Leia placed the flask of chicken soup on the table and called out gently, "Mr. Crawford." Her mother had said that the fastest way to a man's heart was through his stomach. Of course, Leia did not know how to fry an egg, let alone make chicken soup. However, Queenie, her adopted mother, was a good cook. Luke turned around. The female celebrity was dazzled by his impeccable facial features. Undeniably, Luke was a very handsome man. He was handsome not only because of his sculpted face but also because of his mature character. Luke might look young, but he carried the dominating and enigmatic deportment of a king. That must have been the culmination of many years of experience in the harsh battlefield of the business world. "Mr. Crawford, I'd like to discuss with you about our collaboration. Right, I've also brought some chicken soup for you. I hope you'll like it," Leia said. Luke frowned slightly. "Thank you, Ms. Norman. I'm sorry, I've already had breakfast, so you sho
Luke shot a glance at Bianca. She was impeccably dressed in a fitting set of women's clothes. Her slender and fair legs were exposed beneath the skirt. Her hair fell on her shoulders and back like a waterfall. Her face was delicate and clean, her eyes were like stars, and her lips were adorned by a faint coat of lipstick. The silk scarf gave her a unique charm, though he knew that she wore it to hide the marks on her neck. Her elegance was like a cherry tree in full bloom. Luke felt his lower abdomen pulsating enthusiastically when he was reminded of Bianca's exquisite performance the night before. However, his gaze turned cold, and he pressed his lips when he thought of the woman's silly actions. Bianca was fearful when she looked at him. She dared not breathe too loudly, in case she somehow angered him and he refused to save Nina. Bianca cleared her throat and placed the document on his table. "These are the documents you requested, Mr. Crawford." She felt bitterness in
When Jason stepped into the office, he saw that his boss was leaning against his chair. The man's tie was slightly undone. Jason was surprised to see that he seemed dejected, as though the world had abandoned him. Jason thought that his boss had overworked himself. After handling the incident in Western Europe, the boss immediately took a flight back to A City. Back at the company, he attended several meetings in which he had to make important decisions. Perhaps he had not slept well for a few days in a row; after all, he was a workaholic. However, Jason could not remember that his boss was ever so dejected. "Mr. Crawford…" Jason took out his notebook and prepared to report business updates to Luke. He instantly shut his mouth when he noticed that Luke's eyes were closed, perhaps resting. Jason looked at Luke's face carefully. His gaze was filled with admiration and respect. As CEO of T Corporation, Luke Crawford had always been resolute and assertive. Not only did he
Lacey wailed even louder after she heard her husband reprimand her. Eventually, she lifted her head and looked at Daniel. "Now you blame me for pampering the kid, but what have you done? All you know is make money. Sometimes you don't come home at night, and sometimes you fly out for business trips for extended periods. Don't you know your son's personality? Do you think that I alone can discipline him?" "I have to support the family. You don't have a job, so how am I supposed to pay the bills if I don't work hard?" Daniel said. He had toiled hard for the family over so many years, and now his wife was blaming her for not taking care of their son. That made him angry. As Daniel and Lacey argued, Xavier eventually came to. His head that was already throbbing hurt even more when he saw his parents almost getting physical with each other. "Alright, that's enough. Can't you just let me rest?" Xavier said with an annoyed expression. Ever since he was a child, his parents had n
Regal Capital. At night, Bianca sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window after she took a bath. She tilted her head and looked outside. The street lights in the neighborhood were dim, and she could only see several faint shadows. She did not turn on the heater in the house. Bianca was dressed in thin cotton pajamas. It was slightly cold, but that was how she could keep herself conscious… None of the furnishings of the room had changed, but she felt that it was barren and desolate. It was lacking the warmth of her two babies. She was alone, and even the air in the room tasted bitter. She thought of Nina, whose fate was currently unknown, her two children, and Luke, whose temperament had suddenly changed. She buried her head in her knees. … Outside of Bianca's neighborhood, Luke tried to reach her over the phone but to no avail. He knew that Bianca was at home; he had gone to Kevin's former house and found Wanda staying there by herself. She was not at the new ho
Luke's arm muscles tensed. He confirmed that the house was indeed Bianca's, then knocked on the window and said softly. "It's me, Bianca. Can you open the door? Or the window?" Luke called out several times, but there was no response. He wondered if Bianca could hear him. That made Luke nervous. Did something happen to Bianca? He instantly lost his composure when he thought of that. Moving along the balcony, he arrived at the window of her bedroom. Fortunately, the window was not locked, and he quickly climbed into the room. Instead of feeling the warm air from the heater, the temperature in the room was the same as outside. He shivered uncontrollably. The room was dark and quiet, as though no one lived in the house. That made him feel more uneasy than ever. He quickly opened the bedroom door and went out to the living room! Instantly, he saw Bianca curled up on the couch, only dressed in thin pajamas. She seemed to be lost in her own world, not realizing Luke's intrusion
Bianca hated the smell of disinfectant in the hospital. In her fevered delusions, memories from many years ago came back. She gently pulled the sleeve of Luke's coat. "I don't want to see a doctor." Luke was already worried and impatient when he saw how serious Bianca's fever was. He became furious when Bianca acted like a child. He hugged her tighter and started reprimanding her. "Behave. You have such a high fever. What happens if you get sicker?" Bianca looked at him weakly. Luke thought that she was only throwing a tantrum. He leaned close and kissed her lips; his movements were gentle as though he was comforting a child. Many people were waiting in the outpatient department on the first floor. They were unhappy when they saw Luke trying to cut in line. A hot-tempered man even yelled at him. A doctor in his white coat noticed the commotion in the outpatient department. He pushed up his glasses and told the nurse to get the patients to line up. The nurse noticed Luke
Luke turned around. He wanted to step outside to smoke so that he could calm down. He was about to step out of the exit when a small but pale hand gently grabbed onto the hem of his shirt. He turned around and saw Bianca's tear-streaked face. "Please, Luke, don't go," she begged. She was crouching like an abandoned kitten, which softened Luke's heart at once. The smell of disinfectant almost made Bianca throw up, and the syringe in the nurse's hand made her extremely afraid. She carried too many painful memories in her mind, and they had caused her to be fearful even years later. Bianca's trembling fingers tightly held onto Luke's finger. She was afraid that he would abandon her in this nightmarish place. She fell into his arms. Luke had never seen her so fragile before. It was not uncommon for a child to be so afraid of needles. However, Bianca was an adult, and there must be something that he did not know that caused her phobia. 'I'll have to investigate this when I
Sophian realized she had made a mistake and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Madam Allison. I saw it was someone familiar, so I didn’t think too much about it.”Allison shot her a furious glare.Sophian knew full well that Allison and Susan did not get along, yet she still opened the door for her. Was she out of her mind?“Oh my, after all that time in Seoul, you didn’t pick up anything good? Still that same fiery temper.” Then came Susan’s mocking voice.Allison froze for a moment and shifted her gaze toward the doorway.“How did you get in here?” demanded Allison. Did she not just ring the bell outside? How did she get in so quickly and without anyone opening the door to the villa?!Susan gave Sophian a smirking glance. “Your helper let me in.”Allison frowned, still confused. Susan continued, “I’m living right next door now.”“Oh, so I heard you got kicked out by Old Master Crawford. Moved right next door, did you? Sticking around like a ghost that won’t go away, living jus
Sophian stood before her. Her face was a picture of hesitation and discomfort. “Madam Allison, how about you order using your phone?”“What? You can’t even handle this small task?” At this point, Allison had completely shifted her view of Sophian, now seeing her as just another maid. Her previous tone vanished, replaced by a much more domineering attitude.Sophian felt helpless and quickly explained, “It’s just that the food from this place is just too expensive. I don’t have that kind of money.”Once she finished speaking, a flush of embarrassment crossed her face.Sophian had come back with Allison to work off the debt she owed from her cosmetic surgery. Therefore, she had no money to spare.Allison paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. After a brief moment, she picked up her phone and said, “It's not like I'm having you pay for it. You can't even temporarily cover it?”Sophian smiled awkwardly. “I just transferred money to the hospital.”Allison let out a faint hu
“You don’t like eating outside food, do you?” Luca thought that preparing breakfast and dinner for him was not a big deal.Besides, the main point was that Luke did not like eating out. He always felt the taste was off and lacked nutrition.“Actually, it’s not that I don’t like eating out. It's just that all the food outside tastes the same to me.” Luke gently squeezed her hand.“Hey, focus on driving.” Luca chuckled.Luke withdrew his hand and returned it to the steering wheel. “With that woman around, it wouldn’t be convenient for you to cook. Are you really going to make breakfast for them too?”If that happened, it would defeat the purpose of his plan.Luca thought for a moment. She did not mind ignoring Sophian, but if she cooked for Luke and not for Allison, that might not sit well with her. Allison could easily make a fuss over even the smallest details. “So, should we just eat out for breakfast and dinner from now on?”“Yes.” Luke did not mind.It did not matter where t
“Something I like?” Luca laughed. “What could that be?”“You’ll find out when we get there.” Luke kept it mysterious.“Alright then, I’ll wait for your surprise, Mr. Crawford.” Luca was in good spirits without letting family issues dampen her mood. Therefore, she video-called the kids.Luca dialed Mr. Griffin’s number.After Mr. Griffin answered the call, he handed the phone to Lanie. “Young Master Lanie, Ms. Craw wants to talk to you.”“Thank you, Mr. Griffin.” Lanie took the phone and pressed ‘accept’.Luca positioned the camera to include both her and Luke. She waved at the screen. “Lanie, Rainie, Tommy, what are you all doing?”“Lanie! Lanie, I want to talk to Ms. Luca!” Tommy waved excitedly at the camera, eager to take the phone.Lanie handed it to him. “Go on, tell Daddy and Ms. Luca about your good news.”Luca smiled and asked with curiosity. “Good news?”“Daddy, Ms. Luca, I made it to the next level in the math competition! The finals are this Saturday!” Tommy said e
“Why are you being so slow?” Allison was irritated. She shoved the products into Sophian’s hands.“I told you to use them, so just use them.” Allison ran out of patience. After urging Sophian, she lay back down.Sophian had no choice but to follow her instructions and poured out some product. The texture of the product in her palm made her pause for a moment. It was incredibly moisturizing!She gently patted it onto Allison's face and noticed the area she touched felt just as smooth.Allison let out a content sigh. “This essence is really soothing.”Even though Sophian was still worried about potential side effects, she could not help but admire the instant hydrating effect. She asked in a low voice, “Madam Allison, is this really developed by that woman?”She could not believe that Luca had such skills and wondered if the essence had just been repackaged into another bottle and sold as her own creation.“That's what she says,” replied Allison. “But she's into pharmaceuticals, s
After agreeing to become the maid, Sophian’s excitement gradually turned into anxiety.The villa was so large. Could she really handle all the tasks a maid was supposed to do?As she thought about it, she accidentally left the bread in the toaster for too long. After serving it to Allison, she was scolded.“What’s this? It’s just a slice of toast. How could you burn it like this? How am I supposed to eat it?” Allison was clearly displeased.Sophian awkwardly explained, “Madam Allison, this is my first time using this toaster. I didn’t quite get the temperature right...”Allison was about to keep complaining but paused for a moment, remembering that Sophian was the one she had brought in to be the maid. Now, she was the only one who could make breakfast for her. She disdainfully tore off the burnt part and took a bite. “Where’s the soy milk?”“It’ll bring it out,” replied Sophian, heading back to the kitchen. She brought out two glasses of soy milk and another slice of toast tha
“Are you planning to tell me that Madam Allison brought someone back?” Luca had a feeling she knew what was going on. Luca had been wondering why Allison had taken such a big risk by going out during the day, but it all made sense now.“Yes, she brought someone back and said she'll be taking over my job,” Aunt Neile replied helplessly. She was worried she had lost her competitive edge, which made her feel anxious.“I got it, Aunt Neile.” As soon as Luca spoke, there was a cheer from inside the lab. She glanced back and saw that there seemed to be progress in the research. Rhett gave her a thumbs-up to signal success.She slightly smiled and nodded before hearing Aunt Neile's voice again on the phone. “Ms. Craw, there’s something I’d like to say, though I’m not sure if I should. I’ve thought about it, and I feel like I should. Even though Mr. Crawford isn’t the type to fool around, you have to be careful. He has no interest in that woman, but she’s clearly interested in him. You sh
Allison watched the two of them go upstairs, and instantly, her temper flared.Not allowed, huh?Allison refused to believe it. She would find a way to turn things around and reclaim her position in this family!…The next morning, as Luke and Luca came downstairs, they noticed Aunt Neile looking at them with red, puffy eyes.“Aunt Neile, what happened?” Luca was puzzled. What happened?“Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, Madam Allison just told me that I’m fired.” Aunt Neile looked distraught. She thought Allison’s words yesterday were just a joke, but first thing in the morning, she was told to settle her wages and leave. She was completely stunned.“Mr. Crawford, did I do something wrong?”Luke’s brows furrowed. Allison’s behavior was truly astonishing.“You’re not fired,” replied Luke. “Is breakfast ready?”Relieved to hear she still had her job, Aunt Neile quickly wiped away her tears and let out a sigh of relief. “Yes. Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, please have a seat. I’ll bring it out.
Luke was driving back home with Luca. It was already 9:00 pm when they arrived at the villa.Just as they reached the foyer and had not taken more than a few steps, Allison's voice rang out.“Oh, so you're finally willing to come back from Crawford Manor?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.Luca did not know how to respond to Allison and looked over at Luke.Luke let go of Luca's waist and whispered, “Go upstairs first.”“Okay.” Luca nodded, changed her shoes, and was about to head upstairs when Allison said again, “Stop. Who told you to go upstairs?”“Madam Allison, is there something you need?” Luca's tone was cold, carefully masking the helplessness inside her.Since she learned that Allison would be returning to the country and moving here, Luca had mentally prepared herself to be put in a difficult position. She loved Luke, so she was willing to tolerate whatever troubles came with it.Luca believed that as long as she and Luke faced things together, there was nothing th