When she returned to the office, there was only half an hour left before it was time to get off work.Luca called for a quick meeting to make rough arrangements for the next step.Half an hour later, the meeting ended.She received a message from Tommy after returning to the office.[Ms. Luca, our teacher said we’re on holiday now. When will you be on holiday?]Luca was surprised when she saw the message as the kids’ winter break had started early this year.When she was still Bianca, she would go home as early as possible to spend time with her children even if she had work.She would occasionally bring them along with her too and let them play in the office. That way, it would be easier for the nanny at home as she would not have to do house chores while taking care of the children.Now…Luca could not take the children with her, and her leave from work was not until next week.She replied: [I have to wait until next week for my holiday. You have to listen to Aunt Neile whi
“Well, there’ll be more work and business at the end of the year,” said Luca as her heart ached when she found out that he was busy.He was busy for the sake of the Crawford family, yet she could not do anything to help.Right now, she could only take care of the children for him…Aunt Neile picked up a piece of beef and cut it while asking, “By the way, what kind of New Year’s goods did Old Master Crawford bring?”“Some decorations and ornaments,” Luca answered.“The New Year’s atmosphere is very important to Old Master Crawford. When I used to work in Crawford Manor, I would clean the house inside out and decorate it with festive lights, ornaments, and more. Old Master Crawford would also have us prepare a huge feast on the first two days of the new year. The must-have dishes were essential. Otherwise, he would be mad,” Aunt Neil said smilingly.“Really? I haven’t spent New Year’s in the country for some time,” said Luca as she did not expect to have this opportunity.“By the
Luca wanted to let the kids relax for a bit and not rush to finish their homework.However, she thought that she might kill their motivation to do homework and perhaps become lazy in the future, so she let them go upstairs and do their homework.The kids did not need her to stick with them to guide them, so she went into her study and continued her research.The antidote she was researching was almost ready, and when she was free during the new year, she would be able to analyze all the ingredients and do the rationing.Time passed quickly when she was busy. The timed alarm on her phone rang, and only then did she realize that it was half-past ten.After standing up and stretching, she quickly left the study.Luca first walked up to Luke’s bedroom to take a look. He had not come back yet.It seemed like he was still working at T Corporation.She then walked to each of the kids’ bedrooms and gently pushed the door open. After seeing that they were all in bed, she returned to her
On the other hand.In Percy’s mansion.Percy held Nina’s hand and went to the cloakroom.“What are you doing bringing me to the cloakroom in the middle of the night?” Nina looked at him smilingly with a tender look in her eyes.“To pick out clothes for you,” said Percy as he opened the closet.Nina noticed that there were many new clothes inside, so she asked in surprise, “Did you buy these for me?”“Yes, these clothes are suitable for more special occasions, so I had someone send a few pieces over. Have a look and see which one you like?” Percy said. He understood Nina’s style. If she was not working, she would wear more casual and comfortable clothing.However, those clothes were not suitable for a dinner party.“What special occasion…” Nina looked through the clothes. The clothes he filled the closet with were festive and seemed like they were for more formal occasions.“A birthday party,” said Percy as he picked a pink one and held it in front of Nina.The pink color made
Zoey put down the work at hand and asked, “How long?”“I probably won’t be back today,” Luca said. Aunt Neile did not explain to her clearly, so she did not know what was going on at home too.“Okay, I’ll apply for leave for you, don’t worry,” said Zoey as she flipped open the leave of absence form.Luca nodded and went downstairsWhen she got to the parking lot, Warren was waiting in the car.Luca opened the door herself without waiting for him to open it. The car was already warm, which seemed to show that he had not just arrived.“Ms. Craw, are you going back home?” Warren asked.“Yes, how did you know?” Luca was surprised.Warren drove away without saying anything.Luca did not continue asking either.Warren drove Luca back to the villa.She quickly walked into the house and was shocked to see the people sitting in the living room. She subconsciously looked for someone to ask what was going on.“Aunt Neile, this is…” Luca saw the makeup kit on the coffee table and could
The dress was stunning, and Luca thought she looked beautiful in it as well.The stylist always had a keen eye for things like this. While she found the dress fine, she believed that the dress did not truly accentuate Luca’s curves. Even as a woman, the stylist had to admit that Luca had a fantastic body.Seeing how Luca had yet to come out, the stylist walked over to the bathroom door and asked, “Have you finished changing yet, Ms. Luca?” “I have, but something about the dress feels weird…” Luca replied. “Weird? Is the dress too big? We can have it tailored to fit your figure.” The stylist thought that the dress was too big for Luca, considering how skinny Luca was. “It’s not that…” Luca opened the door.The stylist’s gaze brightened. “It looks so good! This dress was made for you!” “It’s too form-fitting for me,” Luca replied. Sure, the dress was fitting, but it clung to her curves too much.She had a bad history with clothes like this. The last time she wore something
After taking down the hairdo, Luca took the curler and carefully curled Rainie’s hair.Rainie’s hair was long but thin, so it did not take long before Luca was done curling. She let go of the lock of hair in her hand and reached for a hairpin to clip Rainie’s hair in place.“What do you think?” Luca asked. Rainie looked at the mirror and saw how gentle Luca was with her. She felt doted on by her mother and nodded with a smile. “It’s so pretty, Ms. Luca. You have very skilled hands.” “You’re just very pretty, Rainie,” Luca replied. “No, no, it’s thanks to you, Ms. Luca.” Rainie was overjoyed when she saw herself in the mirror. Luca looked at herself and Rainie in the mirror. She could not stop herself from putting her hand on Rainie’s shoulder gently. She did Rainie’s hair all the time when her daughter was still young. Then, she was abducted to the Island of Despair. Her children grew up while she was away. Now that she had returned, her children no longer needed her help t
Luca returned to her bedroom. She sat down and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Luke had pretty much smudged her lipstick, and her lips were slightly puffy. Her eyes were dazed too as if she was hinting at something. She looked like she had just slept with someone. It was only a kiss, yet she had lost herself in it. Luca did not dare to entertain that thought further and picked up the lipstick left for her by the stylist. She put it on. Her newly drawn lips covered some of the puffiness. She looked at herself through the mirror. After ensuring that she had covered all traces of what had happened in Luke’s bedroom, she grabbed her purse and threw on a jacket before leaving the bedroom. Luke had already changed and was waiting for her outside the door. Luca tightened her grip on her purse. She felt her body grow hot when she saw him, and the heat crept up her cheeks, flushing them enchantingly in a way makeup blush could not replicate. The adoration in Luke’s eyes
“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