"Yes, sir.” The maid heard what the old master said with a puzzled look on her face. It was only when he reminded her that she remembered she still had something to hand to Luke.She handed the bag to Luke and said, “Master Luke, Old Master Crawford wants you to bring this back.”"What is it?" Luke took it, opened the bag, and glanced inside. It was a cardboard container that seemed to contain seafood."I noticed Luca enjoyed the European lobster last night. She said the taste was delicate, and since we had some at home, I had the maid pack some for you to take back. Let Selina cook it for you all," said Old Master Crawford. The person he mentioned was Aunt Neile."Thank you, Grandpa." Luke remembered Luca did enjoy it yesterday, so he accepted it.On the other hand, Luca felt a bit embarrassed when she heard what the old master said. While the European lobster had a delicate taste and tender texture, it was indeed expensive. The fact that the old master asked them to take it ba
Luca had no idea, so she asked the kids for their opinions, "How would you like it cooked?"The three kids did not discuss it and simultaneously said, "We’ll follow your lead."As Luca watched Luke and the kids shift the decision-making rights back to her, she also thought of Nina, who was still at the villa. Thus, she suggested, "How about grilled lobster with garlic butter sauce? Nina loves it too.""Sure." Luke had no objections.After the family of five returned to the villa, Luke walked into the kitchen with a bag, instructing Aunt Neil to prepare grilled lobster for dinner.Luca headed upstairs and found Nina reading on the balcony. "Nina, what are you reading?" asked Luca."Huh? You're back?" Nina was surprised. She thought Luca would spend the whole weekend at Crawford Manor. When Nina saw her come back, a few unpleasant scenarios came into her mind. Then, she nervously pulled Luca to sit down. "Come, take a seat."Luca glanced at the book Nina was reading. It was a ps
”That’ll be great!” Nina’s eyes lit up when she heard about the grilled lobster.“I know that’s your favorite,” Luca said smilingly.“We haven’t known each other that long, but you already know me so well. It's like we're sisters.” Nina put her arm around Luca’s shoulder and smiled.“I can assure you that you're not sisters,” said Luke with a gloomy face while he walked upstairs.His voice startled Nina. She turned to look at him while he stared back at the both of them with resentful eyes.“Mr. Crawford, you almost scared me to death, speaking out of nowhere like that.” Nina looked upset.“It’s because you were too engrossed in your conversation.” After speaking to Nina, Luke turned to Luca and asked, “Aunt Neile asked if you want anything else other than lobster tonight.”“What do you want for dinner?” Luca asked Nina. Lobster alone was not enough, so they had to think of other dishes to have too.Luke got jealous when he saw her ask Nina instead of him. She had asked him in
It was a quiet Saturday. The children were reading books in the living room, so no one disturbed Luca and Nina’s peace.…However, Crawford Manor was not peaceful after Susan’s arrival.“Father, please tell me where Louis has moved to.” Susan had been pestering Old Master Crawford about this since she arrived.She continued asking after he woke up from his nap.Old Master Crawford frowned and said, “He’s your son. How am I supposed to know?”“Don’t try to fool me. Louis must’ve told you where he went. Just tell me. I have to find him.” Susan followed Old Master Crawford around and sat down when he sat down. All she talked about was Louis. Old Master Crawford was annoyed. Ever since Luke left with his family, he had been hearing Louis’ name non-stop.Old Master Crawford did not respond to Susan. This was the first time he thought that Susan was hard to deal with.If he did not tell her, she might go on and on forever.“If you want to find him, you can go to his company. What’
"Madam Crawford, what's the matter?" Karen saw her in such a state and asked again."Oh, nothing much. I was just thinking about something. Madam Mallory, you didn't invite me out for coffee just to talk about fashion, did you?" Susan no longer wanted to listen to her talking about those fashion brands, lest her desire to shop be stirred up again."Of course not!" Karen shook her head. At that moment, the door of the private room was knocked before it was pushed open. A waiter walked in carrying Susan's coffee."Madam Crawford, here’s your coffee." The waiter carefully placed the coffee in front of Susan. He then turned around and left, closing the door behind him.The aroma of coffee filled the room, but Susan's enthusiasm remained low. She went straight to the point and asked Karen, "Madam Mallory, the coffee is here. Tell me, what's the matter?""I saw in the news before that Luke is having an affair?" As Karen noticed that Susan had no intention of discussing luxury brands, sh
Karen was secretly wondering whether she should redirect her subordinates to investigate the expenses incurred when the patient was hospitalized. This way, she could trace the funds directly and find out more about the person who got into a conflict with the patient.There was a slight flutter in her thoughts.Susan remained composed, sipping her coffee and observing Karen's changing expressions. She was aware of Pierre's broken leg and knew that Karen's thoughts were now leaning toward him. As an heir destined to end up with a limp, Pierre held little significance. It explained why Karen was so anxious to find someone to treat him."Madam Mallory?" Susan softly reminded her when she noticed Karen was deep in thought. "What's on your mind?""Nothing. I was thinking about what you said earlier. Madam Crawford, thank you for reminding me," replied Karen. Even though Susan could not offer much help in this matter, she did play a certain role."Don’t mention it. Even if I hadn't men
Tommy saw the interaction between the adults and could not help but mutter, "Is Daddy jealous?"Rainie picked up his younger brother’s favorite meatball and said in a soft voice, "We kids should stay out of the adults' matters.""Oh, but Daddy really does look jealous," added Tommy.As Luke listened to the two kids’ conversation, he gently placed his hand on his forehead. He realized that what he had just done indeed seemed like jealousy. That was why the kids said something like that…It was embarrassing…He failed to suppress his sour mood in front of everyone.Old Master Crawford let out a chuckle and said nothing.Luke felt even more embarrassed when he heard the old master chuckling.After dinner, Old Master Crawford had no intention of leaving. He wanted to chat with the kids and watch TV for a while. Before he could call the driver, it suddenly started pouring rain outside.Luca pushed open the window and glanced outside. The rain pelted onto her face due to the stron
Old Master Crawford was quite tall when he was young. Hence, Luke was also quite tall.However, the old master’s stature had shrunk a little as he aged. Consequently, the pajamas prepared for Luke were a bit oversized for both Old Master Crawford and Mr. Griffin.Nina noticed Luca's hesitation and said, 'It's okay. It’s just for one night, and we won't be going out. Comfortable sleepwear is all that matters.”“Okay. Let's go with these two sets, then. There aren't any other clothes suitable for Old Master Crawford and Mr. Griffin.” Luca placed one set with a darker color by the bed after that.This way, Old Master Crawford could wash up and change his clothes when he came upstairs later.Luca took out another set of bedsheets, planning to change the bedding in the maid's room as well. After changing the bedding in the maid's room, the kids were done watching their cartoons.As the ending song played, Luca walked out of the maid’s room. The three kids stood up with satisfied loo
“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