"Is it that hard for me to catch a glimpse of my grandkids?" Allison asked grumpily. However, Luke had hung up.Sophian was struggling to carry the two bags in her hands. She knew what had happened when she saw Allison's expression."Ms. Allison, why don't we go back first?" She suggested. Her hands felt like they were about to be snapped by the content of the bags.Allison spent a lot of money and bought a lot of high-quality children's things to please Luke.She and Allison had no use for the goods. If Allison went to get a refund, she could get their money back."What about these two bags?" Allison looked at the bags that Sophian was holding."We can..." Sophian paused and asked, "Did Mr. Crawford say anything?""He told me to leave these in the security booth." Allison was annoyed at Luke's lack of appreciation.Sophian pursed her lips and tried to persuade her, "In that case, Ms. Allison, let's leave these at the security booth. I’m sure that Mr. Crawford will send someone
"Mm." Luca saw them too and immediately knew Allison’s intentions.She wanted to mend her relationship with Luke in the name of pleasing the children.However, Luke would never trust her again considering that she had done such a ridiculous thing.Tommy happily ran in and held Luca's hand. "Ms. Luca, Ms. Luca! Did you know that Daddy is taking us on vacation later this afternoon?""I know." Luca stroked his head gently and smiled."This is wonderful! I didn't expect the wish I made during the New Year to come true!" Tommy said with a wide smile on his face.Luca was curious and asked him, "Wish? What wish did you make?""I made a wish that Daddy would take us on a trip, and..." He paused, almost saying what he wanted to say."What else?" Luca wanted to know his wishes and see if there was a chance to make them come true.Tommy smiled and shook his head. His other wish was that Luca would soon admit her true identity and assume her rightful place as their Mommy."Ms. Luca, if
"Dad, where will we be staying?" Tommy asked curiously. He was sitting in the backseat, listening to the conversation between the two adults.It was his first visit to X City."Old Master Crawford built a small villa on the grounds of his ancestral home in X City. It’s looked after all year round. We’ll be staying there," Luke said. He had no plans to stay in a hotel.X City was a unique city. He was the chief designer of the Crawford Ancestral Home that was built before by Old Master Crawford. The architecture of the Crawford Ancestral Home integrated the landscape of X City. It was distinctive.If it wasn’t because Old Master Crawford did not allow it to be open to the public, that building would have become a must-see location for tourists.According to the butler who managed the Crawford Ancestral Home, there were still groups of tourists who would check out the outer wall every day although it was not open to the public.Crawford Ancestral Home was popular. A businessman onc
After she took a shower, Luca draped a large towel around her neck to avoid getting her pajamas wet because of her hair. There were no power sockets in the bathroom.She then walked out of the bathroom, sat on the rattan chair nearby, and wiped her hair.The rattan chair was covered with a thick cushion. It was warmed by the heating, so she did not feel cold when she sat on it.Luke saw her and waved. "Come here.""Mm?" Luca asked.Luke opened the desk drawer and took out the hair dryer inside. "I'll blow dry your hair for you."Luca got up and walked over.The chair was a long bench, so it did not feel crowded when she sat down.Luke picked up the towel and carefully helped her dry the excess moisture from her hair. He then picked up the hair dryer to dry the roots while his other hand brushed through her long hair to make it dry faster.Luca lowered her head slightly. There was a static current when his fingers rubbed against her scalp.Her body softened.Luca's hair was a
“Come in.” Luca smiled. The bed in the master bedroom was big enough. Even if Tommy and Lanie slept here, the bed would be able to fit them.“Thank you, Ms. Luca.” Rainie stuck out her head and looked around. Then, she walked into the bedroom. She turned to look at Luke and asked, “Daddy, can I sleep here? I’m scared…”Luke looked at Rainie. He knew she had always been timid. She had to sleep with someone else whenever she was in an unfamiliar environment. The beds in Lanie’s and Rainie’s bedrooms were for children. Now that the kids had grown up, those beds were naturally a little too small for them.Hence, Luke had no choice but to admit that his plans were ruined tonight. He said, “Sure. The bed is big enough for everyone.”“Thank you, Daddy!” Rainie gave him a sweet smile.“Come here. Give me the pillow.” Luca took the pillow Rainie was holding in her arms from her. She noticed that it was the pillow Rainie used when she was at home, and she brought it along with her. Luca’s
After Luke cleaned himself up, Luca walked into the bathroom, freshened herself up, and changed into a fresh set of clothes.When Luca walked out of the bathroom, Luke had already put on his clothes. He was talking on the phone. She unconsciously treaded lightly across the room. Luke nodded at her and turned on the speaker. It was Percy on the other end of the line.Percy asked, “You’re not in A City now, huh?”“Yeah. I’m in X City,” answered Luke.“Why did you go there?”“Same as you. I’m running away from someone.” Luke walked toward Luca and held her in his arms. The fresh and nice scent on his body greeted Luca. It was the lemon scent left on him after he shaved and put on clean clothes.“Running away from someone?” Percy let out a chuckle. “Could it be that you’ve gotten yourself into trouble for having a love affair?” “Shut up,” Luke replied with a deep voice. He lowered his head and glanced at Luca. How could he have any love affairs? He had only been in love with Lu
The three kids agreed with the adult’s arrangements too.After Mr. Muller tidied the room, he came to the dining room. Luke asked him about the famous restaurants in X City.Otto pondered for a moment and recommended some farm-to-table restaurants that were still operating. There happened to be one a few miles away, and the reviews of the restaurant were good. After Luke listened to him, he asked, “Do we need to make a reservation first?”“Yes, Young Master Luke. I can help you to reserve a table if you’ve decided to go there for lunch,” replied Otto.“Please reserve a private room for me,” said Luke.“Okay. I’ll make the call now. This farm-to-table restaurant is popular. You’ll have to make a reservation in advance if you’d like a private room,” replied Otto. He picked up his phone and called the owner of the restaurant who he was familiar with. Otto reserved a private room. Then, he informed Luke, “Young Master Luke, the reservation has been made.”“Okay.” Luke nodded and
“She went looking for you?” Luke frowned. He thought Allison dared not to look for Old Master Crawford. He did not expect that Allison would have the guts to do so."She can't cause any trouble with just a call. Enjoy your vacation. I'm hanging up." Old Master Crawford set his worries aside after knowing where Luke had gone.Even though Luke did not tell him why he had headed to X City, the old master knew it was mostly because of Allison.Old Master Crawford also knew that Luke had been working hard and that he should take a break from work. That was why he decided to help him to deal with Allison.Luke’s face turned gloomy after the call ended. “Daddy, what’s wrong?” Lanie asked first. “Nothing.” Luke was not planning to tell the kids about Allison’s matter. She was their grandmother, after all. He was trying to ensure that the kids still had somewhat of a good impression of Allison. The three kids exchanged glances with each other and thought something must have 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