Sophian noticed her acting odd and asked curiously, "Ms. Allison, what happened?"Allison ignored her, turned around, stopped the chauffeur who was about to leave, and said, "I want to go back to Crawford Manor. Take me back.""Madam Allison, I'm sorry. Old Master Crawford said that you have to stay here for now. I need to make a move now." The driver stuck his head out of the car and told her. The road ahead was blocked, so he backed up and left.Allison watched the car leave and stomped. "I'm pissed off!""Ms. Allison, don't be angry..." Sophian hurriedly soothed her temper.Allison glared at her. ‘If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been kicked out of Crawford Manor in such an embarrassing manner!’She finally got the opportunity to go back, but she only stayed for a night before she was shooed back. Allison looked at the villa in front of her. She used to think that it was luxurious, but now, she thought it looked like a dumpster.She pressed her thumb against the finge
Sophian did not dare to speak when she saw that Allison was frowning.10 minutes later, the maid brought the instant pot pie and put it on the coffee table. "Madam Allison, breakfast is ready."Allison looked at the ready-to-eat pot pie in front of her. She frowned and said, "Is this the pot pie you bought at the supermarket? I want to eat fresh ones made by you."The maid felt cornered and replied, "Madam Allison, we have no ingredients in the villa to make pot pies. If you want to eat fresh ones, I’d need to go to the supermarket to buy ingredients.""Why didn't you prepare for anything?!" Allison scolded her. She was dissatisfied with the maid's efficiency."Madam Allison, I thought that you would be spending the new year at Crawford Manor, so I didn't prepare much. If you’re not satisfied with what we have, I’ll go to the supermarket to buy groceries now," the maid said quickly. She was scared of Allison's reprimand and her horrifying face.Her face was terrifying. It had wri
Sophian was surprised when she heard how Allison described Bianca.Sophian had always thought that successful men like Luke preferred sexy and alluring women. She did not expect he would like women who were pure and innocent.She lowered her head and looked at her body figure. There was no way her curvy figure could look innocent. She could only change her makeup style to make her look that way.“I got it,” replied Sophian.Allison raised her brows, looked at her, and asked, “Although Bianca looks innocent, her tricks aren’t innocent at all. She found ways to get closer to Luke and gave birth to two children. Only then was she acknowledged as his wife. So, let me tell you, he might not like pure and innocent women. It’s just that her tricks happened to work on him.” Sophian wanted to tell her that being good at wheedling was considered amazing too as long as she could attract Luke.However, Sophian dared not to say such things in front of Allison when she had shown so much hatre
"Sit down. Let me get it for you," replied Luca. She did not put the snacks she made this morning at the usual spot where the children took their snacks.Tommy nodded. He returned to the living room and sat on the sofa.Rainie lifted her hand, tapped on Tommy's nose with her fingers, and laughed at him, "Tommy, you're a greedy little boy."“I’m not. Ms. Luca makes good and tasty snacks.” Tommy stuck out his tongue.“That’s true. Ms. Luca makes the best snacks.” Rainie nodded and agreed with him. She could not blame Tommy for being greedy. Their mother was too good at making their snacks.Tommy nodded and replied, “Great-grandpa loves them too.”“Tommy, I don’t like to eat snacks.” Old Master Crawford shook his head and explained.“But Great-grandpa, I heard you telling Mr. Griffin that you like eating Ms. Luca’s homemade food. That’s why you came here to have a taste of Ms. Luca’s homemade food.” Tommy tilted his head. He had heard what the old master told Mr. Griffin when they
Old Master Crawford put down the vegetable juice and turned to look at the TV. It was replaying the New Year Gala from last night, so he asked, “Isn’t this last night’s New Year Gala?”Luca nodded. She smiled and explained, “I fell asleep when I was watching it last night. I didn’t manage to finish the show. I turned on the TV and watched the replay when I was bored just now.” “The New Year Gala last night was interesting,” Old Master Crawford said. Then, he picked up another snack. It was not a cookie this time but Luca’s homemade nougat.Although it was a nougat, Luca had used a sugar substitute and sugar-free marshmallows. “Yes. It was awesome. Ms. Luca, how could you have fallen asleep?” Tommy grinned and looked at Luca, waiting for her reply.Luca was rendered speechless. There was no way she could tell him that she fell asleep while watching the show because it was too quiet.“It was probably because I did some exercise, so I was tired.” Luca found an excuse to brush him
Luca watched the two of them play chess for a while. She glanced at the time, and when it was almost time to prepare lunch, she stood up and said, “Old Master Crawford, Mr. Crawford, please excuse me. I’m going to prepare lunch now.”“Do you need help?” Luke asked. Aunt Neile usually helped Luca out when she was busy preparing meals in the kitchen. Now, she had to prepare lunch for six of them. Luke was worried that she would not be able to handle it herself. Luca shook her head, pursed her lips, and said in a gentle voice, "It's okay. I can handle this. You can play chess with Old Master Crawford."After that, Luca walked to the kitchen.Before she walked into the kitchen, she heard Old Master Crawford making fun of Luke, “Hah, I didn’t know you’d step into the kitchen.”Luca smiled without turning around. She headed straight to the kitchen.Luke did not look like someone who would enter the kitchen, but there were times when he would help her in the kitchen. Her heart pounded
“I’ve already cleaned myself up. I’ll feel better after eating breakfast,” said Louis as he walked to the dining room.Susan shook her head helplessly. How could Louis slack off during the New Year? It seemed like she had to talk to Yuri about it and asked her to keep an eye on Louis.“This child…” She could not help but mutter.After a while, Susan noticed that Louis had not finished his breakfast yet. She walked into the dining room and saw him eating breakfast while looking at his phone at the same time.The burning rage in her exploded uncontrollably. She snatched Louis' phone and said, "Don't look at your phone when you're eating. Your grandpa will be mad at you if he sees you like this.""Mom, Grandpa's not here…" Louis felt helpless. Old Master Crawford did not allow them to look at their phones while having meals. However, Louis could not be bothered since Old Master Crawford was not around."Does that mean you can relax when he's not here? Your grandpa isn't back yet.
After a while, Mr. Griffin brought the brewed tea over and said, “Old Master Crawford, the tea is ready.”“Okay.” Old Master Crawford took a sip of the tea. He could not help but exclaim, “The tea smells good.”“I should’ve brought some tea leaves to Luke’s place.” Then, he took another sip of tea.“Grandpa, why are you craving for tea? Didn’t you have any tea yesterday?” Louis asked with curiosity and poured a cup for himself too.“Luke doesn’t like drinking tea. How could I expect him to have good tea leaves there?” said Old Master Crawford. After all, Luke did not entertain guests there, so he would not have prepared tea leaves. Some tea leaves were meant to be gifts for the guests. Old Master Crawford knew about that, so that was why he did not say that he wanted to have some tea.“You always drink a pot of tea in the morning. Won’t you get upset if there’s no tea?” Louis knew the old master’s habits well. Old Master Crawford loved drinking tea."It's still fine. The vegeta
“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