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
Unless someone disclosed it to him.However, Gordan had never bothered to get to know her, so he had no idea who her friends were.He only knew Jones, whom he was closest to among the bunch.[Okay, take care of yourself in A City!] Jones replied within minutes.Vivian looked at the hotel’s decoration. She was in a family apartment suite that Luke booked for her and Ray. Everything here was of A City’s style.Everything here was great.[A City is great. Jones, I'm sorry for getting you involved with Gor…] Vivian typed. When she got to Gordan's name, she paused and felt a little guilty. She then typed: [I’m sorry that Gordan is harassing you. You can block him. Tell him that you don't know about me.][Don't worry, I know what to do. No matter what he says, I won't tell him anything about you.] Jones assured her.Vivian breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jones' reply. She put down her phone and opened the curtains.It was still snowing outside.This was A City, so it looked
"The interior was well thought out..." Vivian sighed, walked out of the master bedroom, and opened the door of the bedroom opposite.Luca said, "If you don't like living alone, the desk can also be set up in the master bedroom. The designer has reserved enough space for it. Of course, you can also rent out the second bedroom to a girl, making the apartment more lively.""Mr. Crawford is so thoughtful." Vivian smiled as she looked at the furnishings of the guest bedroom. The designer did not take it less seriously just because it was the guest bedroom.She also liked the decorations of the guest bedroom. "I prefer to have a space to myself. I plan to live alone for the time being."She did not have many friends when she was in Russia, so Vivian did not plan to rent her room out.She was used to being alone.Moreover, Vivian did not want others to know about Ray and their family."Mm, it's better to live alone. It’ll be quieter." Luca knew Vivian’s temperament so she did not say a
‘Luke's subordinate?’Mavis was stunned. She thought that Luca was cheating on Luke and rejoiced that she caught her in the act.She knew that Luke hated being deceived and betrayed the most...Warren shouted at her when he saw her stand there dumbfoundedly, "Aren't you going to leave? Do you want Mr. Crawford to come to the scene and ask you for an explanation in person?"Mavis snorted coldly. It was the weekend, so there was a large crowd in the supermarket. Her actions had attracted the attention of many.Mavis said, "Don't be too complacent. You’re not worthy of him.""Are you worthy of him?" Luca asked.Mavis was taken back. She stomped her foot and turned around to leave.Vivian waited for Mavis to leave before she asked softly, "Luca, that lady just now...""She should be Mr. Crawford's former subordinate. She might’ve thought I was somehow involved with Warren," Luca said helplessly as she chose the four-piece bedding set for Vivian."She thought that you..." Vivian w
"If I get into trouble, I’ll be sure to ask you for help. I hope I won’t annoy you too much," Vivian said playfully."No." Luca smiled and took a sip of milk to ease her thirst.Vivian glanced at the time. It was noon. She stood up and said, "Luca, you did me a big favor today. Let me treat you to lunch."Luca glanced at the time and stood up as well. She accepted Vivian's kindness. "Okay, I'll pick the location?""No problem!" Vivian said cheerfully, "You’re familiar with the place. I’m sure whatever you pick will be delicious."Luca smiled and shook her head. "I don't eat out very often. I arrived in A City just half a year earlier than you. Let's go, I'll take you to experience your college life in advance. The students are currently on vacation, so we might not have many options.”"Where are we going?" Vivian was curious."You'll know when we get there," Luca said as she led Vivian downstairs.After getting in the car, Luca asked Warren to drive to the food street near Capi
Luca lowered her gaze and was glad that Vivian did not understand English.Otherwise, she would be sad to hear what they were saying about her even if she was used to others pointing and looking."Luca, why aren't you eating?" Vivian asked when she saw that Luca had stopped eating."Nothing to worry about." Luca picked up a burger and took a bite.The boy at the next table could not stop himself. He picked up his phone, walked over, and looked at Luca with a smile. "Hello, classmate. Do you want to add me on Facebook?""I'm not your classmate." Luca did not look at the boy. She acted coldly."We can be friends even if we’re not from the same university. Besides, you don't know what university I’m from. How are you so sure that we’re not from the same college?" The boy did not give up when faced with her indifference."I’m old enough to be your aunt. Besides, I'm not interested in people who like to talk about other people's appearances," Luca said coolly and took a sip of her gr
The corner of Luke's lips curled up a little as he gave a mocking smile.“Leave me alone,” said Luke. “I’ve already finished handling the documents.”There came the sound of someone knocking on his door after he said that.The smile on Luke’s face disappeared. Every time there was a knock on the door, that would mean he had work to do.Luca knew about that too, so she said, “Mr. Crawford, there’s work to do.”“It seems like it.” Luke placed his hand on the mouse and moved it. The computer screen lit up. Only then did he say, “Come in.”Tina pushed the door open and walked into the office. She was startled for a moment when she saw Luca sitting right opposite her boss. She wondered if she had come in at the wrong time.This was why Jason asked her to send the documents into the office herself. It turned out that this was happening.She happened to find out the truth of the rumors surrounding her boss, but at the same time, she had disturbed her boss while he was spending time wi
“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