Outside of the Civil Registry Office. Xavier looked intently at Bianca's pure and delicate face as though intending to imprint her face in his eyes. Her jet-black hair was tied up in a bun behind her, and her scarf was folded into a pretty shape by her dexterous hands. She did not wear any make-up on her face except for a thin coat of pink lipstick. She looked sweet and beautiful. Her eyes were sparkling with joy… What should he do? He did not want to let her go. "Bianca, I know that I've used unethical means to obtain our previous marriage. If I can change myself and try to pursue you again with a new personality, would you accept me then?" Xavier suddenly asked. "What?" Bianca was wholly immersed in her joy of being single again. She was not listening to what he was saying. Xavier's tall body cast a shadow on her face. "I said, would you consider it if we start over again?" He looked at her expectantly. He knew what Bianca was going to say, but his heart was never
"The outcome is within expectations. If Xavier doesn't proceed with the divorce, not only will his family go bankrupt, but he will be sent back to prison." Luke gently kissed the tip of Bianca's nose as he lay his gentle gaze on her. "Prison? Why would that be the case?" Bianca did not understand. She did not know that Luke had gathered a mountain of incriminating evidence of Xavier's crimes to force the divorce. Luke did not want her to know anyway. He felt that she would be happier that way. He would be the one to shelter her from trouble. The man's profound gaze seemed magical. It had made Bianca's heart thump faster uncontrollably. She instinctively covered her eyes. The man was a menace. Just by looking at her, he could make her heart go wild. Luke pulled away her hands that covered her eyes and leaned closer to her. "Why are you still shy, hmm?" The man's impeccable face was filled with a mysterious charm, which made Bianca's throat dry. Before she could react
"No, this isn't genuine. I bought a bootleg." Bianca took a few steps backward. She was not too fond of being so close to strangers. She did not expect that her scarf was a luxury brand. Luke had given her a scarf when she was cold. The woolen scarf was light and warm, and the material was gentle on the skin. Her neck was protected from the cold when she wore the scarf, and she had accepted it. If she had known that the scarf was so expensive, she would not have accepted it. Xavier's cousin pouted. "I thought so. Look, all your other clothes are so cheap, so how could you afford a genuine item? Hermes is the king in the kingdom of fashion. Even I, a frequent shopper in luxury fashion stores, could not even buy it, so how could you?" "Watch your words, Melissa!" Xavier's tone of voice instantly became stern. The short-haired woman sheepishly shut her mouth, though she mumbled, "Hmph, stupid cousin. How dare you bully me? I'll tell Uncle and Auntie when I get home later…" X
"Wow! Isn't that Leia Norman? I didn't expect to meet her here!" Sue whispered excitedly next to Bianca's ear. Sue was a fan of television dramas, and she occasionally followed entertainment news. Naturally, she knew who Leia was. Leia wore light make-up, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. She was dressed in luxury brand casual clothes that accentuated all her body curves and made her look elegant. Bianca was not familiar with Leia. As far as she knew, Leia Norman was a celebrity. Leia seemed a lot more beautiful in the movies. Both of them had met in real life, but they had never interacted with each other. When Bianca saw that Leia was choosing the same gown, she smiled politely and let go. "I'll go look at the other designs," Bianca said. To her, she did not mind relinquishing her choice to Leia. After all, there were so many other designs in the store. However, Bianca did not expect that her act of courtesy was interpreted as an act of provocation. Leia wore hig
Leia wanted to retort, but at that time, Sue picked a purple evening gown and brought it to Bianca. "You're here to pick a gown and not a fight with crazy women, Bianca. Let's go and try this on…" Sue pushed Bianca to the dressing room. Then, she sat down and flipped through a magazine. The luxury brand fashion store had top-notch service. Not only were the furnishings extravagant, but the customers could also get a variety of hot drinks for free. Sue enjoyed her time there. Her experience would have been perfect if not for that materialistic sales clerk and that arrogant Leia Norman! Soon, the dressing room door opened, and Bianca stepped out. Sue gasped when she saw Bianca, who seemed like a different person when she was dressed in the gown. Bianca was a beautiful woman, but she was always dressed in plain clothes and no makeup. She was unremarkable, and she looked more like a college student than a working adult. Now that she was dressed in a luxurious evening gown, she
After Sue saw that Bianca was done purchasing her gown, she said, "Now that our business is done here, we'd better go. There are several skunks here stinking up the air." She waved her hand in front of her nose as though there was really something in the air. Leia and Melissa's expressions turned unpleasant. Was that woman talking about them? "Hey, watch your mouth! Who are you calling a skunk?" Melissa was furious. Bianca held Sue's hand and answered coldly, "Whoever that replies." Melissa angrily kicked the thick-browed young woman's shin. "Go and beat up those two for me!" Yancy was loyal like a dog. She put down the shopping bags in her hands and started to pounce at Bianca and Sue. Before she could lay a finger on the two women, Sue stretched out her leg and tripped the woman! Then, she grabbed Yancy's body and easily performed an over-the-shoulder toss. The tall and bulky woman lay face-up on the ground and could not get up for a long time. "Is that all you have
"Get your manager here," Luke said. One of the sales clerks frantically went to the manager's office. Soon, the manager arrived on the scene. He was shocked when he saw Luke. Then, he bowed and said fawningly, "It's rare that you visit my little store, Mr. Crawford. Can I help you with anything? I'll get someone to wrap up anything that you want." Luke did not say anything. He opened his wallet. The selection of gold cards inside was dazzling. He picked out one and handed it to the manager. "Everything in the store." Sue's eyes opened wide. She wanted to applaud Luke. 'Wow, our boss is so cool! 'Not only is he incredibly generous, but he is also very protective. That'll show those despicable people!' "Alright, very well. Now, everything in the store belongs to you. You can do whatever you wish," the manager said excitedly. Then, the manager took the credit card away to process the transaction. "…" The sales clerks were speechless. Leia was silently seething. Why
Night fell, and a sky of stars shone over the earth. The outdoors might be thick with snow, but Millennia Hotel was brightly lit. Old Mr. Norman's 70th birthday party was held there. All the important figures from the business, political, and military circles were there. The hotel was decorated grandly with a gigantic crystal chandelier, a warm fireplace, and an extravagant mural. Old Mr. Norman sat straight, dressed in a classic suit. He carried the authority of a politician in each of his movements. He remained spirited even though he was old. Currently, the guests were offering their birthday wishes to him. Every guest in attendance was a socialite. Old Mr. Norman might have retired, but he was nonetheless influential in the political circle. Furthermore, his son Jack was also an important figure, and the guests were eager to suck up to him. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Norman were in the lobby greeting the guests. Queenie was in her element, while Jack was not very fond of suc
“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