"It was the kids...?" Luca was surprised, not expecting that it was actually the kids who discovered it first."Will they be mad at me?" Luca could not help but ask. She had lied to them, after all.As an adult and their mother, she had always taught them not to lie, not to deceive, and to be honest and kind.However, she had deceived the children from the very beginning."No, don't think about that. Since finding out your true identity, they've been worried about you, especially Rainie. She’s worried that you might be facing some difficulties. She’s also afraid that you would suddenly leave again," answered Luke.Suddenly, Luca remembered the night when the rumors first came out, Rainie was very worried. She was afraid that she would not be able to see Luca the next day if she fell asleep...Her heart softened at the thought of the kids worrying about her, and it subtly ached."I think we shouldn't tell them about having another sister for now. Children shouldn't bear too much.
Luca smiled. Everyone said that Lanie resembled Luke the most. Whether it was in appearance, personality, or intelligence, he asked this question in such a warm moment. She could not easily deceive him.However, of course, she could not answer directly either. It was to avoid causing the children worry."Don't worry, whatever organization it is, Daddy and I can handle it. No need to worry. This situation is just temporary. We'll get it sorted out real quick. I hate that it's causing you trouble, and you're not able to call me ‘Mommy’ for the time being. But no matter what you call me, I'm still your mother, okay?" said Luca as she patted Tommy's head.Lanie nodded. He was smart enough to understand that Luca did not want them to worry. That was why she did not go into details. Thus, he did not press on with further questions.They were still young, and they could not share the burden of adults, so they could only listen to them. Lanie believed that his parents would definitely
Since Lanie was going to participate in the math competition, Tommy should too.Tommy nodded and said, “Yes, Ms. Luca. I want to compete too, but the teacher said I’d have to wait until next week because my competition date is different from Lanie’s.”“Okay.” Luca nodded.They did not have to worry much as parents because the kids were smart.“Lanie and Tommy are so smart.” Rainie could not help but sigh as she was not as skilled in mathematics as her brothers. Although her grades were not bad, the math competition was too advanced for her. Her teachers were aware of that, so they did not ask her to participate in math competitions. Instead, she joined other types of competitions, including dance.Tommy shook his head and genuinely praised Rainie, “You’re the smart one, Rainie. You’ve joined so many competitions. Lanie and I don’t have nearly as many awards as you.”“You always know what to say. I still have some snacks from yesterday that I haven’t finished yet. I’ll give them
A hundred turtles!Suddenly, in Tommy’s mind appeared an image of Luke handing Tommy a stack of paper and a pen. He was asking him to draw a hundred turtles. He quickly shook his head and said, “I don’t want to draw a hundred turtles. It’s not fun!”Everyone around him laughed at his words.“That’s why you can’t be so playful. Uncle Louis is an elder, and he’s Daddy’s younger brother, so we have to respect him.” Rainie educated her brother again. She found that she enjoyed doing so as she felt like she could better fulfill her role as a sister that way.Tommy could not help but mutter, “Then, how come you and Lanie could bully Uncle Louis this morning?”“How is that bullying? I just woke him up,” Rainie emphasized as she glanced at Lanie.“Well…” Tommy seemed to be deep in thought as his gaze fell upon Luca.“You have to respect your uncle,” Luca echoed, reaffirming what Rainie said.Rainie smiled widely at Luca’s words and patted Tommy’s head as she said, “You may not listen
Louis was surprised when he heard this. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, Brother. This is your apartment, how could I...""This is a property developed by T Corporation. I bought a unit. It was actually meant for you from the start. But Grandpa arranged a villa next door for you after that. So, the apartment was temporarily left in my hands," explained Luke. "If you're down with it, just take it. If not, consider it a gift for Thea. Once she's 18, I'll hand the property to her."Louis was greatly shocked.Houses and properties were never a big deal for the Crawford family as everyone owned several of them.Even Susan, with a few villas and apartments under her name, had not moved into any of them. She used them for investment or rental purposes instead.Louis was an exception, having sold all his properties to fund his business for the company. Otherwise, he would not be in such a mess now."Even if it's for Thea, that’s future business.." Louis initially wanted to
"You kept staring at her just now." Yuri's tone was a bit sour. When they sat on the sofa, she went along with Louis, but she believed her observations were sharp.Louis sensed Yuri's jealousy and replied helplessly, "I don't have any intentions like that. Making eye contact while speaking is simply a polite gesture. Besides, Ms. Craw is my brother's woman. What kind of thoughts are in your head?"Yuri gave a little scoff under her breath. "Yes, Bianca went abroad, and this woman took her place right away. She's got some pretty cunning moves."Yuri knew that Louis used to be a playboy before he got married, but he toned it down after marriage. However, she was always worried and observant because of his past. Whenever she noticed that he was looking at other women for too long, she could not help but feel sour.Even in a situation like just now, with Luca being Luke’s mistress, she still could not help but feel jealous. Louis furrowed his brows when he heard what Yuri said. It
After the cartoon show ended, Luca urged the three children to go upstairs to wash up and rest. Today, the kids were in high spirits and did not listen to her. They chattered around Luca for more than ten minutes until Luke came downstairs and gave them a look. Only then did they reluctantly go upstairs to wash up."The kids are excited today," explained Luca."Yes, I know," replied Luke. He glanced at the time after he finished work and realized it was late. He noticed that Luca and the kids had not gone upstairs yet. He assumed Louis and Yuri had not left. Therefore, he went downstairs to check on them, only to find out it was the kids' excitement that kept them downstairs.Luca glanced at the time, smiled, and approached him. Grabbing his arm, she said, "Let's go upstairs. We need to keep an eye on the kids tonight. Otherwise, they'll be too excited to sleep.""Sure. Let's go," replied Luke as he held her soft hand. They made their way up the stairs together.Having already
Luca got Luke wrapped around her finger for sure. Before Luca confessed her identity, she used to be a bit cautious when she talked to him. Now, it was all out in the open. She had admitted her true identity, and things were just like before—except Luke felt like there was a slight decline in the position he held in her heart.It seemed that the kids were ahead of him now. As Rainie watched how her mother had his father wrapped around her finger, she grinned from ear to ear. She lay in the middle of the bed, claiming it for the night. Her mother and father would be on her left and right.She wondered if her brothers would envy her once they found out! When Luca saw Rainie lying down on the bed, she sat back in front of the dressing table. She applied skincare products on her face and dried her hair. "Rainie, mind if I finish drying my hair before we go to sleep?""Sure, Ms. Luca. No problem!" Rainie smiled, ready to climb down from the bed. "Ms. Luca, let me help you dry your
Vivian’s body moved slightly.Luca patiently waited for her. After three minutes, Vivian sat up and turned around.Luca frowned when she saw the condition of Vivian's face.“Can I take a closer look?” asked Luca.“Yes.” Vivian nodded.Luca turned on her phone's flashlight, moved closer, and carefully examined the small bumps on Vivian's skin.Not only had her skin darkened, but a dense patch of tiny bumps had appeared. Luca assessed the situation and said, “It looks a bit like small toxic abscesses.”Vivian's lips trembled violently when she heard that.Luca reassured her, “Don't be scared. Can I take some photos?”“Okay.” Vivian nodded.Luca took a few photos with her phone and then asked, “By the way, you must have gone to the hospital for tests, right? Do you still have the reports?”“They're with Ray,” Vivian replied in a low voice.After getting the test results, she had spent days and nights studying them. Still, she was not a doctor, and all she could do was search f
Hera suddenly lost her interest when she heard what he said.“You’re the kind of person with no faith or dreams,” replied Hera.Gerald chuckled and asked, “Then what’s your dream, Ms. Sanchez?”“Me? It’s simple. I want to make lots and lots of money,” Hera answered without hesitation.She did not think it was embarrassing at all. Making money was not a crime or something shameful. There was nothing wrong with saying it out loud.Gerald nodded. “So that’s why you chose to be with the boss?”“Your boss is rich.” Hera narrowed her eyes. “Since you’ve done so much for me, I’ll do you a favor.”“A favor?” Gerald raised an eyebrow, unsure of what she meant.“I have your boss’ black card now. What luxury item do you want? I can buy you something. Just keep working hard for me in the future.” Hera believed that money could solve everything.Gerald froze for a moment, his lips twitching. “Ms. Sanchez, even if you hate me, you don’t have to set me up like this.”Hera blinked. “I’m not
“Alright.” Ray nodded and put the phone case on to protect the device.Gale glanced at Vivian, who was sitting on the couch. She did not say a word. She looked like an empty shell, completely indifferent to everything. It was as though she was trapped in her own sorrowful world.“Well, I should leave now,” said Gale.“Okay, let me see you off.” Ray nodded, then called out, “Vivian?”Vivian came back to her senses and turned to look at him. “Huh?”“Mr. Gale is leaving,” added Ray.Vivian nodded before turning to Gale. “Goodbye, Mr. Gale.”“Goodbye, Ms. Vivian.” Gale stepped out the door and noticed Ray was about to walk him out. He quickly waved him off. “Mr. Ray, no need to see me off.”“Alright, take care on your way back.” Ray nodded. He did not feel comfortable leaving Vivian alone in the suite anyway.She was in bad shape right now.After Gale left, Ray shut the door and walked over to her.Vivian was still staring blankly into space.“Vivian,” Ray called in a low voice
Luca deliberately cracked her knuckles, making a loud 'pop' sound.Gerald immediately shrank back, pulling his neck in.“Ms. Craw, I’m sorry! I was being nosy. Please don’t be mad. I’ll just go take a nap,” he quickly apologized.“Hold on.” Luca stopped him.“What is it?” Gerald looked at her in confusion.“Do you know how to remove an IV yet?” asked Luca.“I’ve seen it done a lot, but I haven’t actually tried it myself.” A glint of eagerness flashed in Gerald’s eyes. “Ms. Craw, are you asking me to give it a shot?”“Do you want to try?” asked Luca.“Yes!” Gerald nodded enthusiastically. “I may not be a medical genius, but I can at least do something useful.”“Come with me. Let’s start with changing the IV bag,” instructed Luca.Gerald followed her, and under her guidance, he clumsily went through the steps but managed to replace the IV bag successfully.“This is so cool! I think I could totally be a nurse.” Gerald flashed a victory sign. “What do you think? Would I make a g
“Yeah, something came up with my family, so they got delayed. They just brought me my meal,” answered the volunteer.Luca glanced at his food, which consisted of meat and vegetables. It was clear that his family treated him very well.“That’s quite a feast,” remarked Luca.“Heh, they know I need the nutrition, so they always give me this much. Ms. Craw, have you eaten yet?” the volunteer asked cheerfully. Now that his health was improving, his appetite had returned, and his mood was much better too.“I have. You should eat more. I just came in to check how much IV fluid is left. There’s still quite a bit, so I think it won't be done before the guys are done eating," replied Luca.The volunteer chuckled. “They eat fast. You guys are amazing, taking such good care of me. I haven’t suffered at all since being here.”“Your recovery is our biggest wish,” replied Luca.“Mm, I’ll definitely cooperate with the treatment,” replied the volunteer.“Alright, I’ll get back to work. Enjoy yo
Abel's hand paused for a moment before he continued stroking her eyelids.“What’s wrong?” His voice was eerily low, carrying a chilling edge.Hera could not see his expression, but just the sound of his voice was enough to send shivers down her spine.“Thank you.” Hera forced herself to smile, summoning what little courage she had.“No need for thanks. Just be good from now on.” Abel’s fingers continued their slow, deliberate caress. It was like he was handling a priceless treasure.Hera remained still, letting him touch her without protest. More than anything, she did not dare to speak. She was terrified that if she broke the moment and interrupted whatever was going through his mind, he would be displeased.At that moment, Luca brought the food to the table and asked, “Mr. Abel, Ms. Sanchez, lunch is ready. Would you prefer to eat here or in your room?”“I’ll go with whatever my baby wants.” Hera smiled sweetly, masking her fear behind a bright smile. For some reason, she ha
“I’m just making plans with a friend. No need to go into all that, right?” As Luca said, she lifted her gaze to meet Shanks.His eyes were as deep as the ocean, and in that split second of eye contact, she felt like she was being pulled in. She suddenly felt like she had just exposed herself.Awkwardly, she cleared her throat and said, “Mr. Shanks, I’ll head downstairs to make lunch.”Shanks did not call her out on it, nor did he press further. He simply returned to his experiment.Downstairs, Luca saw Abel sitting on the living room couch. Ignoring him was not an option.Luca greeted him politely, “Mr. Abel.”Abel took a slow drag from his cigar, his blue eyes scanning her from head to toe. He was deep in thought.He remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. His dark and brooding expression sent a chill down Luca’s spine. Without saying a word, she turned around and walked straight into the kitchen.Gerald was already inside.When he saw her, he mouthed, “You’re here?”Luc
If Shanks’ prescription could help Hera sleep earlier, that would not be a bad thing.“Then I need to be treat…” Hera paused for a moment, realizing she could not say the word treatment. That would imply she was sick, and she could not let people know that. Instead, she corrected herself and asked, “How long will I need to take this herbal medicine?”“You can stop when your test results are back to normal,” replied Luca as she picked up the medical waste and headed out of the room.Gerald followed closely behind and asked with curiosity, “Ms. Craw, how long is that?”“How long is a standard treatment cycle?” Luca asked in return.Gerald pondered for a moment. “Usually about a month?”“The average endocrine cycle for women is three months, so the minimum duration for proper regulation is three months,” explained Luca.Although Abel could take action at any time, there was no way Hera could endure three full months of treatment. However, until Abel made his move, she would have
Luca’s head was slightly tilted, her cheek burning with pain.Abel had not held back at all. The force of his slap was merciless. A numbness spread across her face at an alarming speed.From the next room, someone peeked out again and asked in a low voice, “You okay?”“I’m fine.” Luca’s expression remained calm. This kind of injury was nothing to her.Back on the Island of Despair, she had endured far worse during training. She survived, did she not?Without another word, Luca pushed open the lab door and stepped inside.The man watching shook his head. Her face was already that swollen, and she still said she was fine… What a tough woman. She took a slap that hard and brushed it off like it was nothing.Shanks lifted his head when he heard the door open. When he saw it was Luca and noticed how swollen the side of her face was, his brows furrowed.“Abel did this?”“Who else?” Luca let out a bitter laugh, only to wince as the movement tugged at the pain. She sucked in a sharp b