“Send the children there?” Luca was surprised as she had never heard him mention this.She looked back and forth between Luke and the computer and started to feel that the phone call last night must not be good news.“It’s just a week, and I’ve already told Mr. Griffin. Mr. Zander has other plans today, so you’re the only person I can ask,” said Luke as he could not leave.He had so much left to do.“Alright, I’ll send the kids over when they wake up,” Luca knew that she could not offer to take care of the children herself, so she complied with his request.“The maids will also work there, so I can have them drive if you don’t want to,” said Luke.“I can.” Luca shook her head slightly. Now that Matysh had been arrested, no one would follow her on the road.Luke looked at her legs.The length of Luca’s pants was up to her ankles, so he could not see how the wound was looking.“How’s your ankle wound?” he asked.Luca looked down at her feet and lifted her pants slightly. “The b
"It’s okay," replied Luca. Luca and the maid proceeded to serve breakfast on the table. She then took her seat where she waited for her kids to finish their morning routine.Upstairs, Aunt Neile had delivered breakfast to Luke’s bedroom and awoken the kids. After, she reminded them that they would be going to Crawford manor today before she then made her way downstairs.“Ms. Craw, the kids are packing their stuff now. They’ll be coming down soon,” reported Aunt Neile. The kids did not say much about their return to Crawford manor, but they made sure to pack their homework, stationery, and textbooks before heading out.Everything else they needed was already available at Crawford manor.Luke had made sure to ready the kids’ uniforms and other essentials at Crawford manor in hopes that it would make their move easier. Therefore, the kids did not have to bring many things along with them."Okay," nodded Luca. She then picked up the newspaper while waiting for the kids to join her fo
Luca's fingers slightly curled. Wanda was currently still in the hospital. She did not tell Old Master Rayne about it.That was why he believed that Wanda was traveling.Meanwhile, Luca was worried that Old Master Rayne would sense something was wrong. She felt guilty for not accompanying him at the Rayne family house.He needed someone to keep him company now. Yet as his granddaughter, she could not even be the one to do that, and she even lied to him…"What's the matter?" asled Old Master Crawford, noticing Luca fall silent. "It's nothing. It just kind of reminded me of Ms. Rayne’s illness. But I heard Dr. Park say that the breast cancer specialist has arrived in A City to consult Ms. Rayne. Her condition currently seems fit for surgery. So, they’re planning to perform the surgery soon in the next few days. She should be able to go home immediately after the surgery,” rambled Luca before snapping out of her thoughts.Luca had been keeping tabs on Wanda's condition, always a
"Yes, sir," nodded Mr. Griffin. He then walked to the video doorbell camera, and opened the door for the two men waiting outside the door.As Old Master Bourne's chauffeur drove into the Crawford family's parking lot, Luca prepared to get into her car. Luca shot a glance at the driving vehicle, and knew immediately who Old Master Bourne was. Although his descendants hardly had any connections with Luke, they were an old friend of the Crawford family. She cooperated with Old Master Bourne's company on two projects when Luke was kidnapped by the Island of Despair back then.Their cooperation went smoothly.However, rumor has it that Old Master Bourne's descendants were not as adept at managing business. That was why Old Master Bourne was still dealing with some of the important tasks in the company even at his age. It was Old Master Bourne who dealt with her when they were discussed their cooperation.Luca remembered her first impression of Old Master Bourne. He was a man who a
Old Master Bourne was not anxious to bring up Lonnie’s matter. He lifted the teacup and took a sip. "How is it?" asked Old Master Crawford. The tea they served was of good quality. Yet, it was not time for the impending topic of conversation just yet."It’s good. It has a clear and refreshing taste that can't be compared to old tea. The flavor of the tea leaves is good. Crawford, which tea house is this from?" complimented Old Master Bourne."It's not from a big tea house. It's from our own tea house." smiled Old Master Crawford.Luke and Louis knew that the old master enjoyed drinking tea. Hence, the brothers bought a tea house in F province. The tea business was profitable and this way, the old master could enjoy some good tea too."Oh, that is really enviable." Old Master Bourne glanced at Lonnie, signaling him to say something.Lonnie noticed Old Master Bourne's gaze. He lifted the teacup and said, "Yes, Old Master Crawford. This tea has a rich and fragrant taste. It’s ref
Old Master Crawford did not bother insisting on their stay. "Alright then. Off you go. I have trouble walking so I’m afraid I can’t send you off.""It’s no trouble. I'll come for our game of chess when I have the time," said Old Master Bourne as he rose to his feet.Lonnie had no choice but to stand up and leave with Old Master Bourne, no matter his reluctance.Mr. Griffin carried the chessboard and walked towards the old master. Upon noting Old Master Bourne and Lonnie’s absence, he was confused. “Where is Old Master Bourne and Mr. Jackman?”""Something came up. They left.” explained Old Master Crawford as he sipped his tea. "Where are the kids?""They saw you greeting the guest so they went upstairs to read," replied Mr. Griffin. He looked down at the chessboard in his hands and asked, "Shall I put the chessboard away?""No. Come and play a few games with me," said Old Master Crawford. He pointed at the sofa next to him, insisting Mr. Griffin take a seat.Mr. Griffin smiled ki
On the other hand, Aunt Neile was cleaning the living room when Luca returned to the mansion.The vacuum cleaner was making a ruckus, so she quickly greeted Aunt Neile and went upstairs.Luca walked up to Luke’s bedroom door and peeked inside before their eyes met.“You’re back?” A faint smile appeared on Luke’s face.“Yeah, I sent the kids to the manor and had a chat with Old Master Crawford.” nodded Luca as she leaned against the door frame. When she noticed him sitting on the office chair, she asked, “Are you still busy?”“Yes, there are still some things I have to take care of at work,” answered Luke. The work at the company was endless, and he had to put in a lot of time to take care of it.However, it was not difficult for him because the thing that was most difficult to deal with was was that Luca’s situation had yet to be resolved.In order to restore her identity and for her to return to him, he had to get rid of the situation with the Island of Despair.The Island of
Luca smiled, “Aunt Neile, there’s nothing to worry about. Mr. Crawford already had Mr. Doyle make reservations. We’ll be going out to eat, so you get leave early today.”Aunt Neile was delighted to hear that. “Really? That’s great. My grandson keeps complaining that he doesn’t get to see me enough, so I’ll go spend some time with him later. Thank you, Ms. Craw.”“No need to thank me, Mr. Crawford is the one who gave you a break.” smiled Luca before picking up the empty wine bottles and walking out.Luke has a hobby of collecting wine bottles, so he usually keep empty bottles on shelves rather than throwing them away.Besides, the bottle itself cost more than any normaal bottle of wine.This way, other people would not be able to get a hold of these bottles and make counterfeits.After Luca and Luke had lunch, they rushed to the international airport of A City right away.There were many people coming with Marcos, so not only did Luke drive, but Lliam followed behind him as well
“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