“Okay, Young Master Luke.” Mr. Griffin sounded helpless.Luke hung up the call. Lanie, who sat on the passenger seat asked, “Daddy, Grandma’s doing it again, right?”“Yes.” Luke clasped the steering wheel tightly and reminded the kids, “Look for Great-grandpa later when we arrive. Remember to greet him. He’s in the study. Don’t come out after you go in. Got it?”“Okay, Daddy,” the three kids replied in unison.They were afraid of Allison too. It would be better if they could stay far away from her.Luke stopped talking. Allison could be crazy and do whatever she wanted as long as she did not influence the kids. As a father, he had the desire to protect his kids.10 minutes later, Luke arrived at Crawford Manor. He drove into the house compound, and after he parked the car, he was not in a hurry to get out of the car.“Daddy?” Rainie gave him a confused look.“If you see the elders later, greet them. Then, look for Great-grandpa,” Luke reminded them again.“Daddy, don’t worry.
Louis turned around when he was helping Susan up. He silently mouthed the word ‘sorry’ to Luke.Luke shook his head to tell him that he did not mind it.It was wrong to bring a stranger into the house. Even if Susan was deliberately finding an excuse to start the fight, he could not say that she was being unreasonable this time. Allison did not think twice before doing something, and it had made everyone unhappy.After Louis helped Susan and returned to her room, Mr. Griffin came forward and said, “Young Master Luke, Madam Allison is in her bedroom now.”“I know.” Luke headed in the direction of the stairs.Upstairs.When Lanie headed to Old Master Crawford’s study with Rainie and Tommy, they ran into Sophian."Miss, may I know who you are?" Lanie had a good memory. He remembered that no maid in Crawford Manor looked like her.“I’m a guest of the Crawford family. You’re…” Sophian looked at the three little children in front of her. They looked familiar, especially the two boy
“She has to go back. You can accompany her if you want. Perhaps you can ask the chauffeur to send you back when you need a facial treatment.” Luke insisted and left no room for negotiation.“No way. It’ll be so troublesome for me to go back and forth.” Allison immediately skipped Luke’s first suggestion and rejected the second one. “There are so many guest rooms in Crawford Manor. Why can’t you let Sophian stay here?”Luke’s voice was deep, and the expression on his face was as cold as ice. “Crawford Manor isn’t some kind of shelter. Not just anyone is allowed to come in here.”“What do you mean? Sophian is my personal nurse. She’s not a refugee.” Allison furrowed her brows and slammed the dressing table. “Bringing an unknown person into the house during the new year isn’t allowed. I’ve given you two options. You’d better consider them.” Luke stood up. He was not planning to let her continue with her nonsense. Allison leaped to her feet and said, "How dare you say my subordinate
“What news?” Allison picked up a bottle of cream and started applying it to her face in the mirror.Her skin was losing moisture several times faster than the average person, so she had to apply products like these from time to time.Skincare products like these were costly, yet she applied them generously.Sophian glanced at the maid.Allison got the hint and said to the maid, who was still tidying up, “I’d like to talk to her in private.”“Yes, Madam Allison.” The maid put down Allison’s clothes and walked out hurriedly before closing the door behind her.“My colleague said that the doctor who’s going to operate on you is Dr. Steve, but he returned to his home country a few days ago, so no one can get a hold of him. Thus, no one is aware of the surgery. Dr. Steve returned to the hospital today and my colleague found out that he’ll use new foreign technology to operate on your face. It’ll mainly be to remove the wrinkles on your skin and also to inject some stem cells for your s
“Alright.” Allison was already used to the skincare routine.Sophian placed cotton pads drenched in toner on Allison’s face before slowly asking, “So, Ms. Allison, does Luke have another woman now?”“The others think I don’t know about this, but I do. The fact that he has another woman now means that he and his dad share the same morals. No matter how deeply in love they were before, their true nature will be revealed in the end. Sophian, I brought you here to open a new door for you. It’s up to you to grasp it. You’re pretty, so if other women can approach him, you can too.”“I’ll try, Ms. Allison…” Sophian was outwardly calm, but she was shocked.She had never seen a mother encouraging a woman to seduce her son who was already married with children of his own…However, Allison’s words gave her a boost of confidence.At least when she tried to hook up with Luke, she would not have to worry about Allison being against it.…After Luke left Allison’s bedroom, he went to Old Mast
Luke knew that the old master was curious as to why he favored Luca.However, he still chose to hide it as the fewer people who knew about it, the better. Plus, Old Master Crawford would not be able to help Luca anyway.What happened in the future might only make him worry.Luke shook his head and said, “There are many things I can’t tell you in detail right now, but you’ll know later.”“It’s always this excuse. I feel like Luca isn’t just anyone. Perhaps it’s like what I guessed? Old Master Crawford continued to probe.“Grandpa, you just need to know that Luca won’t hurt you,” said Luke.“Will she hurt you, then?” Old Master Crawford asked him in reply.Luca had done many things to harm the interests of T Corporation, but Luke knew that she was forced to do so.She did not want to, but she was just being controlled.Luke said firmly, “She won’t hurt me.”Deep inside, she was still the same old Bianca.Luke could tell that every time Luca had done something wrong to T Corpor
Allison was not one to be trampled on just like that. She sat down on the chair and said to Susan, “This is my house. I can go wherever I want. Old Master Crawford is still here, yet you wish to dominate the manor yourself?”“The one who wants to take over the manor is you. You brought a stranger into the house and even appeared at the dinner table to disgust people.” Susan shook off Louis’ hand and let herself loose as Allison’s words had angered her.“If you think I’m disgusting, you can go back to your room to eat. Plus, Ms. Sophian is a guest I invited. Is this how you treat a guest?” Allison pulled Sophian’s hand, gesturing her to sit down.Sophian watched their family dispute and forced herself to sit down without saying a word.“My *ss! If anyone has to leave, it should be you. You’re just a mistress. You don’t belong in this family, so scram!” Susan was vicious. Her tone was harsh like she wanted to spit venom on Allison’s face.Every time she saw Allison, she would be rem
After Luke left the dining room, he did not see Old Master Crawford nor the kids, so he went up to the study.Sure enough, they were there.Tommy was telling jokes that were popular among children in an effort to make Old Master Crawford cheer up.Old Master Crawford was grim-faced. When he saw Luke walk in, he asked, “Are they done arguing?”“Not quite.” Luke shook his head as he was the one who forcibly put the war to rest.“So, they’re still arguing?” Old Master Crawford asked. Although he had already foreseen it happening, he was still upset that a nice New Year’s Eve dinner was ruined.“No, I’ll have someone book flight tickets to send her back to Korea tomorrow,” Luke said.Old Master Crawford shook his head. “Luke, you know that she won’t leave so quickly. Don’t waste your money. There’s no need to book the ticket.”It would not be easy for him to send Allison away if she did not want to leave.Luke frowned.It was easier to invite the devil in than to send it away. No
“Mr. Mallory, I didn’t dare to go in. Nina and your mother are still inside.” After Sue realized that Nina might be in danger, she had been waiting outside, unwilling to leave.She had been planning to rush in with the other employees if she heard Nina scream.Percy's expression darkened. He did not blame Sue for the situation, so he did not say anything. Instead, he quickly walked to Nina’s office door and pushed it open.The sight before him sent a chill through his veins, as though his blood had turned to ice.“You're here?” Karen fixed her eerie gaze on the person who had opened the door. A strange, sinister smile curved at the corners of her lips. She stood behind Nina with a knife tightly gripped in her hand.The sharp blade was pressed against Nina’s neck, already leaving a faint red mark.Sue gasped at the sight and instantly lost her composure.Karen frowned in dissatisfaction, moving the knife slightly and muttering, “Why is there another woman here? Tell her to leave!
“'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