There was no such thing as off-the-book members of the Island of Despair before this.That was why Luca did not know about them either. During the time she was away from the Island of Despair, she wondered how much Abel had actually done. However, the more he did, the more it showed he was becoming restless... At the very least, it proved he had intentions. However, Luca was not sure about whether this matter had anything to do with Luke. She just felt very passive now, not knowing what Abel was up to or whether it had anything to do with Luke. Therefore, they could only passively observe what he was doing and then analyze his actions."Don't think too much. If he really takes action, we'll know." Luke knew what she was worried about. Worrying now was useless. After all, Abel was in the shadows while they were in the light."If you're free today, could you accompany me to visit Marcos' mother?" asked Luke. He was entrusted by Marcos to check on Sarah's recent condition.
Karen recalled how Percy had only helped her to find Silas and then everything else was handled by her. If only he had been willing to help handle everything, things would not have turned out so bad. After all, Percy was much calmer when dealing with things. If he had handled this matter himself, Silas would not have ended up half-dead at her hands. The more Karen thought about this, the more uncomfortable she felt. She glanced at the news report again. Even though the situation was resolved, she could not feel happy at the moment.…At five in the afternoon, Luca left the laboratory on time and ensured other researchers also left on time. After clocking out, she left the building. In the parking lot, she saw Luke's car parked in its designated spot and hurried over. Lliam saw Luca and helped open the back door. Luca bent to get into the car, but before she could sit down, Luke pulled her into his arms. Sensing her unease, he chuckled lightly and said, "No need to rus
Sarah raised her hand and invited them to have some tea. "Please, have some tea. This is brewed with spring water from the mountains. It tastes fresher." Luca felt that Sarah had something on her mind. She picked up the teacup, took a sip, and asked in a soft voice, "Ms. Poplar, do you know something?""I know a lot. Over these years, Russia hasn't given up searching for me because I know too much. But here I am, hiding out in A City. What else can I do? What surprised me, though, is that while Russia has been quiet, A City has managed to dig up evidence of his crimes. "Despite the pressure from Russia, they've gone ahead and nabbed him. A City is more progressive than any other country.” Sarah took a sip of the green tea and let out a sigh.She had dreamed many dreams, all of them scenes of Matysh being arrested. However, every time she dreamed about it, it happened in Russia and never in A City. This time, Matysh's arrest was in A City, so her dream had partly come true.L
As Luca listened to Luke, who sat beside her, she unconsciously furrowed her brows. Luke was quite adept. When he chose to speak, every word seemed to strike at Sarah's heartstrings. She knew he was pushing Sarah to reveal what she knew. It was not for their benefit but for the relevant authorities' benefit.That was the real way to help Marcos."I understand..." Despite Luke's words, Sarah did not seem to blame him for meddling.After all, this was all for Marcos' good."Ms. Poplar, let me say one last thing. Marcos is no longer a child. He has the ability to protect himself and those he cares about. So, you should trust him instead of trying to protect him in other ways." Luke finished his sentence, held Luca’s hand, and rose to his feet."Ms. Poplar, we have a dinner appointment to attend. We won't disturb you further for now. Please take your time to think it over.”Sarah watched them leave and nodded.They had come today because Marcos had promised to visit her. Was
As Luca heaved a sigh, Lliam had already parked the car at the entrance of Blue Coast Restaurant. After Luke and Luca got out of the car, they were led into a private room by the waitress at the entrance, where Percy and Nina were already waiting for them."Sorry for being late," Luke said to Percy. When they returned, they encountered some traffic, so they were ten minutes later than the agreed time."Mr. Crawford is a busy man. I’m used to it." A hint of mischief flashed across Percy’s eyes as he teased Luke.Nina wore a helpless smile and replied, "It's okay. Actually, we just arrived.""I didn't expect traffic on the way back, sorry," apologized Luca. They all valued punctuality. That was why being late required an apology."Dr. Craw, it's okay," replied Percy. He could joke with Luke but not with Luca. After all, Luca was now arguably the most capable among them. Most importantly, Luca was Nina's good friend.There was a saying, a man should never offend his girlfriend
Fortunately, she did not expose herself in front of Percy.The waitress let out a sigh of relief and stood to the side of the private room. Even though she did not reveal any flaws, her focus today was solely on serving this private room. Therefore, she had to stand by the door. She had to be ready to provide service to the guests while also keeping an eye on things.The waitress remained stationed by the door, watching as the kitchen staff brought out the dishes. She knocked on the door again, "Sir, may I serve the dishes now?""Sure." Percy's voice came from inside.The waitress pushed the door open, signaling the kitchen staff to bring in the exquisite dishes.As plate after plate of food was placed on the table, the sight left Luca astonished. There were only four of them, yet they had ordered so many dishes. Could they finish it all?Luke shared the same thought with Luca. He teased Percy, "That's quite a spread. With so many dishes, do you think we'll be able to finish th
"Madam Mallory, this isn't Mallory Manor. If you've got something to say, just spit it out. I'm not interested in hearing you beat about the bush," replied Luca in a cold voice.A wave of anger roused within Karen. What kind of attitude was this?Did she think she was all that just because she had Luke supporting her?The thought of Luke made Karen even more enraged. Why was it that people and things associated with this name always seemed to be exceptionally difficult to deal with?"I have something to discuss with you!" When Karen saw that Luca was about to leave the restroom, she thought if she did not sort things out here, she would not have the chance to do so later.She did not want anyone to see her begging Luca. Even if Percy might help her if he knew about it, she did not want him to witness this scene. It was too embarrassing.Luca paused for a moment, unable to imagine what Karen wanted to talk to her about.Could it be about what happened with Nina before? However,
"Since you think it’s nice too, I'll buy it," replied Nina, proceeding to place the order.After placing the order, Nina rose to her feet."Where are you going?" asked Luca."I’d like to use the restroom," answered Nina with a smile on her face.At the thought that Karen was also dining in this restaurant, Luca stood up and said, "I'll go with you.""You're going too?" Nina asked in surprise, wondering why Luca was going again when she had just come back."Just keeping you company," said Luca. She took Nina's hand as they walked out of the private room together.Luke and Percy, who were behind them, did not say anything. Luca closed the private room door behind her and then walked toward the restroom with Nina.When Nina saw this, she could not help but say, "Why do I feel like you're acting strangely?""Am I?” Luca shook her head. "I just want to be with you.""You were gone for so long just now. Did you meet someone?" asked Nina, feeling that Luca's behavior was odd. She wo
“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