“Molly, I think that person was him,” said Mavis as she was about to walk out.Molly tugged on her hand and said with a frown, “Did you mistake him for someone else? How could there be such a coincidence? Plus, I think he was with a woman. Isn’t his wife abroad?”“I would’ve mistaken anyone else but not him. Wait here.” Mavis withdrew her hand and ran out.She spotted his figure not far away.Mavis ran in front of them, and tears welled up in her eyes. Although the man in front of her was wearing a cap and mask, she could tell that it was Luke from his physique and voice.“Is it you?” Her voice could not help but tremble.Luca did not expect Mavis to recognize Luke from one single word.Well, they did work together closely in their previous cooperations.Luke frowned when he saw Mavis in front of him. It had been three years since he last saw her. At that time, she used her own company to snatch the opportunity to cooperate with Brilliant Architectural Design LLC. Now, she stil
Luca nodded and said thoughtfully, “I overheard their conversation earlier. She seems to have an unhealthy obsession.”“She’s left her post for many years. When she left, we didn’t have any form of contact at all,” said Luke. After Mavis proposed to resign, he deleted her contact.Besides, there was no reason for them to keep in contact.Luca thought to herself that she was aware that Luke had really cut all ties with Mavis at the time.However, no one expected that even after a few years, the love Mavis had for him still had not died down.Luca said, “I also heard±”“I’m not interested in her affairs.” Luke squeezed her hand tightly. This woman kept bringing Mavis up. “Are you jealous?”Luca blinked and said resignedly, “Of course not…”She trusted Luke, so she would not let such trivial things ruin her mood.“Stop mentioning irrelevant people. What else do you need to buy?” Luke did not notice anything strange in her expression, which made him disappointed. How nice would it
They placed the bags on the coffee table and Luca began to sort the things.She was able to distinguish the items in the bag by the branding on the bags.Luca took out the bag that contained dessert and handed it to Aunt Neile. “Aunt Neile, this is the cake Mr. Crawford bought for you and your family.”“There’s something for me too?” Aunt Neile said in surprise, then looked at Luke to thank him. “Thank you, Mr. Crawford and Ms. Craw.”“You’re welcome,” said Luke. He looked at his phone screen and noticed some unread messages, so he said to Luca, “I need to go take care of some things.”“Okay.” Luca nodded, and after seeing him go upstairs, she picked up a few supermarket bags and unloaded the things.Some were kept at room temperature, whereas some had to be refrigerated.After Luca sorted the ones that had to go in the refrigerator, she said to Aunt Neile, “Aunt Neile, these need to be kept in the refrigerator. Could you please help me store them?”“Okay, Ms. Craw. “ Aunt Neil
"Here are your photos. Pick your favorites." Luke handed him the remote.Lanie took it and started going through his photos.He flipped through all the photos but did not have many thoughts, so he looked at Luke, unsure of which to choose."I think they’re all good," Luca said when she saw his expression.They had looked through all the photos. She did not see much of an issue for Lanie to pick everything.Rainie chimed in, "Yeah, Lanie is so handsome. If you can't choose, let’s have them all?"Lanie looked at Luke. He was unsure of which to choose."Let's take them all." Luke knew that his eldest son was not good at choosing photos, so he stopped embarrassing him and helped him make a decision.Luca smiled, looked at Rainie, and said, "It's Rainie's turn.""I’ll choose carefully!" Rainie gave a victory gesture.Luke started to show Rainie's photos.She loved to look at the details, and each of her photos was selected with special care.Aunt Neile, who was on the side, coul
Aunt Neile knew Luca was going to make a cake and had the cake molds ready.Luca started making cakes and some snacks for the children.Since it was Luke who promised to give them snacks, it was only natural for her to fulfill it. After all, they were also her kids...An hour and a half later.Luca's cakes and snacks were ready. She then started to help Aunt Neile prepare a sumptuous dinner.She glanced at the heavy snow that fell outside the window and could not help but sigh. "It's snowing again.""That's what the weather is like. The snow is beautiful. If it wasn’t too cold, the kids would all want to go out for snowball fights," Aunt Neile said with a smile."Kids do love to play with snow." Luca smiled and cut the washed meat into thin slices."This weather isn’t the best for driving, I wonder how our guests are doing." Aunt Neile was worried."It's alright, Lliam is a good driver. Mr. Crawford is there as well. We don't have to worry about that. Let’s focus on getting di
"Thank you." Vivian picked up the teacup Luca handed her, took a sip, and flashed a smile. "The taste is so mellow. I’ve never tried such good tea in Russia."Luca smiled and brought another cup to Luke."Thank you." He took a sip.Vivian put down the teacup and looked at Luca. "Luca, are you free tomorrow? Can you accompany me to the apartment to have a look?""Okay, I could do that." Luca agreed without hesitation.Tommy listened, raised his hand, and shouted, "I want to go too! Aunt Vivian, I want to visit your apartment too."Seeing his enthusiasm, Vivian smiled and said, "Okay, no problem."Luke shook his head and said, "Don't get in the way of the adults."Tommy pouted and protested, "Daddy, I can help too.""Don't cause any trouble and stay at home," Luke said with a stern expression. He did not allow him to be reckless. Vivian went to Luca to ask for help because she trusted Luca.If the children were over, the two of them would be distracted taking care of them.Tom
Gordan called him the moment he replied to him."Brother, isn't it Sunday in A City today?" Gordan asked the moment Luke answered the phone."It's Saturday," Luke corrected him softly as he turned on his computer and looked at his unread work emails."You don't look at your phone on a Saturday? I've been looking for you all day." Gordan's tone was a little impatient, but he respected Luke, so he did not throw a tantrum despite his frustrations being accumulated all day. "I had some work to deal with, so I put my phone on mute. I didn't pay much attention to it afterward." Luke read his emails one after another patiently. He noticed Gordan's anxious voice but did not ask him what it was about.He did not need to ask Gordan to know why he was looking for him.If he had known it would come to this, he would not have acted that way."Ahem, are you that busy?" Gordan wanted to immediately ask what was on his mind, but he held back."It’s the end of the year," Luke continued with hi
Gordan did not force him, nor did he blame Luke for his response.He knew that Vivian had tipped Luke off in advance, so he did not press further. Gordon said, "I see.""Sorry." That was all Luke could say."You didn't do anything..." Gordan was not that irrational to blame Luke for Vivian divorcing him.After they ended the call, Luke put his phone aside. He looked toward the door when he heard footsteps.Luca was heading upstairs."Luca." Luke stopped Luca, who was just about to walk into the bedroom."Huh?" Luca turned around to look at him.The memory of sitting on his lap to look at the photos was vivid. She could not help herself from blushing."I have something to tell you," Luke said. He was worried that Gordan would find Luca and she would tell him about Vivian.Although Luca was not someone who gossiped, he thought that anything could happen if he did not specifically warn her."Can I go see the kids first?" Luca asked. Luke did not look too serious, so she guessed
“'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