Nina stuck out her tongue, thinking that Karen was crying because her bond with Percy had weakened. However, it turned out that she was actually upset about losing her status in the Mallory family. Nina could not understand why people chased after so many unnecessary things.A simple life had its own beauty.Chasing after all that nonsense was what truly made life exhausting.Nina glanced at the time and said, “I’ll be heading back to the apartment in a bit. I want to get some decorating done over the weekend so that things won’t be so hectic right before the wedding.”Percy agreed, “Alright. Need any help?”“Nope. What kind of decorating skills do you have anyway? I’ve already asked Luca and Sue to help out. They’ll be coming over." Nina, recalling the playful flick from earlier, could not resist giving his forehead a playful flick of her own.Percy felt a bit more at ease seeing that Nina was not dwelling on Karen’s situation. Nina seemed carefree on the outside, but she
Rainie smiled and nodded. “Of course!”Sue was sitting on the balcony, sipping tea with them while watching the three kids in the living room. Rainie was taking care of both Kari and Teri, and she could not help but heave a sigh. “This just proves that having daughters is the best.”“What’s this? You already have twin daughters. Isn’t that enough? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of having twin sons too?” Nina teased.“Two kids are already enough of a headache. There’s no way I want two more sons!” Sue shook her head quickly. “Besides, having twins was just a fluke, and there's no guarantee the next pregnancy would result in twins.”“Well, that's where you're wrong. If you naturally conceived twins, it means your body has the genes for it, so the next pregnancy could easily be twins too,” replied Nina, glancing at Luca, suddenly thinking of Bianca.Bianca had three kids with Luke.However, no one knew where she was, and Luca had gotten pretty close to her...Nina could not quite pu
Karen glared at Luca, furious. “What are you laughing at?!”She wanted to curse her out for being ill-mannered.However, Karen quickly held back because she noticed that Luke's expression had turned gloomy. She realized that if she insulted Luca now, she would have zero chance left.Luca knew Karen hated mistresses and hated her even more. Thinking about all the dirty tricks Karen and Pierre had pulled recently, she did not mind disgusting her a little. She deliberately leaned closer to Luke, letting Karen see her play the part of the wicked woman.“I just find what you said amusing, Madam Mallory,” said Luca.Karen watched as she shamelessly clung to Luke, acting like she did not even exist. Luca was without a shred of shame. She secretly cursed, ‘Mistresses really are shameless!’However, she did not say it out loud. Instead, she snapped, “I'm talking to Luke right now. Who asked you to butt in?”Luca nodded and fell silent, turning her gaze to Luke instead. Luke, feeling
Luke took her hand again, leaned in close, and brushed his chin against her. “If I didn’t have a rule against hitting women, I’d be tempted to punch someone myself.”“Huh?” Luca was surprised. “But she’s Mr. Mallory’s mother.”Luke said indifferently, “So what? Sometimes, it's not about their identity. I don't hit them just because I don’t want to hit a woman.”Luca could not help but laugh at his words.Just then, Aunt Neile walked in to report something.“Sir, Ms. Craw, Madam Mallory has left, but…” She paused for a moment. “When I closed the door, I overheard Madam Mallory talking to Madam Crawford.”After closing the door earlier, Aunt Neile noticed some fallen leaves and started sweeping. That was when she overheard their conversation.It was not a pleasant conversation, and by the end of it, the two women seemed to have teamed up.Aunt Neile remembered that Susan and Karen never had a close relationship before.“They're teaming up?” Luca raised an eyebrow, suspecting not
When Marcos personally called his name, Ethan snorted coldly, pretending as though he did not hear it.Marcos did not mind. This was A City, not Russia. Matysh would not be getting out easily.Luke suddenly burst into laughter when he saw how arrogant Ethan was.Ethan heard him and turned his head to look at him.Luca turned around and asked, “Is there something you need?”Ethan felt like the three of them were targeting him, so he irritably turned his head away.Luke continued, “No matter how many times Matysh appeals, the original verdict will likely be upheld. His case is extremely severe, and the public's reaction has been quite bad. "A City won’t care about his influence in Russia. Everything will be judged based on the severity of his crimes here in A City, according to the law.”Luca, worried that Ethan might not fully understand, clarified, “To put it simply, no matter how many appeals he makes, it won’t make a difference.”Ethan’s expression darkened.He would be
“Even if it were still around, I wouldn't want you to wear it after that woman has had it on.” Luke added, “I’ll have a big surprise for you on the day our family has reunited.”He meant his words.He had been surveying rings.“What about all those other pieces of jewelry?” asked Luca, referring to the many pieces Luke had given her. She had kept them all together, and if the impostor Bianca could get her wedding ring, the others must have been touched by her too.Just thinking about those things being handled by such a woman, Luca felt the same as Luke. She would not want to wear them again.Luke said, “They’re all yours. Do whatever you want with them.”“How about we hold a small auction for them and donate the proceeds to the welfare home?” suggested Luca. The welfare home she had in mind was the one that had taken in Luke before.“Sure, it’s up to you,” Luke agreed. He had no objections and thought it was a good deed.Once the issues with the Island of Despair were resolv
“Come to the base now,” instructed Abel.Luca wanted to test why he was calling her there at this time, so she deliberately made things difficult. “But I've got something to do now.”“I don't care what it is. Just get to the base now,” Abel cut her off and hung up.Luca ended the call helplessly. It seemed like this was urgent. Abel did not even bother with the usual small talk.Warren saved the recording and asked, “Are you heading there now?”“Yes, I have to. I'll grab a cab. You can head home,” replied Luca. Normally, she would call a cab, so there was no way she could drive there today.As Luca opened the car door and was about to step out of the car, Warren asked, “Do you need someone to follow you secretly?”“No.” Luca declined without hesitation. “I’ll be fine in A City.”If something were to happen, having someone follow would not make a difference anyway.Luke's subordinates could not follow her into the base. Once she got inside, whether she was safe or not was beyon
Abel was no longer sitting on the couch. Instead, he was off to the side, wearing boxing gloves and punching a heavy bag.Luca knew she could not just leave, so she stood there and waited until he was done. After a while, he took off the gloves and asked, “How’s the experiment going?”“No idea,” replied Luca.Abel looked at her with obvious displeasure. “You were in there all afternoon!”Luca shook her head. “I don’t know what Mr. Shanks’ experiment is about, so how could I know how it’s going? I was just there to assist.”Abel was at a loss for words for a moment, but he knew she was right.He let out a cold snort and dismissed her. “Hmph, whatever. Get out.”As Luca observed how much Abel cared about the experiment, it only confirmed her suspicions.This experiment Shanks was working on was for Abel’s benefit.However, what exactly was this experiment?Luca was puzzled, but she dared not to dig deeper while she was in the lab. She feared that if she seemed too curious, Shan
Abel chuckled. His voice was low and gravelly.“Hera, let’s agree on something. Don’t use threats of leaving to manipulate me anymore, or I won’t be happy,” said Abel in a low voice.What might have sounded like a plea or a compromise came across to Hera as a veiled threat.The cool sensation of his fingers brushed against her eyelids, and she could not help but shiver. His touch felt as cold as death itself. She could not feel a trace of warmth.Her hands clenched tightly together. The tension in her grip was the only thing keeping her from trembling further.“Alright,” Hera murmured obediently.Abel withdrew his hand. Hera opened her eyes. A strange unease stirred within her. For reasons she could not quite explain, Abel’s behavior filled her with an unsettling dread…“Will you stay at the hospital with me tonight?” Hera could not help but crave some semblance of comfort.Abel frowned slightly. “Stay here with you? And what about Luca?”“You could just send her home. I onl
Luca's expression was serious, and Hera realized she was not just trying to scare her. Ignoring her warnings had already caused her to suffer once.Unwillingly, Hera sipped on the cereal. Her resentment was evident in every movement.Luca noticed it was not difficult for her to handle. She quietly sat down and ate her own bowl of cereal.Hera did not have much of an appetite.Hera took a couple of bites before growing bored. She glanced at Luca and asked, “How did you end up working for Abel?”Luca did not respond. She calmly blew on her cereal and ate in silence, showing no intention of engaging in conversation.“I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” snapped Hera.Luca lifted her gaze briefly and replied, “You should finish your cereal before it gets cold.”“I’m not even hungry.” Hera really had no appetite and was not planning to eat the cereal.“It’s still better if you eat something. Otherwise, when hunger strikes later, don’t expect me to help you,” said Luca, “I’m only he
Luke had never taken the medicine that could speed up healing, so his recovery was nowhere near as fast as the others from the Island of Despair.Luca did not respond to Gerald’s comment. Her gaze fixed on him with intensity.“No stitches,” said Luke, “I trust you.”Luca bit her lower lip.“But if you don’t stitch it, it might tear open,” insisted Gerald, staring at Luke’s wounds.Luke glanced at his injuries and shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, as though the wounds had nothing to do with Luca.“Stitches will leave scars.”“Are you afraid of scars? What kind of man doesn’t have a few scars on him? Scars are a symbol of manhood,” teased Gerald with a playful tone, “Scars show you’re reliable, that you can protect a woman.”Luke gave him a look as though he were an idiot, then his gaze shifted to Luca. “I don’t want too many scars. I’m worried my future wife might dislike them.”Luca’s heart sank at his words, but his lighthearted remark eased her sadness. Despite the severity
Luca could not help but tremble with heartache. She fought hard to resist the urge to rush forward.Everyone in the room had survived brutal training to make it out of the Island of Despair, and they could not help but shudder when they saw the scene. The sound of the whip felt like it was landing on their own bodies.Gerald closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer. It was too cruel for him to watch.The ten lashes felt like an eternity, stretching on for what seemed like a century.Luca looked at the drenched clothes on Luke. His eyes were red, and his shirt was so soaked that you could wring out the blood from it. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that the veins were bulging.Abel tossed the whip aside, looking at Luke’s disheveled state with satisfaction. He enjoyed the thrill of this bloody scene.He turned to Luca, noticing her reddened eyes, and smiled even more devilishly. “Hera is in the hospital now. You’ll go take care of her for the next few da
Luca instantly understood the situation. It was about Hera.Hera was someone Abel valued, possibly as a future corneal donor for Kassy. While Abel might not love Hera now, he certainly took her health seriously.In a calm tone, Luca explained, “She was hospitalized due to inflammation that caused a fever.”Abel furiously flung his half-smoked cigar at her. The glowing embers singed her clothes, leaving a small burn mark.She instinctively stepped aside.Abel roared, “What kind of care is this?! I told you to look after her! Is this how you handle things?”Luca was perplexed. When did he ever tell her to look after Hera?Besides, she did take care of her.”When Ms. Sanchez fainted last night, she already had a low-grade fever. I diagnosed her condition as inflammation and prescribed anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing medication. I also emphasized that she needed to take oral anti-inflammatory drugs. She didn’t trust me and threw out Mr. Shanks’ medication, which led to her con
Luca placed her hand on Hera’s other wrist, checking her pulse. “Her condition is worsening. The inflammation in her body has intensified.“I prescribed her medication. Those are Mr. Shanks’ formulations, and they're highly effective for reducing inflammation. It shouldn’t be getting worse.” Gerald pursed his lips before finally speaking up. “Luca, when I was cleaning yesterday, I saw that Ms. Sanchez had thrown all the medication you prescribed into the trash. She didn’t take any of it.”Luca was speechless.She had been questioning whether the medicine was ineffective or if she had made an error in diagnosis. It turned out that it was Hera herself who had sabotaged her treatment.“What should we do now?” asked Gerald.“There’s no other option. She needs to go to a hospital,” Luca decided firmly. “Her condition is serious, and since she doesn’t trust my treatment, the hospital is her best choice.”“Can’t you help her just this once?” pleaded Gerald, “I mean, she looks really b
Luke stayed silent, letting the chilled beer cool him down, washing away some of the lingering heat.Gerald glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before leaning in and speaking softly to Luke. “Actually, I’ve seen it.”“Seen what?” Luke could not be bothered.Lowering his voice even further, Gerald whispered just loud enough for the two of them to hear, “I’ve seen you going into Ms. Craw’s room quite often.”Luke’s expression sharpened instantly. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.He had been so cautious. How had Gerald noticed? Was he bluffing?Luke narrowed his eyes and said nothing.His aura grew colder by the second.Gerald, sensing the rising tension, shrank back slightly and quickly added, “Relax, I’m not going to tell anyone. If I wanted to report you, I would’ve done it already.”Luke’s expression eased slightly.Gerald continued to reassure him, “I’m not one to meddle. Look, I haven’t said a word about you, and I even stood up for you during that whole thing
“Sure.” Luca was unsure why he was suddenly interested in the volunteers. She led him into the room where the volunteers were.Luke noticed that the volunteer’s legs were covered in needles.If Johann saw this, he would probably make a big fuss about it.Luke watched as Luca carefully removed each needle, checked some of the volunteer’s nerve functions, and offered a few reassuring words before picking up a tray filled with medical waste and leaving the room.Once they were outside, Luke, not having seen the volunteer's previous condition, asked, “Were his legs completely immobile before?”“Yes. He said it was an injury caused by a machine malfunction at the factory. It hadn’t been treated properly for years. By the time he was sent here, his family didn’t have time to help with massages, and his calves had atrophied. But now, as you can see, the muscles are gradually recovering, and he’s starting to regain sensation. In another week or two, his legs should be able to move.” Luca
“Yes.” Luca nodded. “You have a mild fever and some inflammation in your body.”Hera was surprised. “Inflammation? Where?”She often mingled with men, so every few months, she made sure to get a check-up to avoid picking up any unwanted diseases. Her previous check-ups had all been normal, with no signs of any illness.“You've been getting along well with the boss these days, haven't you?” Luca did not say it outright but hinted at it. She then glanced at the thermometer, seeing that her temperature had returned to normal.Hera understood and widened her eyes. “You're saying I have inflammation there? That's impossible.”“Your body can't handle too much.” Luca did not want to go into too much detail. She looked up and saw that the IV was nearly done. She rose to her feet, removed the needle, and pointed at the medicine on the side. “Your body won't have any major issues. Don't worry. Here are the anti-inflammatory pills for the next three days. Take them, and you should be fine.”