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
Luca gently shook her head and said, “Mr. Crawford, it’s inappropriate for me to go along with you. They’re your wife’s family.”Luke stared at her with his deep eyes. Wife?Was she not his wife?She clearly wanted to see her family at this time, but she was unable to visit them due to her identity and the forces behind her…Luke did not expose her and said, “If you’d like to visit them but you’re worried that they’ll overthink, you can go after us. Lliam is on duty today.”Luca looked down and pondered for a moment. She still thought it was inappropriate to do so and said, “Mr. Crawford, I heard Nina say that locals here always visit the wife’s family on the second day of New Year. I shouldn’t do this.”She was actually the most suitable person to visit them, but she had no choice but to tell Luke that it was inappropriate for her to do so in a soft voice.Luke knew what she was thinking about. He did not force her. He carried the two bags and headed outside. Then, he asked,
“Thank you, Mom.” Luke did not reject her. This was the elderly’s blessing. He accepted the gifts on behalf of Bianca."Mom, there's a box of vitamins in the bag. It's for Old Master Norman. Please give it to him when you head there," said Luke. He did wish to visit Old Master Norman, but he had to prepare something for him. That was why he reminded Luca to get something for them.That way, Queenie could bring the gifts along with her when she visited him.Luke did not have to socialize that much either.Queenie nodded. She smiled and said, “Thank you for being thoughtful.”“It was Bianca who reminded me,” said Luke. Luca was reminded of her grandparents who were related to her. That was why she mentioned it to Luke.Luke was allowed to use being busy as an excuse to escape from socializing, but one had to prepare gifts and send regards to them.“Bianca reminded you?” Queenie was surprised. She said excitedly, “Is Bianca starting to remember things now?”Queenie had been textin
“No.” Luke promised he would take this project. He had to win the construction bid.T Corporation had worked on many projects before. They also had been working on a few projects that required a high greening rate. “How’s the project of T Corporation and M Group going?” Jack asked with concern."Everything's going smoothly," replied Luke. “Okay. That’s great. Other than the contents of the bidding document, they’ll be focusing on another requirement for the bid this time—the completion status and quality of the previous projects of the company. The cooperation between T Corporation and M Group has attracted a lot of attention now. You have to make sure everything's going well. No mistakes are allowed. Otherwise, your chance of winning the bid will be gone," Jack revealed the requirements of the bid and reminded Luke. After all, everything was going well for T Corporation now. It was lonely at the top. Luke had to be extra careful. If anything happened, he would lose to his
"I'm not available." Luke rejected her with a cold voice. Although she was his mother, Luke and she hated each other. Perhaps she had an ulterior motive seeing as how she insisted Luke go over for dinner. Allison was pissed when she heard Luke giving her such a cold response, so she threatened him, “Fine. You’re not coming, right? Then I’ll go back to Crawford Manor. If Old Master Crawford asks about it, I’ll tell him the truth.”Although Old Master Crawford was mad at her for fighting with Susan on New Year’s Eve, what he did not want to see the most was his children and grandchildren not respecting their elders.It was a sin to disrespect their elders. Luke was not afraid of Allison even if she used Old Master Crawford to threaten him.However, if Allison truly did this, the old master would have to endure the noise and trouble she caused. It was not easy for them to come up with an excuse to let her leave Crawford Manor. If she seized the chance to return so that she could
Luke no longer questioned her when she saw the meaningful smile on her face. “I’m going to take a shower now,” said Luke as he stood up.“Okay.” Luca nodded.Luca opened the gifts when Luke went to take a shower. There were stacks of cash inside.There was not much expression on Luca’s face.Luca took off her cardigan. She was wearing her pajamas inside. Luca put the gifts on the bedside table. Although it was a lot of money, it did no matter how much she had received. It was the thought that counted.She leaned against the headboard and picked up the data document beside her.It was the experiment data for the experiments she did today.Luca turned to the first page. She could not help but let out a sigh. The data she collected was too little.It was a pity that the laboratory she rented last time was no longer available. The owner of the laboratory told her that another company had rented the laboratory for the long term. She could not rent it anymore.Luca massaged her
“Okay.” Luke bent down and got into the car.Gale closed the car door, quickly returned to the driver’s seat, and closed the door. After he fastened the seat belt, he asked, “Boss, are we still going there?”“Yes.” Luke muted his phone. Judging from Allison’s personality, he would receive at least three to four calls from her while he was on his way to her villa.The more Allison behaved that way, the more suspicious she was. It would mean that she was up to something.“Wait for me outside the house later. If I give you a call, just come in. You must take me away no matter what happens,” said Luke. Gale was puzzled. Was he not going to Allison’s house?Why did he sound like he was going to some gangster’s hideaway?"Boss, what would happen to you? Isn't that your mother?" Gale asked in a careful tone.Gale knew Luke was not on good terms with Allison, but no parent was capable of hurting their children. It was unlikely that Allison would harm Luke, right?“So?” Luke’s voice w
“Ms. Allison, let me pour the wine for you,” said Sophian excitedly. The negative feelings from being ignored by Luke turned into excitement. She took the bottle of red wine from Allison and poured wine into the three wine glasses. Luke frowned when he saw the dark red color liquid flowing into the glass. Then, he turned to look at Allison.Allison had already picked up the glass and was ready to make a toast with him. “Son, cheers. It’s been a long time since I had dinner with you. Stop turning me down.”Luke had no choice but to pick up his wine glass and toast with her. Allison took a sip of the red wine and noticed that Luke had not drunk any of it. Then, she convinced him, “Luke, why aren’t you drinking it?”Luke had no choice but to take a sip of the wine.Allison smiled and said, “What’s wrong with you lately? You only took a small sip of the wine. I knew I did many things that made you hate me back then, but I truly want to patch things up with you now. It wasn’t ea
“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