"What news is it?" Luca, curious once again, pulled a chair and sat beside Luke.Luke picked up his tablet, opened today's forum homepage, and handed it to her.Luca looked at the article pinned on the top of the forum with surprise. The rumors about her and Luke had been removed, replaced by a new report. The new headline featured Karen Ruiz."Madam Mallory?" Luca did not click on it immediately but instead glanced at the man beside her.Luke nodded. "It was her who leaked our story to the reporters. She thought she could clean up the mess and have someone else do the dirty work, but little did she know..."Luke’s eyes darkened. He picked up a lighter beside him and toyed with it. Was Karen trying to scheme against him? She seemed a bit inexperienced.If he could not continue to deal with Pierre, then dealing with Karen would be the same. After all, the things he had the media report on were just the shady deeds Karen had done in the past. It would not have a significant imp
As a good friend of both Luke and Luca, Vivian knew them quite well.After seeing the reports and statements released, she was worried Luca would take it too hard.Vivian knew that they were actually together.However, Luke did still have a wife, and she had seen how much he loved his wife. So, she was worried that he would do something that would hurt Luca to minimize his losses.Thus, she anxiously called Luca out of concern.She had always despised associating with homewreckers, but for some reason, Luca was an exception.Vivian did not despise Luca.She had mentioned this to Ray before too, but all he did was give her a slight smile and say that Luca was worth befriending. He told her to follow her gut and be friends with whomever she liked. He also said that the truth would come to light one day.Therefore, Vivian followed her gut and became friends with Luca.Luca smiled as she flipped through the data in her hands. “I’m fine.”“I saw online that…” Vivian hesitated. She
Karen had buried her miserable past.After she got married, she moved out with Daryl Mallory, so Old Master Mallory did not know about their quarrels.Old Master Mallory had no clue about what happened afterward either. He thought that Daryl cheated and abandoned his family because he failed to raise him properly.Thus, Old Master Mallory had always treated his son coldly.His anger toward Karen calmed down after she gave birth to two children, and that was also when Daryl met his so-called true love. Although he was chased overseas by Old Master Mallory, he never said a word to him. That was how this became Karen’s deepest secret.She had also been using Daryl’s infidelity to win the sympathy of Old Master Mallory and get whatever she wanted from the Mallory family.Plus, blood relation was important to Old Master Mallory, so the foreign woman never had the chance to come here and demand anything.Karen never thought that everything would be exposed one day.Not to mention, th
"Father, that's all in the past. Before marrying Daryl Mallory, I had completely cut ties with that man!" Karen knew that denying her past was useless now, especially since the other party had brought out the photos.Even though that man's appearance had changed significantly over the years, Karen had taken good care of herself. Her appearance was not much different from her younger days. Hence, anyone could easily tell it was her in those photos.Old Master Mallory took a drag of his cigar, exhaling slowly with a hint of disgust in his weathered, sharp eyes. He did not easily get deceived by Karen."When your family and the Mallory family arranged the marriage, you assured me that you were a good woman with no messy relationships. You said you'd pass the background check and that you were worthy of Daryl. I still remember those words. "I believed the Ruiz family's nonsense and arranged the wedding without investigation. This led to misunderstandings between Daryl and me over th
Old Master Mallory knew that she wanted to do these things. Not only did he not stop her, but he also let her do as she pleased. Did that not mean he wanted to get rid of Luke Crawford as well? Now that she was facing retaliation, he blamed her instead.Despite feeling resentful, Karen could not show her emotions. She could only mutter, "I understand, Father.""I'll give you a week. If you can't handle this matter well, get out of the Mallory family. We can't afford to lose our reputation because of you," said Old Master Mallory. Then, he rose to his feet and walked toward the study.Old Master Mallory had not even eaten breakfast early in the morning because he did not want to see her gloomy face. As Karen watched Old Master Mallory leave from behind, she clenched her fists in silence.How could she resolve this matter? She had to find the man who was spreading rumors everywhere and rip his mouth apart!Karen stormed upstairs angrily. She could not handle this matter person
"Alright, Dr. Craw. I'll go grab a meal first.” After Rhett left, Luca was the only one left in the laboratory.[Dr. Park, if I go, Mrs. Norman's situation might worsen.] Luca had no choice but to confess when Johann was persistently trying to persuade her.She figured Johann probably had not paid much attention to these kinds of gossip news. Therefore, he did not know that Queenie ended up in the hospital due to her rumored relationship with Luke, which was also what triggered her high blood pressure.After a while, Johann pretended that he had only realized it and replied to her: [So it's about that…]Luca let out a sigh, not because it dawned on Johann later but because of her own helplessness. She wanted to personally treat Queenie, but could she?She did not even have the courage to show herself in front of Queenie now.[If we let Dr. Wood or the head of the naturopathy department perform dry needling on Mrs. Norman, the results might be limited. After all, their knowled
Queenie nodded. She understood. Now, she had to disguise herself as a 'patient'. She could not casually walk around the hospital corridors. She did not know when Luca would arrive at the hospital, so she had to be on guard at all times. Queenie walked over to the sofa, picked up Jack's coat, and handed it to him, saying, "You don't need to worry about me. The hospital has everything I need, and I'm feeling much better now. You can focus on your work.""Alright. If you need anything, just call me. If you can't reach me, call my secretary," replied Jack. Hospitals were not the best place, and if it were not for needing to push Luca, he would not want Queenie to stay in the hospital either."Okay," replied Queenie as she helped him straighten his tie. After Jack tidied himself up, he left the hospital ward and saw the maid waiting in the hallway. He said, "Take care of my wife. If anything comes up, make sure to contact me."When they discussed matters related to Luca, they alw
The maid had to pay Queenie extra attention this week. She did not say anything since Queenie’s expression was still calm.Queenie's expression remained calm until the legal program ended. She picked up her phone and entered Matysh's name. News reports started to appear one by one.Queenie was worried that she might go soft. That was why she did not search for reports related to Matysh during this time, nor had she made an effort to find out about Leia's situation. Ignorance was her way of avoiding any feelings of compassion.Unexpectedly, she came across the legal program discussing this case. After watching it, she searched for the current news and was surprised to find that she felt no compassion this time.Knowing that Luca’s true identity was Bianca and having fully understood the events of the past, Queenie could no longer muster any sympathy for Leia.Queenie knew Leia was going to be sentenced. She even felt Leia deserved it. She had no feelings of pity.Leia screwe
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,