"Yes, I know," Luca murmured against his chest, her voice muffled. She had not made up her mind yet, so she did not plan on saying anything. She just wanted to hug him and breathe in his familiar scent.Luke Crawford was the man she loved the most...Luke waited for a while but did not hear Luca continue. He knew she still had not made up her mind to speak. His chest was a tumultuous mix, brimming with warmth but also a profound sense of helplessness toward Luca.She still could not bring herself to say it at this moment. Luke had no choice but to give her some more time."Hmm, it's getting late. I need to go to work." Luca felt her strength returning to her body and slowly raised her head, looking at the man's resolute jawline. "Okay, come back early tonight if possible. I promised the kids we'd go out for dinner," replied Luke.Luca wanted to agree immediately, but she frowned at the thought of the recent rumors. This scandal had shaken Wanda and Queenie. She did not hav
After her training in the Island of Despair and studying medicine for over two years, Luca had developed a skill. She could estimate the weight of anything that was in her hands.Shanks had mentioned before that to be a good pharmacist, one had to be sensitive to the weight of things. In order to achieve that, Shanks specifically asked her to train for two months to master that skill.After seasoning the minced meat, she passed it to Aunt Neile.“Ms. Craw, that’s very impressive.” Aunt Neile praised before wrapping the meat in plastic wrap and putting it in the fridge.“Aunt Neile, you can go back early,” Luca told Aunt Neile after washing her hands. She walked out of the kitchen with a plate of washed fruits.When she got to the living room, she heard Lanie say, “Ms. Luca, I’m done with my homework.”He was slightly smarter than Rainie, and the homework was fairly easy for him, so he would usually be the first to finish it. Today, he finished it even faster because they were goi
Tommy’s chubby smile instantly dropped.He did not want to practice his handwriting!However, he could not refuse Luca’s request. It was usually Luke’s sternness that would make him compromise, but Luca’s gentleness also made it hard for him to say no.“Alright, let’s start tomorrow.” Tommy remembered that he still had many books on his bookshelf that Old Master Crawford gifted him back then. It was the same for his siblings.At that time, the kids were not told to practice, so other than Rainie, Tommy and Lanie had never touched those books.Now, Tommy suspected that his mom and his great-grandpa schemed this together. Why else would he be gifted those books for practicing handwriting? After pondering for a moment, he was about to say that he did not have the suitable materials.“Tommy still has many empty copybooks,” said Lanie.Tommy’s eyes widened. Of course, his brother would say that!Luca smiled upon hearing that and said, “Great, we don’t have to buy any, then. Let’s
Luca looked around at the surroundings and realized that what Luke said about not getting noticed by reporters when dining here was true. Luke parked the car in the visitor parking spot and said, "We're here. Let’s go.""Awesome! Daddy, I'm so hungry!" Tommy cheered. After Rainie got out of the car, he followed suit. Luca got out of the car on the other side and instinctively looked around her.It was probably dinner time, so everyone was having their meal right now. That was why there were not many young people walking around the area. There were only a few people leisurely strolling around."I've already placed the order. We can eat as soon as we get in. You won't be hungry, you little foodie," replied Luke as he stared at his son, whose expression was totally ravenous. There was a hint of helplessness on Luke's face. The kid had never gone hungry when it was time to eat, so why was he always so hungry?!Luke looked at Luca, wondering whose side of the family Tommy had take
The juice was for the kids. Luca and Luke preferred just water."Alright. I'll go and prepare some fresh juice now,” said the female owner with a beaming smile as she walked into the kitchen.After the chef served all the dishes, he returned to the kitchen. He did not want to disturb the family while they were having their meal.The restaurant recommended by Jason had always been great. The food here was delicious, and it felt completely different from the meals at other places. The three kids really enjoyed it.During the meal, Luca took care of serving the kids the food, while Luke continued to pile food onto her plate."Daddy, I want you to serve me too!" Tommy, who was sitting in the toddler’s dining chair, noticed that he was only serving Luca food. He could not help but smile mischievously.Luke glanced at the child, picked up a piece of pork rib, and put it on his plate. Then, he placed the pork ribs on Lanie and Rainie’s plates too. He treated them equally.Tommy nibbled
Tommy blinked his eyes and felt embarrassed when Lanie ruthlessly exposed him. He raised his fingers and made a solemn vow. "I promise not to eat too much anymore. If I break the promise, I’ll become a little pig!"Lanie shook his head, indicating that he did not believe him.Both he and Rainie were disciplined and not particularly prone to indulging in treats. They had no idea whose side of the family Tommy had got this trait from.Their parents were not like this at all!Luca could not help but chuckle. She was amused by Tommy. Her lips curled into a smile. She could not focus on the documents in her hand anymore.Tommy saw Lanie shaking his head and protested, "Lanie, you should remind me!""That doesn’t work. We gotta make you feel bad once in a while so that you'll remember better," Lanie said in a cool and nonchalant manner as he flipped through another page of his book.Tommy could not help but wonder when he saw Lanie’s expression. "Lanie looks just like Daddy. Boo-hoo,
"Alright. Cut the chatter," Luke interrupted Louis' incessant chatter. Louis gave him an awkward smile.He wanted to tell Luke why he argued with Susan, but after some thought, he decided not to mention it. After all, part of the reason why they argued was because of Luke. Susan had always been unhappy with Louis’ decision to start his own business instead of working for T Corporation. In her eyes, Louis lacked ambition and aspiration. His company was seen as a mom-and-pop shop, which was a world apart from T Corporation.Susan had been urging him to sell his company and go back to work at T Corporation. However, Louis was not willing to do so. He did not even know how Susan found out that someone was interested in acquiring his company. She brought up the matter today, encouraging him to sell it right away while there were people interested in taking over his company.Louis had grown tired of her nagging. His tone was a bit harsh when he talked to her, leading to a heat
At 11 o'clock, Louis harbored the desire to continue their conversation a while longer, but he was abruptly interrupted by Luke."I'm going to bed with your sister-in-law now, so do your own thing.”Louis blinked his eyes and replied, "I get it, Brother. You don’t have to worry about me. I promise I won't disturb you."Then, he rose to his feet and opened the wardrobe.Luke casually tossed a set of sleepwear and underwear he had never worn into his arms. "Be quiet at night. Don't freak out the kids.""Do you still think I'm the same Louis who used to go wild at home? I've become mature and responsible now!" Louis protested as he caught the clothes that were thrown at him.Luke seemed to ignore his protest and headed to the bathroom with a set of fresh sleepwear in his hands."Brother, are you sleeping in that room?" Louis blinked his eyes. Luca had just entered the opposite bedroom a moment ago…Could it be that his brother had done something wrong and was punished to sleep alo
“That bag…” Nina pointed at the bag. “Your mom brought it over.”Percy walked over, picked up the bag, and opened it. When he saw what was inside, his brows immediately furrowed.“What’s all this?” asked Nina.Percy handed her the bag. “Just some stuff.”Curious about what it was, Nina took the bag and peeked inside. It was filled with car models and small toys.She suddenly remembered what Karen said earlier and asked hesitantly, “Are these your childhood toys?”“Yes.” Seeing these things again stirred something in Percy’s heart, but it still did not change his feelings toward Karen.Nina was surprised. She picked up a few of the items and said, “I didn’t expect these to be so well-preserved.”“I thought they would've been thrown out.” Percy still remembered these toys.Technically, they were his, but in reality, they ended up with Pierre. As the Mallory family’s heir, he was too busy to play with toys. Hence, they were his, but it never felt that way.Nina said, “Earlier, s
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