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 Luca thought about it, she heard the volunteer exclaim, “With a wife like you, your husband must be so lucky and blessed.”Luca shook her head. To her, being cherished by Luke was a real blessing.“You’ve got it wrong. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”Luca had often wondered what her life would have been like without Luke.Perhaps she would have married Jean, only to watch his true nature slowly reveal itself. She would have struggled, eventually unable to endure it, and maybe even ended up divorced.It could be something worse. She might have been taken advantage of, lost all hope, and spiraled downward...Anything was possible.However, Luca knew that no matter what happened, life would not be as good as it was now without Luke.Though she remained under someone else’s control, and life on the Island of Despair was fraught with hardship, with Luke by her side, she felt an unshakable courage.A light laugh from the volunteer interrupted her thoughts.Luca
The volunteer did not mind. As long as it meant he could recover, he was willing to endure any pain. “It's okay. I can handle it.”Luca nodded.The door to the vehicle opened, and a man stepped inside. Due to the lack of sterilization, he did not dare approach the inner part of the vehicle. Instead, he placed several bottles of saline on the outside.“This is the saline that Mr. Shanks prepared. He asked you to inject it when you can,” the man relayed Shanks' message.“Got it.” Luca reached out to take the bottles. After thoroughly disinfecting them, she brought them inside.It was more complicated than being in a hospital.Since the volunteer's body was still weak. They had to maintain as sterile an environment as possible.However, it still fell short of the ICU's standard.Luca stayed with the volunteer until evening. Gerald stood outside the medical vehicle and called, “Ms. Craw, it's time for dinner.”Luca took off her protective gear and stepped outside.“Ms. Craw, di
“Don’t worry, it won’t affect you in the slightest,” said Abel.The villa was bought under Shanks’ name.So while it appeared to be the Island of Despair’s property, it was, in fact, Shanks’ personal asset.Abel shot a glance at his subordinates, who stood beside him. Without hesitation, they grabbed the doctor and hauled him away.As Hera watched the scene unfold, she felt a sudden pang of unease. She was well aware of Abel's methods. Punishment was never off the table. However, seeing the way things were unfolding, Hera could not shake the feeling that Abel might actually take the doctor’s life.Still, they were in A City, a country with strict laws. Would Abel really go that far?As Abel turned to leave, Hera said almost nervously, “Darling…”“I have some matters to take care of. Be good and stay here. Don’t wander around, okay?” Abel’s mood was apparently lifted by the successful surgery. His voice was unexpectedly gentle.Hera’s unease only deepened. She grabbed the slee
All three of them stepped out of the vehicle.Hera realized that the surgery might already be over and could not wait to hear the results.Abel, equally eager, immediately asked as soon as he saw them, “Is the surgery finished?”“Yes, the surgery was successful. The transplant was completed, and all the nerves we could connect have been repaired. Now, it’s up to the follow-up treatment,” answered Shanks.The doctor who had been kicked out earlier stared in disbelief.They actually succeeded in the transplant? How was that even possible?“Great, fantastic!” Abel let out a sigh of relief before bursting into laughter.What had seemed impossible in modern medicine had achieved a different outcome in Shanks’ hands.Unlike others who might celebrate the medical breakthrough, Abel’s joy came from a more personal place—Kassy would soon return to his side. His delight was unmistakable.“T-This can’t be!” muttered the dismissed doctor, who was still in shock. “A surgery this revoluti
After returning to her room, Luca told Luke about the surgery that day.She explained that she had not been able to participate in the operation and was uncertain if Abel would prevent her from being involved in the future. If she was not allowed to take part, she might lose her excuse to stay here. Also, she would not be able to help with what was to come.Luke replied to her message quickly, assuring her that everything was already planned out and she did not need to worry.Luca frowned slightly as she read his message. She wanted to ask about his plan but hesitated for a moment and decided against it. Knowing too much about Luke's men might backfire.Luca deleted their chat history but soon received another message from him.He told her that T Corporation had successfully won the bid and that he had already found someone to replace Lucius’ role.Luca let out a sigh of relief. Finding a replacement for Lucius meant that he was out of danger for now. The worry that had been we
However, Abel was not fooled by her words.He asked again, “Who are you looking for?”“Oh, I'm looking for Gerald. I've noticed that most people are here, but Gerald is missing, so I was just curious,” Hera replied honestly, knowing that Abel was naturally suspicious.“I’m starting to feel like you’ve become quite close with Gerald recently,” Abel asked suspiciously.Hera froze for a moment, then laughed and explained, “I often ask him to help with little things. He might not have many qualities, but he’s pretty diligent.”Abel did not respond right away, as though he was considering her words carefully.Hera lowered her voice and teased, “What's the matter? Are you jealous?”Before he could answer, she quickly added, “You’re so outstanding. How could I ever be interested in some ordinary man?”As soon as she said that, a flicker of unease crossed her mind.Abel was far superior to Lucius in looks and wealth. However, she seemed to be more drawn to Lucius.Despite her actions
For Shanks, no matter how skilled the two ophthalmologists were, they could not compare to Luca. The key was their smooth coordination. They were used to working together. If it were other doctors, they would probably start asking questions once they entered the operating room, making it impossible for Shanks to focus and perform the surgery calmly.Shanks believed this was a groundbreaking procedure, not just another teaching surgery for ophthalmologists.Abel understood Shanks’ concerns, but he still insisted, “They’re not just any doctors. They’ve signed agreements, and they won’t interrupt you with questions during the surgery. They’ll cooperate fully.”As Luca listened to Abel, she realized what he was really worried about. Besides the risk of the surgery failing, he was not confident in her.This surgery was important, and Abel was worried she might sabotage it in the operating room.Shanks furrowed his brows and looked at Luca.Luca gave him a faint smile. Whether or not
As Gerald shook his head furiously, it was not difficult for Luca to figure out what was going on.She glanced at Hera's irritation and figured it all stemmed from Luke being reassigned. Not being able to see him was clearly driving her to act like this.Luca secretly let out a sigh. They said women were the cause of trouble, but honestly, men could just be the same.Even with Luke disguised as an ordinary man, his cold and commanding air still captivated Hera.She glanced at the bowl nearby. The food Gerald brought Hera was barely touched.It seemed like she was so consumed with thoughts of Luke that she had lost her appetite...Luca’s expression remained unchanged. She was long accustomed to keeping her emotions in check around others.“Ms. Sanchez, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not close with Mr. Lucius, so I don’t have his contact information.” Luca kept her face impassive.“You’re lying!” Hera narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You’re so close to him. How could you not have it?”
As soon as Luca returned to her bedroom after dinner, she received a video call request from the kids.It had been a long time since she last saw them. When she saw the call request, she locked the door, put on her headphones, and immediately answered.“Ms. Luca!” As soon as the call connected, the faces of all three kids appeared on the phone screen.“Sweethearts!” Luca blew them a kiss.“Ms. Luca, we miss you so much!” Tommy was the first to express how much they missed Luca.Luca's heart stirred with waves of longing when she heard them. She had been so busy recently, hoping to finish everything here quickly so that she and Luke could reunite with the kids. That was why she had not contacted them much.Plus, with Old Master Crawford taking care of them, she felt at ease.Now that Luca saw the faces of the three kids, her longing for them instantly surged and overwhelmed her.Her eyes reddened. “I miss you all so much too.”Rainie, always the thoughtful one, noticed her em