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
The cashier, seeing such a handsome customer flashing his cash so generously, was caught off guard for a moment. After she came back to her senses, the man had already left.Vivian and Aaron were strolling on the other side of the street. As they walked, Vivian was pointing out the local attractions. Meanwhile, Gordan strode menacingly along the opposite side of the road.The streetlights were dim, but the brilliant lights emanating from the quaint shops lining both sides of the road painted a contrasting brilliance. It gave him a clear view of the actions of the two people across the street. A man with a basketball was walking toward Vivian and Aaron. After he was bumped by his buddy, he teetered dangerously, seemingly on the verge of falling toward Vivian's direction.Aaron, sharp as ever, immediately put his arm around Vivian's shoulder. He shielded her to his other side. With fluid grace, Aaron effortlessly lifted Vivian and cradled her with one hand on her shoulder. It ca
After that, Vivian turned around to leave. Gordan, who had remained silent all this time, spoke up at this moment, "Vivian, who do you think you are?"Vivian's back stiffened. She knew that once Gordan spoke, he would definitely say such words. Yes, in his eyes, she was just an ugly monster. How could he possibly follow her?She pursed her lips, remaining silent.The moment Gordan spoke, the moment the familiar voice reached her ears, she felt defenseless. If she spoke, he would surely hear the tension in her voice. Hence, Vivian bit her lip tightly, refusing to speak and reveal her emotions.When Gordan saw her standing straight without uttering a word, the fire inside him burned even brighter. He intended to vent his emotions, but he recalled something from the past.Back when they were still married, Vivian used to cling to him all the time. There was one time when he was annoyed by her constant nagging and reluctantly agreed to go out for dinner with her. However, the
"Hmph, you sure as heck want me to be asleep, don't you? As long as I'm out cold, no one will be around to settle scores with you, right?" Old Master Mallory lifted his gaze ever so slightly, peering at her face adorned with an ingratiating smile. His gaze took on a subtle chill."Father, what in the world are you talking about? I can't make heads or tails of it." Karen's smiling face froze for a moment. Even though she claimed not to understand, deep down, she knew what he was talking about."Show her the documents." Old Master Mallory ignored Karen's act of ignorance and spoke to Mr. Bennet.Karen looked at Mr. Bennet, realizing for the first time that he was holding a stack of documents.Mr. Bennet handed the documents to Karen. "Madam, please take a look."Karen furrowed her brows and opened the documents. Just by reading the beginning, she knew what kind of information it contained.These were the documents Luke sent to Old Master Mallory. It was the evidence of Karen, alo
Old Master Mallory heard that Old Master Crawford had long kicked out another daughter-in-law. Now, he was the only one in the big Crawford Manor, but he did not feel lonely. Instead, he was enjoying his time.Old Master Mallory thought that maybe if Karen moved out too, he could be at peace without her bothering him. Hence, he decided to take this opportunity to ask Karen to move out.His idea of living together as a big family had undergone a change over time due to the constant whirlwind of affairs within the family.Karen tightly pursed her lips as she watched Old Master Mallory leave from behind. Even when Mr. Bennet returned, she still stood there with a defiant look.Mr. Bennet sighed and said, "Madam, you should rest early.""How can I rest?" Karen glared at him, thinking about the humiliation she endured at Crawford Manor and the incident with Nina. Even though she slapped that woman’s face, she felt embarrassed to be escorted out of the neighborhood by the security tea
“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