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
“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