Nina was deeply moved. Luca even prepared new slippers for her. It was a welcoming gesture. It meant she welcomed her for an extended stay here. Nina could not resist Luca's kindness, so she changed into the new slippers without taking off her mask and asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"“No, it's alright.” Luca shook her head. With Nina's arrival, she had no intention of pretending anymore. She planned to let Nina spend the night here.The moment Nina finished her sentence, she saw Aunt Niele with a surprised look on her face. Did Aunt Neile not take the day off today? Her questioning gaze then landed on Luca."Alright, I lied to you. There's no barbecue today. I found out about your situation. Since Mr. Mallory is away on a business trip, you might as well crash here for a bit,” said Luca.Nina was about to ask how Luca found out about it, but then she thought of Sue and figured that she must have told Luca.Hence, she changed her statement. "No, staying here would
Nina could not help but shoot her a grateful look. It was a silent expression of thanks.Staying in Luke’s villa meant Karen would not come over, and she could spend the next few days in peace.Luca held the ice pack and walked into the bathroom. After she placed it in the trash can, she said, "Let's go. Mr. Crawford will be working late tonight and won't be back for dinner. Let's have dinner first.""Isn't it still early?" Nina had been living here for a while. She knew the usual dinner time for them was later than this."The kids are unusually hungry today, so we're eating a bit earlier," explained Luca as she led her downstairs.It was not really that the kids were hungry. Luca considered that Nina might not have had lunch, especially after being slapped by Karen. She probably had no appetite."Aunt Neile made some soup today. Have a bit more later," added Luca as they made their way down the stairs."Okay." Even though Nina could not smile, she felt grateful. She knew that L
"Yes, but do you really need that money?" Luca laughed and shook her head. Nina was still the same as before. Her way of talking and her thoughts were just like they used to be.She had a wild imagination, which was incredibly adorable. No wonder Percy liked her. He was drawn to Nina's unique qualities, which he himself did not possess.Luca suddenly thought of Luke. Even though he had feelings for her since high school, what specific trait of hers did he like?It suddenly crossed her mind—innocence…Bianca, before the events of the past few years, was very innocent—especially during her school days...Meanwhile, Luke was abandoned when he was born. Life's grind must have stripped away his innocence, and even the people around him would not be untouched by simplicity."Well, I don't need that money. The point is, those young fans won't spend that much money." Nina helplessly shook her head. How did she end up thinking about such things?! She was not short of money either.Ba
Such dreams were a constant reminder of the hatred that Rain carried with her. Her hatred was magnified countless times. Even though she had personally taken down her enemies, the lingering unease in her heart continued to spread.Perhaps it was not enough for her.Hence, when she learned that there was a chance to launch another attack on the Island of Despair, Rain had been patiently waiting for this opportunity.This was despite the change in the ownership of the Island of Despair.The mastermind behind it was someone from the organization back then, someone who had a connection with her in that space. Rain knew that those who were supporting the Island of Despair now had significant influence. They were definitely not just small fries.While Rain was immersed in her internal hatred, Luke was meticulously going through the document delivered by Ray’s men.After a while, he handed the document to Gale and Rain, who were sitting nearby. Gale and Rain, having undergone trai
The situation was different now. They were no longer involved with the Island of Despair. They were constantly investigating the organization. Moreover, the Island of Despair was an underground organization, making it difficult for them to gather intelligence. That was why there was a need for extensive pre-preparation. Otherwise, the later rescue efforts would be challenging.After Rain left, Luke picked up the document again. Having already memorized it, he found it unnecessary and tore it into pieces. Then, he tossed the shreds into the ashtray, watching them succumb to the flames until they were all but ashes.Only destroyed information was truly secure.Luke took the matter of the Island of Despair seriously because it affected him and Luca. Therefore, he was meticulous in every detail.A message notification came from his phone. Luke checked his phone and realized it was a message from Luca. It was a simple text explaining that Nina would be staying with them, along w
Aaron walked over and unceremoniously asked, “Who are you, and why have you been following Ms. Vivian?”When the man saw Aaron coming over, he was going to leave, but Aaron was quick to block his way. If Ray had not told him that A City was governed by laws stricter than in Russia, he would have taken matters into his own hands instead of just standing in the man's way. Ray had told him to not act rashly as Luke might take it up with him.The person he stopped then asked in a hoarse voice, “What proof do you have for your claims?”Only then did Aaron realize that he had just asked the question in Russian, and the man replied in fluent Russian too.In A City, English was more commonly understood than Russian, so was this person sent here to protect Ms. Vivian too?However, Aaron immediately retracted that thought. If Ray had really sent this guy over, as one of Ray’s subordinates, it was impossible for him to not know.If he knew Russian and was following Vivian, could he be som
”Gordan, don’t go too far…” There was a cracking sound when Aaron clenched his fists.He could not hold in his anger when he ridiculed Ms. Vivian. He just wanted to punch him in the face.So what if he delayed carrying out his orders? So what if he could not return to Russia on time?It was worth beating up someone like Gordan without thinking of the consequences. If he told Ray, he would definitely understand. He may even send more people over to beat Gordan up again.Besides, Ray was more protective over Vivian than anyone else.“You want to beat me up, huh? Bring it on!” Just as Aaron was about to hit Gordan, he heard Vivian’s voice coming from the elevator. “Aaron, who are you talking to?”Aaron was stunned. Then, he gave Gordan a warning look, knowing that Vivian should not see him.Although Vivian had gotten over the divorce, everyone knew the effect Gordan had on her. If she saw him, she might be sad again.“No one, Ms. Vivian.” Aaron decided to let Gordan go this time a
Since the shop was not too crowded now, they handed the waiter the menu after placing their order. Before they knew it, they brought out the pasta and all the other foods.Vivian noticed Aaron kept glancing outside. She was curious, and she could not help but ask, 'What are you looking at?'Aaron shifted his gaze back and awkwardly chuckled. “Oh, nothing. I’m just curious about the surroundings here. It's a university town. No wonder it's nice and safe. It’s not as chaotic as overseas.”He casually made it up, not wanting to admit that he was keeping an eye out for Gordan, that troublemaker.“Yes, it's pretty safe. Plus, all the universities here have security measures, so once it hits curfew, it gets real quiet. Since it's surrounded by universities, there are many people around as long as it's before curfew, and they're all students. "There aren't any of those complicated people from the outside world. That’s why it’s safe here,” explained Vivian. She thought he was checking up
“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
“No.” Shanks’ tone was cold and firm with no trace of hesitation.Abel still looked doubtful.Shanks added, “Would you like to see her medical report?”Abel was startled for a moment. How did Shanks know he had been thinking about that report?Now that Shanks brought it up, the idea lost its appeal.Abel shook his head. “Even if you showed it to me, I wouldn’t understand it. Shanks, Kassy’s life is in your hands. If you can give her a second chance, I’ll provide as much research funding as you need."Shanks remained silent. He could save Kassy. In fact, his research had always been for Kassy.However, he did not expect Abel to be so ruthless as to insist on using a living person as a donor for Kassy. That was something he could not accept.Kassy’s condition could be treated with organs from a brain-dead patient. Why destroy a perfectly healthy life?Shanks was not acting out of mercy. He simply refused to go against his medical ethics.He was not someone who had to save lives
“You don’t need to remind me. I was going to check anyway.” Abel shot Luca a chilling look.She took a step back and stayed silent.Abel turned to the pale-faced Hera and said, “If you’ve got low blood sugar, get up and eat something.”“I’ll eat now,” Hera replied, sitting up.Luca handed her the takeout.Abel glanced at the food and then frowned at Luca. “Why didn’t you make breakfast this morning?”“I was busy,” Luca explained with a calm indifference, her expression unwavering. She showed no fear, even under Abel’s questioning.Hera suddenly found herself admiring Luca. Everyone feared this man, yet Luca remained composed even when facing potential punishment. Not just anyone could pull that off.At the thought of this, Hera opened the takeout and kept quiet.Abel narrowed his eyes, glancing between Hera and Luca. His gaze was not exactly gentle as he muttered, “Stop eating this junk. It’s bad for you.”“I know, babe. Just this once. After this, I’ll have what Luca cooks f
Hera panicked the moment she heard that. “I trust her!”Luca and Shanks were both watching her.Hera repeated herself, saying, “I trust her, okay? What kind of treatment does she need? I’ll cooperate with anything. But what about Abel…”“I’ll tell him it’s just to help improve your overall health,” replied Shanks. Then, he turned around, opened the medicine cabinet, and started preparing the prescription.Hera let out a sigh of relief. As long as Abel did not find out about her health condition, that was all that mattered.If he knew she was unwell, he would send her back to A City. Without free medical help and no way to make extra money, she would be in serious trouble.“Thank you,” said Hera.“Wait outside,” instructed Shanks.“Okay.” Hera carefully stepped out.Luca, however, remained where she was, waiting.While preparing the medicine, Shanks asked, “Do you know which acupoints to target for her?”“Yes,” Luca replied confidently. As long as she checked Hera’s pulse, sh
“There are a lot of issues.” Luca did not hide anything and handed Hera the phone.Hera looked at it and frowned.“I can't understand any of this.” Hera felt dizzy just looking at the text, let alone the long list of medical terms. It was giving her a headache.“Look at these summaries and indicators. Compare the values on top with the normal values at the bottom, and you'll see what I mean,” explained Luca.Hera did not trust her. Therefore, Luca decided to let her see for herself. Seeing it with her own eyes would prevent any doubts later.Luca pointed out how to read the test results, and after a moment, Hera managed to understand the report. Her face turned pale. “How can there be so many problems?”She looked at Luca and questioned, “Did you fake this?”“I don’t have the power to make the medical center fake anything. Besides, the report has the medical center’s official stamp. If you don’t believe me, you can go directly to the medical center and ask for the official cop