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
Late at night. Xavier called Pierre and asked him, "You've released Nina?" "My brother called to tell me to let her go, and I can't disobey him. Don't worry, I've already taken her nude photos. Just let me know if you need any help," Pierre said lazily. "Whatever. We'll talk later." Xavier hung up the call unhappily. Nina was an important pawn in his plan. He could use her to threaten Bianca. Now that he had lost a pawn, his power over Bianca decreased. Luke was closing in on his family business as though he wanted to raze Tanner Corporation to the ground. That had troubled him greatly. He had ended the call when his phone suddenly rang again. He frowned hard when he saw the call notification. It was from his father. There could be no good news. Xavier did not want to pick up the call, but the phone continued to ring. With no other choice, he braced himself and answered the call. "Hello, Dad…" "How many problems must you bring me, you scoundrel?" Daniel's angry voic
When Bianca went to work on Monday, she realized that her colleagues were looking at her in a variety of expressions, including sympathy, pity, disdain, and glee. Some people were whispering behind her back, but only Sue was the one who cared for her. Sue could not take it anymore. She pulled Bianca to a corner and asked her about the post on Xeddit. "Bianca, I've read the post, and I think that it's a false rumor. I know your character, and I don't think the woman in the post is you. Don't worry about it. You only have to focus on your work." Bianca was moved. She had a colleague who believed in her when everyone else was doubtful. She said that she was fine and asked Sue about Nina. "Nina was in low spirits. Her illness seemed to be quite serious, and she didn't talk much," Sue answered, not quite sure what was going on. Nina used to be a positive and energetic young woman. No matter how sick she was, she had never been so lifeless. Bianca felt guilty when she heard Sue
Soon, Bianca made a cup of coffee and served it to Louis. "This is the coffee that you requested, Vice President Crawford." She returned to her desk and continued working seriously. Louis took a few sips. Indeed, the coffee was fragrant and at the right temperature. It was different from how other people made it. Louis gestured a thumbs-up at Bianca and asked curiously, "Your skills are pretty good. Have you been a barista before?" His appreciation toward Bianca was genuine. Not only was she beautiful and amiable, but she could also make the most delicious cup of coffee. "For a while, yes," Bianca answered as her eyes were transfixed on the computer screen. That was when she went overseas after giving birth to two children. Back then, she had to work part-time at a cafe to make a living even though she was suffering from depression. Before she knew it, it had already been five years. Louis nodded and rubbed his chin as though thinking of something. "Do you know how to c
Sophian realized she had made a mistake and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Madam Allison. I saw it was someone familiar, so I didn’t think too much about it.”Allison shot her a furious glare.Sophian knew full well that Allison and Susan did not get along, yet she still opened the door for her. Was she out of her mind?“Oh my, after all that time in Seoul, you didn’t pick up anything good? Still that same fiery temper.” Then came Susan’s mocking voice.Allison froze for a moment and shifted her gaze toward the doorway.“How did you get in here?” demanded Allison. Did she not just ring the bell outside? How did she get in so quickly and without anyone opening the door to the villa?!Susan gave Sophian a smirking glance. “Your helper let me in.”Allison frowned, still confused. Susan continued, “I’m living right next door now.”“Oh, so I heard you got kicked out by Old Master Crawford. Moved right next door, did you? Sticking around like a ghost that won’t go away, living jus
Sophian stood before her. Her face was a picture of hesitation and discomfort. “Madam Allison, how about you order using your phone?”“What? You can’t even handle this small task?” At this point, Allison had completely shifted her view of Sophian, now seeing her as just another maid. Her previous tone vanished, replaced by a much more domineering attitude.Sophian felt helpless and quickly explained, “It’s just that the food from this place is just too expensive. I don’t have that kind of money.”Once she finished speaking, a flush of embarrassment crossed her face.Sophian had come back with Allison to work off the debt she owed from her cosmetic surgery. Therefore, she had no money to spare.Allison paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. After a brief moment, she picked up her phone and said, “It's not like I'm having you pay for it. You can't even temporarily cover it?”Sophian smiled awkwardly. “I just transferred money to the hospital.”Allison let out a faint hu
“You don’t like eating outside food, do you?” Luca thought that preparing breakfast and dinner for him was not a big deal.Besides, the main point was that Luke did not like eating out. He always felt the taste was off and lacked nutrition.“Actually, it’s not that I don’t like eating out. It's just that all the food outside tastes the same to me.” Luke gently squeezed her hand.“Hey, focus on driving.” Luca chuckled.Luke withdrew his hand and returned it to the steering wheel. “With that woman around, it wouldn’t be convenient for you to cook. Are you really going to make breakfast for them too?”If that happened, it would defeat the purpose of his plan.Luca thought for a moment. She did not mind ignoring Sophian, but if she cooked for Luke and not for Allison, that might not sit well with her. Allison could easily make a fuss over even the smallest details. “So, should we just eat out for breakfast and dinner from now on?”“Yes.” Luke did not mind.It did not matter where t
“Something I like?” Luca laughed. “What could that be?”“You’ll find out when we get there.” Luke kept it mysterious.“Alright then, I’ll wait for your surprise, Mr. Crawford.” Luca was in good spirits without letting family issues dampen her mood. Therefore, she video-called the kids.Luca dialed Mr. Griffin’s number.After Mr. Griffin answered the call, he handed the phone to Lanie. “Young Master Lanie, Ms. Craw wants to talk to you.”“Thank you, Mr. Griffin.” Lanie took the phone and pressed ‘accept’.Luca positioned the camera to include both her and Luke. She waved at the screen. “Lanie, Rainie, Tommy, what are you all doing?”“Lanie! Lanie, I want to talk to Ms. Luca!” Tommy waved excitedly at the camera, eager to take the phone.Lanie handed it to him. “Go on, tell Daddy and Ms. Luca about your good news.”Luca smiled and asked with curiosity. “Good news?”“Daddy, Ms. Luca, I made it to the next level in the math competition! The finals are this Saturday!” Tommy said e
“Why are you being so slow?” Allison was irritated. She shoved the products into Sophian’s hands.“I told you to use them, so just use them.” Allison ran out of patience. After urging Sophian, she lay back down.Sophian had no choice but to follow her instructions and poured out some product. The texture of the product in her palm made her pause for a moment. It was incredibly moisturizing!She gently patted it onto Allison's face and noticed the area she touched felt just as smooth.Allison let out a content sigh. “This essence is really soothing.”Even though Sophian was still worried about potential side effects, she could not help but admire the instant hydrating effect. She asked in a low voice, “Madam Allison, is this really developed by that woman?”She could not believe that Luca had such skills and wondered if the essence had just been repackaged into another bottle and sold as her own creation.“That's what she says,” replied Allison. “But she's into pharmaceuticals, s
After agreeing to become the maid, Sophian’s excitement gradually turned into anxiety.The villa was so large. Could she really handle all the tasks a maid was supposed to do?As she thought about it, she accidentally left the bread in the toaster for too long. After serving it to Allison, she was scolded.“What’s this? It’s just a slice of toast. How could you burn it like this? How am I supposed to eat it?” Allison was clearly displeased.Sophian awkwardly explained, “Madam Allison, this is my first time using this toaster. I didn’t quite get the temperature right...”Allison was about to keep complaining but paused for a moment, remembering that Sophian was the one she had brought in to be the maid. Now, she was the only one who could make breakfast for her. She disdainfully tore off the burnt part and took a bite. “Where’s the soy milk?”“It’ll bring it out,” replied Sophian, heading back to the kitchen. She brought out two glasses of soy milk and another slice of toast tha
“Are you planning to tell me that Madam Allison brought someone back?” Luca had a feeling she knew what was going on. Luca had been wondering why Allison had taken such a big risk by going out during the day, but it all made sense now.“Yes, she brought someone back and said she'll be taking over my job,” Aunt Neile replied helplessly. She was worried she had lost her competitive edge, which made her feel anxious.“I got it, Aunt Neile.” As soon as Luca spoke, there was a cheer from inside the lab. She glanced back and saw that there seemed to be progress in the research. Rhett gave her a thumbs-up to signal success.She slightly smiled and nodded before hearing Aunt Neile's voice again on the phone. “Ms. Craw, there’s something I’d like to say, though I’m not sure if I should. I’ve thought about it, and I feel like I should. Even though Mr. Crawford isn’t the type to fool around, you have to be careful. He has no interest in that woman, but she’s clearly interested in him. You sh
Allison watched the two of them go upstairs, and instantly, her temper flared.Not allowed, huh?Allison refused to believe it. She would find a way to turn things around and reclaim her position in this family!…The next morning, as Luke and Luca came downstairs, they noticed Aunt Neile looking at them with red, puffy eyes.“Aunt Neile, what happened?” Luca was puzzled. What happened?“Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, Madam Allison just told me that I’m fired.” Aunt Neile looked distraught. She thought Allison’s words yesterday were just a joke, but first thing in the morning, she was told to settle her wages and leave. She was completely stunned.“Mr. Crawford, did I do something wrong?”Luke’s brows furrowed. Allison’s behavior was truly astonishing.“You’re not fired,” replied Luke. “Is breakfast ready?”Relieved to hear she still had her job, Aunt Neile quickly wiped away her tears and let out a sigh of relief. “Yes. Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, please have a seat. I’ll bring it out.
Luke was driving back home with Luca. It was already 9:00 pm when they arrived at the villa.Just as they reached the foyer and had not taken more than a few steps, Allison's voice rang out.“Oh, so you're finally willing to come back from Crawford Manor?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.Luca did not know how to respond to Allison and looked over at Luke.Luke let go of Luca's waist and whispered, “Go upstairs first.”“Okay.” Luca nodded, changed her shoes, and was about to head upstairs when Allison said again, “Stop. Who told you to go upstairs?”“Madam Allison, is there something you need?” Luca's tone was cold, carefully masking the helplessness inside her.Since she learned that Allison would be returning to the country and moving here, Luca had mentally prepared herself to be put in a difficult position. She loved Luke, so she was willing to tolerate whatever troubles came with it.Luca believed that as long as she and Luke faced things together, there was nothing th