"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
Bianca only remembered about the DNA test report when Lanie mentioned it. Now that Lanie had said it, it meant that the DNA test had proved that Bianca was indeed the two children's birth mother. Before that, Bianca was only seventy or eighty percent sure. Now, she was finally at ease. It should have been a joyous occasion when her status was confirmed, but Bianca did not seem as happy or excited as she expected. That was because her father had passed away. Bianca had to accept that painful fact, no matter whether she was awake or in her dreams. All the good news seemed to be shrouded in a thin layer of dust. Lanie kicked away the little boots on his feet and hopped onto the bed. Once on the bed, he realized that there was not enough space for him to sit cross-legged. Instead, he kneeled next to Bianca. Fortunately, the bed was big enough for that. He took the glass of warm milk from Mommy's hands and noticed that there was some sediment inside. Lanie quickly stirred
Leia felt a lot better after she replied to her mother's message. She opened the trailer door and called out gently, "Come over here for a bit, Marie." Her tone of voice sounded like a noble beckoning for their servant or an owner calling for their pet. Marie was not happy when she heard that, though she faked a smile and jogged over obediently. "Do you need me for anything?" 'Of course I need you for something!' Leia thought as she looked at Marie with disdain. 'Can't you be a little smarter as an assistant?' "Why don't you ever address me whenever I talk to you?" Leia said warmly. The surroundings might be dark, but Leia's impeccable features had seemed to brighten the night a little. Members of the production crew passed by while carrying props. "It's like this. You're six years younger than me, and I'm not sure how I should address you," Marie said awkwardly. "Ms. Leia" sounded too formal. She did not feel close enough to Leia to call her by only her name. After
The black Bentley slowly drove out of the hospital. Bianca looked at the two cute children, and her mood brightened instantly. Luke did not look at the children like Bianca did. Instead, he was looking at Bianca's face. Bianca was oblivious to that. The two children clung to their mother and chatted with her ceaselessly. 'Am I not as important as the children?' Luke thought. Suddenly, he was jealous! Rainie pouted and said to Bianca coyly, "When I was three years old, Grand Auntie came over for Christmas and brought her two granddaughters along. They're the same age as me, but they have pretty braids. They told me that their mommy braided their hair for them. Why don't you have a mommy? I was so angry that I cried." Bianca looked at Rainie's aggrieved expression and hugged her tightly. She kissed Rainie's forehead and said, "I'll do your braids for you every day." "Mm, thank you, Mommy!" Rainie snuggled comfortably in her mother's arms. However, the little girl sudd
“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