"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
Apart from the first message Jason sent to him asking if he woke up, everything that followed was in voice messages. Luke raised an eyebrow and played the first voice message."Boss, several local newspaper companies in the city are reporting about your affair with Dr. Craw. The newspapers have already printed it all. Online public opinion is ablaze with heated discussions." Jason's voice carried a hint of urgency and a touch of helplessness.Before Luke could react, Luca was startled for a moment. She immediately sat up. "What?"When Luke saw the anxious expression on her face, he comforted her. "Relax."Then, he played the next voice message. "Among the newspapers that reported this are Green Apple Daily and Pineapple Entertainment News, none of which have any affiliation with the company. That’s why we didn't receive any prior notice."Luke slowly sat up. Previously, Gale mentioned that Karen, Myra, and the others would not act so quickly. However, before he knew it, Karen
Luke arrived at the hospital.Both of them got out of the car wearing masks and caps. Luca could not believe that there would come a day when she would have to disguise herself just like Luke. After all, her photo had been publicly posted on the forum. If she walked into the hospital now, she might attract attention and cause trouble for Luke.Before Luke got out of the car, he already found out about Queenie's ward room number. They went upstairs and arrived at the door of the ward room. Luca stopped and said in a soft voice, "You go in first. I'll wait here. If there's anything I can help with, just call me…"Luca dared not to go inside. She was afraid that her presence might upset Queenie. Patients with blood pressure problems should not be subjected to any stress.“Alright, I'll go in and see what's going on,” replied Luke. Then, he pushed the door open and entered the ward.Luca sat on a bench in the hospital corridor. Since it was a VIP floor, there were not many people
Luke replied: [I won't be going to the company this morning. Postpone the meeting to the afternoon.]Jason replied: [Okay. I've scheduled all the important arrangements for the afternoon, Boss. There are a few documents here that require your personal attention. I've already sent them to your email.] Before Luke could respond, the door of the ward room was pushed open.Luca, who sat opposite Queenie’s ward, watched Queenie get pushed back to her ward room by the caretaker. She could not help but lower her head, avoiding Queenie from seeing her.Queenie did not notice Luca. She was pushed into the ward and saw Luke. Just as her heart had finally calmed down a bit, it suddenly flared up again.Despite her anger, she wore a cold expression on her face."Mom." Luke rose to his feet. The ward room door was still not completely closed. He saw Luca sitting across from the door and gave her a slight nod.A touch of sorrow flashed across Queenie's eyes. She did not respond. Instead, she
Luke and Jack exchanged glances. When Queenie saw their expressions, she became concerned that they were hiding something from her again. Thus, she deliberately wore a stern face and said, "Are you still not going to tell me? If that's the case, I seriously doubt the authenticity of this DNA test report."As she spoke, she raised the DNA test report. Queenie believed that this report was real, especially after learning that Luca’s true identity was Bianca. It reminded her of the first time she met Luca.It was that familiar feeling she could not quite place. Perhaps it was the emotional connection between a mother and her daughter.With these thoughts in mind, Queenie continued to gaze intently at Luke and Jack. Since Luca did not acknowledge them when she returned, there must be a reason for it. She might be facing some difficulties.Queenie knew that there were many things she could not change or help with. She needed to know the reasons why her daughter was suffering…J
“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