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
The two women froze in surprise at the sound of the commanding voice. Allison realized Luke had returned, and from his tone, he was clearly angry. Panic gripped her, and just as she was not paying attention, Susan scratched her again. The pain on her face was searing, and she let out a loud, pained scream, stumbling back and covering her face.Luca, who stood beside Luke, was equally stunned. They were actually fighting! What on earth was going on?!Allison staggered back a few steps and saw Luke's dark expression. Even though she was afraid, she felt reassured that her support had arrived. She cried out, “Luke, you're finally back! Your mom's getting beaten by an outsider!”Luke looked at the two women, whose ages added up to over a hundred years, in complete disbelief. He exchanged a glance with Luca before speaking again, “Are you two going to keep fighting?”Susan let out a cold sneer. She had been scratched by Allison several times, and her face now burned with pain.
Sophian realized she had made a mistake and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Madam Allison. I saw it was someone familiar, so I didn’t think too much about it.”Allison shot her a furious glare.Sophian knew full well that Allison and Susan did not get along, yet she still opened the door for her. Was she out of her mind?“Oh my, after all that time in Seoul, you didn’t pick up anything good? Still that same fiery temper.” Then came Susan’s mocking voice.Allison froze for a moment and shifted her gaze toward the doorway.“How did you get in here?” demanded Allison. Did she not just ring the bell outside? How did she get in so quickly and without anyone opening the door to the villa?!Susan gave Sophian a smirking glance. “Your helper let me in.”Allison frowned, still confused. Susan continued, “I’m living right next door now.”“Oh, so I heard you got kicked out by Old Master Crawford. Moved right next door, did you? Sticking around like a ghost that won’t go away, living jus
Sophian stood before her. Her face was a picture of hesitation and discomfort. “Madam Allison, how about you order using your phone?”“What? You can’t even handle this small task?” At this point, Allison had completely shifted her view of Sophian, now seeing her as just another maid. Her previous tone vanished, replaced by a much more domineering attitude.Sophian felt helpless and quickly explained, “It’s just that the food from this place is just too expensive. I don’t have that kind of money.”Once she finished speaking, a flush of embarrassment crossed her face.Sophian had come back with Allison to work off the debt she owed from her cosmetic surgery. Therefore, she had no money to spare.Allison paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. After a brief moment, she picked up her phone and said, “It's not like I'm having you pay for it. You can't even temporarily cover it?”Sophian smiled awkwardly. “I just transferred money to the hospital.”Allison let out a faint hu
“You don’t like eating outside food, do you?” Luca thought that preparing breakfast and dinner for him was not a big deal.Besides, the main point was that Luke did not like eating out. He always felt the taste was off and lacked nutrition.“Actually, it’s not that I don’t like eating out. It's just that all the food outside tastes the same to me.” Luke gently squeezed her hand.“Hey, focus on driving.” Luca chuckled.Luke withdrew his hand and returned it to the steering wheel. “With that woman around, it wouldn’t be convenient for you to cook. Are you really going to make breakfast for them too?”If that happened, it would defeat the purpose of his plan.Luca thought for a moment. She did not mind ignoring Sophian, but if she cooked for Luke and not for Allison, that might not sit well with her. Allison could easily make a fuss over even the smallest details. “So, should we just eat out for breakfast and dinner from now on?”“Yes.” Luke did not mind.It did not matter where t
“Something I like?” Luca laughed. “What could that be?”“You’ll find out when we get there.” Luke kept it mysterious.“Alright then, I’ll wait for your surprise, Mr. Crawford.” Luca was in good spirits without letting family issues dampen her mood. Therefore, she video-called the kids.Luca dialed Mr. Griffin’s number.After Mr. Griffin answered the call, he handed the phone to Lanie. “Young Master Lanie, Ms. Craw wants to talk to you.”“Thank you, Mr. Griffin.” Lanie took the phone and pressed ‘accept’.Luca positioned the camera to include both her and Luke. She waved at the screen. “Lanie, Rainie, Tommy, what are you all doing?”“Lanie! Lanie, I want to talk to Ms. Luca!” Tommy waved excitedly at the camera, eager to take the phone.Lanie handed it to him. “Go on, tell Daddy and Ms. Luca about your good news.”Luca smiled and asked with curiosity. “Good news?”“Daddy, Ms. Luca, I made it to the next level in the math competition! The finals are this Saturday!” Tommy said e
“Why are you being so slow?” Allison was irritated. She shoved the products into Sophian’s hands.“I told you to use them, so just use them.” Allison ran out of patience. After urging Sophian, she lay back down.Sophian had no choice but to follow her instructions and poured out some product. The texture of the product in her palm made her pause for a moment. It was incredibly moisturizing!She gently patted it onto Allison's face and noticed the area she touched felt just as smooth.Allison let out a content sigh. “This essence is really soothing.”Even though Sophian was still worried about potential side effects, she could not help but admire the instant hydrating effect. She asked in a low voice, “Madam Allison, is this really developed by that woman?”She could not believe that Luca had such skills and wondered if the essence had just been repackaged into another bottle and sold as her own creation.“That's what she says,” replied Allison. “But she's into pharmaceuticals, s
After agreeing to become the maid, Sophian’s excitement gradually turned into anxiety.The villa was so large. Could she really handle all the tasks a maid was supposed to do?As she thought about it, she accidentally left the bread in the toaster for too long. After serving it to Allison, she was scolded.“What’s this? It’s just a slice of toast. How could you burn it like this? How am I supposed to eat it?” Allison was clearly displeased.Sophian awkwardly explained, “Madam Allison, this is my first time using this toaster. I didn’t quite get the temperature right...”Allison was about to keep complaining but paused for a moment, remembering that Sophian was the one she had brought in to be the maid. Now, she was the only one who could make breakfast for her. She disdainfully tore off the burnt part and took a bite. “Where’s the soy milk?”“It’ll bring it out,” replied Sophian, heading back to the kitchen. She brought out two glasses of soy milk and another slice of toast tha
“Are you planning to tell me that Madam Allison brought someone back?” Luca had a feeling she knew what was going on. Luca had been wondering why Allison had taken such a big risk by going out during the day, but it all made sense now.“Yes, she brought someone back and said she'll be taking over my job,” Aunt Neile replied helplessly. She was worried she had lost her competitive edge, which made her feel anxious.“I got it, Aunt Neile.” As soon as Luca spoke, there was a cheer from inside the lab. She glanced back and saw that there seemed to be progress in the research. Rhett gave her a thumbs-up to signal success.She slightly smiled and nodded before hearing Aunt Neile's voice again on the phone. “Ms. Craw, there’s something I’d like to say, though I’m not sure if I should. I’ve thought about it, and I feel like I should. Even though Mr. Crawford isn’t the type to fool around, you have to be careful. He has no interest in that woman, but she’s clearly interested in him. You sh
Allison watched the two of them go upstairs, and instantly, her temper flared.Not allowed, huh?Allison refused to believe it. She would find a way to turn things around and reclaim her position in this family!…The next morning, as Luke and Luca came downstairs, they noticed Aunt Neile looking at them with red, puffy eyes.“Aunt Neile, what happened?” Luca was puzzled. What happened?“Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, Madam Allison just told me that I’m fired.” Aunt Neile looked distraught. She thought Allison’s words yesterday were just a joke, but first thing in the morning, she was told to settle her wages and leave. She was completely stunned.“Mr. Crawford, did I do something wrong?”Luke’s brows furrowed. Allison’s behavior was truly astonishing.“You’re not fired,” replied Luke. “Is breakfast ready?”Relieved to hear she still had her job, Aunt Neile quickly wiped away her tears and let out a sigh of relief. “Yes. Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, please have a seat. I’ll bring it out.