“Forget it, then. It’ll be hard for them to learn if they don’t have the basic knowledge.” Percy did not expect to hit a wall while practicing with Luke’s children.“Mr. Percy, I understand it,” Lanie tilted his head up and said.Percy blinked and could not believe what he had just heard. “Didn’t you say you haven’t learned it yet?”“I just learned it,” Lanie said frankly.“Mr. Percy, don’t underestimate Lanie. He’s really smart. Rainie’s math is very good too,” Tommy said proudly as he recalled Percy’s words, saying that they could not learn it because the problems were too hard.Rainie put down the pencil and said, “Mr. Percy, I’ve solved it too.”“You too…” Percy looked at Luke.Luke said boastfully, “They’re my children.”“Pfft, let me take a look.” Percy picked up the children’s books and looked at their solutions.Lanie’s solution was relatively straightforward like the one in the textbook, but without prior knowledge of the topic, there was no way he could solve the pro
He liked Luca’s cooking despite being an adult.Tommy was just a child, so of course, he would like it too.Luca saw how much he liked it, so she picked up a new spoon and scooped some more into his bowl.“That’s enough for me,” said Luke.“These are the leftovers.” Luca considered Luke’s large appetite and made a bigger portion specially for him.A smile appeared on his face while he ate contentedly.After having two small bowls of pasta, she could not finish the rest.Luke made sure that she could not eat anymore before he took the bowl and cleaned it off.Only then did he take a satisfying sip of water from the cup at the side. “This pasta is even better than the meal this afternoon.”“Some of the dishes in the restaurant this afternoon were not bad. We should bring the kids there when we have the chance.” Luca suggested. Brian‘s recommendation was great, but Luke missed out on a number of dishes because of his mysophobia.“Sure,” Luke agreed.He could not miss out on goo
Luca was filled with disgust after hearing Allison’s words.Luke despised her to this extent, yet words like this could still come out of her mouth.What lover…If she had not been kidnapped, she would still be Luke’s wife.Allison noticed that she did not say anything, so she shouted, “Where’s Luke? Put him on the phone.”“Ms. Tanner, Mr. Crawford is busy right now.” Luca did not mention that Luke was in the shower as that would be too ambiguous.“It’s the holidays. What could he possibly be busy with? Tell him to answer the phone.” Allison was rather aggressive. She might be a little afraid of Luke, but she was not afraid of Luca at all.She reckoned that Luca would want to get on her good side after becoming Luke’s lover.Luca could not do anything with Allison. She knew that she would call non-stop if she hung up, so she had no choice but to say, “Mr. Crawford is really not available right now. I’ll let him know when he’s done and have him call you back, okay?”Allison did
“Luca…” Luke whispered in her ear, and an enchanting melody circled in the air.Luca felt like she was going to melt from his passion.“Mr. Crawford, I…” Her voice was hoarse, and her mind went blank. She had completely forgotten what she wanted to say, and she could only feel her legs go limp. Then, she and Luke both fell onto the bed.The mattress was soft, so it did not hurt. The surrounding temperature kept rising as Luke’s kiss grew deeper and deeper.Luca gave up struggling and sank in with him…The night grew darker.Some were in love, and some were exasperated.Allison threw her phone onto the sofa and paced back and forth in front of the coffee table.“Ms. Allison, if the call can’t go through, then stop calling. Mr. Crawford may be busy right now,” Sophian advised her kindly after seeing the state she was in.Allison crossed both her arms in front of her, and the wrinkles on her face deepened with anger. It made her look even more terrifying. “He hung up on me for th
Jason felt a tingling feeling on his scalp when he heard what Allison said.Her commanding tone was the same as before.He did not agree to her request right away but instead asked her, "Ms. Tanner, is there any reason you’re looking for the boss so urgently?"Allison did not want to tell him that someone scammed her out of all of her money. After all, Jason had a decent relationship with Luke. She said with a firm tone, "It's none of your business. It’s something important, so tell him to give me a call now."Jason was not that stupid to ask her why she needed him to relay the message.From what he knew of Luke's temperament, he would not be bothered to talk to Allison if he could block her number.What was more, Allison would never reach out to Luke through him. She would only reach out to him every time she could not get in contact with Luke.Jason glanced at Sue, who was next to him. She rolled over as if their conversation miffed her.He lifted the blanket, got out of bed,
Luke got out of bed lightly to not wake Luca.However, while he was washing up in the bathroom, Luca opened her eyes when she heard the sound of water.She picked up the phone on the bedside table, glanced at the time, and then put the phone down.It was still early.Luca remembered that she had promised to prepare breakfast for the children, so she immediately sat up.The discomfort came instantly.Even the previous time when Luke was drugged, he seemed to have restrained himself and did not go too far.However, this time, Luke was in a sober state but acted recklessly with her. She could not say no and eventually fell asleep.She did not know when she fell asleep, but when she opened her eyes, the sun had already risen.Luca looked out the window. Although there was a day curtain to block it, the faint sunlight that shone into the room showed that the weather was great.After a few days of snow, they finally got a day of good weather. Luke came out of the bathroom. He ste
Luca saw how happy Nina seemed. ‘People will be in good spirits when they’re happy.’She nodded and said, "Yes, I promised the kids yesterday, so I have to honor it."Nina heard the faint hoarseness in her voice and immediately noticed her exhausted demeanor. She quickly asked, "Luca, did you catch a cold? Your voice is a little hoarse...""No, I’m just tired from working yesterday." Luca made up a random excuse.‘My voice is hoarse all because of Luke…’"No wonder. You must have been tired from being an assistant yesterday. You’re so tired but still insist on making breakfast for the children. Why don't you take a break..." Nina followed her into the kitchen.Luca touched her face. ‘Do I look that bad…’She did not pay much attention when she was washing up."It was snowing lightly yesterday and I stood outside for a long time. I was sitting and working most of the time, so it’s normal that I feel a little tired," Luca explained in a casual tone.Nina nodded in agreement."M
Percy knew how determined he was and opted to support him. "I’ll help you with anything you need.""Let’s go in," Luke said. His head felt clearer after being out in the cold for so long.Since he had determined his next step, Luke had to double his efforts to get Luca back to his side.The two brought some cold wind with them as they walked into the living room on the second floor. After Percy closed the door, he could not help but complain, "I’m lacking training."When he went under special training, he was forced to wear a singlet as he did various drills in the snow. At that time, he did not feel cold at all.Now, he was unable to bear the cold when he stood outside on the balcony for a while.Luke gave him a cool look and reminded him, "You’re weak.""Nonsense, I'm not weak at all. If you don't believe me, ask Nina." Percy corrected him sternly since it was a matter involving his male ego. "I’m sure Nina will protect your ego, but to be honest, if you feel weak, you can a
“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