A heavy uneasiness settled in Luca’s heart. She wept and shook her head, tightly holding onto Old Man Rayne's hand. "No, Grandpa. You can't leave me. I haven't had the chance to properly take care of you yet. Besides, you have another grandchild now. Grandpa, stay strong. Don’t give up, okay?"A faint glimmer flashed across Old Man Rayne's eyes. "Another grandchild?""Yes. She hasn't met you yet. That’s why you must stay alive." Luca held his weathered hands, knowing that this was not the real world. Everything around her seemed hazy. It was probably just a dream.Even though dreams and reality were opposite, the uneasiness in her heart persisted as she was dreaming about Old Man Rayne.She did not want anything bad to happen to him, even if it was just a dream. Hence, she continued to convince Old Man Rayne, giving him hope and encouraging him to stay alive.“Bianca..." Old Man Rayne’s weary voice came through but gradually faded.Luca subconsciously opened her eyes. Everythin
“Alright, noted.” Luca took Johann’s words to heart.She knew that Old Man Rayne had only passed one hurdle thus far, and there were many more hurdles to come.It would be too difficult for the old master to face these obstacles alone, so they had to face them together.Johann looked at the three of them and reminded them, “Visitors aren’t allowed in the ICU ward now, so go get some rest and come back tomorrow. Perhaps Old Man Rayne would be awake then.”“Sure, thanks a lot.” Luke held Luca’s hand. All they could do now was wait for news from the ICU. Then, he said, “One more thing.”“What is it?” Johann was listening.“Tell them not to talk about Old Man Rayne’s illness in front of Aunt Wanda,” said Luke.The nurses were not aware of the relationship between Old Man Rayne and Wanda, and they would often discuss patients’ conditions. He feared Wanda would hear them talk about Old Man Rayne being hospitalized.According to Wanda’s personality, she would blame herself for not bei
Wanda could feel her body gradually getting better.At least the weakness she felt after the surgery was gone, and even the nurse said that her mental state was better than the other patients.Wanda knew that this was because of the treatment and Luca’s soups.Wanda took a deep breath and looked at Luca. Although she was smiling, she saw through the tiredness behind her eyes, so she asked with concern, “Luca, has work been tiring lately?”Luca shook her head. “No.”“You look very tired. If you are, you don’t have to come here every day. I’m much better now.” Wanda was also concerned about Luca’s condition.She did not know why Luca was so kind to her, but she remembered what she had done for her, so she had to repay her.“I’m not that busy, actually. I couldn’t come because something happened at home that I had to deal with,” explained Luca. If it were not for Amur’s affairs, she would definitely have come to the hospital every day.She could only be relieved once she saw Wanda
Luca's figure disappeared at the entrance of the ICU, and a man emerged from around the corner. He had just sent all the photos he took to Karen.In Mallory Manor, Karen sat on the couch with one of her hands holding the freshly brewed floral tea prepared by the maid. She held her phone with her other hand, swiping the screen as she looked at the pictures.As Karen looked at the photos sent by the private detective she hired, she recognized the man in them as Johann.While she observed the distance between Johann and Luca, Karen raised an eyebrow and quipped with a hint of sarcasm, "She’s quite a player."The maid, who was steeping the tea, turned around and gave Karen a puzzled look. Then, she asked, "Madam?""I wasn’t talking about you," Karen explained impatiently, glancing at the photos again. She muttered to herself about how Luca had intentionally brought herself closer to the man.It was not jealousy. It was more like she thought that Luca was very shameless.Karen plac
While it might sound like kids' talk, it was still a message conveyed by the parents to the kids.Whenever Myra heard Charlie come home from school, bawling about it, her sense of unease continued to grow in her heart.She thought about apologizing to the Crawford family, but they ignored her.The company's situation was getting worse. Her resentment toward Luca and the Crawford family grew stronger too.Myra cautiously asked, "You bear a grudge against Luca and Luke. Why come to me? Why don't you go seek revenge, then?"Myra would not mind if someone stirred up trouble for Luke and Luca as it might give her a sense of relief."Why haven't you sought revenge if you hate them too?" Karen, who was on the other end of the line, chuckled. She had no intention of being in the limelight.Old Master Mallory had made it clear to her more than once that the Mallory family could not afford to get into any more trouble right now. They had to deal with the mess caused by Pierre first.That
Margaret did not even consider the situation the Jackman family would face. Working with an empty-headed person was both a good thing and a bad thing for Karen.The good part was that foolish people were easy to manipulate, but the bad part was that someone like Margaret, whose primary focus revolved around her aversion to tasks and responsibilities, could easily cause trouble.Karen clicked her tongue. Her mouth tasted bitter. She attributed it to the blood pressure medication she had taken earlier. She made her way down the stairs lazily.She headed to the dining room. Old Master Mallory was already having his meal. Ever since she started taking blood pressure medicine that could affect her emotions, Old Master Mallory never dined with her again. They mostly had their meals at different times.Having often played the role of a dutiful daughter-in-law, Karen no longer bothered to conform to Old Master Mallory's daily routine after that incident. She did not sit down to eat whe
On Saturday morning, Luca received two pieces of good news from the hospital. One was that Old Man Rayne's postoperative condition was stable, and his body indicators were improving. He had been moved to a regular ward. The other good news was that Sarah's condition had stabilized. Arrangements could be made for Marcos to meet her.Luke also received the same news. Luke saw the faint smile on Luca’s face and said, "I've arranged for a caretaker for Old Man Rayne. We can visit him anytime.""Okay. Remind the caretaker not to take Old Man Rayne out and wander around." Luca nodded. The last time she entered the ICU ward with Johann, Old Man Rayne was awake and was able to recognize her.Luca briefly explained why she was at the hospital at that time. She was worried about Old Man Rayne after she found out that he was sick. That was why she was at the hospital. At the same time, she also reassured him that she would keep a close watch on his condition. Therefore, Luca could show
Luca sat in the car driven by Luke, and they arrived at Norman Residence.After the maid opened the door for them, they each carried a bag and walked into the house.When they passed through the garden, Luca noticed the withered leaves of the climbing roses in the front yard and slightly frowned."What's wrong with these flowers?" asked Luca. The roses should be lush and in full bloom at this time, but they looked like wild grass in the mountains now. They were withering, not even a whisper of life could be seen in them.The maid glanced at the roses and explained helplessly, "The roses are sick. They're delicate and require careful care to bloom well. But Mrs. Norman hasn't been in a good mood lately. The flowers have been neglected, so they became like this."The maid did not know much about flower care either. Thus, she could not take care of the garden's plants for Queenie.Luca nodded, indicating that she understood.The Norman family initially had a gardener, but after Que
“Alright.” Ray nodded and put the phone case on to protect the device.Gale glanced at Vivian, who was sitting on the couch. She did not say a word. She looked like an empty shell, completely indifferent to everything. It was as though she was trapped in her own sorrowful world.“Well, I should leave now,” said Gale.“Okay, let me see you off.” Ray nodded, then called out, “Vivian?”Vivian came back to her senses and turned to look at him. “Huh?”“Mr. Gale is leaving,” added Ray.Vivian nodded before turning to Gale. “Goodbye, Mr. Gale.”“Goodbye, Ms. Vivian.” Gale stepped out the door and noticed Ray was about to walk him out. He quickly waved him off. “Mr. Ray, no need to see me off.”“Alright, take care on your way back.” Ray nodded. He did not feel comfortable leaving Vivian alone in the suite anyway.She was in bad shape right now.After Gale left, Ray shut the door and walked over to her.Vivian was still staring blankly into space.“Vivian,” Ray called in a low voice
Luca deliberately cracked her knuckles, making a loud 'pop' sound.Gerald immediately shrank back, pulling his neck in.“Ms. Craw, I’m sorry! I was being nosy. Please don’t be mad. I’ll just go take a nap,” he quickly apologized.“Hold on.” Luca stopped him.“What is it?” Gerald looked at her in confusion.“Do you know how to remove an IV yet?” asked Luca.“I’ve seen it done a lot, but I haven’t actually tried it myself.” A glint of eagerness flashed in Gerald’s eyes. “Ms. Craw, are you asking me to give it a shot?”“Do you want to try?” asked Luca.“Yes!” Gerald nodded enthusiastically. “I may not be a medical genius, but I can at least do something useful.”“Come with me. Let’s start with changing the IV bag,” instructed Luca.Gerald followed her, and under her guidance, he clumsily went through the steps but managed to replace the IV bag successfully.“This is so cool! I think I could totally be a nurse.” Gerald flashed a victory sign. “What do you think? Would I make a g
“Yeah, something came up with my family, so they got delayed. They just brought me my meal,” answered the volunteer.Luca glanced at his food, which consisted of meat and vegetables. It was clear that his family treated him very well.“That’s quite a feast,” remarked Luca.“Heh, they know I need the nutrition, so they always give me this much. Ms. Craw, have you eaten yet?” the volunteer asked cheerfully. Now that his health was improving, his appetite had returned, and his mood was much better too.“I have. You should eat more. I just came in to check how much IV fluid is left. There’s still quite a bit, so I think it won't be done before the guys are done eating," replied Luca.The volunteer chuckled. “They eat fast. You guys are amazing, taking such good care of me. I haven’t suffered at all since being here.”“Your recovery is our biggest wish,” replied Luca.“Mm, I’ll definitely cooperate with the treatment,” replied the volunteer.“Alright, I’ll get back to work. Enjoy yo
Abel's hand paused for a moment before he continued stroking her eyelids.“What’s wrong?” His voice was eerily low, carrying a chilling edge.Hera could not see his expression, but just the sound of his voice was enough to send shivers down her spine.“Thank you.” Hera forced herself to smile, summoning what little courage she had.“No need for thanks. Just be good from now on.” Abel’s fingers continued their slow, deliberate caress. It was like he was handling a priceless treasure.Hera remained still, letting him touch her without protest. More than anything, she did not dare to speak. She was terrified that if she broke the moment and interrupted whatever was going through his mind, he would be displeased.At that moment, Luca brought the food to the table and asked, “Mr. Abel, Ms. Sanchez, lunch is ready. Would you prefer to eat here or in your room?”“I’ll go with whatever my baby wants.” Hera smiled sweetly, masking her fear behind a bright smile. For some reason, she ha
“I’m just making plans with a friend. No need to go into all that, right?” As Luca said, she lifted her gaze to meet Shanks.His eyes were as deep as the ocean, and in that split second of eye contact, she felt like she was being pulled in. She suddenly felt like she had just exposed herself.Awkwardly, she cleared her throat and said, “Mr. Shanks, I’ll head downstairs to make lunch.”Shanks did not call her out on it, nor did he press further. He simply returned to his experiment.Downstairs, Luca saw Abel sitting on the living room couch. Ignoring him was not an option.Luca greeted him politely, “Mr. Abel.”Abel took a slow drag from his cigar, his blue eyes scanning her from head to toe. He was deep in thought.He remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. His dark and brooding expression sent a chill down Luca’s spine. Without saying a word, she turned around and walked straight into the kitchen.Gerald was already inside.When he saw her, he mouthed, “You’re here?”Luc
If Shanks’ prescription could help Hera sleep earlier, that would not be a bad thing.“Then I need to be treat…” Hera paused for a moment, realizing she could not say the word treatment. That would imply she was sick, and she could not let people know that. Instead, she corrected herself and asked, “How long will I need to take this herbal medicine?”“You can stop when your test results are back to normal,” replied Luca as she picked up the medical waste and headed out of the room.Gerald followed closely behind and asked with curiosity, “Ms. Craw, how long is that?”“How long is a standard treatment cycle?” Luca asked in return.Gerald pondered for a moment. “Usually about a month?”“The average endocrine cycle for women is three months, so the minimum duration for proper regulation is three months,” explained Luca.Although Abel could take action at any time, there was no way Hera could endure three full months of treatment. However, until Abel made his move, she would have
Luca’s head was slightly tilted, her cheek burning with pain.Abel had not held back at all. The force of his slap was merciless. A numbness spread across her face at an alarming speed.From the next room, someone peeked out again and asked in a low voice, “You okay?”“I’m fine.” Luca’s expression remained calm. This kind of injury was nothing to her.Back on the Island of Despair, she had endured far worse during training. She survived, did she not?Without another word, Luca pushed open the lab door and stepped inside.The man watching shook his head. Her face was already that swollen, and she still said she was fine… What a tough woman. She took a slap that hard and brushed it off like it was nothing.Shanks lifted his head when he heard the door open. When he saw it was Luca and noticed how swollen the side of her face was, his brows furrowed.“Abel did this?”“Who else?” Luca let out a bitter laugh, only to wince as the movement tugged at the pain. She sucked in a sharp b
“No.” Shanks’ tone was cold and firm with no trace of hesitation.Abel still looked doubtful.Shanks added, “Would you like to see her medical report?”Abel was startled for a moment. How did Shanks know he had been thinking about that report?Now that Shanks brought it up, the idea lost its appeal.Abel shook his head. “Even if you showed it to me, I wouldn’t understand it. Shanks, Kassy’s life is in your hands. If you can give her a second chance, I’ll provide as much research funding as you need."Shanks remained silent. He could save Kassy. In fact, his research had always been for Kassy.However, he did not expect Abel to be so ruthless as to insist on using a living person as a donor for Kassy. That was something he could not accept.Kassy’s condition could be treated with organs from a brain-dead patient. Why destroy a perfectly healthy life?Shanks was not acting out of mercy. He simply refused to go against his medical ethics.He was not someone who had to save lives
“You don’t need to remind me. I was going to check anyway.” Abel shot Luca a chilling look.She took a step back and stayed silent.Abel turned to the pale-faced Hera and said, “If you’ve got low blood sugar, get up and eat something.”“I’ll eat now,” Hera replied, sitting up.Luca handed her the takeout.Abel glanced at the food and then frowned at Luca. “Why didn’t you make breakfast this morning?”“I was busy,” Luca explained with a calm indifference, her expression unwavering. She showed no fear, even under Abel’s questioning.Hera suddenly found herself admiring Luca. Everyone feared this man, yet Luca remained composed even when facing potential punishment. Not just anyone could pull that off.At the thought of this, Hera opened the takeout and kept quiet.Abel narrowed his eyes, glancing between Hera and Luca. His gaze was not exactly gentle as he muttered, “Stop eating this junk. It’s bad for you.”“I know, babe. Just this once. After this, I’ll have what Luca cooks f