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
Crawford Manor. Lanie and Rainie sat on the soft couch in the living room, though they were not playing cheerfully as before. They were wearing frowns on their long faces. The children's childish faces looked like adults, which seemed quite comedic. Rainie looked at her brother unhappily and said, "Big Bro, our house is much bigger than Miss Bea's house, but I don't feel happy at all. I want to live together with Miss Bea…" Luke and Bianca had a peculiar relationship. Bianca had told the two children that they could call her "Mommy" in private. However, when they were not at her house, they had to call her "Miss Bea." The two children did not understand why they could not call their mother "Mommy" in front of other people, but they were obedient children and listened to their mother. Lanie sat on the couch. He took in a deep breath, then spread out his arms helplessly like a little adult. "I want to live with her too, but the main point is, Daddy is too silly. He still ha
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
Luca instantly understood the situation. It was about Hera.Hera was someone Abel valued, possibly as a future corneal donor for Kassy. While Abel might not love Hera now, he certainly took her health seriously.In a calm tone, Luca explained, “She was hospitalized due to inflammation that caused a fever.”Abel furiously flung his half-smoked cigar at her. The glowing embers singed her clothes, leaving a small burn mark.She instinctively stepped aside.Abel roared, “What kind of care is this?! I told you to look after her! Is this how you handle things?”Luca was perplexed. When did he ever tell her to look after Hera?Besides, she did take care of her.”When Ms. Sanchez fainted last night, she already had a low-grade fever. I diagnosed her condition as inflammation and prescribed anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing medication. I also emphasized that she needed to take oral anti-inflammatory drugs. She didn’t trust me and threw out Mr. Shanks’ medication, which led to her con