“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.
“I’ll get changed later,” replied Luke. He would always put his principles and habits aside in front of her. What mattered was that she was happy.Luca placed the chicken wings in front of him and asked, “Do you know how to cut small crosswise slits?”“Huh?” Luke seldom entered the kitchen. He did not know how to cook either. It was his first time hearing the words she said. Luca picked up one of the chicken wings and a knife. Then, she cut small crosswise slits on the front and back of the chicken wing and said, “Something like this. It’ll let the marinade cover more of the surface of the meat.”“Easy.” Luke took the knife from Luca and began to do his job seriously.Luca watched Luke cut the slits on the chicken wing. After making sure he had no problem with it, she started cleaning the beef ribs and marinating them.It was supposed to take around an hour to finish marinating the ingredients, but Luca was able to finish it in half an hour with Luke’s help.Luca let out a si
Luke sat on the sofa and shot him a cold glance.Percy was still showing off to him that he and Nina were officially married. It was clearly an act of provocation.Luke was very unhappy with that. "Mr. Crawford, you should do what a host should do. You weren't thinking of letting Dr. Craw help me, right? The suitcases are quite heavy." Percy smiled and looked at him with that scheming look on his face.Of course, Luke would not let Luca do such things. He immediately stood up and said, “I’ll do it.”Percy picked up two suitcases and said, “As your friend, I’m thoughtful enough to carry the heavy ones for you. You can carry the lighter ones.” Luke picked up the rest of the suitcases. The suitcases were not that heavy either. Hence, it was easy for him to pick them up.Percy turned to look at him and said, “Let’s go. Lead the way.”Luke headed upstairs without saying a word.Nina watched the two of them make their way up the stairs until they went out of sight. Then, she looke
Percy turned to look at Luca worriedly and said, “Dr. Craw, is she alright?” “It’s not a big deal. That’s what white-collar workers face these days. If she nurses her health, nothing bad is going to happen to her.” Luca knew what Nina was thinking about. Hence, she helped Nina to conceal it.Percy let out a sigh of relief. He held Nina’s hands and said in a low voice, “It’s my fault. I didn’t take good care of you.”Nina shook her head. She could not blame him for that.If she were to blame someone, she only had herself to blame. She did not take good care of herself back then, and that was why she had health issues now.Fortunately, Luca said her health could be nursed. Nina was no longer afraid.Luke looked at the two of them. He cleared his throat and reminded them that they were not in a private space now.Nina’s face reddened. She withdrew her hands and said, “Besides, Luca gave me a prescription. My health will recover after I take the medicine.”“That’s great.” Percy se
Fortunately, there was a person like him in Nina’s life to soothe her pain and drive away the shadows in her life. Living a life like this was not that bad.Nina was an easily satisfied person. It was enough for her as long as she could spend the rest of her life with Percy and live in peace.Luca looked at the blissful smile on Nina’s face, and she could not help but smile too.She hoped Nina could live happily forever.Luca had this feeling that even though Nina was already married to Percy, their together would not be an easy road. Nina must continue to live happily.The two of them talked about other stuff and chatted with each other for a while.Two hours later, Tommy ran downstairs looking for them. He grabbed Luca's hand with one of his hands while he took Nina's hand with another hand. He said helplessly, "Ms. Luca, Ms. Nina, hurry up upstairs. Daddy and Mr. Percy are about to fight."Luca raised her brows. Were Luke and Percy fighting with each other? She refused to
Nina smacked her tongue. She could not help but mumble, “The two of them are truly prodigal.”"Wine is meant to be drunk. Of course, it’s perfect to enjoy a glass of good wine during happy times. Besides, Mr. Crawford and Mr. Mallory are people who can afford the wine," said Luca with a smile. She shot a glance at Otto and nodded at him.Otto nodded and left.Nina could not help but exclaim, “That makes sense.” "Are you worried that there’ll be a dent in Mr. Mallory’s wallet?” Luca could not help but tease her. She picked up the cattail leaf fan and fanned the grill so that the charcoal could burn evenly.Luca turned on the ventilating fan in the gazebo too. It was to prevent the concentration of carbon monoxide from getting too high.Luca would not have chosen a charcoal grill if it were not for the kids who wanted to try the traditional way of barbecuing.Nina blushed. She immediately shook her head and said, “No. Stop talking nonsense.”"You're blushing. Even so, you're Mrs
Luca heard what Luke said and turned to look at him. Her heart skipped a beat as she asked, “Mr. Crawford, are you going to scope out the location tomorrow?”"Yes. I'll try my best to come up with a design," said Luke as he spread a layer of BBQ sauce on the grilled meat."Do you mind taking me along with you when you're going there? I'm interested in such things," said Luca. Although she had learned many things over the past few years, it seemed like architectural design was still her favorite. She would like to participate in the process of designing the ancestral hall.Even though she could not show that she knew architectural design in front of Luke, at least she could show that she was interested in it.“Sure.” Luke agreed to it. Then, he turned around to look at Percy and Nina, “Mrs. Mallory, do you have any plans tomorrow?”Luke addressing Nina as ‘Mrs. Mallory’ made Nina’s face turn red again. It took a while for the redness on her cheek to go away.Although she had alr
“I’m giving you the chance to learn how to take care of the kids,” explained Luke.Percy and Nina were married. The two of them would have a baby soon.It finally dawned on Percy. He nodded and looked at Nina while pretending to put on a stern expression. He said, "Looks like we've got a lot to learn.""We haven't even held a wedding ceremony. Don't even think of it," Nina smiled and pretended to reject him.It did not matter to her whether Percy held a wedding ceremony for her or not. She once imagined herself putting on a wedding dress to marry the man she loved when she was in high school back then.However, she realized that it was difficult for them to hold a wedding ceremony. That was why she would not expect too much as long as she could stand beside him legitimately. She was already satisfied with that. “We’ll hold a wedding ceremony after the New Year,” Percy promised her. Although the Mallory family did not allow them to be together, Percy could still hold a wedding ce
“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