Meanwhile, Nina followed Xavier and the woman in his arms into the hotel and watched them enter the elevator. The high-class hotel prioritizes the privacy of its customers. To ensure that she could capture video evidence of Xavier's affair, she had to pretend to be a customer and pay a hefty amount of money to stay in the room next to them. When Nina went into the elevator and swiped the access card, a drunken man stumbled into the elevator at the same time. The drunkard was tall and burly. He wore a black baseball cap which obscured his face. He was heavily intoxicated, and his body fell on Nina. Nina was livid and kicked him away. "Ding!" The elevator arrived at Nina's floor. Nina quickly stepped out of the elevator, but the drunkard grabbed onto the hem of her shirt and did not let her go. He kept calling her "Hey, chick," and tried to fondle her breasts. Nina was about to blow her top because of the drunkard's antics. In a fit of rage, she hooked the drunkard's elbow
The suspicion in Bianca's heart grew stronger as she neared the room… Her heart was beating faster and faster, though she forced herself to be calm. She knocked the door twice out of courtesy, and she heard a low and familiar male voice coming from inside. "Come in." She pushed open the door and smelled a strong scent of cigarettes which made her even more nervous. Looking around the room, she did not see Nina inside. Just when she was about to turn around and leave, a hand pulled her into the room from behind, and the door closed with a bang. Alarm bells rang in Bianca's heart when she saw Xavier! She did not know what was going on. "Did you send the message using Bianca's phone, Xavier? What do you want?" She asked angrily. Xavier cackled ominously. He gripped Bianca's chin and wanted to force a kiss on her. Bianca was not going to yield. She reflexively slapped him, but he caught her wrist in time. Xavier appreciated Bianca's body with his eyes. He kneaded her fair
Bianca was trembling with rage. She tried her best to suppress her feelings and managed to calm herself down. "Don't involve other people in our matters, Xavier. Nina is innocent. I hope that you can let her go." Bianca forced herself to be calm, but she found that she could not be calm at all. Xavier stubbed out his cigarette and looked into her eyes. "That'll be easy, Bianca. I don't want the divorce." "Xavier Tanner, you despicable man!" Bianca wanted to tear him into a thousand pieces. "It's not like you don't know me. I'm willing to do anything as long as I achieve my ends!" Xavier was not embarrassed by Bianca's reproach. Instead, that piqued his interest. "The man in the video is Pierre Mallory, the Second Young Master of the Mallory family. You should have heard about the Mallory family, right? Pierre is a vicious one. He always repays his grudges no matter how small they may be. If you're lucky, you might survive after losing a hand or a foot. If you're not, you'll b
Bianca was visibly surprised when she saw Walter sitting on the couch. Walter was dressed in a fitting business suit and wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his face. He looked diligent and capable like a societal elite. "Good morning, Ms. Rayne." He smiled and greeted Bianca. Rainie ran to Bianca's side when she saw her and twirled around happily. "Look, Mommy. Uncle Walter gave me this hairband. Doesn't it look nice?" Bianca's troubles were not relieved by the little girl's cheerful laughter. She picked up Rainie in her arms and squeezed a smile. "It looks nice. You're the nicest little girl in the whole world," she said. The little girl's laughter echoed in the living room. Rainie kissed Bianca on the cheek and said, "I love Mommy the most!" Lanie was sitting on the couch, channel surfing with the remote control in his hand. He rolled his eyes toward his sister's childish actions. 'How vain,' he thought. It was the first time Walter had seen the two children int
Allison glanced at Bianca with disgust, walking into the living room, and tossed the expensive LV handbag on the couch as though she was in her own house. Her gaze swept over the living room like a radar. She did not see Luke anywhere. Then, she went into the bathroom to search for clues. Bianca stepped unhappily in front of her. "What are you doing here? What do you want?" Allison saw a pair of men's slippers and two child-sized slippers next to the shower. She almost blew her top! She pointed at Bianca's face and started to yell. "Is it fun being a seductress? How shameless can you be, Bianca? You're now Xavier's wife, so what are you doing with my son? Not only have you taken hold of him, but you're also not showing my grandchildren any mercy! I was wondering why I haven't seen Luke and my two good grandchildren in the house. So they're with you. Is there any other woman in this world that's as shameless as you?" Bianca was trembling after hearing Allison's harsh words.
Allison took a deep breath. She did not want to throw a tantrum in front of her grandchildren. "Don't be deceived by this woman, my babies. She's a wicked woman, a seductress with a black heart. Be good children and follow your Grandma home. Your Great-Grandpa misses you…" Bianca could feel her heart being torn into pieces. Allison had said that about her in front of her children. She was about to speak when Lanie suddenly turned around. "You've become prettier, Grandma. I hope that you won't be angry or lose your temper. My teacher said that you'll be ugly if you're always angry. I hope that you'll be forever pretty, Grandma," Rainie said as she diligently massaged Allison's legs. Allison laughed when she heard Rainie's words. She enjoyed the special treatment, and her tone of voice became gentler. "You're such a charmer. Have you been eating sweets?" Rainie counted on her cute little fingers. "One, two three… hmm, I can't remember how many sweets I've eaten, but it was a lo
"P… Please give us another chance to correct ourselves, Mr. Crawford! We promise that it won't ever happen again!" Cold sweat poured from Mr. Smith's forehead when Luke glared at him. He hoped that Luke would give him another chance. However, Mr. Robel's eyes flashed with disdain. He was a nationalistic man, and he did not believe that the foreigner would do anything drastic to them! Moreover, not only was he the general manager, but he was also the head chef. His culinary skills were top-notch. Regal would stand to lose a lot without him! Out of everyone's expectations, Luke said, "I apologize, Mr. Robel, but Regal has no further need for your services. You can clear your desk and leave." "What? I've toiled for Regal for the past three years, and this is what I get? How dare you fire me, you filthy foreigner?" Mr. Robel was livid. He stood up abruptly, slammed the conference table, and swore at Luke. The other members of the higher management dared not speak a word. 'W
On the other side of the world, Leia found Xavier in the bar. He was drunk, and she dragged him away from the pile of drunkards. "What's wrong with you? I thought that you have a certain way with women? Has it all gone to the dogs? You can't even handle just one Bianca!" Leia snatched Xavier's wine glass and tossed it carelessly on the floor. Xavier's eyes flashed with hostility. "Get lost! You don't have to interfere with my personal business!" Leia was dumbfounded. As Jack Norman's daughter, no one had dared to speak to her with that tone. She wanted to teach Xavier a lesson, but she remembered the reason she was there. "I'm not here to pick a fight with you, Xavier. You love Bianca, right? Why aren't you out there pursuing her, but instead drinking your brains away?" Earlier, Allison had given her a call and invited her to go shopping together. Leia agreed to the invitation because she wanted to gain Allison's favor. Unexpectedly, Allison complained to her that Bianca
“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