs long as he stays out of your sight, I wonโt make a move,โ said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Lukeโs 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.โAlright, Ray. Just let it go. Iโve moved on and started a new life. Plus, Iโm studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, weโll just be strangers. Thereโs no need to step in for me or act impulsively.โ Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.โIs it the clothes delivery?โ asked Ray.โNo, 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,โ Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.โMiss, is the boss alright?โ asked one of Rayโs subordinates.โHeโs fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, โCan you walk me through your plan?โโThe prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. Iโve 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 facilityโs underground pipes donโt 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.โThis whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why Iโm confident itโll work.โ As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. โHereโs 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 Abelโs people.โAbelโs 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 Gordanโs current behavior quite intriguing.โLuke, whatโs with that look?โ Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.โYou seem pretty concerned about Vivian,โ Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. โWhat? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, donโt say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.โLuke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. โWhy are you here?โโSpeaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.โ Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. โMan, Ray really didnโt hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.โLuke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. โUnlock it.โโAll set, boss.โ 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.Gordanโs furious curses rang out. โDamn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?โAnother 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.โEnough!โ shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.โVivian, stay out of this. Iโm beating him to a pulp today,โ growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.โRay, I donโt want to see him,โ 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.โFine. If you donโt want to see him, Iโll 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.โRay, this apple is really good. Want to try one?โ asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. โYou go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?โVivian nodded. โI only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.โRay walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.โYou didn't bring any food with you?โ asked Ray.โI havenโt 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.โ Vivianโs tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.โThat's true.โ Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. โAlright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, weโll still need your help.โโFor toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Donโt worry, if I can help, I definitely will,โ Luca assured him.โAlright, thank you.โ Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, โIf Vivian was really poisoned, donโt 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 didnโt take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If itโs something she can fix, sheโll do everything she can.โBesides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?โโYes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. โMs. Sanchez, what's wrong?โHe 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. โI thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And youโre acting all deferential to her over this?โGerald was rendered speechless. โI knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand Iโm used to. Maybe itโs not expensive to you, but for me, itโs what I can afford.โRealizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. โStill, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?โโItโs not about the money,โ replied Gerald. โIt'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.โHe was ba
Lucaโs lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Lukeโs 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.โฆThe two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, โHello, Mr. Crawford.โโVivian, donโt worry. Everything will get better,โ replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Lucaโs 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, โVivian, theyโre your friends. You donโt have to act this way around them. They wonโt judge you.โโI know they wonโtโฆโ Vivian let out a soft sigh. โI just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didnโt want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But itโ
โI once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivianโs. 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.โCould it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.โโIf she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?โ asked Ray.Luca shook her head.โThe poison Iโve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victimโs skin dark. I donโt 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 canโt be sure whatโs really causing Vivianโs condition.โIs her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a