”Okay.” That was all Luke said before he held her even tighter in his arm.Luca was awake now, and she opened her eyes a little. Her vision had adapted to the darkness, so she pressed her face against his chest and asked, “What did Nina say?”“When she was waiting for me downstairs, she asked me if you had another identity.” Luke gently caressed Luca’s back, and shivers went down her spine as his touch got increasingly sensual.Luca was half-asleep, so she did not notice the changes in Luke’s movements. Instead, she frowned and said, “I’ll tell her next time. The fewer the people who know about me, the better.”“Sure,” Luke said absent-mindedly.Luca finally realized what he was doing, so she turned to the side and said, “It’s late.”“We have to hurry, then,” said Luke. Although he would be disrupting her sleep, his desires made it impossible for him to just sleep next to her like a gentleman.As he said that, he leaned forward as things got heated up.…The next day, Luca was
Upon hearing that, Aunt Neile said, “Mrs. Mallory, let me help.”“She’s right, let her do it. That way, she can cover the entire area, and your hands wouldn’t be cold,” said Luca. She found that Nina had put ice on it yesterday, but she did not do it long enough.Her hands got too cold from holding the ice pack, so she did not do it for long.As Luca knew her so well, Nina had no choice but to say, “Alright then.”“Okay, Mrs. Mallory. Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll help you after you’re done,” Aunt Neile responded and went upstairs to deliver Luke’s breakfast.When Luca saw Nina eating breakfast, she said to her, “By the way, Nina, the children are going back to the manor today, so remember to lock the door after Aunt Neile gets off work.”Nina was taken aback. Did that mean that Luca was going to Crawford Manor too?If she was going back with the children, would Old Master Crawford cause her trouble?Nina could not ask too many questions since the children were here, so she just n
"Yes, Mr. Crawford is still busy upstairs," answered Aunt Neile."Then I'll go upstairs for a bit.” Nina rose to her feet and made her way up the stairs.She headed to the bedroom where Luke was. She knocked on the door without going in.Luke lifted the cup of Americano and glanced at the person standing at the door. He spoke in a cold voice, "What's the matter?""There's something I’d like to know. I heard Luca say that she'll go back to Crawford Manor with you tonight, is that true?""Yes." Luke withdrew his gaze and continued to look at the computer screen. After putting down the cup of Americano, he typed on the keyboard for a while."I don't care what you guys have been keeping from me, and I don't care how Old Master Crawford feels about whatever's going on between you two. But with this whole scandal thing, Luca might feel that she’s being treated unfairly if you take her back there. You'd better make sure to protect her,” said Nina.Even though Bianca was Luke's legal wi
Old Master Crawford had already figured it out, but when Old Master Mallory stated his purpose, he still put on a surprised expression. "Apology? This is..."Old Master Mallory knew he was intentionally exaggerating his expression, but it was the Mallory family's fault. No matter what expression Old Master Crawford made or what he said, Old Master Mallory was left with no choice.He could either take the initiative to explain and offer an apology or simply turn around and leave.Karen hoped for the latter, but Old Master Mallory knew that an apology was necessary. "Yes, Karen misunderstood Luke back then. She talked nonsense and shared some news with the media, which has caused a lot of trouble for Luke. Crawford, Karen is here to apologize to you today.""Ah, Mallory, so you're talking about this..." Old Master Crawford shook his head and looked at Karen's expression. He knew that even though Old Master Mallory had brought the conversation to this point, Karen still refused to apo
"Yes, Master Luke called last night and said he and his family will be coming back for dinner," replied Mr. Griffin with a smile on his face."Alright. Have the kitchen get ready," said Old Master Crawford. This would be the first family dinner after Luca revealed her true identity.Even though Susan, Allison, and Louis and his family were not present, it was still considered a family feast. Old Master Crawford attached great importance to it."Don't worry, the cook and the maids went out early this morning to get the ingredients," assured Mr. Griffin. He knew how much Old Master Crawford prioritized this family gathering, and he had emphasized it to the cook when he informed her.Knowing that Old Master Crawford paid a lot of attention to this, the cook would undoubtedly put in 200% effort to prepare tonight's family dinner."Good. Have the chauffeur prepare the car. I’d like to go to the park for a while," said Old Master Crawford as he rose to his feet."Yes," replied Mr. Grif
After Susan had slightly calmed down, she decided to call Louis. However, she found out after dialing the number that Louis had actually blocked her.Susan had no choice but to contact Yuri instead. Yuri described their current situation vaguely, refusing to disclose where they were currently residing. Intrigued by the secrecy, Susan wanted to investigate further. She learned that the day after another family conflict erupted, Louis and his family did not stay at the Dunn family's place through the butler of the Dunn family.As for where they moved to, even the Dunn family’s butler was clueless. He even asked Susan in astonishment if Louis and his family had not gone back home.Susan was unsure how to respond at that moment. None of them had returned to the residence, and the spacious villa was now occupied only by her and a maid. Therefore, Susan came to the conclusion that Louis' family might be living in Crawford Manor.That was why Susan came over. It was quite ironic t
Susan rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I’m only asking you to make a phone call. What's the big deal?"If she could reach Louis on the phone, she would not have come here."Madam Crawford, Ms. Craw doesn't have Master Louis’ contact information," Aunt Neile explained on behalf of Luca."If she doesn't have it, then you must have it. You make the call," Susan did not care who made the call as long as Louis could be contacted.She wanted to know where he was."Madam Crawford, it might not be appropriate for me to do that... Master Louis probably won't answer my call." Aunt Neile hesitated.The maids would have their employer’s contact information. Aunt Neile was from Crawford Manor, so she should have Louis' contact information. However, they normally would not contact them as they did not want to disturb their employers unless there was something important to inquire about.Aunt Neile knew that there was a conflict between the mother and son. Otherwise, Susan would not have come
”Hmph. I bet you were the one who gave Louis the idea to run away from home with his family. What were you thinking, Luke?” Susan was all riled up with her hands on her hips as she picked a fight with LukeSince she could not care less about her own image, Luke could not be bothered to show her any respect. “I provided Louis and his family the apartment.”Susan pointed at him with a trembling finger. “So, it was you. How could you?”Then, Luke shot her a cold look and said, “If Louis wants to see you, he’ll call you. Otherwise, don’t even bother asking others where he is.”“Okay, fine. If you’re not telling me, I’ll go to your grandfather tomorrow. All of you are turning into rebels!” Susan left quickly after that.If she stayed any longer, she would die from anger because of Luke and Luca.Luca frowned as she watched Susan leave. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Luke tell Aunt Neile, who just walked out of the kitchen, “Follow her and close the door behind her.”
“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