After the child stopped asking to go to the hospital, Luca left for the hospital right away without wasting any more time.After placing one of the flasks in Old Man Rayne’s ward, Luca sat there for a bit before going to Wanda’s ward. Finally, she went to Sarah’s ward.Sarah’s complexion had improved a lot since she met Marcos. She did not look as gloomy as before.After seeing Luca enter, she looked at her gratefully. She even tried to get out of bed. “Ms. Luca, you’re here.”“Ms. Poplar, don’t get down. Just sit down,” Luca said quickly when she saw that Sarah was about to get out of bed to welcome her.Sarah nodded.Luca asked out of concern, “Ms. Poplar, has the doctor made his rounds?”“He came half an hour ago.” Sarah nodded. The doctors here were responsible. They made their rounds once in the morning and once in the evening before they got off work.“Ms. Luca, thanks to you, my life has been spared,” said Sarah. She found out from the nurses that the doctor who performe
"Okay." Lanie's cool face lit up with a faint smile as he scampered upstairs."Don't run when you’re on the stairs. Be careful,” warned Luca when she saw that.Even though Lanie had his own thoughts, he heeded Luca's advice and switched to walking. He gripped the staircase railing with his right hand."Ms. Luca, let's go wash our hands!" said Rainie with a bright smile on her face.Luca nodded and walked into the bathroom with Rainie. After they washed their hands, they saw Luke and Lanie coming downstairs together."Time for dinner." Luca turned to look at Luke, her eyes filled with tenderness."Yes." Luke nodded, and they all sat down at the dining table.Aunt Neile brought out a delicious spread of four dishes and a bowl of soup, which made for a very hearty meal.Everyone was happily enjoying their meal. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Mallory Manor was quite somber.Old Master Mallory sat in the living room, with Karen sitting on the sofa next to him. He was staring at her w
Her 20 years of hard work should not be undermined by that mistress at a time like this.Old Master Mallory noticed a change in Karen's expression in that instant and knew what he said had an effect. He turned to look at Mr. Bennet and asked, "How's the food coming along?"Mr. Bennet slightly bowed and replied in a low voice, "Sir, I'll go check on it now." Then, he turned around and headed to the kitchen.Karen shifted her eyes and pondered for a moment. Then, she said, "Father, I’ll listen to whatever you say about Pierre's matter. He's your grandson, after all. You wouldn't want to see him get into trouble. But when it comes to that woman, I won't listen to you."Old Master Mallory shot her a glance.Karen continued, "I don't care if you've changed your mind or what the purpose of this meal is. I won't agree to their marriage even if Percy has already registered their marriage. I won't acknowledge her as my daughter-in-law."Old Master Mallory remained silent.Karen looke
Nina had the urge to turn around and ask Karen, but she held back. The sensation in the palm of her hand kept reminding her to stay calm and not argue with Karen. If she could not suppress her emotions and let her pride be torn apart now, there would be no need to have this meal. Even though Old Master Mallory did not give Nina a friendly look, he could be trying to improve his relationship with Percy through this meal. She could not ruin that.Nina took a deep breath and pretended not to hear what Karen said. Percy gave Karen a warning look. Karen was startled for a moment. In the past few days whenever she intentionally caused trouble for Nina, Percy would glare at her that way. However, her mind was occupied with Pierre’s matter. Thus, she did not pay close attention to the meaning behind Percy's looks. This marked the first moment Karen locked eyes with Percy’s caution-laden gaze. She felt a mixture of fear and annoyance. What did he mean? She was his mother! Yet
"Percy! Are you trying to drive me crazy?" Old Master Mallory breathed heavily. He thought Percy would agree to this to improve their relationship. However, at this moment, Percy seemed determined and unwavering, showing no regard for their relationship. It was all because of Nina."Grandpa, I can agree to everything else except for matters concerning Nina," replied Percy expressionlessly. When it came to anything related to Nina, there was no way he would compromise.Nina watched how Percy made his unwavering choice in her favor. She could not help but feel deeply moved. However, when she saw Old Master Mallory's face turning red, she was worried.When Percy publicly announced their marriage without a proper ceremony, Karen fell ill from sheer frustration. Now, if Percy insisted on defying Old Master Mallory, it might also lead to dire consequences. She would truly become an outcast in the Mallory family.Nina wanted to say that it was fine even if they did not hold the weddin
“Let Pierre go to prison?!”Karen's steps came to an immediate halt as she turned to glance at Old Master Mallory. His expression was dark. It was not just a threat; he was truly furious.The anger in Karen’s heart instantly reached its boiling point. She blamed Percy and Nina for everything. If it were not for the two of them pissing Old Master Mallory off, he would not have said something like that.It left Karen with a cold feeling inside her, thinking that Old Master Mallory truly did not value her son. Otherwise, he would not have resorted to such threats. After Karen left the dining room, Mr. Bennet's gaze followed her, making sure she was heading upstairs. He then hurriedly returned to the old man's side to report, "Old Master Mallory, Madam has gone upstairs."Old Master Mallory's expression remained terrible. Mr. Bennet quickly poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. "Please have some water."Old Master Mallory took the glass of water from him and took a b
Nina wanted to have a talk with him after they got home, but after what Percy said, she thought that there was no need anymore.No matter what, there was no talking him out of it. They would go ahead with the wedding as planned.“Alright.” Nina agreed with a smile. She was overwhelmed with joy after seeing him insist on giving her a proper wedding, so much so that she had forgotten the tension she was feeling inside.At night, Karen sat on the sofa in the living room and impatiently asked the butler. “Why is the old master not back yet?”Not long after Old Master Mallory left, she came downstairs to discuss Pierre’s situation with him. To her surprise, the butler informed her that he was out.Karen had been waiting until now.The butler glanced at the time and said, “Old Master Mallory said that he was on his way back half an hour ago, so he should be here soon.”He was making a guess. He only found out that he was on his way home after reaching out to him.However, he had no i
The butler shook his head as the thought of Karen’s expression gave him a bad feeling.Upstairs, Karen picked up the phone and dialed the number of a private investigator. After a while, he picked up.“Madam Mallory.” The private investigator’s voice could be heard from the other end of the phone.Karen wanted to get straight to the point, so she asked, “Have you found Luca’s other lover?”When Myra mentioned that Luca had another man, she asked a private investigator to look into it. Although it had not even been two days, she could not help asking because of her anger.She could not wait any longer. She had to act immediately and cause trouble for Luke. That way, he would not bother Pierre anymore.The private investigator was taken aback and said resignedly, “I’ve been following Luca for the past two days, but there's nothing unusual about her whereabouts. I haven’t discovered anything new.”Luca’s schedule for the past two days basically consisted of her commute to and from
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,