"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
Tommy’s round eyes blinked as he thought about Luca's words.A few seconds later, he looked up and asked, “Ms. Luca, can’t we go today?”“Today?” 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.“Ms. Luca, are you busy this afternoon?” Rainie looked at her and asked.Luca shook her head and said, “No, I’m free, but if we go in the afternoon, you won’t be able to take a nap. There are performances at night too. Aren’t you afraid that you’ll be too tired?”“No, it's alright. We’re full of energy!” 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. “Alright, we’ll go to the zoo in the afternoon.”Tommy was the only playful one out of the three children,
“Disguise?” 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.“Daddy, so you agree?” Tommy raised his head and asked smilingly.“Yes. You all can go downstairs and have lunch first. We’ll leave after lunch.” Luke patted Tommy’s head.After the three kids left, Luke glanced at the cap and mask in his hands and knew that it was Luca’s idea.Luca’s eyes met his confused gaze as if he was asking her the same question, so she smiled and explained, “I don’t want the reporters to take pictures.”Luke 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, “Sure, I’ll do it.”“I’ll go see how Aunt Neile’s lunch preparations are going,” 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 he’s 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.“That’s 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. We’d like to see the fierce tigers," Tommy cheered at the thought of seeing the big tigers he had seen on wildlife shows."The tram’s 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
After having dinner at the restaurant, Luke and Luca took the kids to watch the marine show. Once the performance ended, the family returned to their villa.Before they even made it inside, Luke's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and said to Luca and the kids, "Go inside first.""Okay." Luca noticed that something was wrong with Luke’s expression. She held Tommy and Rainie’s hands and said, "Let's go. It's late. We'll go upstairs to freshen up and go to bed.""Alright, Ms. Luca." All three kids enjoyed their day today. They were quite content. Hence, they were obedient.Once Luca and the kids were a distance away, Luke finally answered the call. "Speak.""Boss, the people from the Island of Despair have found out about the hospital where Pierre Mallory is now. They’ve leaked the location to the media," said Gale.Gale had just found out their move, but it was already too late. There were already a few reporters waiting at the private hospital now. It was likely that the
Luca pushed the door open and smiled as she looked at Tommy, who had knocked on the door. "Yes?""Ms. Luca, I can't sleep. Can you read a bedtime story for me?" asked Tommy as he lifted his head. He had too much fun during the daytime, and the fascinating marine show during the evening made him too wound up to fall asleep.However, his usual bedtime routine reminded him that it was time to sleep. Otherwise, he would feel tired at school tomorrow.After giving it some thought, Tommy went to find Luca, hoping that she could read him a bedtime story with her gentle voice. It could help him sleep peacefully.Luca nodded and agreed. She glanced back at Luke, who was sitting on the bed with a face brimming with unfulfilled desires. She said, "Let me read a bedtime story for him first."Luke slowly nodded. His expression was still gloomy, but he had no choice as it was his son's request. After all, it was just a bedtime story. He could wait for her.Luca smiled, held Tommy's hand, and
After signing the agreement, Karen eagerly handed it over to the man she believed to be the lawyer.The moment the doctor took the shares transfer agreement, a syringe containing anesthesia slipped from his sleeve and was swiftly injected into Karen’s hand.“You...” Karen felt a sharp sting, but before she could speak, her consciousness faded.At the same time, the knife in her hand clattered to the floor.The doctor quickly steadied her to prevent her from hitting her head when she collapsed.“Luckily, the dose was strong enough, or she wouldn’t have been knocked out so quickly.” He gently laid her down, checked to make sure she was unconscious, and then hurried out of the office to notify the hospital director.Percy quickly stepped forward, gently lifting Nina’s chin to examine her wound.“I’m fine,” Nina said in a soft voice, lowering her head to hide the injury on her neck.“Let me take a look at you,” Percy insisted, gently lifting her chin again. After checking, he added
“Mr. Mallory, won’t you feel guilty if something happens to Nina?” Sue did not understand why he refused to call the police.“It won’t happen.” Percy furrowed his brows as his mind raced to find a solution.Sue was even more confused. “Just because you say it won’t happen, does that mean it won’t? Yes, Madam Mallory is your mother, but Nina is also your wife. If your mother harms your wife, shouldn’t you call the police? Instead of doing that, you’re leaving her in this dangerous situation. I honestly feel sorry for Nina.”Sue had always been straightforward. She thought Percy would protect Nina for life, but seeing him defend Karen at the cost of his wife’s safety, she was deeply disappointed.She felt she was in no position to feel sorry for Nina, but she could not understand Percy’s actions.Percy furrowed his brows. Calling the police was not an option.The Mallory family could not afford this kind of turmoil.If Old Master Mallory found out that he handed his mother over to
Nina trembled when she was touched. Her whole body was shaking.Karen’s touch was icy cold, and when her hand fell on Nina’s face, it carried a chill.“Don’t hurt her!” Percy’s voice was hoarse, his anger barely concealed in his eyes.He was furious but kept reminding himself not to provoke Karen.“Hmph, look at how nervous you are.” Karen's patience wore thin. Without another word, she laid out her conditions. “If you want me to let her go, fine.”“What do you want me to do?” Percy knew the conditions she was about to propose would not be as simple as keeping her out of the psychiatric hospital.It could involve Pierre.Perhaps even the company.Even though Karen had spoken to him about the high hopes she had for him, Percy did not believe a word of it. To her, from beginning to end, the only person who mattered was Pierre.Percy was merely a tool to secure her position in the Mallory family.“See? You still care about this woman. You’ve disappointed me!” Karen glanced at Ni
“Mr. Mallory, I didn’t dare to go in. Nina and your mother are still inside.” After Sue realized that Nina might be in danger, she had been waiting outside, unwilling to leave.She had been planning to rush in with the other employees if she heard Nina scream.Percy's expression darkened. He did not blame Sue for the situation, so he did not say anything. Instead, he quickly walked to Nina’s office door and pushed it open.The sight before him sent a chill through his veins, as though his blood had turned to ice.“You're here?” Karen fixed her eerie gaze on the person who had opened the door. A strange, sinister smile curved at the corners of her lips. She stood behind Nina with a knife tightly gripped in her hand.The sharp blade was pressed against Nina’s neck, already leaving a faint red mark.Sue gasped at the sight and instantly lost her composure.Karen frowned in dissatisfaction, moving the knife slightly and muttering, “Why is there another woman here? Tell her to leave!
“'ll contact someone in A City to investigate,” said Gale.“Let Percy know while you're at it,” added Luke. “He needs to be aware of this.”“Got it.” Gale hurried off to handle the matter.…After taking Gale's call, Percy hung up and stared icily at the middle-aged man standing before him.Under Percy's chilling gaze, the man nervously dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.“Mr. Mallory, my sincerest apologies…” The man, the director of the psychiatric hospital, had come to personally apologize to Percy today.Karen had escaped.Two days ago, Percy admitted Karen to the psychiatric hospital. After an evaluation, the doctors determined her condition warranted hospitalization, so she was admitted.Even though Karen was against it, given her mental state and with the consent of an immediate family member, the hospital was legally authorized to proceed.Percy had even informed the hospital to take special care of Karen. He had explicitly instructed them not to
When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened slightly.Luca mumbled, feeling the warmth beside her. She instinctively curled closer. “What time is it?”“It's a little past five.” Luke gently rubbed her back, offering a quiet comfort to help her feel at ease.Since he could not be there beside her, he could only make these small gestures to bring her some peace of mind.“An entire afternoon just passed like that…” Luca was reluctant to leave at the moment. Her slender fingers lightly pressed against his chest.Luke took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss, holding it as if it were something precious and tenderly stroking it.Luca's hands had once been delicate and smooth, but during their time in the small villa, they had become much rougher.“You've got calluses.” Luke felt sorry for her.Luca gently traced her finger over his lips, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on him. “It’s just from the needlework and the experiments I’ve been d
Luca walked over to another couch and sat down. “I think I’ll stay here. How about letting Luke come down so that we can all catch up? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”Gordan’s face fell. “Ms. Craw, are you doing this on purpose?”Luca pretended not to know anything. “Doing what on purpose?”Gordan quickly shook his head. “Nothing. Just go upstairs already. Brother Luke’s been waiting for you.”Luca had intended to tease Gordan a little longer, but after not seeing Luke for the past few days, she found herself missing him deeply. Standing up with a smile, she said, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Oh, by the way, Mr. Gale, could you help me pick up a few things? Someone over there asked me to get them, and I couldn’t refuse.”“Sure, no problem. What do you need?” Gale agreed immediately.After handing him the list, Luca turned and headed upstairs.Gale watched Luca leave from behind, nudging Gordan’s arm. “Let’s go. We should leave and give the boss and Ms. Cr
The security guard remained completely unfazed.This was because the village chief was his uncle, and in their tight-knit community, they always stuck together and never favored outsiders.With directions from the people inside the ancestral hall, Hera found the village chief.“You’re the village chief, right?” Hera looked at the man in his fifties in front of her and spoke with an arrogant tone, completely unbothered.“And you are?” The village chief, seeing her attitude, was puzzled. He had no idea whether she was an investor or someone looking to discuss a major partnership to bring development to their quiet village.“It doesn’t matter who I am. I see you have surveillance here, and I need to review your footage,” replied Hera.The village chief was even more confused. “Are you a police officer?”“No.” Hera frowned. She thought reviewing surveillance footage was no big deal. Why was this village chief being so difficult?The village chief gave her a look as if she were a fo
“Wait a little longer. By the way, what kind of ancestral hall is this?” asked Hera.“It's a local family's ancestral hall. I heard it's been designed by the owner of a large company, and now it's also one of the tourist attractions.” The taxi driver was not from around here, so he did not know all the details, but he knew it had become a popular spot. “Now, thanks to the reputation of that boss, many architects come here as one of their reference points.”Hera frowned deeper. What was Luca doing here?The driver suggested, “If you're interested in sightseeing, the attractions inside are pretty good. But for outsiders, they charge an entrance fee. Maintenance costs a lot of money, so they charge tourists from outside.”“I'm not here for sightseeing,” replied Hera, “Don't worry. I'll pay you for however long I stay here. You’ll get your money.”The driver heard that she was paying, and did not press her further and remained quiet.Hera stared at the entrance of the ancestral hall,