"Don't worry about it. That woman clearly lacks manners." Another shop assistant comforted her.They only dared to speak such words after the customers had left and there were no other customers in the store.This was the first time they encountered such a person after working at the store for such a long time."That lady who came just now bought a lot of snacks. Let me restock the shelves first.โ The shop assistant who had served Luca earlier nodded and turned around, moving deftly among the shelves.The conversation between Myra and the shop assistant did not last long, but Myra felt frustrated for quite a while.Myra arrived at the private room mentioned in the text message. Then, she pushed the door open, walked in, and found two other women seated inside.One of them looked familiar. Myra took a closer look and recognized her as the daughter-in-law of the Mallory family, Karen Ruiz.As for the other woman, Myra thought she looked familiar, but she could not quite place her
Karen's gaze deepened. She was slightly disappointed when she heard that Myra did not pay attention to what the guy looked like. However, Myra mentioned that he was just an average-looking guy. Karen picked up her phone, scrolled through the photo taken by the private detective, and showed the photo of Luca and Johann standing together. She asked, "Is this the man?"Myra took a glance, shook her head, and answered, "No, this manโs appearance doesnโt go unnoticed. Heโs completely different from the previous one."Karen smirked and replied, "Perfect. Then I'll have the private detective keep an eye on this."Margaret picked up her cup. She was in a good mood at the thought of Luke and Luca would be embarrassed soon enough. She suggested, "Shall we toast to our teamwork?"Karen had no objections and raised her coffee cup.Myra quickly followed suit and raised her coffee cup as well.The moment their cups clinked, cunning smirks spread across their faces.Karen elegantly took a si
"Alright, Ms. Luca. I promise!" Tommy behaved himself well in front of his biological mother. He stepped forward and hooked his pinky finger with Luca's pinky, telling her that he would keep his promise."Okay. Come on, tidy up your books and toys. I've prepared some snacks. Once you're done, you can come downstairs to eat," said Luca with a smile on her face.Even though the three of them were the young masters and young lady of the Crawford family, they were taught to handle their own affairs from a young age and not rely on others. Hence, they obediently gathered their books and toys and headed upstairs.Luca turned to look at Aunt Neile. "Aunt Neile, is Mr. Crawford upstairs?""Yes, he is. Mr. Gale came a while ago. He's been busy upstairs." Aunt Neile nodded. Half an hour ago, Luke even had her bring a cup of coffee to him upstairs."Alright." Luca nodded. She rose to her feet and made her way up the stairs.Since Gale would usually report to Luke when there were matters t
Tommyโs round eyes blinked as he thought about Luca's words.A few seconds later, he looked up and asked, โMs. Luca, canโt we go today?โโToday?โ Luca frowned slightly as she looked at him. They should be able to finish touring the zoo by evening time if they went after lunch, but the kids would be exhausted. Not to mention, they had a habit of taking naps in the afternoon.โMs. Luca, are you busy this afternoon?โ Rainie looked at her and asked.Luca shook her head and said, โNo, Iโm free, but if we go in the afternoon, you wonโt be able to take a nap. There are performances at night too. Arenโt you afraid that youโll be too tired?โโNo, it's alright. Weโre full of energy!โ Tommy took a bite of fruit and was very eager to go to the zoo with Luca.If only their father could go with them.Seeing how much the kids wanted to go, Luca could not say no. She nodded in agreement. โAlright, weโll go to the zoo in the afternoon.โTommy was the only playful one out of the three children,
โDisguise?โ Luke raised his eyebrows and looked at Luca, who was standing behind the children. Then, he stood up and took the cap and mask from them.โDaddy, so you agree?โ Tommy raised his head and asked smilingly.โYes. You all can go downstairs and have lunch first. Weโll leave after lunch.โ Luke patted Tommyโs head.After the three kids left, Luke glanced at the cap and mask in his hands and knew that it was Lucaโs idea.Lucaโs eyes met his confused gaze as if he was asking her the same question, so she smiled and explained, โI donโt want the reporters to take pictures.โLuke thought of what Gale said and was going to tell her that it did not matter because Karen already had plenty of 'evidence' that they were together.However, he realized what Luca was actually worried about. Then, he thought that it would be troublesome if he did not do as she said. Thus, he agreed, โSure, Iโll do it.โโIโll go see how Aunt Neileโs lunch preparations are going,โ said Luca before hurrying
"I really can't reason with someone so badly infatuated. If this continues, you won't even know it when these people deceive you. Besides, unless it's a celebrity, why would someone so good-looking cover every inch of their body when they go out? You should wise up. Perhaps heโs so ugly that he needs to dress that way." The young man was irritated when he noticed the woman he liked kept looking at Luke.โThatโs awful. Why would I choose to date someone as wicked as you? Forget it. Get lost." The woman found herself getting inexplicably angry at his words.She just thought that Luke carried himself well. That was why she subconsciously thought he looked good, which was why she stared at him more and discussed him with her friends.She did not expect the guy who came with her to say such things.The woman quickly began to feel a sense of disgust toward the man."Fine. Don't regret it!" The man shot her a glare, then looked at Luke before he turned around and left."Do you think thi
The temperature in the afternoon kept rising. Luca opened the bottle cap to take a sip of water, then she asked the kids, "Would you like to continue to the next section?""Yes. There are tigers in the next park. Weโd like to see the fierce tigers," Tommy cheered at the thought of seeing the big tigers he had seen on wildlife shows."The tramโs here," reminded Lanie, watching the electric tram slowly approach from a distance.Since Luke and Luca brought their kids, they bought the tram tickets at the zoo entrance. It allowed them to hop on the tram to the next attraction at any time.The tram personnel arrived at the next attraction and announced to the passengers, "We've reached the white tiger enclosure. Visitors who are interested in seeing the white tigers, please disembark from the vehicle."Luca and Luke got off the tram with the kids.They followed the signs, and when they were about to enter the white tiger enclosure, a female voice rang out."Luke Crawford, is that you?
In this scenario, Luke was the most embarrassed.Luca turned to look at him. Luke was wearing a mask and a baseball cap. She could not make out the expression on his face clearly.However, Luca reckoned that the look on his face was not too good at the thought of how Luke had treated Mavis back then.Before Mavis left T Corporation, Luke had always considered her as a capable subordinate and his right hand woman.After Mavis left T Corporation, she was nothing.Luca had a lot of faith in Luke. Tommy smiled and glanced at Luca. Luca nodded, affirming that the child's actions just now were not impolite. Even adults would come up with excuses to ease awkward situations. It was the same for kids. Sometimes, their unreasonable behavior could help the adults to smooth out an uncomfortable moment."Let's go. There's a white tiger over there." Luca pointed at a spot not far away from them. As soon as she said that, there came the resonating roar of a tiger.Tommy's eyes lit up. He
โAs long as he stays out of your sight, I wonโt make a move,โ said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Lukeโs 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.โAlright, Ray. Just let it go. Iโve moved on and started a new life. Plus, Iโm studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, weโll just be strangers. Thereโs no need to step in for me or act impulsively.โ Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.โIs it the clothes delivery?โ asked Ray.โNo, 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,โ Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.โMiss, is the boss alright?โ asked one of Rayโs subordinates.โHeโs fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, โCan you walk me through your plan?โโThe prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. Iโve 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 facilityโs underground pipes donโt 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.โThis whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why Iโm confident itโll work.โ As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. โHereโs 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 Abelโs people.โAbelโs 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 Gordanโs current behavior quite intriguing.โLuke, whatโs with that look?โ Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.โYou seem pretty concerned about Vivian,โ Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. โWhat? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, donโt say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.โLuke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. โWhy are you here?โโSpeaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.โ Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. โMan, Ray really didnโt hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.โLuke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. โUnlock it.โโAll set, boss.โ 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.Gordanโs furious curses rang out. โDamn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?โAnother 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.โEnough!โ shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.โVivian, stay out of this. Iโm beating him to a pulp today,โ growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.โRay, I donโt want to see him,โ 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.โFine. If you donโt want to see him, Iโll 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.โRay, this apple is really good. Want to try one?โ asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. โYou go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?โVivian nodded. โI only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.โRay walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.โYou didn't bring any food with you?โ asked Ray.โI havenโt 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.โ Vivianโs tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.โThat's true.โ Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. โAlright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, weโll still need your help.โโFor toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Donโt worry, if I can help, I definitely will,โ Luca assured him.โAlright, thank you.โ Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, โIf Vivian was really poisoned, donโt 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 didnโt take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If itโs something she can fix, sheโll do everything she can.โBesides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?โโYes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. โMs. Sanchez, what's wrong?โHe 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. โI thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And youโre acting all deferential to her over this?โGerald was rendered speechless. โI knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand Iโm used to. Maybe itโs not expensive to you, but for me, itโs what I can afford.โRealizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. โStill, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?โโItโs not about the money,โ replied Gerald. โIt'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.โHe was ba
Lucaโs lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Lukeโs 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.โฆThe two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, โHello, Mr. Crawford.โโVivian, donโt worry. Everything will get better,โ replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Lucaโs 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, โVivian, theyโre your friends. You donโt have to act this way around them. They wonโt judge you.โโI know they wonโtโฆโ Vivian let out a soft sigh. โI just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didnโt want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But itโ
โI once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivianโs. 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.โCould it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.โโIf she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?โ asked Ray.Luca shook her head.โThe poison Iโve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victimโs skin dark. I donโt 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 canโt be sure whatโs really causing Vivianโs condition.โIs her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a