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
"How's Mrs. Norman doing? What did the doctor say?" asked Luca. She was caught off guard by this sudden piece of gossip news. Her once peaceful state of mind was shattered, leaving her with a buzzing brain. She did not know how to clarify things. All she wanted now was for those who mattered to her to be safe and sound."I just asked Johann. Her condition isn't too good. She needs rest.” Luke’s expression remained unchanged as he told this white lie. Luca would certainly contact Johann to find out more about Queenie’s condition. Luke had already informed Johann about that.When Luca asked about Queenie's situation, they had to make her believe that it was not optimistic.Luca's heart tightened, unsure if Luke was deliberately misleading her. However, she believed that Queenie’s condition was really terrible.She felt helpless, never expecting that her selfishness would lead to Queenie falling ill…For a moment, Luca had the urge to reveal the truth and her real identity as Bia
When the elevator reached the floor of her office, Luca walked out and noticed that the assistant’s office was empty.She clocked in before entering her office and putting on her lab coat. Then, she entered the laboratory.The researchers all looked up when they heard the door open.When they saw Luca, they were reminded of the news. However, because Luca was their immediate superior, they dared not bring up the topic.They were pretty much the only department in the entire company to talk about Luca’s news the least.Plus, on the way to work today, many of them were accosted by people from other departments or research teams. They were trying to get more information on Luca.However, they had professional ethics. No matter what other people asked, they told them nothing.“Good morning, Dr. Craw,” several researchers greeted her.“Good morning.” Luca acted as if everything were normal. Then, she returned to her seat and began to work on her part of the experiment.Rhett sat op
Luca sighed and shook her head.She did not want to leave, but it was not up to her to decide anyway…As for confessing, Luca did not want to put Luke in danger, so she decided to continue observing for the time being. Confessing everything to Luke would be her last resort.He may not believe her, but she had many ways to prove that she was the real Bianca…This went on the entire day. All employees, whether from T Corporation or Watson Biopharmaceuticals, were given reminders by the management to not say anything to the media. If they were caught, they would be investigated and held legally responsible.Therefore, everyone was tight-lipped. The reporters did not see Luke or Luca enter or leave either.They had hustled the entire day for nothing.Thus, they could only continue speculating with the information they had now.When Luke got off work, he did not go back home right away. Instead, he went to the hospital. This time, he went to Wanda’s ward.When Wanda saw him come in
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,