“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
"Ms. Allison, aren't you worried?" Sophian noticed that Allison and Luke did not share a good relationship.Nevertheless, all of Allison's expenses were paid for by Luke.Although it was natural for a son to take care of his mother, Luke seemed to act like whoever was paying was the boss.On top of that, Luke did not care much about his mother."Do you think I've spent all these years having learned nothing? I'm Luke's mother. Although he said that, he won’t do anything to me. He told me not to come back, but I’m back anyway. If I'm not willing to leave, no one can shoo me away." Allison sat on the sofa with her legs folded together. She wanted to act like a lady.Seeing how confident she was, Sophian nodded and felt a little more relieved.She hoped that Allison would not be afraid of Luke's coercion as she claimed.After all, she did not want to return to Korea.She would wake up laughing every day if she could be Luke’s woman and live in such a big mansion.Allison touched
"Yuri, huh… Her husband isn’t all that. How dare she act as such?" Allison hated everyone who was related to Susan.She did not like Yuri although Yuri had not offended or argued with her publicly.After all, Yuri could help Louis compete with Luke with her family's money in the future."Ms. Allison, let’s eat. The food won't taste good if it gets cold." Sophian did not dare to continue on that topic.After all, Allison had the character of a mad woman. If she overstimulated her, she would inadvertently be involved.At that time, if she went to trouble Yuri, it would be exposed that she spoke ill of her behind her back.Allison looked at the dishes on the tray and frowned. "Why are there only these few dishes? You didn't just pick the ones you liked to serve them to me, right?""I would never! Ms. Allison, this is all that was left when I arrived at the kitchen," Sophian explained quickly."This is all that was left? They all took the rest?!" Allison realized what had happened.
“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