"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
“As long as he stays out of your sight, I won’t make a move,” said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Luke’s 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.“Alright, Ray. Just let it go. I’ve moved on and started a new life. Plus, I’m studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, we’ll just be strangers. There’s no need to step in for me or act impulsively.” Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.“Is it the clothes delivery?” asked Ray.“No, 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,” Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.“Miss, is the boss alright?” asked one of Ray’s subordinates.“He’s fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, “Can you walk me through your plan?”“The prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. I’ve 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 facility’s underground pipes don’t 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.“This whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why I’m confident it’ll work.” As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. “Here’s 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 Abel’s people.”Abel’s 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 Gordan’s current behavior quite intriguing.“Luke, what’s with that look?” Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.“You seem pretty concerned about Vivian,” Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. “What? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, don’t say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.”Luke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. “Why are you here?”“Speaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.” Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. “Man, Ray really didn’t hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.”Luke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. “Unlock it.”“All set, boss.” 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.Gordan’s furious curses rang out. “Damn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?”Another 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.“Enough!” shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.“Vivian, stay out of this. I’m beating him to a pulp today,” growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.“Ray, I don’t want to see him,” 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.“Fine. If you don’t want to see him, I’ll 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.“Ray, this apple is really good. Want to try one?” asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. “You go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?”Vivian nodded. “I only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.”Ray walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.“You didn't bring any food with you?” asked Ray.“I haven’t 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.” Vivian’s tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.“That's true.” Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. “Alright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, we’ll still need your help.”“For toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Don’t worry, if I can help, I definitely will,” Luca assured him.“Alright, thank you.” Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, “If Vivian was really poisoned, don’t 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 didn’t take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If it’s something she can fix, she’ll do everything she can.“Besides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?”“Yes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. “Ms. Sanchez, what's wrong?”He 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. “I thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And you’re acting all deferential to her over this?”Gerald was rendered speechless. “I knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand I’m used to. Maybe it’s not expensive to you, but for me, it’s what I can afford.”Realizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. “Still, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?”“It’s not about the money,” replied Gerald. “It'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.”He was ba
Luca’s lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Luke’s 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.…The two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, “Hello, Mr. Crawford.”“Vivian, don’t worry. Everything will get better,” replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Luca’s 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, “Vivian, they’re your friends. You don’t have to act this way around them. They won’t judge you.”“I know they won’t…” Vivian let out a soft sigh. “I just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didn’t want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But it’
“I once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivian’s. 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.“Could it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.”“If she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?” asked Ray.Luca shook her head.“The poison I’ve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victim’s skin dark. I don’t 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 can’t be sure what’s really causing Vivian’s condition.“Is her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a