“I don’t…” Leia still wanted to resist as the thought of living downstairs made her feel ashamed.Moreover, she was the talk of the town. If she went downstairs, she would be surrounded by spectators.Leia wanted to plead with Jack.“That’s the final decision, and don’t disturb your father. He’ll get even angrier if you look for him now. Just focus on recovering in the hospital.” After Queenie finished speaking, she hung up.She did not care if Leia would go to her grandparents.Anyway, the old master was pissed after seeing the video anyway.If Leia knew better, she would not bother the two old people and bring about her own destruction.In the hospital ward.Leia lay down and tossed her phone aside.After listening to her long conversation with Queenie without interrupting, the nurse finally said, “Pack up and we’ll help you move downstairs.”“Don’t touch me.” Leia widened her eyes and glared at the nurse in front of her.The nurse was unfazed and said, “Ms. Norman, please
A mother would always worry about her child, and Queenie was no exception.It was just that Leia made her worry too much.When Leia was still in the entertainment industry, Queenie constantly used her connections in the industry to help develop her career so that she would not sell herself to get resources like most celebrities.However, Leia still went astray and did everything she could to get what did not belong to her.In the end, she even drugged Queenie to take revenge on her.At the thought of this, Queenie felt that the bitterness in her mouth could never compare to the bitterness in her heart.“Mrs. Norman, is the medicine really bitter?” The maid noticed her frown and asked worriedly.“It’s fine.” After the pills had disintegrated under her tongue, Queenie drank a big glass of water.The maid brought over candy and said, “Mrs. Norman, have some candy.”Queenie shook her head and glanced out the window to see that it had stopped snowing. Then, she asked, “How many mor
In the past, all of Percy’s clothes were custom-made.However, he did not have the time to customize his clothes as he was busy with work this year, so Nina decided to pick out some clothes for him at the mall for New Year’s.Besides, wearing new clothes in the new year was good luck for the year ahead.“Mr. Mallory is so lucky to have a girlfriend like you,” Queenie said with a smile. Nina was Bianca’s best friend. Regardless of what the news reports say, she still admired the candid person in front of her.“Aunt Queenie, it seems like you’ve bought quite some stuff. Did you get clothes for Mr. Norman and Ms. Norman?” Nina noticed that the salesperson beside her was already holding a bunch of clothes.Some even had bright colors. Although she could not see the style, she guessed that some were meant for someone younger.Queenie probably bought the clothes for Leia.Bianca had gone through so much because of Leia, and Leia had done so much to hurt Queenie and Jack, yet Queenie s
Queenie recalled that Leia did not like taking the doctor’s advice either, so she shook her head in distress.“Aunt Queenie, what’s wrong?” Nina said with concern.“Nothing, I just hope that everything will get better after the new year,” Queenie expressed her wishes.Although Nina loathed Leia to the point that she would not even pity her if she were to die, Queenie would be sad if Leia died. Bianca cared the most about her biological mother, so she still comforted her, “Don’t worry, Ms. Norman will be able to recover and be discharged soon. Plus, there’s still Luca. She’s great at treating patients, so she can help Ms. Norman anytime.”Queenie could no longer smile at the mention of this.After seeing the smile on her face disappear, Nina realized that she had said the wrong thing, so she asked with caution, “Aunt Queenie, did I say something wrong?”Queenie shook her head and frowned as she told Nina about last night’s events.Although Luca had sent her a message afterward sa
Queenie was still hesitant because after what Luca had done for their family, they should be the ones thanking her.Now, it was the other way around, which was inappropriate.After noticing Queenie’s hesitation, Luca said, “Aunt Queenie, this is just a token of appreciation. You know there’s no hidden meaning to it. Since it’s New Year’s, I wanted to gift you two some things to show my gratitude.”Nina also said, “She’s right, Aunt Queenie. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can just gift Luca an envelope with money when the new year is here.”Queenie looked at Luca with her lips slightly open as she nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Luca.”“You’re welcome, Aunt Queenie.” Luca smiled faintly after Queenie accepted the gifts.Queenie saw that Luca was not angry in the slightest bit. She even gifted her a whole bunch of things. It would be rude of her to continue dwelling on what had happened yesterday.Her heart softened after seeing Luca’s smiling face as if the bitterness in her heart
Jack put down his utensils in his hands and looked at Queenie.He was the only Norman family member who knew that Luca was Bianca. As such, Queenie would not be able to understand a lot of what he was talking about."We’ll just get Luca something for New Year’s," Jack said. After all, Luca was their daughter. It was normal to give presents to one’s kids during the new year.That was the best blessing parents could give to their children during the festivities."Would it seem too tacky?" Queenie was hesitant. Although it was common for elders to give gifts to juniors, Luca did not seem like the kind who would get them so many gifts to get something in return from them.On top of that, she heard from Luke that Luca grew up abroad with her mother.They might not practice the same traditions, she was worried that it might seem too casual if she went to get a return gift. "That's the most sincere blessing we can give to someone. How can it be tacky?" Jack picked up his fork and cont
As he listened to Queenie’s chatter, Jack picked up the shirt and put it on. "It’s not only the right size, but it’s also the right color and style. I’ll wear this on the first day of the new year!"Queenie noticed how happy Jack seemed.Leia had also bought a lot of clothes for the two of them before.Jack would always react calmly to Leia’s gifts. He had never been so happy as when he received gifts from Luca. Luca was better at picking clothes than Leia. The size, style, and color of the clothes she bought were suitable for their age. However, at this moment, Jack looked as happy as a father receiving a carefully selected gift from his daughter.Jack carefully put his clothes on the sofa, picked up the other set of clothes, and placed it on Queenie. "Mm, they’re perfect for you. This color is so festive. It’s suitable to wear during the new year. We’ll wear these on the first day of the new year.""Okay, you can do whatever you want." Queenie went along with his wishes. "Dear
"Okay, I get it. We’ll have Leia stay in the normal ward until she’s discharged." Queenie made up her mind.‘No matter the fuss Leia kicks up, we’ll never compromise.’Moreover, she had decided to reduce her visits to the hospital so Leia could not try to change her mind."After she gets discharged, I’ll arrange a place for Leia to stay in," Jack said. After the incident, he was fuming and planned the next steps immediately."Dear, what are you going to do?" Queenie frowned, unsure of why Jack made such a decision.Although Leia would soon be discharged, it did not mean she would recover completely.Johann mentioned that Leia would have to take medicines and take care of herself well so that her body could accept the liver transplant.‘If Leia lives somewhere else, how will I take care of her?’ "I’ve thought about it. Our home is far from the hospital, so I’ll rent a two-room apartment near the hospital for her to live in. We’ll get a maid to take care of her. It’ll also be c
“'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