Half an hour later, Susan had already made her selections for which photos she wanted to refine. Excluding the family photo, every other photo was of herself. The photographer could not help but complain internally. He had taken photos of so many guests and business big shots, yet Susan only chose the photos she was in. After her selection, the photographer kept his computer and stood up. “Madam Crawford, now that the photos have already been selected, I should be able to finish editing and refining them within a week. We can decide on a date then for you to come and take a look at the photos. I’ll further refine them if need be.” “Alright. There’s no rush. Just make sure that the photos look great in the end,” Susan replied. “Of course. I’ll make sure to further heighten your looks.” The photographer knew what Susan wanted to hear, so he promised her as he walked down the stairs. “That will be best.” Susan was very pleased with his business attitude and stood to walk him d
Shanks did not say anything more.After all, he would fulfill whatever he had promised Abel. Shanks looked at the microscope on the table that was not far away from him after Abel left. That was the microscope Luca used to do her research. Ever since she left the Island of Despair, the microscope had never been used again. The dust had begun to settle on it. His words just now made it seem like it was only for the sake of his experiment, but he was also giving Luca a chance.Shanks had been to A City before. The people there took New Year’s seriously. They thought it was an important day to reunite with their family members. All the students who went to study abroad and those who were working elsewhere would return to their hometowns and celebrate New Year’s with their families.It was probably Luca’s last chance to celebrate New Year’s with that man.In that photo just now, Luca looked so happy when she was looking at Luke. Shanks looked at the microscope. He could still r
Luke saved the photos and said in a calm voice, “You talked too much today.” “When do I not?” Louis said, “I’ve always been chattering away while following behind you since I was young. You should’ve gotten used to it, right?” Luke was already Louis’ brother when he was born. Although Susan had always told Louis that Luke was his enemy, it did not affect his admiration for Luke. Louis loved following behind Luke since he was young. He was naughty and playful too. Thus, he did not learn much from Luke and his strengths. “That’s true. You’re as talkative as an old woman. Oh, give me the photographer’s contact details. I’d like to print some photos too,” answered Luke. “Nonsense. Don’t you ruin my tall and masculine image,” Louis laughed jokingly. Then, he gave the photographer’s contact number to Luke. Louis glanced at the time, then he rose to his feet and said, “Brother, I’ve sent you his contact number. I shouldn’t be bothering you anymore. I’m leaving now.”“Stay for a w
Zoey gave a snort of laughter and said nothing more.Luca’s office.After Luca watched Luke fill up her plate for her, she took it from him and thanked him, “Thank you.”“My pleasure,” replied Luke. He was not in a hurry to have lunch. Instead, he picked up his phone and sent their photos to Luca. “I’ve attached three photos in the message and sent it to you. Take a look at them.”Luca put down her plate, picked up her phone, and saw the message. The photos of Luke and her came into sight. Luca looked at him with surprise and said, “The photos…”"They were taken by the photographer last night," replied Luke, "Louis thought they looked good, so he sent them to me."“They do,” Luca gently touched the photos on her phone screen as though she was caressing the people in the photos. The photos were just of the two of them. They were candid shots…Their truest moments were captured in every photo. One of the photos was taken from behind them. Luca could see that her silhouet
Luca smiled and said in a soft voice, “It was you who moved on. There’s no need to thank me.”“No, I still have to thank you because I’ll need your help after this. I have no friends in A City. So, there are many things that I might need to trouble you and Mr. Crawford with,” replied Vivian. She had already told Ray to keep it low-key about her going there to further her studies this time.Vivian did not want her classmates to know that her family donated the library. Also, she did not want a bodyguard to follow her around as it would make her classmates find out about her family background.Ray disagreed with her at first, and he insisted on keeping a few bodyguards beside her. Then, he would also arrange for two maids to take care of her there.It took a lot of effort for Vivian to convince him.The reason why she wanted to go to A City was to experience life in a place without her family's influence. She wanted to start a new life in a new country. Besides, Luke was staying i
Tommy picked up the buffalo wings and took a bite. Then, he made a thumbs-up gesture and complimented, "Yummy."“Have some more if they taste good,” Luca helped Tommy with another one. Then, she saw Luke pick up his cutleries, but he had yet to help himself with the food. She said, “Mr. Crawford, try some?”“Sure.” Luke had never been interested in the kids’ favorite dishes, but since Luca was the one who cooked them…Luke lifted his fork and helped himself with one buffalo wing. Then, he placed it on his plate and slowly tasted it.Luca looked away and helped herself with a piece of fish filet. She slowly took a bite and began eating. She ate and said at the same time, “I’m going to the hospital later.”“Leia?” Luke immediately got it right.“Yes. I’m going to be busy for the next few days, so I’d like to see if I can prescribe medicine for her while I have the time to do so today,” replied Luca.“Let me send you there.” Luke offered her a ride.Luca turned to look at him and
Luca thought of putting up with Leia and letting her say anything she wanted. However, she could no longer stand it.Luca put the medical records back to where they were. She stared at Leia with a cold expression on her face, “Ms. Norman, I came late, but I didn’t expect the car would break down while I was on my way here. If you think I’m wasting your time, I shall leave.” Queenie frowned. She quickly grabbed Luca’s hand and said, “Luca, don’t mind her. Leia has a bad temper…”Luca turned to glance at Queenie, then looked at Leia again. What she said just now managed to shut Leia’s mouth, but Leia was unconvinced. She turned her face away, refusing to look at Luca. “I think Ms. Norman is doing well. Just follow the hospital’s instructions for the post-op procedures. Mrs. Norman, I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do to help her. Even if I can, she has a problem with me. If I were to prescribe medicine for her, she’ll secretly throw the medicine away just like she did the last
Matysh looked at Leia with confusion, refusing to believe what she said. Could someone who could not even stop themselves from being mean to Luca be able to help him?Mandy had been staying by Matysh’s side for some time now, and she knew Matysh did not trust Leia. Mandy was the one who recommended Leia to carry out the mission, so she said, “Mr. Matysh, if Leia says she can do it, she’ll certainly succeed. I believe in her.”Matysh stared at Mandy for a few seconds and shifted his gaze back to his phone. At last, he nodded and said, "Fine. I'll trust you this time.""Don't worry. I won't take your money if I fail. You have nothing to lose either. Enjoy your holiday in the villa," replied Leia. The hatred she felt for Luca in her heart was getting stronger. It was like a rising yeasted dough in a high-temperature oven.Leia put her phone aside after she ended the video call. Her eyes darkened like a deep bottomless hole. On the other hand.Luca had already dealt with her emo
“'ll contact someone in A City to investigate,” said Gale.“Let Percy know while you're at it,” added Luke. “He needs to be aware of this.”“Got it.” Gale hurried off to handle the matter.…After taking Gale's call, Percy hung up and stared icily at the middle-aged man standing before him.Under Percy's chilling gaze, the man nervously dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.“Mr. Mallory, my sincerest apologies…” The man, the director of the psychiatric hospital, had come to personally apologize to Percy today.Karen had escaped.Two days ago, Percy admitted Karen to the psychiatric hospital. After an evaluation, the doctors determined her condition warranted hospitalization, so she was admitted.Even though Karen was against it, given her mental state and with the consent of an immediate family member, the hospital was legally authorized to proceed.Percy had even informed the hospital to take special care of Karen. He had explicitly instructed them not to
When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened slightly.Luca mumbled, feeling the warmth beside her. She instinctively curled closer. “What time is it?”“It's a little past five.” Luke gently rubbed her back, offering a quiet comfort to help her feel at ease.Since he could not be there beside her, he could only make these small gestures to bring her some peace of mind.“An entire afternoon just passed like that…” Luca was reluctant to leave at the moment. Her slender fingers lightly pressed against his chest.Luke took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss, holding it as if it were something precious and tenderly stroking it.Luca's hands had once been delicate and smooth, but during their time in the small villa, they had become much rougher.“You've got calluses.” Luke felt sorry for her.Luca gently traced her finger over his lips, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on him. “It’s just from the needlework and the experiments I’ve been d
Luca walked over to another couch and sat down. “I think I’ll stay here. How about letting Luke come down so that we can all catch up? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”Gordan’s face fell. “Ms. Craw, are you doing this on purpose?”Luca pretended not to know anything. “Doing what on purpose?”Gordan quickly shook his head. “Nothing. Just go upstairs already. Brother Luke’s been waiting for you.”Luca had intended to tease Gordan a little longer, but after not seeing Luke for the past few days, she found herself missing him deeply. Standing up with a smile, she said, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Oh, by the way, Mr. Gale, could you help me pick up a few things? Someone over there asked me to get them, and I couldn’t refuse.”“Sure, no problem. What do you need?” Gale agreed immediately.After handing him the list, Luca turned and headed upstairs.Gale watched Luca leave from behind, nudging Gordan’s arm. “Let’s go. We should leave and give the boss and Ms. Cr
The security guard remained completely unfazed.This was because the village chief was his uncle, and in their tight-knit community, they always stuck together and never favored outsiders.With directions from the people inside the ancestral hall, Hera found the village chief.“You’re the village chief, right?” Hera looked at the man in his fifties in front of her and spoke with an arrogant tone, completely unbothered.“And you are?” The village chief, seeing her attitude, was puzzled. He had no idea whether she was an investor or someone looking to discuss a major partnership to bring development to their quiet village.“It doesn’t matter who I am. I see you have surveillance here, and I need to review your footage,” replied Hera.The village chief was even more confused. “Are you a police officer?”“No.” Hera frowned. She thought reviewing surveillance footage was no big deal. Why was this village chief being so difficult?The village chief gave her a look as if she were a fo
“Wait a little longer. By the way, what kind of ancestral hall is this?” asked Hera.“It's a local family's ancestral hall. I heard it's been designed by the owner of a large company, and now it's also one of the tourist attractions.” The taxi driver was not from around here, so he did not know all the details, but he knew it had become a popular spot. “Now, thanks to the reputation of that boss, many architects come here as one of their reference points.”Hera frowned deeper. What was Luca doing here?The driver suggested, “If you're interested in sightseeing, the attractions inside are pretty good. But for outsiders, they charge an entrance fee. Maintenance costs a lot of money, so they charge tourists from outside.”“I'm not here for sightseeing,” replied Hera, “Don't worry. I'll pay you for however long I stay here. You’ll get your money.”The driver heard that she was paying, and did not press her further and remained quiet.Hera stared at the entrance of the ancestral hall,
Hera let out a cold sneer, feeling that Gerald's apology was not sincere.Hera did not want to press the issue at the moment. She gave him a sharp look. “Come with me.”Gerald knew that Hera was up to something again. If it were a normal order, she would have just said it in the living room. Whenever she called him aside, it meant whatever she had to say could not be overheard by others.Reluctantly, Gerald followed her out.It was midday, and as soon as Hera stepped out of the living room, a wave of heat hit her face.The intense warmth made her feel uncomfortable.Hera got straight to the point, turning to Gerald. “What did Luca say to you just now?”“She just asked me to help keep an eye on the volunteer,” Gerald answered honestly. This was not something that needed to be kept secret.Hera frowned. “Is she going out”Gerald hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to say anything.“I’m talking to you, not the wall. Are you mute?” Hera threatened. “If you lie to me, I’ll te
Gordan was puzzled. At most, it was just brotherly camaraderie. After all, they had been through thick and thin together. Their bond might be stronger than usual, but falling in love? That was a bit of a stretch.Luke said, “The way you acted just now, doesn't really seem 'straight' to me. Also, if you're into women, maybe you should consider finding one. Otherwise, if you're always single, people might start misinterpreting your feelings for me.”“Luke, actually, you're not bad at all. In fact, you're probably better than a lot of women,” Gordan replied with a sly grin.As a man himself, he honestly thought Luke was a great guy. If he were a woman, he would be utterly captivated by him.“Shut up!” Luke knew he was joking, but he still felt a chill run down his spine. He seriously worried that Gordan might do something inappropriate when he turned his back on him.Shivering from the thought, Luke put down his glass and headed upstairs.Gordan let out a deep sigh.The night w
“Anyway, I'm saying it here—I'm not going to Russia because of that ugly woman, Vivian. If I go to Russia, it's for you. I've already divorced her. Besides, I’m already trying to avoid her, how could I possibly go to Russia for her?” Gordan took a sip of red wine, then continued his rant. “And, Ray is still in Russia. I really can't go. His men are all brutal, and I've had enough of being beaten all these years.”“Then why did you buy an apartment in Vivian's neighborhood?” Luke continued to tease him. His sharp eyes glinted with intelligence.Gordan denied it, but whether he believed it or not was his own business.“It was just a coincidence!” Gordan raised his voice, trying to convince Luke.Or maybe himself.“Coincidence?” Luke sipped his wine, every gesture as graceful as a nobleman.“Of course, it’s a coincidence, Brother Luke. You wouldn’t know, but that apartment is in a school district, surrounded by college towns. There are a ton of hotties there, I picked the place just
As Luca listened to his tone that was full of regret, she felt a slight pang in her heart. She recalled when she had a child and continued pursuing her education. If she had given up on herself back then, perhaps she and Luke would not find themselves here today.Luca felt she was much more fortunate than the volunteer. Even though she loved her father, she also understood the importance of education and did not let her father’s illness cause her to give up. She was also fortunate to have a father who supported her education.At the thought of this, Luca could not help but ask, “Do you regret it?”“No, I don’t regret it,” the volunteer smiled. “Actually, I always look at it in a positive light. Back then, several boys in my class liked her. If I hadn’t confessed, she might have become someone else’s girlfriend. If there’s anything I regret over the years, it’s that I was too selfish and it affected her studies.“I never thought that being in a relationship at a young age would