Nina pinched Tommy's chubby cheeks. “So, you're only worried about whether I'll come just because you want to make Luca happy?”Tommy laughed and shook his head. “Of course not. We like you too, Ms. Nina!”“Yes, we like Ms. Nina,” Rainie chimed in.“Aww, I trust Rainie more. Tommy, I don't believe you anymore” Nina teased him.“Ms. Nina, I'm being sincere! We all really like you!” Tommy quickly responded with a big smile.Nina laughed and played along with the kids.…Meanwhile, upstairs, Luke and Percy were discussing business.However, they were not talking about Pierre and Karen. They were discussing the upcoming bid.The government had already announced that the bidding would take place next week.After going over the remaining details and confirming there were no issues with the bid proposal, Percy asked, “How do you plan to deal with them?”“They're your mother and brother,” Luke reminded him helplessly. The simplest solution would be to send Pierre and Karen to the po
After Tommy lay down and covered himself with the blanket, he looked at Luke at the door and said, “Goodnight, Dad.”“Goodnight. Sleep well,” replied Luke, closing the bedroom door behind him.His phone buzzed. He glanced at it but did not return to the master bedroom. Instead, he headed to the other room and made a couple of phone calls.Once everything was sorted, Luke went back to the master bedroom.Luca was already sitting up in bed, holding a tablet.“Is the child asleep?” asked Luca. She looked up, assuming Luke had been putting Tommy to bed.“Yeah, he's asleep,” answered Luke, getting into bed and sitting next to her. He glanced at the screen filled with dense text and asked, “Looking at more research?”“Yeah.” Luca nodded. “Every study needs data to back it up. Look at this herb. It's poisonous but also has properties that can regenerate flesh.”She pointed at the document to show him.“I’ve been wondering why Shanks would use these herbs for research. Is he trying to
Ray felt a bit disoriented. It had been a long time since he had heard Vivian act affectionately with him.As he listened to Vivian’s voice, he called out, “Sis.”Vivian smiled and replied, “Ray, I miss home.”“If you want to come back, you can do it anytime,” replied Ray. He did not agree with her decision to study in A City initially. However, Vivian was feeling down back then, and he could not argue with her, so he let her go.“I’m not planning to come back right now. I'm just saying I miss it. A City is great, the university is great, and my classmates are great. I’m doing well here, but I’m not used to not having family around,” explained Vivian. She genuinely loved A City. That was why she chose to come.“When’s your next break?” asked Ray.“Well, in A City, the next break isn’t until February next year, so I have a while before I can go back. I just wanted to hear your voice because I miss home, that’s all.”“I’ll make time to visit you,” suggested Ray.Running a famil
Old Master Mallory stood up with his cane. “To Mallory Estate.”“Yes, sir!” Mr. Bennet jogged out to prepare the car.…At Mallory Estate, Karen had been anxious ever since Gale took Luca and Vivian away yesterday. She had been watching Dr. Schwartz, who had been up since early morning studying surveillance footage, and finally lost her patience. “When will you figure this out?”Dr. Schwartz trembled. He wanted to master this strange dry needling technique quickly, but it was not something an old man like him could learn overnight.Pierre, who was pushed into the living room in his wheelchair by a maid, heard Karen’s comment and mocked, “Look at the useless doctor you hired.”Karen’s expression changed. “He’s a well-known naturopathic physician in A City. Many people seek him out for dry needling.” She did not choose him without a reason.Dr. Schwartz was indeed talented in this area and had his own clinic. Locals praised his dry needling skills. Yet, he could not handle Luc
“You're still lying to me at this point!” roared Old Master Mallory. He grabbed the documents from the coffee table and threw them down again.Karen jumped, finally realizing she should pick up the papers and take a look. Old Master Mallory let out a cold snort when he saw that. “If no one had told me, I wouldn’t have known that Pierre's injury affects his fertility!”Pierre frowned. How could this possibly affect his fertility?Karen furrowed her brows and quickly explained, “Dad, this is all a misunderstanding. It doesn’t affect fertility.”“But they say it does!” Old Master Mallory trusted Luca's expertise and believed her assessment.Karen said, “Dad, look. It’s just a slight issue. It won’t affect fertility, and Pierre has been feeling much better after the dry needling treatment yesterday. With continued treatment, he should return to normal.”“Yes, Grandpa. I’m aware of my own condition,” added Pierre. With so many people around, if word got out, would he still have an
Pierre looked at the person speaking. “He’s speaking up for you?”Karen remained silent.The subordinate who had spoken up also fell silent. Even though Karen had made many mistakes, the current issues were all because of Pierre. The subordinate could not stand seeing Pierre provoke Karen and risk making her emotional, so he intervened.Pierre pointed at the subordinate. “What’s his relationship to you?”Unable to hold back any longer, Karen stepped forward, raised her hand, and slapped Pierre across the face.“No matter what, I’m still your mother. I endured all this scolding from Old Master Mallory for you. You’re the one who had me kidnap Luca. I took all the blame for you, and this is how you treat me? Pierre, I’m your mother, not your tool! Are you out of your mind?” said Karen with a fiery tone.She had taken all the blame for him, only to be treated this way!Feeling deeply hurt, Karen felt she could not stay any longer. “Pierre, wake up! I owe you nothing! In fact, I’m
It felt like being part of an experiment. Both he and Pierre were test subjects under different educational methods, and the outcome was yet to be seen.Karen was startled for a moment, but she understood what Percy meant. “It’s not that I’m biased. It’s just that your grandfather specifically chose you as the heir, so you had a heavy burden and no time to laze around.”Percy nodded.Karen continued, “You see, my strictness is what helped you achieve what you have today, isn’t it?”Percy nodded again.Karen felt reassured that she had not done anything wrong when she heard that. It was not about favoritism; it was about raising an heir.“So now, despite how different we are, I still don’t understand why your heart always seems to be with him—even though I am obviously more capable.” Percy wasn’t particularly needy for maternal affection. However, he wondered why, despite his efforts, he never received her approval.Karen was stunned for a moment.She knew she had been bia
As Karen listened to him, she stumbled back two steps.“What gives you the right to accuse me?” Her once-clear eyes now showed a hint of madness.Percy frowned. It seemed she still did not realize her mistake.“You think you did nothing wrong? Everything Pierre is doing now is to show you that you messed up! Your job isn’t to cover for him but to make him understand that mistakes come with consequences. "Now, you can’t even go back to Mallory Manor because of him. Mom, how much more can you afford to lose?” asked Percy.Karen collapsed onto the couch, covering her face as she wept.Percy’s words had hit her where it hurt the most. Indeed. As she had been busy handling Pierre’s messes, she had lost the status that should have belonged to the matriarch of the Mallory family.She had always thought she was better than Nina. However, she was in the same boat now, maybe even worse.Karen broke down in tears!Nina might not have a powerful family backing her, but she had an excep
“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