“Okay…” Tommy did not continue to pester her when he noticed that Vivian seemed to be fine.Vivian liked Tommy so much. She pinched his chubby little face.Tommy waved his hand and said, “Ms. Vivian, if anyone bullies you, you must tell me. I’ll beat them up for you!”"Okay. If someone bullies me, you'll beat them up for me, okay?" Vivian held Tommy's hand.Tommy nodded vigorously. “Okay. I’m going to the kitchen to check on Aunt Neile and see if dinner’s ready.” Luca saw how close Tommy and Vivian were. She smiled and headed to the kitchen.Aunt Neile was about to serve the soup on the dining table. She asked Luca when she saw her coming in. “Ms. Craw, is Mr. Crawford working overtime again today?”Aunt Neile made a guess when she saw that Luke had yet to come back.“Yes. I forgot to inform you just now,” Luca replied embarrassedly. She was supposed to tell Aunt Neile about it, but she hurried upstairs to look for Vivian when she came back and forgot about it.“It’s alright.
If they were really forced to separate from each other, she would go against her will for Percy’s sake no matter how reluctant she was.Percy was born into a wealthy family. Nina thought Percy should not give up his future for her.That was why Nina had made up her mind after Old Master Mallory held the press conference.If Percy eventually had to face so many enemies alone, Nina would take the initiative to leave him and return him to the Mallory family.Nina loved him, and she knew she was unwilling to see Percy suffer for the choice he made.“You take up every corner of my life,” said Percy with affection in his eyes. They had already registered their marriage. Percy only had to wait until he had finished dealing with Mallory Corporation’s matter, then he would be able to fulfill his promise and hold a grand wedding for Nina. When the time came, Percy would announce to the world that the woman he chose to become his wife was Nina. He was the one who got to decide who his
“If it weren’t for that b*tch who seduced him, would he be so busy? Old Master Mallory has made a move to deal with him, but he still refuses to give in. Well, I can see that he doesn’t care about the Mallory family, and he doesn’t care about me either!” Madam Mallory clenched the blanket. Anger rose in her as Nina’s face came across her mind. Such an ordinary woman could make Percy fall so deeply in love with her.Madam Mallory wondered where Nina learned those seduction techniques from. She could make Percy fall head over heels for her. Not only was Percy in love with her, but it seemed like Pierre was crazy over her too.She was just a woman!Those women Madam Mallory had arranged for the brothers were much better in terms of looks, figures, family background, and education. Nina was nothing compared to them!If Percy still cared about his family, he would have visited her when she got discharged from the hospital.He did not come to visit her, and he did not even call her!
Pierre quickly concealed his feelings, nodded, and replied, "Mom, don't worry. I'll do as I'm told."Madam Mallory was still worried about it at the thought of Pierre pursuing Nina back then. She thought it would be inappropriate to mention it directly, so she had no choice but to say, “Pierre, go over to the Chamberlain family’s place to have a meal with their daughter,” said Madam Mallory. She immediately picked up her phone, thinking of contacting the Chamberlains.Before the New Year, Madam Mallory intended to arrange a marriage for Pierre. It was to pave the way for Pierre’s future."Mom, I'm busy with the shareholder’s meeting." Pierre knew what Madam Mallory had in mind. Although the Chamberlain family did not have many assets in A City, they were one of the top asset holders in M City.Besides, Pierre had heard the news that the Chamberlain family was planning to move their assets to A City. After they moved all their assets here, their social status in A City would grow hi
Pierre frowned and said, “Don’t bother about it. I’m going to the office tomorrow. I’ll put on a suit and a tie.”“No. Only women understand what a woman wants and what a woman likes. Just listen to me,” said Madam Mallory as she walked toward Pierre’s dressing room.Pierre could see how worried Madam Mallory was. He leaned against the door and let her pick his outfit for him.Madam Mallory opened the wardrobe door and frowned. What came into her sight were not rows of expensive customized suits but lots of leather clothing and striking colors of collared shirts. Pierre used to love wearing these back then. It matched his high-profile personality, but they were unsuitable for him now. Madam Mallory said disdainfully, “Oh dear, look at these. You’re the future CEO of Mallory Corporation. Throw these away.” “It’s a waste to throw them away. Just leave them there,” Pierre replied lazily. He spent a lot of money to buy these imported clothes.Previously, when he went drag racing wi
What Aunt Neile said was exactly what Luca had in mind.She was right. Luke was working too hard. Even though Luke was healthy and strong now, if he continued to work like this, his body would not be able to take it. Although he was still young, the nights he stayed up to work would damage his health and have him end up falling sick when he got older. Something suddenly came into Luca’s mind, and she said, “Aunt Neile, I’ll write down a few diet plans for you later. Why don’t you make the food according to them for Mr. Crawford when he has dinner at home?” "Diet plans? Ms. Craw, is something wrong with Mr. Crawford's health?" Aunt Neile asked anxiously. Aunt Neile knew Luca studied naturopathy, so after she heard Luca mention diet plans, she panicked as she was worried Luke was having some health issues.Luca shook her head and replied, “Mr. Crawford is healthy. I just think that he should take special care of his diet since he’s been working so hard. That way, his health won’t
Mo was already used to Luca’s cold treatment, so she took the initiative to ask, “Dr. Craw, was the person who sent you here just now your boyfriend?”Based on her previous observations, the car Luca came in today was not the one she usually used.She could tell from the car plate alone that the car she usually used was Luke’s car, but the car she came in today was more common, and so was the car plate. Mo guessed that it was not Luke’s car.If it were not Luke’s car, it would be worth finding out the identity of the person who sent her to work.Luca glanced at the descending number shown on the elevator panel and said indifferently, “Ms. Stone, do you sit in the backseat of your boyfriend’s car?”“Of course not, I’ll be in the passenger seat…” Mo stopped in her tracks when she understood what she was trying to imply.If it were not her boyfriend’s car, did she take a taxi?It seemed like she was thinking too much.She did not stand in the doorway just now, and there was quite
“Sort of.” Luca nodded and sat down on a chair.When the other two researchers heard her, they started gathering around her. “Dr. Craw, you’re brilliant. It’s only been a while, but you’ve already got a sample. Is this the next research project for our team?”“If it goes well, perhaps…” Luca was overwhelmed with questions. She knew that there would be people she recognized in the laboratory, but she did not expect them to be so curious.“That’s awesome!” The researcher exclaimed at how fast she was, so she continued to ask, “Dr. Craw, can you tell us what this research is about?”“I’ll have to keep that confidential for now. I don’t have high hopes for this experiment either. You all can hurry up with your experiments. I believe that I’ll be able to apply for a new research project soon, so everyone will be busy by then,” Luca hinted that they should seize the opportunity and time now as they would be busy in the future.The researchers looked at the liquid in the sample and said
“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