"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
Half an hour later, Bianca appeared in Room 6617 of Yale Hotel. When Xavier opened the door, he saw Bianca drenched to the bone. Her black hair was scattered, and she was as pale as a ghost. The expression on her face was utter despair. "I'm here. Can you let go of Nina now?" Xavier was stunned for a moment. He violently dragged Bianca into his embrace without a care for her freezing cold skin. His index fingers stroked her lips, and his eyes gazed piercingly at her. "Indeed, I was right. My wife is a loyal woman." Bianca's eyes flashed vengefully. "I'm here. Let Nina go!" "There's no rush." Xavier pinched her chin with his fingers, and his eyes took in Bianca's soaking-wet body. "I can't bear to see you cold and shivering. Be a good girl and go take a shower." Bianca walked to the bathroom like a doll without a soul, then obediently took a shower. She stepped out of the bathroom dressed only in a bathrobe. She repeated the same sentence. "Let Nina go." Wet long hair fe
Countless bruises dotted Bianca's arms. Flecks of dried blood crusted on the corners of her lips. The camera on the table was recording the scene on the bed… Luke's devastating anger was unstoppable! He kicked Xavier onto the floor and smashed the camera into bits! Xavier was dazed from the kick. Before he could retaliate, Luke picked him up from the floor and tossed him toward the wall like a piece of trash. His bones struck the wall. Judging from the sounds alone, it was incredibly painful! "How dare you touch her, Xavier?" Luke's hellish voice carried an obvious murderous intent. Jason and Bianca shuddered when they heard that. Bianca huddled her knees in a corner, forcing her tearful eyes to stay open. She was shivering from fright and from trying to fight the effects of the drug. Luke noticed Bianca's unnaturally red face. He knew that she had been drugged. Instead of bringing her away, he looked at her coldly. He was frustrated about the woman's silliness; she h
Luke walked toward the parking lot with Bianca in his arms. She lay there limply, wrapped up in Luke's windbreaker with only her head peeking out. Through the opening of the windbreaker, she could see Luke's divine facial features shrouded by an aura of hostility. It was colder than the piercing wind outside, and it made her teeth chatter. Bianca's face remained unnaturally red. She writhed uncomfortably in his arms. "Luke…" She sounded as though she was crying. She had pretended to be strong earlier, but the pretense was all but gone. Bianca did not know why she cried when she saw him, but she could not control her emotions. Her insides were burning, forming a stark contrast with the chilly weather outside. Luke's unpleasant expression made Bianca uneasy and aggrieved… He continued walking forward as he held her tightly, though he had never once lowered her head to look at her. Bianca could feel that his anger was mounting. They reached the car, and Jason carried her
Luke stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the extravagant suite. The retinal scanner identified Luke, and the custom-made intricate lock opened with a click. "Let me go, Luke…" Bianca's hoarse voice sounded seductive because of the drug's effects. She felt even worse than before, trying very hard to suppress the urge to pounce on him and forcing herself to remain sane. Luke's mouth leaned closer to Bianca's earlobe. His sinister smile grew wider. "Then you'll have to see if I'm willing to let you go." Luke carried Bianca's writhing body to a cavernous room. Countless small lights lit up automatically. They stretched from the wall up to the highest point of the dome. Soft silver light illuminated the room. What was most surprising was that the dome was made of glass. Through the thick glass panels, they could see the beautiful stars in the night sky. The moon was like a mirror, shining brightly in the night sky, adorned by innumerable stars of different sizes an
"Nggh… it hurts…" Bianca thought that she was going to be flayed by how forceful Luke's movements were. Her fair skin was turning pink. The man glared coldly at her. He wanted to remove all the traces of another man on her body! When Luke carried Bianca out of the bathtub, still choking on bathwater, her skin was like a cooked prawn. The man brought her in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. The suite was on the top floor of the hotel. Looking out of the window, Bianca could see the entire city. The city below was lustrous and dazzling, as though it was adorned by precious metals and gemstones. The scene looked like a dream. In front of the window was an exquisite recliner. Someone sitting there would be able to take in the view of the entire world outside the window. Bianca was vaguely aware of what he was doing. Her muddled brain seemed to have regained some consciousness, and she shook her head in shock. "Luke… no… not there…" Bianca was afraid that Luke would do
Bianca felt guilty when she thought about the two children. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that they were safe. Fortunately, nothing happened to them. She would forever regret it if something did. "I promise that it won't happen again," Bianca said determinedly to Faye. Faye nodded, then left the room. In any case, she was quite satisfied with the young woman. Bianca was beautiful, had a gentle personality, and was caring and considerate. Not only did she have the boss's love, but she was also the birth mother of the two children. Together, they could form a happy family in which the two children could thrive. However, as a mother, she still had a lot to learn. After Faye left, Bianca opened the box. Inside it was a set of pure white Chanel clothes. The design was modern and elegant, and the tailoring was immaculate. Bianca had seen the clothes in one of the recent fashion magazines. The clothes cost one year's worth of her salary. She could not have a
The men in the room were wincing in pain, but when they heard Gerald’s words, they were so furious they almost wanted to lash out at him. However, all their strength had been sapped by the excruciating pain, so they could only groan helplessly.As Shanks made his way upstairs, he paused halfway up the staircase and asked, “Is Luca cooking?”Gerald glanced at the kitchen and replied, “Yes, Mr. Shanks. It’s their fault. Ms. Craw was delayed in making dinner because of them.”Shanks' expression remained unchanged as he simply said, “Let me know when it's ready.”“Yes,” answered Gerald.After Shanks went upstairs, Gerald hesitated for a moment but decided to help the men to their feet, placing them one by one on the couch or chairs. As they slouched, groaning in pain, Gerald shook his head. “Do you guys now understand what happens when you mess with the wrong woman, especially Ms. Craw?”One of the men winced and asked, “Why did she have to be so brutal when throwing down?”“She
Lucius was different.He did not care about getting close to anyone, whether man or woman. Even when Hera’s attempts to seduce him were blatantly obvious, he still remained unmoved and even showed signs of rejection.Gerald could not help but marvel at Luca’s sharp observations and incisive remarks. He could not help but clap his hands lightly, genuinely impressed.“Lucius truly is exceptional,” said Gerald.Luca came downstairs.When she took the last step off the stairs, the men in the living room immediately fell silent.They held their breath as they watched the woman in front of them. Her hair was straight, not like their boss' companion.The men's gazes grew intense.Luca’s expression darkened.Gerald stood beside her and said, “See, I told you—you’re like a piece of meat dropped into a pack of wolves. Be careful.”One of the men heard Gerald and asked unhappily, “Hey, kid, what are you saying? What wolves? We’re gentlemen. We’d never dream of doing anything inappropr
When Gerald heard this, his face fell. “Huh? Ms. Craw, you're not cooking anymore?”Luca said nothing. Luke had already left with the others. She turned her gaze back before walking inside.Gerald realized that Luca had only been cooking breakfast because of Lucius. The thought puzzled him. Had they taken a liking to each other from the very start? That did not seem right.In this fast-paced modern world, even if they had, using something as old-fashioned as cooking to win someone over did not add up.Still, the timing was too coincidental to ignore. Luca started cooking for everyone when Lucius arrived, and she stopped as soon as he left. That realization gave Gerald an eerie feeling.Thinking they might have known each other back on the island, it all suddenly made sense. Of course! They must have met before. How else could this all line up so perfectly?With that thought, Gerald quickly caught up with Luca. “Ms. Craw, my cooking is terrible. Why don’t you keep doing it?”
Kassy’s eye donor was Hera, the one Abel had brought over.Even though Hera’s eyes resembled Kassy’s, they did not meet the criteria for a transplant. However, Hera’s blood type matched Kassy’s exactly.Hence, Abel decided to use Hera’s eyes. His belief was that her eyes were specifically meant for Kassy.Shanks knew he would not be able to change Abel’s mind, so he did not try. Abel’s stubbornness was something even Kassy herself could not sway.Luca remained silent for a while, not saying anything further. She understood that using a cadaver was the best option as it would not harm anyone.However, the eyes Abel wanted for Kassy were not from a cadaver. He intended to take them from Hera.Luca certainly would not participate in such a surgery. It was too cruel.“What are you thinking?” Shanks suddenly asked.Luca shook her head. “I’m just thinking about the volunteer’s situation.”“You’re wondering if this solution will be marketed, aren’t you?” Shanks suddenly asked.L
“I’m still a bit worried. Let me take a look in your room and change the dressing while I’m at it.” Luca knew Luke would not want her to worry. Therefore, she needed to see for herself that everything was fine before she could feel at ease.“Alright.” Luke knew she was worried about him, so the two of them headed into the room.He took off his shirt, revealing the bandage wrapped around his torso.Luca could not help but chuckle at the sight. The wrapping was done by Gerald, and it was hilariously sloppy. It was haphazardly bound—overly tight in some places and entirely uneven. It looked like it was just meant to cover the wounds, with no thought for neatness.“Stop laughing.” Luke was clearly rendered speechless by Gerald’s lackluster bandaging skills as well.If it were not for the fact that it was difficult to bandage himself, he would never have let Gerald do it.“With it wrapped like this, how are you supposed to sleep at night?” Luca asked as she began unwrapping the ba
Abel chuckled. His voice was low and gravelly.“Hera, let’s agree on something. Don’t use threats of leaving to manipulate me anymore, or I won’t be happy,” said Abel in a low voice.What might have sounded like a plea or a compromise came across to Hera as a veiled threat.The cool sensation of his fingers brushed against her eyelids, and she could not help but shiver. His touch felt as cold as death itself. She could not feel a trace of warmth.Her hands clenched tightly together. The tension in her grip was the only thing keeping her from trembling further.“Alright,” Hera murmured obediently.Abel withdrew his hand. Hera opened her eyes. A strange unease stirred within her. For reasons she could not quite explain, Abel’s behavior filled her with an unsettling dread…“Will you stay at the hospital with me tonight?” Hera could not help but crave some semblance of comfort.Abel frowned slightly. “Stay here with you? And what about Luca?”“You could just send her home. I onl
Luca's expression was serious, and Hera realized she was not just trying to scare her. Ignoring her warnings had already caused her to suffer once.Unwillingly, Hera sipped on the cereal. Her resentment was evident in every movement.Luca noticed it was not difficult for her to handle. She quietly sat down and ate her own bowl of cereal.Hera did not have much of an appetite.Hera took a couple of bites before growing bored. She glanced at Luca and asked, “How did you end up working for Abel?”Luca did not respond. She calmly blew on her cereal and ate in silence, showing no intention of engaging in conversation.“I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” snapped Hera.Luca lifted her gaze briefly and replied, “You should finish your cereal before it gets cold.”“I’m not even hungry.” Hera really had no appetite and was not planning to eat the cereal.“It’s still better if you eat something. Otherwise, when hunger strikes later, don’t expect me to help you,” said Luca, “I’m only he
Luke had never taken the medicine that could speed up healing, so his recovery was nowhere near as fast as the others from the Island of Despair.Luca did not respond to Gerald’s comment. Her gaze fixed on him with intensity.“No stitches,” said Luke, “I trust you.”Luca bit her lower lip.“But if you don’t stitch it, it might tear open,” insisted Gerald, staring at Luke’s wounds.Luke glanced at his injuries and shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, as though the wounds had nothing to do with Luca.“Stitches will leave scars.”“Are you afraid of scars? What kind of man doesn’t have a few scars on him? Scars are a symbol of manhood,” teased Gerald with a playful tone, “Scars show you’re reliable, that you can protect a woman.”Luke gave him a look as though he were an idiot, then his gaze shifted to Luca. “I don’t want too many scars. I’m worried my future wife might dislike them.”Luca’s heart sank at his words, but his lighthearted remark eased her sadness. Despite the severity
Luca could not help but tremble with heartache. She fought hard to resist the urge to rush forward.Everyone in the room had survived brutal training to make it out of the Island of Despair, and they could not help but shudder when they saw the scene. The sound of the whip felt like it was landing on their own bodies.Gerald closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer. It was too cruel for him to watch.The ten lashes felt like an eternity, stretching on for what seemed like a century.Luca looked at the drenched clothes on Luke. His eyes were red, and his shirt was so soaked that you could wring out the blood from it. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that the veins were bulging.Abel tossed the whip aside, looking at Luke’s disheveled state with satisfaction. He enjoyed the thrill of this bloody scene.He turned to Luca, noticing her reddened eyes, and smiled even more devilishly. “Hera is in the hospital now. You’ll go take care of her for the next few da