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
"OK. Leave it to me." Walter did not attempt to convince his friend again. Luke was stubborn, and he would not take back anything he said. After that, Walter took his briefcase and left the rooftop. At the same time, Jason was talking to someone over the phone. He nodded, grunted several times, gave the hospital's address, and hung up. He kept his phone, turned around, and saw Luke's horrifyingly sullen face. However, he walked over and said, "The DNA test results are ready, Mr. Crawford." Luke finished the cigarette and stubbed it out. "Pass it to me." Jason nodded, then went downstairs and waited for the authoritative DNA test report. He was not curious about the contents of the report. As Luke's personal assistant, he knew that he had to maintain his professionalism. That included knowing when to look away. If he was curious about everything, he would have been dead a long time ago. … Bianca opened her eyes after Luke and Jason left the ward. It was the first
"A charity foundation that provides financial and medical resources without asking anything in return? That's nothing but Bianca's horrible lie…" Marie chuckled sarcastically and shook her head. "Has anyone from the charity foundation contacted you while you were receiving treatment? Did anyone follow up on your condition? These foundations should have strict procedures. You've used a liver from them. Their people will be keeping a close eye on your condition until the day you die!" Marie's words seemed to make sense. Five years ago, whenever Bianca visited Kevin in the hospital, she did not stay there for too long, in case her father noticed something. She banked on the fact that her father was gravely ill and could not focus his attention on her. That was how she managed to deceive him. She also found a lot of excuses, which her father believed without any doubt. Now that Marie had divulged everything, Kevin must have been able to remember those memories from five years a
Luke pressed the glowing cigarette onto Marie's delicate, well-maintained cheek. In a shock, she immediately covered her face, her brows tightly knotted from the pain. She looked at the tall and mysterious man standing in front of her, and it was only some time later that she comprehended what he said… 'Is he standing up for Bianca? 'Did he mistake her for someone else?' "You're… you're the lunatic!" Jennifer did not recognize who Luke was, but from his appearance, she could tell that he was not a good person. Even if he bore ill will, he should not have hurt Marie. Even if he wanted to hurt Marie, he should have slapped or kicked her and not scorch her face with a cigarette. Jennifer had relied on her looks to get money from other men when she was Marie's age, but now, she had to rely on Marie. If Marie's face was ruined, then she would not be able to get money from men. Jennifer tried to struggle away from the security guards so that she could see if her daughter's fa
Forty minutes later, the car arrived at the office building. The black Bentley stopped in front of the entrance. Luke stepped out of the car with his leather shoes, and he held the DNA test report in his hand. No company employee would dare to make a fuss in front of their boss, especially by standing in front of their boss's way. However, Yvonne was about to do that. She was talking to the receptionists in the lobby. "My friend isn't someone bad. What mischief can we do if we go to the top floor? There are security cameras everywhere. Why can't we go there and hang around for ten minutes?" The receptionists might be lowly employees, but they had greeted their fair share of VIPs before. Of course, they had seen many individuals like Yvonne who displayed their intelligence, or the lack of it, the moment they opened their mouths. The receptionists knew that Yvonne wanted to bring her friend to the top floor so that she could show off. The top floor was the CEO's office. Eve
Everyone who had participated in the meeting was thoroughly exhausted, though Luke looked as though he was an emotionless robot. He strode energetically toward his office. "Daddy… mmm…" Rainie was the first to wake up when she heard her father's steady footsteps. She mumbled and rubbed her eyes. Luke nodded at the little girl and tried to smile at her, though his smile was more like a reluctant stretch of the corners of his mouth. Previously, his interactions as a father toward his children were more like formulaic obligations rather than gestures of intimacy. That was the first time that he showed some kindness to his children. Rainie was shocked when she looked at her dad. She thought that he looked better when he was crying. She planned to tell Miss Bea that Daddy was acting weirdly today, as though he was a cunning wolf who wanted to lure an innocent little rabbit into his den and snap its throat… Whoosh! Rainie hid behind the couch. Perhaps Daddy was not himself
Lucius was different.He did not care about getting close to anyone, whether man or woman. Even when Hera’s attempts to seduce him were blatantly obvious, he still remained unmoved and even showed signs of rejection.Gerald could not help but marvel at Luca’s sharp observations and incisive remarks. He could not help but clap his hands lightly, genuinely impressed.“Lucius truly is exceptional,” said Gerald.Luca came downstairs.When she took the last step off the stairs, the men in the living room immediately fell silent.They held their breath as they watched the woman in front of them. Her hair was straight, not like their boss' companion.The men's gazes grew intense.Luca’s expression darkened.Gerald stood beside her and said, “See, I told you—you’re like a piece of meat dropped into a pack of wolves. Be careful.”One of the men heard Gerald and asked unhappily, “Hey, kid, what are you saying? What wolves? We’re gentlemen. We’d never dream of doing anything inappropr
When Gerald heard this, his face fell. “Huh? Ms. Craw, you're not cooking anymore?”Luca said nothing. Luke had already left with the others. She turned her gaze back before walking inside.Gerald realized that Luca had only been cooking breakfast because of Lucius. The thought puzzled him. Had they taken a liking to each other from the very start? That did not seem right.In this fast-paced modern world, even if they had, using something as old-fashioned as cooking to win someone over did not add up.Still, the timing was too coincidental to ignore. Luca started cooking for everyone when Lucius arrived, and she stopped as soon as he left. That realization gave Gerald an eerie feeling.Thinking they might have known each other back on the island, it all suddenly made sense. Of course! They must have met before. How else could this all line up so perfectly?With that thought, Gerald quickly caught up with Luca. “Ms. Craw, my cooking is terrible. Why don’t you keep doing it?”
Kassy’s eye donor was Hera, the one Abel had brought over.Even though Hera’s eyes resembled Kassy’s, they did not meet the criteria for a transplant. However, Hera’s blood type matched Kassy’s exactly.Hence, Abel decided to use Hera’s eyes. His belief was that her eyes were specifically meant for Kassy.Shanks knew he would not be able to change Abel’s mind, so he did not try. Abel’s stubbornness was something even Kassy herself could not sway.Luca remained silent for a while, not saying anything further. She understood that using a cadaver was the best option as it would not harm anyone.However, the eyes Abel wanted for Kassy were not from a cadaver. He intended to take them from Hera.Luca certainly would not participate in such a surgery. It was too cruel.“What are you thinking?” Shanks suddenly asked.Luca shook her head. “I’m just thinking about the volunteer’s situation.”“You’re wondering if this solution will be marketed, aren’t you?” Shanks suddenly asked.L
“I’m still a bit worried. Let me take a look in your room and change the dressing while I’m at it.” Luca knew Luke would not want her to worry. Therefore, she needed to see for herself that everything was fine before she could feel at ease.“Alright.” Luke knew she was worried about him, so the two of them headed into the room.He took off his shirt, revealing the bandage wrapped around his torso.Luca could not help but chuckle at the sight. The wrapping was done by Gerald, and it was hilariously sloppy. It was haphazardly bound—overly tight in some places and entirely uneven. It looked like it was just meant to cover the wounds, with no thought for neatness.“Stop laughing.” Luke was clearly rendered speechless by Gerald’s lackluster bandaging skills as well.If it were not for the fact that it was difficult to bandage himself, he would never have let Gerald do it.“With it wrapped like this, how are you supposed to sleep at night?” Luca asked as she began unwrapping the ba
Abel chuckled. His voice was low and gravelly.“Hera, let’s agree on something. Don’t use threats of leaving to manipulate me anymore, or I won’t be happy,” said Abel in a low voice.What might have sounded like a plea or a compromise came across to Hera as a veiled threat.The cool sensation of his fingers brushed against her eyelids, and she could not help but shiver. His touch felt as cold as death itself. She could not feel a trace of warmth.Her hands clenched tightly together. The tension in her grip was the only thing keeping her from trembling further.“Alright,” Hera murmured obediently.Abel withdrew his hand. Hera opened her eyes. A strange unease stirred within her. For reasons she could not quite explain, Abel’s behavior filled her with an unsettling dread…“Will you stay at the hospital with me tonight?” Hera could not help but crave some semblance of comfort.Abel frowned slightly. “Stay here with you? And what about Luca?”“You could just send her home. I onl
Luca's expression was serious, and Hera realized she was not just trying to scare her. Ignoring her warnings had already caused her to suffer once.Unwillingly, Hera sipped on the cereal. Her resentment was evident in every movement.Luca noticed it was not difficult for her to handle. She quietly sat down and ate her own bowl of cereal.Hera did not have much of an appetite.Hera took a couple of bites before growing bored. She glanced at Luca and asked, “How did you end up working for Abel?”Luca did not respond. She calmly blew on her cereal and ate in silence, showing no intention of engaging in conversation.“I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” snapped Hera.Luca lifted her gaze briefly and replied, “You should finish your cereal before it gets cold.”“I’m not even hungry.” Hera really had no appetite and was not planning to eat the cereal.“It’s still better if you eat something. Otherwise, when hunger strikes later, don’t expect me to help you,” said Luca, “I’m only he
Luke had never taken the medicine that could speed up healing, so his recovery was nowhere near as fast as the others from the Island of Despair.Luca did not respond to Gerald’s comment. Her gaze fixed on him with intensity.“No stitches,” said Luke, “I trust you.”Luca bit her lower lip.“But if you don’t stitch it, it might tear open,” insisted Gerald, staring at Luke’s wounds.Luke glanced at his injuries and shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, as though the wounds had nothing to do with Luca.“Stitches will leave scars.”“Are you afraid of scars? What kind of man doesn’t have a few scars on him? Scars are a symbol of manhood,” teased Gerald with a playful tone, “Scars show you’re reliable, that you can protect a woman.”Luke gave him a look as though he were an idiot, then his gaze shifted to Luca. “I don’t want too many scars. I’m worried my future wife might dislike them.”Luca’s heart sank at his words, but his lighthearted remark eased her sadness. Despite the severity
Luca could not help but tremble with heartache. She fought hard to resist the urge to rush forward.Everyone in the room had survived brutal training to make it out of the Island of Despair, and they could not help but shudder when they saw the scene. The sound of the whip felt like it was landing on their own bodies.Gerald closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer. It was too cruel for him to watch.The ten lashes felt like an eternity, stretching on for what seemed like a century.Luca looked at the drenched clothes on Luke. His eyes were red, and his shirt was so soaked that you could wring out the blood from it. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that the veins were bulging.Abel tossed the whip aside, looking at Luke’s disheveled state with satisfaction. He enjoyed the thrill of this bloody scene.He turned to Luca, noticing her reddened eyes, and smiled even more devilishly. “Hera is in the hospital now. You’ll go take care of her for the next few da
Luca instantly understood the situation. It was about Hera.Hera was someone Abel valued, possibly as a future corneal donor for Kassy. While Abel might not love Hera now, he certainly took her health seriously.In a calm tone, Luca explained, “She was hospitalized due to inflammation that caused a fever.”Abel furiously flung his half-smoked cigar at her. The glowing embers singed her clothes, leaving a small burn mark.She instinctively stepped aside.Abel roared, “What kind of care is this?! I told you to look after her! Is this how you handle things?”Luca was perplexed. When did he ever tell her to look after Hera?Besides, she did take care of her.”When Ms. Sanchez fainted last night, she already had a low-grade fever. I diagnosed her condition as inflammation and prescribed anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing medication. I also emphasized that she needed to take oral anti-inflammatory drugs. She didn’t trust me and threw out Mr. Shanks’ medication, which led to her con