Bianca was not able to meet Nina. She was not relieved. However, she was helpless against Anna. Anna bore a deep-seated grudge against Bianca, and there was no way she was reasonable enough to listen to Bianca. However, Anna was nevertheless Nina's mother, and she could not do anything to her. Bianca thought of Sue. If Sue went to visit Nina, Anna would have no excuse to drive her daughter's colleague away, as unreasonable as she might be. Bianca gave a call to Sue, tactfully saying that Nina had fallen sick. Bianca also explained that Nina's mother bore a grudge against her, and it was not convenient for her to go and visit, which was why she asked Sue to visit Nina on her behalf. She did not tell Sue about what actually happened to Nina. After all, no woman would want other people to know that they were abducted and violated. Sue agreed to it immediately and promised that she would visit Nina after work. She also asked Bianca to send her Nina's address. Bianca was phy
Old Master Crawford was furious when he heard Luke say that he would not marry anyone except Bianca. He knocked his walking stick on his grandson's body. "You ingrate! Do you really intend to marry that disreputable woman? Have you ever considered what that would do to the reputation of the Crawford family? Do you want us to be the joke of A City?" Luke stood straight. The words that came from his mouth made Old Master Crawford angrier than ever. "What reputation do we currently have, Grandfather?" He glanced at his mother and Susan sitting on the couch, and his implications were clear. The atmosphere became tense. Was there any other man in modern society that married two concurrent wives? Old Master Crawford struggled to catch his breath when he heard what Luke said. Louis, sitting beside him, gently patted his grandfather's back. "Grandpa, the doctor says that you shouldn't get angry. You'll have to control your temper. Otherwise, you'll have to stay in the hospital for a
CEO's office, T Corporation. "Mr. Crawford, I cannot be Ms. Rayne's defense lawyer in her divorce case. I'm sorry." Walter stood in front of Luke's desk. His face was scrunched up. He was wracked with guilt for having declined Luke's request. After all, he enjoyed his current fame because of Luke. Walter carefully glanced at Luke. Luke was sitting casually on his chair. The sunlight that shone into the office from the floor-to-ceiling window highlighted his sculpted features. He took a puff from a cigarette. Amid the swirling clouds of smoke, his slightly furrowed brows indicated his displeasure. "Reason?" Luke flicked his cigarette. His harsh face showed no emotion. "Shandra is back." Walter's expression was unreadable. "I've owed her too much. She even… removed her womb because of me. I didn't know that I'd caused her so much damage. I've always wanted to repay the debt, but she never lets me. She's too prideful to ask for anything from me, except this time…" "Shandra
Leia was disguised in a thick woolen cap, a wide scarf, a mask, and a pair of sunglasses. No one could tell that the woman dressed up in bulky clothes was the slender and beautiful female celebrity on television. She went into a private room. A man in his thirties with high cheekbones was already waiting for her inside. He had a full beard on his face, and though he might seem hostile, one could tell that he was not a bad guy from the sparkle in his eyes. Leia sat down on a chair and asked, "Did you find anything? Are there any updates?" She had been extremely worried over the past few days. What if her adopted mother's birth daughter appeared out of nowhere and took over her position in the Norman family? The bearded man pushed a stack of documents in front of her. "We've found something. There are records from the hospital when your mother was giving birth, as well as the name lists and current statuses of the doctors and nurses that were working during the delivery. Your m
"…" Luke did not know how to answer those questions. Since when was there a pair of lace panties in his car? Luke wracked his mind, but he could not think of anything. Had was a clean freak, so no stray article of clothing should have appeared in his car. Moreover, not many women traveled in his car. He could only think of his mother, Bianca, and Rainie. Rainie was still a child, and she would not be wearing lace panties. Bianca could see that he was confused. "I found it under a car seat in the black Bentley when I was looking for Rainie's English textbook… it was a pair of black lace panties." Bianca stood up, went to the room, and retrieved the evidence. The existence of the black lace panties had always been a thorn on Bianca's side. If she did not ask him, she would always be suspicious of him. Luke remained confused. "Aren't those panties yours? Did you buy them and leave them in the car?" "Would I have asked you the question if the panties are mine?" Bianca a
Lanie got excited when he thought about that possibility. He might be a boy, but like Rainie, he loved sweet stuff. Mommy's lips looked really sweet, and Daddy seemed to be enjoying them. He wanted to taste if the candy in Mommy's mouth was delicious. Lanie was a smart boy, but he was too young to know what kissing was. The only explanation he could come up with was that Daddy was eating candy from Mommy's mouth. "I want to eat the candy in your mouth too, Mommy. What flavor is it?" Rainie also skipped next to Bianca and stared at her lips. "N… No, we're not eating candy." Bianca was embarrassed. She did not know how to explain it to her children. She glared at Luke, who responded with a helpless expression. When they were in the mood, they would not notice that their children were there! It was not the first time that the children had interrupted their intimate moments. It was a drag having to make sure that the children were not looking before they made out. That made
Hilton Hotel. He knew from his sister Allison that his nephew Luke was in a business meeting at the hotel and rushed there instantly. He waited patiently until the meeting was over and instantly saw Luke in his business suit walking out of the hotel escorted by a group of elites. Every one of those people was outstanding, but Luke's dominating presence and impeccable face made him stand out from the crowd. "Luke," Daniel called out to him. Luke noticed his uncle and waved at the elites. The other people knew that it was their time to disperse. Only Luke and Daniel were left in the lobby. "Is there something, Uncle Daniel?" Luke asked, even though he knew why his uncle was there. "Can you tell me where I have offended you, Luke? Are you planning to ruin my company? What can I do to make you spare Tanner Corporation?" Daniel spoke humbly to Luke so that he could save his life's work. In only a few days, Daniel's elderly countenance became more haggard than ever. His c
Leia's mannerisms were elegant. Each of her movements exuded charm. "Long time no see, Aunt Allison." She said gingerly when she saw that Luke was also there. "You're here too, Mr. Crawford…" Luke nodded at her as a courtesy. Allison stood up and greeted her warmly. "Make yourself at home, Leia. You're not at work now, so why are you calling him Mr. Crawford? You can call him Luke." "That's not very appropriate, right?" Leia was talking to Allison, but her shy gaze drifted to Luke. Allison held Leia's slender hand and said excitedly, "It's just a name. I don't think he's so petty that he wouldn't want someone else to call him by his first name! I was wondering why haven't you come to visit me for more than a week, and now you're here." Luke subconsciously frowned. He did not know that Leia had become so close with his mother. Leia's impeccable face blushed when she heard Allison's words. "I'm here to deliver you a present, Aunt Allison. Do you remember the ruby tiara th
“'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,
Hera let out a cold sneer, feeling that Gerald's apology was not sincere.Hera did not want to press the issue at the moment. She gave him a sharp look. “Come with me.”Gerald knew that Hera was up to something again. If it were a normal order, she would have just said it in the living room. Whenever she called him aside, it meant whatever she had to say could not be overheard by others.Reluctantly, Gerald followed her out.It was midday, and as soon as Hera stepped out of the living room, a wave of heat hit her face.The intense warmth made her feel uncomfortable.Hera got straight to the point, turning to Gerald. “What did Luca say to you just now?”“She just asked me to help keep an eye on the volunteer,” Gerald answered honestly. This was not something that needed to be kept secret.Hera frowned. “Is she going out”Gerald hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to say anything.“I’m talking to you, not the wall. Are you mute?” Hera threatened. “If you lie to me, I’ll te
Gordan was puzzled. At most, it was just brotherly camaraderie. After all, they had been through thick and thin together. Their bond might be stronger than usual, but falling in love? That was a bit of a stretch.Luke said, “The way you acted just now, doesn't really seem 'straight' to me. Also, if you're into women, maybe you should consider finding one. Otherwise, if you're always single, people might start misinterpreting your feelings for me.”“Luke, actually, you're not bad at all. In fact, you're probably better than a lot of women,” Gordan replied with a sly grin.As a man himself, he honestly thought Luke was a great guy. If he were a woman, he would be utterly captivated by him.“Shut up!” Luke knew he was joking, but he still felt a chill run down his spine. He seriously worried that Gordan might do something inappropriate when he turned his back on him.Shivering from the thought, Luke put down his glass and headed upstairs.Gordan let out a deep sigh.The night w
“Anyway, I'm saying it here—I'm not going to Russia because of that ugly woman, Vivian. If I go to Russia, it's for you. I've already divorced her. Besides, I’m already trying to avoid her, how could I possibly go to Russia for her?” Gordan took a sip of red wine, then continued his rant. “And, Ray is still in Russia. I really can't go. His men are all brutal, and I've had enough of being beaten all these years.”“Then why did you buy an apartment in Vivian's neighborhood?” Luke continued to tease him. His sharp eyes glinted with intelligence.Gordan denied it, but whether he believed it or not was his own business.“It was just a coincidence!” Gordan raised his voice, trying to convince Luke.Or maybe himself.“Coincidence?” Luke sipped his wine, every gesture as graceful as a nobleman.“Of course, it’s a coincidence, Brother Luke. You wouldn’t know, but that apartment is in a school district, surrounded by college towns. There are a ton of hotties there, I picked the place just
As Luca listened to his tone that was full of regret, she felt a slight pang in her heart. She recalled when she had a child and continued pursuing her education. If she had given up on herself back then, perhaps she and Luke would not find themselves here today.Luca felt she was much more fortunate than the volunteer. Even though she loved her father, she also understood the importance of education and did not let her father’s illness cause her to give up. She was also fortunate to have a father who supported her education.At the thought of this, Luca could not help but ask, “Do you regret it?”“No, I don’t regret it,” the volunteer smiled. “Actually, I always look at it in a positive light. Back then, several boys in my class liked her. If I hadn’t confessed, she might have become someone else’s girlfriend. If there’s anything I regret over the years, it’s that I was too selfish and it affected her studies.“I never thought that being in a relationship at a young age would