Percy rarely displayed such a stern expression. Luca knew that something had happened when she saw it."That’s fair." Vivian nodded in agreement with what she said.Upstairs.Percy found Luke and briefly explained the matter to him.Luke looked solemn. After he heard about Percy’s plan, he knew that Mallory Corporation would be going through a reshuffle. "Mm. Let me know if there’s anything you need my help with.""I need your help this time. You just need to stand firm on my side," Percy said. With Luke's support, Mallory Corporation would be able to turn the corner.The shareholders of Mallory Corporation would act based on their interests even if they had some respect for Old Master Mallory.The partnership with T Corporation was one of the most important income sources for Mallory Corporation and one of the important contributors to the dividends that the shareholders received."I’m definitely on your side. Hold on." Luke knew that without Percy, a lot of projects in his ha
Luca looked at the blueprint in detail.Luke has not been so committed to sketching an architectural design since the M Group bid.She could not help but be amazed at the intricate details included in the design."Mr. Crawford, this is amazing!" Luca sighed. She thought of something but did not manage to hold back in time.She was an expert in biopharmaceuticals but was praising Luke's designs... Luke would either suspect that she was an apple polisher or he might get suspicious as to how she understood architectural design. Luca looked at the man beside her anxiously."Glad to hear that you like it. I'll send it to the chief now," Luke said. However, he did not send it right away. After all, the document was so big that he needed to print it out, burn it onto a CD, and mail it to the chief.Luca smiled as Luke did not seem to realize the problem."Mr. Crawford, I’m sure that the village chief will be happy with your design," she said.Luke smiled slightly. He was in a happ
"This is a long-term investment. I’m certain no one will object. Besides, it's about time for your research to go public," Luke whispered in her ear. He was a little emotional.Luca's research was well-received after several clinical trials.The company's marketing department conducted a survey and found that if they priced it right, most medical institutions expressed interest in purchasing the drug in bulk for their patients.As such, they did not have to worry that it would not sell.Luca hummed softly. Her mind went blank as Luke approached her. "Mr. Crawford, are you sure you want to do this?""Mm, this decision is right for the company's future." Luke pressed his lips on her neck.Luca followed his movements and fell onto the bed. She went soft as she felt his tender and fiery kisses.As they rolled in the hay, no one noticed that Luca's phone lit up and then dimmed again.The night was dark, and the fiery heat that went on in their room was in stark juxtaposition with th
Luca took the elevator to her floor and walked into the assistants’ office after she clocked in.It was the first day of work after the New Year, so both Zoey and Rhett arrived at the office earlier."Dr. Craw, good morning." When Zoey saw Luca walk in, she stood up and greeted her with a slight smile."Good morning. How was your New Year?" Luca chatted with them."It's all good. It’s just for everyone to have a break. How about you, Dr. Craw?" Zoey asked. During the New Year, everyone posted on social media, even those who did not usually like to do so.Luca was the only one that Zoey did not see posting anything about the New Year on social media."It was great." Luca smiled. The past few days were her happiest days in the past three or four years."Ms. Davis, please help to inform the others that we’ll have a meeting in the conference room in about an hour." Since she was back in the office, she wanted to push forward the process of launching the drug.Luca had to launch the
Mandy walked into the apartment with a puzzled look. She saw Leia sitting on the sofa and strolled toward her, asking, "Why is your housemaid being extra careful?"“Blame those reporters who are fanning the flames!” Leia gritted her teeth angrily when she mentioned those reporters who would not stop pestering her. “Reporters? You’ve retired for quite some time, right? Why are the reporters still hounding you?” Mandy seldom read the news on the internet. That was why she did not know the news about Leia kicking Dexter. She wondered why there were reporters still trying to hound Leia when she did not have any great shows or impressive acting skills. Could it be that it was simply because she was Jack Norman’s daughter?“Don’t mention it. What an unlucky day.” Leia did not expect that kicking Dexter out of anxiety would affect her so much. Someone told her that some teachers even used her incident with Dexter as an example in educating their students, explaining that it was wrong
Leia knew that Mandy was merely Luca’s substitute.Someone like Matysh who always had women around him would not make himself feel lonely before he had Luca.Hence, Mandy became a replacement.However, she would always be a replacement. Mandy could never truly replace Luca to satisfy Matysh’s desires.After all, men who were smart enough would choose Luca. Women like Mandy were not the ones who could be good wives.In the end, if any of those wealthy men married Mandy, it must be because he was blinded by her. “If he has already put it behind him, I wouldn’t have had to send your maid away.” Mandy rolled her eyes. Leia knew exactly what she wanted to say, but she deliberately mentioned it.Was she not mocking her for not being able to win a man’s heart?"It's been quite some time since I received any messages from you. I thought he had given up on that woman. Didn't you go on a vacation with him last time? I saw that you were enjoying yourself and having fun when I saw your S
A cunning look appeared in Leia’s eyes. She could not help but wonder what Mandy had in mind, so she asked, “What is it?”Mandy smiled. She leaned closer to her and whispered in Leia’s ears. Leia's eyes lit up, and she replied, "If we're going to do it this way, I can help." “I’ll take that as a yes, then. Don’t go back on your word this time,” said Mandy. She picked up her phone, pretending to search for something, but she was actually keeping evidence. “If I don’t have to show my face but I can help him get Luca, that won’t be a problem.” Leia paused for a moment. “But will I still receive the same amount of money?”"Of course. That amount of money is just a drop in the ocean for Mr. Matysh." Mandy tapped the save button on her phone screen satisfyingly. When Mandy found out Luke was not someone who could be messed with, she was extra careful. Mandy took the evidence to prevent Leia from slandering her if their plot got exposed. It was also to prove that Leia had agreed to
The maid noticed that Leia was feeling weak. She came forward to help her up and said, “Ms. Norman, don’t be mad. I don’t intend to have the steak…”Leia pushed the maid’s hand away and snatched the packaging that contained the steak in her hands.“Ms. Leia!” The maid let out a cry as Leia stepped on her foot when she was snatching the food from her.Leia sneered at her and threw the steak into the trash bin. “You refuse to let me have it, huh?! Don’t even think of having it for yourself. Is that something people like you can afford?”The maid’s face turned pale as her foot hurt.The maid felt grievously wronged for what Leia said to her. The steak was initially for her guest. The guest had left, but she was not planning on having it. However, Leia was not allowed to have it either, and that was why she stopped her.Still, not only was Leia humiliating her, but she even intentionally stepped on her foot. The maid felt hard done by her. Leia let out a sneer when she saw the maid
“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