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
Louis was stunned. He shook his head as he watched the three kids leave.He had not chatted with these kids for some time, and he noticed that they had become mischievous again. He did not think he had enough brain cells to talk to them.After notifying Louis, the three kids returned to the dining hall. Aunt Neile had already served up burgers for them.“The burgers are ready. Come and have breakfast,” she said to the kids smilingly.“Thanks, Aunt Neile,” the kids said in unison as they sat on their chairs.Luke did not see Louis, so he asked, “Where’s your uncle?”“Uncle Louis was still in bed when we went over. We spent a long time waking him up. He just woke up and is washing up now. He’ll come down soon,” Tommy answered before picking up the burger and biting into it.The bun was soft, and the patty was tender. It was scrumptious. Tommy’s eyes lit up as he said, “It’s so, so yummy! Ms. Luca’s patties are the best!”Luca smiled at the kid’s comments. Seeing Aunt Neile serve
After Louis called Yuri to confirm that she would be home in ten minutes, he went upstairs to change into the clothes he wore yesterday. He knew that Luke would definitely not want the pajamas that he had worn before, so he asked Aunt Neile for a bag to take them with him.After leaving, he waited for Yuri at the front door.It took some time before Yuri’s car appeared in front of him.Seeing Louis standing at the door, Yuri frowned. “Why didn't you open the door?”“It’s locked,” Louis said. After he was kicked out yesterday, Susan locked the door.He reckoned that Susan was still angry at him, so he did not attempt to open the door. He would just get frustrated if he failed.Yuri frowned and asked him, “Why did you quarrel with your mother and get kicked out of the house…”Louis did not say a word as he watched Yuri open the door.The door was still locked, and Yuri looked at him resignedly. “If I knew that you two had a fight yesterday, I wouldn’t have brought Thea back. It s
Louis returned to his study. He began packing up his computer. In his mind, he was thinking that he should start backing up important files to his private cloud storage.If something like this happened again, it wouldn't hurt for him to lay low outside for a few days.Louis had always felt this way, especially since Susan had been forced to move here by Old Master Crawford. Her temper had worsened significantly. He could not afford to provoke her, but at least he could escape if needed.After packing up his computer and company documents, Louis put his personal documents in his briefcase. He planned to go to his bedroom to change his clothes before leaving. However, he ran into Susan.The moment Susan saw him, her face darkened and she asked, "What are you back for?"Louis wanted to tell her that this was his house. Why could he not come back?However, if he said that, Susan would surely lose her temper again. He had no choice but to smooth things over with her. "Mom, you're stil
On the other hand, after Luke left the villa, he did not immediately head to the company but went to the hospital instead. He dismissed Mrs. Lane and also the Norman family's maid, allowing Wanda to enter Queenie's ward.When the two women who were both concerned about Luca met, they did not show much joy. Both of their faces wore the same gloom."Luke, do you have some good news seeing as you gathered us here like this?" Queenie asked first, hoping to hear positive news about Luca from Luke.Luke shook his head and placed two thermal lunch boxes on the coffee table. "Luca made these burgers. They taste good, so I brought them here for you to try."Queenie had lost her appetite because of Luca’s matter. The maid tried to convince her to eat. However, she just could not stomach the food at the thought of what Luca had been through and how she still refused to acknowledge her true identity.However, her eyes lit up when she heard that it was Luca who made the food."Bianca’s home
“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