As Queenie listened to Leia's words, her face turned pale. She showed a look of disappointment. “Leia, you've really let me down.” Queenie felt like getting up and leaving.Despite everything, Queenie still had some feelings for her daughter, so she said, “Your father and I have always provided you with whatever you wanted. Even after Bianca came back, nothing changed in the way we treated you. "You've done such terrible things and still show no remorse. Leia, you’ve deeply disappointed us.”Leia sneered, her eyes brimming with malice. “Really? Well, I regret it too.”Queenie’s heart skipped a beat. She thought Leia regretted her actions. If that were true, she might welcome Leia back into the family after she was released three years later.However, the next moment, she heard Leia say in a chilling voice, “If I had known I'd end up here today, I would've used the deadliest poison to kill you! And Jack, I wouldn't have spared him either. With you both dead, the Norman family wo
”Mrs. Norman,” Luca called out to Queenie.“Yes?” Queenie's eyes were filled with warmth. She seemed eager to shower Luca with affection.After visiting Leia today, Queenie finally understood that Leia hated her and her husband deeply. Even when they had no idea about Luca's identity and treated her indifferently, Leia was jealous and resentful. It all stemmed from Leia's deep-seated hatred toward them. She would also resent anyone who was close to them. Hence, Queenie knew she had to slowly let go of Leia as her daughter. It was best to act as though she never had such a daughter. Only by doing so could she feel better. Without Leia, all she had now was Luca. As a mother with just one child, she wanted to give Luca the best of everything. However, Luca had grown up and was a mother of four. There was only so much she could give now, and even if she could, it was too late for many things.Luca pointed at the bed. The guest room bed was big enough for both of them to sleep
However, Leia had no talent for cooking at all. She never even attended the cooking classes she was signed up for. When Queenie tried to teach her, she could not stick with it and often complained about the heavy kitchen smoke being bad for her skin. After that, she refused to go back in. Thus, Queenie’s wish to have Leia help out in the kitchen and create a warm mother-daughter cooking experience never came true.Fortunately, their beloved daughter had returned.Luca felt someone watching them from behind. When she turned around, she saw it was Jack. She smiled sweetly and said, “Mr. Norman, hurry up and wash your hands. Dinner’s almost ready.”“Alright, alright,” Jack responded quickly. This was his precious daughter, the one who truly inherited the best of him and Queenie.Seeing the joy on Jack’s face, Queenie's smile widened as well. “Luca, if Mr. Norman’s colleagues saw him like this, they’d be shocked.”“Why?” Luca asked, puzzled.“Unless he’s with the public, Mr. Norm
Jack was aware of Queenie's words. Thus, he dismissed the idea.…Luke and Luca went home together. As soon as they walked into the living room, the three kids gathered around them.Tommy, with his chubby cheeks puffed out, was about to start complaining when Luca pulled out some cookies made by Queenie. “Look what I brought for you!”“Wow, cookies!” Tommy's eyes lit up, and he immediately forgot his complaints when he saw the cookies.He reached out to grab one, but Luca held the cookies higher and said, “Your grandma made these.”“Ms. Luca, I want one, I want one,” cried Tommy, jumping up and down, trying to get a cookie.However, no matter how high he jumped, he just could not reach them, making Lanie and Rainie laugh. “Tommy, can you stop being so greedy?”“I want one.” Tommy pouted his mouth.“Didn't we just finish dinner? And you ate so much. Can you really eat more cookies?” Rainie bluntly exposed the truth.“Of course, I can!” Tommy waved his hands. “I eat a lot, an
Jack nodded.Earlier, he had considered using some of his connections to make things a bit easier for Leia while she was inside. He did not have much affection for his adopted daughter, but Queenie still cared for her, so he could not just stand by and do nothing. If anything happened to Leia, it would ultimately trouble Queenie.This was the first time Queenie had clearly stated that she wanted to give up on Leia. Thus, Jack also lost any desire to help Leia. He had long given up hope for Leia. Her health had deteriorated so much that she had not improved at all. Going in there would not make her any better either.Jack had always believed that a person could change with proper guidance.However, Leia had completely changed his mind. He realized some people were innately evil, and no amount of education would change that inherent malevolence.“It's late. You should get some rest,” said Jack.Queenie shook her head and then asked, “Shall we go to Luke's place after you get of
”Mandy, aren't you the reason why I’m in here?!” Leia rose to her feet, glaring fiercely at Mandy on the top bunk.“If it weren't for you involving me in those things, would I have ended up like this?” Mandy chuckled disdainfully, finding it the most absurd thing she had ever heard. “Leia, if you didn't have it in you, you wouldn't have involved yourself no matter what I said to you. Besides, it was your own request, remember? You wanted Matysh's men to harm your foster parents. How could you forget that? "You're blaming others now after coming up with the plan yourself? You're shameless, blaming others for something you did to your own foster parents. Who do you think you are?”Leia clenched her fists tightly but did not strike. She was injured now. Mandy could hurt her anywhere with just a touch, making her no match for her.“Oh, Leia. You truly are cheap to your core!” sneered Mandy.Mandy was deeply envious after knowing Leia’s family background. If only she had Leia's
“Madam Mallory, what’s the matter?” Luca was not particularly polite to her.If Karen were not Percy's mother or if Luke were not friends with Percy, she would not have come to see her.Although Luke had said she could do what she wanted and did not need to worry about him or T Corporation, there were some interpersonal relationships that she felt should not be strained too much.After all, even though Luke now said it was fine and Percy's relationship with Karen was not great, what if…What if in the future, Karen accepted Nina and her relationship with Percy returned to normal?If she embarrassed herself now, it might affect Luke and Percy's friendship.That was why she decided to come see Karen.“Dr. Craw…” Karen greeted her, then paused for a moment, not saying anything else.Luca sat across from her and glanced at the time with a cold expression on her face. “I have another meeting soon. If you have something to say, please do. My research tasks are quite heavy.”Even tho
“Yeah, we still need to be cautious. With Percy's wedding approaching and Pierre's recovery not going well, her emotions might go haywire. Who knows what she might do?”Luke, despite not meddling in women's affairs, still had some understanding of Percy's mother. Most of what he knew came from Percy himself, with some additional insights from past interactions. He knew Karen was not simple.Therefore, when he heard Karen was going to see Luca, he grew concerned. Despite Luca's skills and professional training on the Island of Despair, she could still be in danger if Karen caused trouble.“Yes, I know,” replied Luca, knowing Luke was worried about her from his long-windedness.She could not help but wonder how surprised T Corporation's employees would be if they knew about Luke's current state. “I have dinner tonight. Will you come with me?” asked Luke.“Dinner? I'd rather not go if there are strangers,” replied Luca. As the elevator reached the floor, she stepped out.“They
“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