Luke hurried over, and before she could speak, he picked up her bandaged hand and had a look.Luca blushed.Luke's outstanding appearance immediately attracted the attention of many people."Mr. Crawford, let's go over there..." Luca pointed to a corner where no one was around.Luke took her hand and walked over with a stern expression on his face."Does it hurt?" They stood in the corner. He did not look too good as he looked at her hand that was tightly bound by gauze."It doesn't hurt anymore," Luca said. Johann's stitching skills were top-notch. There was almost no blood oozing out after the sutures."You took too big of a risk." Luke frowned. Rain had already told him about what happened on the phone.She used herself as bait to keep Jack and Queenie safe."In that situation, I had no other choice. They were coming for me. If something were to wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Norman, Iโd..." Luca paused and did not continue to speak.She thought that it was her fault for putting
โOkay.โ Luca followed the police officers to the nurseโs lounge and made a detailed statement about what happened.The police officers listened to what Luca said and wrote the statement at the same time. The victims involved in this case were Mr. Norman and Mrs. Norman, and that was why he took it seriously.In the ward.Jack had already woken up.Luke came forward and asked caringly, โDad, are you feeling better?โ"I'm a little light-headedโฆ" Jack narrowed his eyes and looked at his environment. After making sure that he was in the hospital, he recalled what happened before he passed out. When he saw Luca make herself a hostage to save Queenie, he became anxious and wanted to get out of bed right away.โDad, please lie still.โ Luke pressed the call bell.โHowโs Queenie doing? What about Luca? She became a hostage. Was she taken away by them?โ Jack asked anxiously. Queenie was his wife, and Luca was his biological daughter. How could he not be worried?โLuca is slightly injured
There was dead silence in the ward.Jack waited for a while for Luca, but she did not come in. He spoke, โLuke, can you please check on Luca to see if sheโs done giving the statement?โLuke did not move as he replied, โFather, sheโll come here after itโs done.โJack kept quiet."Luca has to make a detailed statement. That's why she's taking a long time. She's worried about you. She'll be here later," added Luke.โOkay.โ Jack closed his eyes and recalled what had happened.Leia and Luca were both their daughters. Luca tried her best to protect Jack and Queenie, while LeiaโฆJack remembered Leia screaming weirdly. It was because of Leia's scream that made him and Queenie sufferโฆLeia was hiding behind the sofa. She was safe. However, judging from the way she screamed and how she caught those menโs attention, it seemed like she did it on purpose...โThe security alarm went off when that happened,โ said Jack. To make sure that the alarm system would still work when there was no ele
Leia had no choice but to stay in the general ward at the Department of Hepatobiliary.However, Leia had no idea about Jackโs and Queenieโs current conditions.Leia could not help but hope that Jack and Queenie had injured their brains and were suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage. It would be better if something else happened to them. She wanted the two of them to experience how it felt like to be in pain from sickness.Still, she could not find out anything while staying in the general ward. No one informed her about her parentsโ condition either. Johann turned a deaf ear to her questions whenever she asked him.It was as though everything about Jack and Queenie was kept in the dark from her. There was nothing Leia could do. She could only come upstairs and claim that she wanted to visit them to find out how they were doing. However, she did not expect to be stopped the moment she stepped out of the elevator.The head nurse was left with no choice. Leia was known for her bad b
When Luca heard Jack say it was the misfortune of the family, Luca pursed her lips. She held a grudge against Leia. Everything pointed to LeiaโฆโMr. Norman, say no more. Get some rest. Iโll be here,โ said Luca.Jack continued, โLuca, youโre injured too. You donโt have to stay here. Ask Luke to find us a caretaker. You have to take care of yourself too.โLuca felt a lump in her throat, and she could not help but choke with sobs. โDonโt worry, Mr. Crawford has everything arranged. The caretaker will be coming soon.โ Jack blinked his eyes and slowly closed them.Johann was worried that the concussion would cause some discomfort, so he added some painkillers to the IV drip.Luca glanced at the two IV fluid bags. They were running out of liquid. Thus, she pressed the call bell.The head nurse walked into the ward and asked, โWhatโs wrong with the patients?โโThe IV fluids are running out.โ Luca pointed at the two IV fluid bags beside both beds.The head nurse walked toward Jackโ
โTell them to cooperate with the police officers. Iโll ask Gale to head to the crime scene,โ said Luke.Although all his subordinates had undergone special training before, Rain and Gale were more professional when it came to handling matters and investigating. There was a higher chance to find out something if he sent Gale to look into the case.โGot it, Boss,โ replied Rain.After Luke ended the call, he walked back toward the ward. He headed to the ward after he threw the lunch boxes in the trash bin along the hallway.Queenie had already woken up.Luca sat by her bedside and listened to her as she talked.Queenieโs speech was slurred due to the concussion, but she was able to speak fluently. There was nothing wrong with her sentences. She was probably talking about Luca being injured and how she felt sorry for her.Luca felt suffocated when she heard that. It was she who made the couple suffer, but the two of them apologized to her when they woke up."Mrs. Norman, rest wel
After the caretaker left the ward, Luca and Luke sat on the sofa, keeping Jack and Queenie company.Luke held his phone and got busy handling the companyโs matters. Even though he was not in the office now, there were piles of documents that he had to review. Jason sent him the electronic version of the documents to him. Then, Jason worked together with Luke to handle the documents through a virtual meeting while Jason remained at the office. Luca knew Luke was busy attending to the company's matters. That was why she did not disturb him.She looked down as she tried to figure out everything that happened today. If it were not for Leia, her biological parents would not have gotten injured. Even if the police officers could not figure out what happened, she would not let Leia get away with it easily.Luca looked at the thick bandage around her hand. Matysh was another person whom Luca would not let get away easily eitherโฆIf Matyshโs men had only injured her, she would wait for
Mandy stood straight and looked at how hilarious Matysh looked when he was so desperate to get Luca. Lust was destructive to men. Matysh thought he had everything under his control when, in fact, he would only be getting himself killed by a woman. Luca was the one who would get him killed.She was in the same boatโฆMandy sneered. "Matysh, if you're going to prison with me, which one of us is going to suffer a much greater loss?"Matysh glared at her and asked, โWhat are you up to?โMandy picked up her phone on the floor with a cold expression on her face. Her phone was protected by the phone cover. It was still fine after being thrown on the floor. She turned on her phone, pressed the button, and showed Matysh her phone screen. "This is the voice recording of you discussing with those men how to kidnap Luca and how you wanted me to cooperate with you. If this recording falls into the police's hands, you're definitely going to prison. Think about it. I've got nothing to lose. Go
โAs long as he stays out of your sight, I wonโt make a move,โ said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Lukeโs 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.โAlright, Ray. Just let it go. Iโve moved on and started a new life. Plus, Iโm studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, weโll just be strangers. Thereโs no need to step in for me or act impulsively.โ Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.โIs it the clothes delivery?โ asked Ray.โNo, 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,โ Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.โMiss, is the boss alright?โ asked one of Rayโs subordinates.โHeโs fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, โCan you walk me through your plan?โโThe prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. Iโve 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 facilityโs underground pipes donโt 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.โThis whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why Iโm confident itโll work.โ As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. โHereโs 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 Abelโs people.โAbelโs 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 Gordanโs current behavior quite intriguing.โLuke, whatโs with that look?โ Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.โYou seem pretty concerned about Vivian,โ Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. โWhat? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, donโt say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.โLuke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. โWhy are you here?โโSpeaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.โ Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. โMan, Ray really didnโt hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.โLuke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. โUnlock it.โโAll set, boss.โ 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.Gordanโs furious curses rang out. โDamn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?โAnother 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.โEnough!โ shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.โVivian, stay out of this. Iโm beating him to a pulp today,โ growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.โRay, I donโt want to see him,โ 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.โFine. If you donโt want to see him, Iโll 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.โRay, this apple is really good. Want to try one?โ asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. โYou go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?โVivian nodded. โI only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.โRay walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.โYou didn't bring any food with you?โ asked Ray.โI havenโt 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.โ Vivianโs tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.โThat's true.โ Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. โAlright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, weโll still need your help.โโFor toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Donโt worry, if I can help, I definitely will,โ Luca assured him.โAlright, thank you.โ Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, โIf Vivian was really poisoned, donโt 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 didnโt take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If itโs something she can fix, sheโll do everything she can.โBesides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?โโYes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. โMs. Sanchez, what's wrong?โHe 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. โI thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And youโre acting all deferential to her over this?โGerald was rendered speechless. โI knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand Iโm used to. Maybe itโs not expensive to you, but for me, itโs what I can afford.โRealizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. โStill, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?โโItโs not about the money,โ replied Gerald. โIt'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.โHe was ba
Lucaโs lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Lukeโs 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.โฆThe two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, โHello, Mr. Crawford.โโVivian, donโt worry. Everything will get better,โ replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Lucaโs 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, โVivian, theyโre your friends. You donโt have to act this way around them. They wonโt judge you.โโI know they wonโtโฆโ Vivian let out a soft sigh. โI just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didnโt want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But itโ
โI once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivianโs. 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.โCould it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.โโIf she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?โ asked Ray.Luca shook her head.โThe poison Iโve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victimโs skin dark. I donโt 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 canโt be sure whatโs really causing Vivianโs condition.โIs her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a