The bank teller exchanged glances with the security guard and nodded. “Let me withdraw the money for you now,” said the bank teller. The employees had to inform the bank in advance to withdraw such a huge amount of money. The bank teller knew that Luca was withdrawing the money for urgent use—a funeral. There was no way she could tell Luca that she had to make an appointment with the bank in advance before she could withdraw the money. Hence, she immediately helped Luca to withdraw the cash."Miss, here’s the 50,000 dollars in cash," said the bank teller.“Alright. Thank you.” Luca kept the cash in the briefcase and headed out.“Miss, let me see you off,” offered the guard. He saw Luca getting out of the car just now. Hence, he was planning to walk her to her car. It was dangerous to carry so much cash, after all.Luca got into the car as the guard saw her off. She said to Warren, “Let’s go.”“Okay, Ms. Craw.” Warren glanced at his phone message. Luke had replied to his mess
Luca stared at the flowers on the casket. The scent of the flowers was constantly stimulating her sense of smell. It made her feel like crying.Luca blinked her eyes and took her name card out of the briefcase. Then, she said, “Mrs. Wade, this is my name card. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need any help. I’m staying in A City. I have some connections here, so I should be able to help.” Luca knew she had to be responsible for the family for the rest of her lifeShe hoped that she could free herself from the Island of Despair and stay in A City for a longer time.“Alright. Thank you.” Mrs. Wade was weeping silently. Previously, someone told her to look for Luca when her mother-in-law was sick. After all, Luca had something to do with her mother-in-law being seriously ill. Hence, she should take some responsibility and pay for a portion of the medical bills. However, Mrs. Wade did not do that.Luca was not the one who sent the thief to the apartment. Hence, even though her hu
“You talk too much.” Luca took out her phone from her briefcase. "I don't have any cash. I’ll transfer the money to you.”Warren, who was standing in front of her and blocking her from the man, was slightly taken aback. Did this mean that Luca was willing to help this woman pay her debt?Did they know each other?The man turned back to the panicked middle-aged woman and smiled. "I didn't think anyone would really be willing to help you pay the money.""Cut the crap. Your Venmo.” Luca asked him to hurry up. She did not intend to discuss much with this group of people.The man pulled out his own phone and opened the Venmo app. Luca looked at Warren and said, "Take out your phone and record everything.”She was worried that the man would not acknowledge that she had transferred money to him after receiving it."Okay." Warren hurriedly took out his own phone and opened the camera, ready to record a video.Luca transferred the money. “Are you gonna let her go now?”"Let her go."
Sarah wiped a tear from her face. She looked toward the direction of Luca’s departure and said her thanks, "Thank you, Luca. If I ever get the chance, I’ll definitely return your great kindness."Inside the car.While driving, Warren asked Luca, still puzzled, “Dr. Craw, do you know a lot about that woman?""No. This is the second time I've met her." Luca shook her head.“But you still helped her, and you seemed to know that she wasn’t a gambler…” Warren murmured. He had met all kinds of people. He just needed to look at someone twice to figure out their identity and occupation.However, when it came to Sarah, he had the wrong first impression. He had assumed that the other party was a gambler who had lost all her money, went to borrow money so that she could continue gambling, and failed to pay her debts. That was why her debtors personally came to collect their money from her. “I guessed. The first time I saw Sarah, she seemed familiar. Maybe it’s because I’ve been around peop
The phone rang happily once again.Matysh glanced at the caller’s number. It was an unfamiliar number. He took the call. "Who is it?""Mr. Matysh, it's me." On the other end of the line, a familiar voice sounded.Matysh recognized this voice. It was the mob boss. “What did you call me for? Have you set things right with the police?" He wanted these people to abduct Luca and bring her over to him after dealing with their issues."Mr. Matysh, you shouldn’t think about getting that woman. I just received a piece of information. You should hurry and pack your bags, then buy a ticket back to Russia as soon as possible,” the man said."You promised me that you’d do the job for me after receiving the money! The job is not done yet, but you want me to go back to Russia!” Matysh said angrily.The man on the other end of the phone heard Matysh's reluctance and said, "It's not that we don't want to do the job, but the police are now investigating this case. The situation is quite bad. I r
"Bankrupt?" Matysh could not help but repeat and wondered if he heard it wrongly.“Yes. I’ve been digging up some information on A City’s business website. The company declared bankruptcy three years ago,” repeated the secretary.“Are you able to contact the business owner?” questioned Matysh.The secretary was confused. It had been years since they worked together. Why was he looking for him now?“Boss, I looked into some other related information on the internet after that. The news of the company going bankrupt caused a riot back then. The business owner absconded with the money. I heard that he fled abroad. I think we’ll need some time to look for that person now.” The secretary went straight to the point.The business owner who absconded with the money would not dare to use his real identity and personal information after fleeing. It would be difficult to look for him now.Matysh listened to what the secretary said and hung up the call right away.He knew even if he asked h
Gale could not help but ask with curiosity, “Boss, are you picking up someone from the airport?”“We’re going there to stop someone from leaving,” replied Luke.Gale understood at once. He knew that Luke was on a call with the police not long ago. He was probably heading to the airport to stop Matysh. “Alright, Boss. Do we need to bring more men with us?”“The police will be arresting him. We’re heading there to be onlookers.” Luke’s eyes darkened. He was not planning to get himself involved in the police’s arrest. However, if the police failed to catch Matysh, Gale and Rain could help.“Got it, Boss. I’ll have a few men arranged in front of the airport security to wait for him,” replied Gale as he immediately understood what Luke meant.Gale and Rain would follow Luke to the airport. Their main purpose was to watch them, and those men who were guarding the airport would also stop Matysh from escaping.“Okay.” Luke hung up the call.He continued to go through the document.Th
Luca nodded. She did not ask where Luke was going and replied, "Okay. I'll turn the lights on for you." “Okay. Don’t wait for me. Go to bed early,” reminded Luke. He could not stand to see her staying up late for his sake.After all, he would probably only come back home around 3:00 a.m.“What time are you heading out?” asked Luca.“Half an hour later.” Luke glanced at the time. They had to arrive at the airport earlier than Matysh. Only then they would not be discovered. They only had to wait for the police to deal with Matysh after hiding.“Yes. The weather forecast says the temperature will drop tonight. Put on a few more layers of clothes,” reminded Luca. It was colder at night. She did not know what Luke would be doing, and she had no idea if he would be staying indoors or outdoors.Hence, she reminded him to put on more layers and keep himself warm."Alright," replied Luke. How he wished Luca could ask him where he was going and what he was up to.However, she did not
“Mr. Mallory, won’t you feel guilty if something happens to Nina?” Sue did not understand why he refused to call the police.“It won’t happen.” Percy furrowed his brows as his mind raced to find a solution.Sue was even more confused. “Just because you say it won’t happen, does that mean it won’t? Yes, Madam Mallory is your mother, but Nina is also your wife. If your mother harms your wife, shouldn’t you call the police? Instead of doing that, you’re leaving her in this dangerous situation. I honestly feel sorry for Nina.”Sue had always been straightforward. She thought Percy would protect Nina for life, but seeing him defend Karen at the cost of his wife’s safety, she was deeply disappointed.She felt she was in no position to feel sorry for Nina, but she could not understand Percy’s actions.Percy furrowed his brows. Calling the police was not an option.The Mallory family could not afford this kind of turmoil.If Old Master Mallory found out that he handed his mother over to
Nina trembled when she was touched. Her whole body was shaking.Karen’s touch was icy cold, and when her hand fell on Nina’s face, it carried a chill.“Don’t hurt her!” Percy’s voice was hoarse, his anger barely concealed in his eyes.He was furious but kept reminding himself not to provoke Karen.“Hmph, look at how nervous you are.” Karen's patience wore thin. Without another word, she laid out her conditions. “If you want me to let her go, fine.”“What do you want me to do?” Percy knew the conditions she was about to propose would not be as simple as keeping her out of the psychiatric hospital.It could involve Pierre.Perhaps even the company.Even though Karen had spoken to him about the high hopes she had for him, Percy did not believe a word of it. To her, from beginning to end, the only person who mattered was Pierre.Percy was merely a tool to secure her position in the Mallory family.“See? You still care about this woman. You’ve disappointed me!” Karen glanced at Ni
“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