Since it was a Saturday the following day, Luca lingered in bed for a while longer before getting up. She figured that Aunt Neile must have already bought all the ingredients needed for today, so now she needed to go downstairs to help.Some ingredients needed to be marinated for a few hours to taste good when grilled. When Luca arrived downstairs, the kids were all sitting on the couch reading.When they saw Luca coming down, they all greeted her, "Ms. Luca, you’re up.""Yes, I am. Where's your daddy?" asked Luca. When she walked out of the bedroom, she glanced at the opposite bedroom door, which was open. However, Luke was not inside. She slept quite deeply all night. Therefore, she had no idea when he got up."Daddy left early. He said he had to go back to the office to deal with something. Ms. Luca, please go and have your breakfast. Aunt Neile put a lot of things on the table. Maybe you should bring them over here to eat," said Rainie, reminding her not to go hungry."O
"Lanie!" Tommy protested and waved his hands. "I'm not interested in raw meat.""But when you see it, you'll imagine how delicious it'll be once it's cooked," Lanie continued to tease Tommy."You're so mean..." Tommy was annoyed with his words but still sat down.He was the most gluttonous one. When he saw raw meat, he would think of how delicious it would be once cooked by Luca.Lanie was right. At the thought of this, he gave up the idea of helping. He looked closely at Lanie and asked, "Lanie, if you're not tempted, why don't you go over and help?""I can't." Lanie shook his head. "I'm allergic to the kitchen, just like Daddy. I lack talent.""You're just lazy." Tommy hit the nail on the head.Finally, Lanie raised his eyes from his book. He looked at his younger brother and nodded. "I am lazy, just like Daddy."He really did not like being near the kitchen.He was not interested in what was happening inside the kitchen. He was not a girl, like Rainie, who was interested
Mavis knew it was a bit late to talk about cooperation now.Their company had been kicked out by another company competing for the bid before, but the design plans were already in place. If they were to give up on this project now, all the efforts of the company's staff would be in vain.Mavis then thought of T Corporation. If they could collaborate with T Corporation, they would surely secure the bid.She presented her idea, only to be rejected by the boss, who assumed T Corporation would not collaborate with them at this point.However, Mavis claimed that she knew Luke, and she insisted that their bid was excellent enough. As long as she could talk to Luke, she was confident they could make it.The words she spoke in front of the boss were brutally contradicted by Luke’s response. Mavis felt that if she could not turn the situation around, there was no point in staying in her company any longer."Mr. Crawford, our company is also a strong contender. If you're concerned about br
Mavis' face flushed red and then paled under the sting of Sylvester's words.If it were Luke, would she agree to be his mistress? She was willing to stand beside that god-like man regardless of her status.Mavis also felt she had the ability to become his only one. However, Luke did not give her that chance.Apart from Luke, Mavis would never be any other man's mistress, including Sylvester who was in front of her."Boss, why are you bringing up the past?" She knew Sylvester was dissatisfied. He was deliberately picking on her, even intending to mock her.Sylvester narrowed his eyes and said, "Ms. Laviere, as you know, I have no feelings for that hag at home. If you agree to be with me, I'll give you the best, including a family. You'll be my wife then. Why won't you agree?"He admired Mavis. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also incredibly competent at her job.Sylvester knew that although Mavis had made a mistake this time, as long as she continued to work in the co
At the thought of it, Sylvester realized that Mavis' request for stock options before joining was a calculated move. Even if she were to offend him, he could not just fire her. The shares she held were enough to ruin his company. Sylvester fell silent with frustration.Mavis stopped talking too when she noticed the man was keeping silent. The atmosphere in the car plummeted to freezing point. Even the driver sitting in the driver's seat dared not utter a word, afraid of displeasing the two most powerful figures in the company and losing his job.As the silence settled, Mavis recalled the look on Luke’s face just now.They had worked together, but Luke's demeanor was as distant as when they were at the zoo. He treated her like a stranger. Not only was it strictly business, but his words were also filled with indifference. Mavis could not tolerate this version of Luke. However, she also knew that this was the real Luke. He had no affection for her, and that was why he was
Luca was busy making all sorts of drinks, and eventually, even Rainie could not resist feeling tempted. The smoothie looked delicious, and the fruit juice looked delicious too. Rainie never imagined Luca could make so many drinks. Now, looking at these drinks that seemed even better than the ones sold outside, she wanted to try them all.Rainie suddenly realized she was getting as greedy as her little brother. She could not help but feel a little ashamed of herself. Luca noticed Rainie’s behavior. She laughed and said, "I just put a pitcher of juice in the fridge. I'll pour some for you and Lanie and Tommy in a bit, okay?""Okay!" Rainie nodded.Luca then thought of Luke, who was still busy upstairs. She decided to make a pot of coffee for him. She asked Aunt Neile to send it up. "Aunt Neile, can you please bring this pot of coffee upstairs?""Sure, Ms. Craw," replied Aunt Neile as she took the tray of coffee and glasses upstairs.Luca and Rainie continued preparing the rema
"It’s been so long since Ms. Vivian last visited. I almost forgot her name. Her name is a little hard to remember," Aunt Neile explained with a cheerful laugh as she opened the door for her.As soon as the door opened, Vivian walked in and immediately gave Luca a big hug the moment she saw her. Then, she handed a bag to Aunt Neile and said, "Luca, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve been really busy with classes lately and haven’t had time to visit you. "You haven’t come to see me either, but I’m glad we could meet today. I brought some bottles of wine for you."Luca returned her hug and replied, "I told you not to bring anything, but you still did. It’s really too much. I haven’t been avoiding you on purpose. I’ve just been really busy. Starting next week, I’ll be teaching a full day every Friday at Capital University. We can plan to have dinner together every week.""Really? You’re not kidding, right?" Vivian was pleasantly surprised, not expecting Luca to be teaching at Capital Unive
Yet, Luca raised her spirits with her words this time.Vivian had an excellent figure and could dress in pretty clothes. There was no need to be concerned about others' opinions as long as she liked what she was wearing. Since she arrived in A City, Luca had constantly nurtured her confidence. Vivian was deeply moved. She nodded and replied, "Okay, but you don't have to buy me clothes. Just take me to the old tailor."Luca was her good friend, but even so, Vivian did not want to take advantage of her."Okay, no problem," Luca agreed.Vivian smiled and hugged her again. "Luca, thank you. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to start a new life in A City so quickly.""That's because you've been working hard and trying to adapt to this society," replied Luca. She did not feel like she had helped Vivian much. It was mainly Vivian's own effort and willingness to step out and live positively. Watching Vivian slowly come into her own filled Luca with immense satisfaction. It wa
“You don’t need to remind me. I was going to check anyway.” Abel shot Luca a chilling look.She took a step back and stayed silent.Abel turned to the pale-faced Hera and said, “If you’ve got low blood sugar, get up and eat something.”“I’ll eat now,” Hera replied, sitting up.Luca handed her the takeout.Abel glanced at the food and then frowned at Luca. “Why didn’t you make breakfast this morning?”“I was busy,” Luca explained with a calm indifference, her expression unwavering. She showed no fear, even under Abel’s questioning.Hera suddenly found herself admiring Luca. Everyone feared this man, yet Luca remained composed even when facing potential punishment. Not just anyone could pull that off.At the thought of this, Hera opened the takeout and kept quiet.Abel narrowed his eyes, glancing between Hera and Luca. His gaze was not exactly gentle as he muttered, “Stop eating this junk. It’s bad for you.”“I know, babe. Just this once. After this, I’ll have what Luca cooks f
Hera panicked the moment she heard that. “I trust her!”Luca and Shanks were both watching her.Hera repeated herself, saying, “I trust her, okay? What kind of treatment does she need? I’ll cooperate with anything. But what about Abel…”“I’ll tell him it’s just to help improve your overall health,” replied Shanks. Then, he turned around, opened the medicine cabinet, and started preparing the prescription.Hera let out a sigh of relief. As long as Abel did not find out about her health condition, that was all that mattered.If he knew she was unwell, he would send her back to A City. Without free medical help and no way to make extra money, she would be in serious trouble.“Thank you,” said Hera.“Wait outside,” instructed Shanks.“Okay.” Hera carefully stepped out.Luca, however, remained where she was, waiting.While preparing the medicine, Shanks asked, “Do you know which acupoints to target for her?”“Yes,” Luca replied confidently. As long as she checked Hera’s pulse, sh
“There are a lot of issues.” Luca did not hide anything and handed Hera the phone.Hera looked at it and frowned.“I can't understand any of this.” Hera felt dizzy just looking at the text, let alone the long list of medical terms. It was giving her a headache.“Look at these summaries and indicators. Compare the values on top with the normal values at the bottom, and you'll see what I mean,” explained Luca.Hera did not trust her. Therefore, Luca decided to let her see for herself. Seeing it with her own eyes would prevent any doubts later.Luca pointed out how to read the test results, and after a moment, Hera managed to understand the report. Her face turned pale. “How can there be so many problems?”She looked at Luca and questioned, “Did you fake this?”“I don’t have the power to make the medical center fake anything. Besides, the report has the medical center’s official stamp. If you don’t believe me, you can go directly to the medical center and ask for the official cop
“I heard from the boss that he's coming because of Vivian.” Gale paused for a moment before adding, “But never mind, you don't seem interested in her affairs anyway. I'm just letting you know he's on his way.”Gordan frowned. Ray was coming for Vivian?What could that ugly woman possibly need?“What do you mean by that?” asked Gordan.Gale smirked. “If you and Ray meet, that’s bound to end in a fight. And since you can't win against him, you might want to mentally prepare yourself, or better yet, find somewhere else to stay. It’d be safer that way.”Gordan's expression darkened. “If you have nothing nice to say, just zip it.”Gale grinned, clearly pleased with himself like he had just hit a sore spot.Gordan exhaled sharply. “Of all times, why is he coming to A City now? He’s just making things worse.”“It can't be helped. Vivian's situation is urgent.” Gale covered his mouth mockingly after he said that. “Oh, right. I forgot you don’t like hearing about her.”Ray wanted to br
Luke sat in the villa, staring at Luca’s message.He was worried.For a moment, he considered calling her, but then he remembered that there were surveillance cameras everywhere on her side. He dismissed the idea immediately.Her safety came first.Luke reminded her: [Take care of yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything. Just focus on keeping yourself safe.] The worry in his heart refused to subside, but at this moment, there was no better solution.“Boss, you’re worried about your wife, huh? If you really can’t stand it, we can sneak you in again during the next shift change, just like last time,” said Gale.It had been his idea last time.Now, the real Lucius was still locked up in the basement of the villa.It had been nearly a month. Luke had forced him to take the antidote Luca had recreated. The man was still alive, proving the antidote worked perfectly.“That plan is too risky.” Luke put his phone away. His gaze was dark and thoughtful.“Risky, sure. But at lea
Luca had not expected Abel and Shanks’ relationship to be like this.It seemed Abel still did not trust Shanks.Shanks continued, “Abel isn’t someone who trusts people easily. He doesn’t trust anyone. You think he’s devoted to Kassy now, right? That’s just his obsession. He's allowing Kassy to receive my treatment, but if it were him… No matter if he were blind or crippled, his safety would always come first. If he were seriously injured, maybe he’d accept treatment, but he definitely wouldn’t do it right away.”Luca stayed silent. Shanks really understood Abel well.Abel did not trust anyone—not even Kassy.Calling him paranoid would not be an exaggeration.Luca felt like they were getting off-topic, but she had never seen this side of Shanks before.In her mind, he was always buried in his work at the lab, only leaving for meals and sleep. Other than that, he was practically never outside.The lab was like his home…“Are you troubled by Hera’s situation?” Luca asked directly
Hera was startled by Luca's words.The refusal that had been on the tip of her tongue suddenly got stuck in her throat.“I…” Hera hesitated, feeling conflicted. Leaving Abel might not be such a bad idea. At least she would not have to live in constant fear.She was finally realizing how unpredictable his moods were. At first, she thought it did not matter as she could still look at other men. She just had to ensure there was no physical contact. In reality, even if she so much as glanced at someone, Abel's expression would darken with anger.It was frustrating. Now, the only person she was allowed to look at was Gerald. Still, what was the point of just looking at Gerald?At that thought, she lifted her gaze to Luca.Luca added, “I’ll give you five minutes. If you refuse treatment after that, I’ll take the medicine back to Mr. Shanks and won’t try to convince you again.”Hera's heart tightened. She did not even need five minutes. She had made her decision within 30 seconds.“I’
“If Abel finds out that Hera's body isn't suitable for organ donation to Kassy, what do you think he'll do?” asked Shanks.He already knew the answer, but he still wanted to hear Luca’s thoughts.“He has invested a lot of time and money in Hera. If he gets nothing out of it, he won’t let her off easily,” Luca said bluntly.Luca and Shanks were on the same page.They did not have a good relationship with Hera, but they had no intention of ruining her either.Hera’s personality was unpleasant, but that was not enough for them to hate her so much that they wanted to see her suffer.“What methods do you think he’ll use?” Shanks asked again.Luca was silent for a long moment.Shanks already knew the answer, yet he still wanted her to say it out loud.After thinking it over, she finally said, “There are plenty of ways he could go about it, but no matter what he chooses, Hera’s fate is sealed. She’s as good as dead…”She lowered her gaze, her tone firm and certain.Shanks nodded.
Hera heard that Luca had returned and immediately went to find Shanks. She narrowed her eyes.That woman went to see Shanks. Could she be talking about her?The thought made Hera uneasy. She had a nagging feeling that something was wrong with her medical report.However, when they left the medical center earlier, Abel asked Luca when the report would be ready, and she said it would be available tomorrow.Hera turned to Gerald and said, “Take these back for me first.”“Alright.” Gerald carried the bags as he walked away. He could not help but wonder what exactly Hera bought. These bags were really heavy!Only after Gerald went upstairs did Hera slowly make her way up as well. Her room was on the third floor, but she stopped when she reached the second floor. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching before heading toward the laboratory.The door was closed.Instead of knocking, Hera pressed her ear against it, trying to eavesdrop.However, the laboratory was special