“Gale's handling it. Don’t worry,” said Luke.Luca rubbed her eyes and replied, “I'm going to have to take another leave this morning. Good thing you're the boss. If it were someone else, I'd probably be fired by now.”Luke's gaze deepened. “I'll have Rain and the others keep an eye on things.”“That's fine, but try not to let them blow their cover. I might get hit once or twice today, but it's all part of proving my innocence. Don't worry, Abel won’t go too hard on me,” Luca assumed.Luke instantly regretted his decision when he heard this.Perhaps it would have been better to hold off a little longer. Regardless of the situation, he would still be worried. Now that things were set in motion, there was no turning back.“Take care of yourself.” He planted a kiss on her forehead.Luca smiled, trying to reassure him. “Don’t worry, I'll be fine.”She got out of bed, quickly washed up, and left without eating breakfast.Aunt Neile noticed her rushing out and could not help but a
Everyone’s eyes were glued to the screen. They were too afraid to even blink, worried that they would miss who started the fire. The surveillance footage was playing at double speed. After a while, a figure appeared on the screen.Everyone turned to look at Kyle.Abel narrowed his eyes and stared at him. Kyle rubbed his eyes and realized that the person in the video really was him. He immediately protested, “It’s not me! That can’t be me in there!”Abel pointed at the screen and asked, “Are you sure that’s not you?”“Boss, why would I start a fire? I’ve got no beef with you guys!” Kyle responded in a panic.“Where were you at three in the morning?” Abel asked again. He initially suspected that Luca might have hired someone to set the fire. After all, no one else on the Island of Despair would have had the motive. For someone who was not particularly skilled like Kyle, he would be in deep trouble even if he managed to destroy the base in A City without getting caught. H
Once someone messed with Shanks' research, it did not matter who they were, he would not show any mercy. Luca knew this all too well, so when Shanks said they could not let Kyle off the hook, she did not look surprised. She just kept sorting through the data.Abel could tell Shanks was really mad. After all, days of research had just gone up in smoke, and anyone would be furious in his shoes. Plus, Shanks had endured several tough days in the mountains of X City just to gather those herbs.“I'm not letting him off, but we still need to investigate this thoroughly,” added Abel.“Even if there’s no solid evidence, you’d still beat someone half to death. Abel, this is my research, and it’s what you want. You need to get to the bottom of this. If this isn’t handled properly, I’m not going to continue with the research,” replied Shanks. He could not stand people who casually ruined others' work.“Alright, alright, don’t worry. When the time comes to take action, I won’t hesitate.
After Luca left the hotel, she let out a sigh of relief.She glanced at the car parked across the street, knowing that Luke’s men were definitely watching her from inside.Luca sent a message to Luke, letting him know she was fine and briefly explaining to him what had just happened. She then drove over to Watson.She had only taken the morning off, so she still had to work in the afternoon.Luca was not about to miss work over something so minor. When she got back to the company, it was already the afternoon shift. She headed straight to the lab and started working on experiments with her team.Just before it was time to clock out, Luca stood up and suddenly felt dizzy. She quickly grabbed the table to steady herself.Rhett noticed this and quickly asked, “Dr. Craw, are you feeling unwell?”“I’m feeling a bit dizzy.” Luca felt her vision darken for a moment, but after a while, the feeling passed. “I’m fine now.”“If you’re not feeling well, I can take you to the hospital,” off
Luke remained silent.Luca thought to herself that since it was not a drunk driving or a hit-and-run case, the police would not be able to do much. At most, they would just hold her fully responsible. However, getting hit like this out of the blue… She could not let this slide easily.Luca was not short on money. She just wanted Karen to get the punishment she deserved.“I should’ve let Warren drive,” Luca muttered under her breath. Someone like Warren would have noticed if a car was tailing them.She had been too careless.With Matysh in jail and Karen and Pierre tied up with their own issues, she thought she was safe. She never expected Karen to go this far.“It’s fine. Percy said they’re sending her to a mental institution this time.” Luke gently stroked her head.Luca opened her eyes but felt dizzy, so she quickly shut them again. “Are they really going to send her to a mental institution?” asked Luca.“Yes,” answered Luke.“He's okay with that?” Luca was still skeptic
“Alright.” Luke heard Luca’s request and turned on the TV, but he quickly lowered the volume, finding it too loud. He knew she just wanted some background noise, not something too distracting.Luke continued feeding her the oatmeal. After finishing one bowl, Luca could not eat anymore, so she rested for a bit. Then, Luke gave her the medication Johann had prescribed. Since she was lying down, she ate everything slowly.After taking the medicine, Luca yawned. Even though Johann had not prescribed any sleeping pills, the IV and medication had a calming effect.“If you’re sleepy, go ahead and rest,” suggested Luke.Luca frowned slightly. “But I want to take a bath.”"How about I help you freshen up a bit?" offered Luke, knowing she was not in any condition to take a full bath.“I’d really prefer a proper wash. I was sorting documents this morning, and a lot of people were smoking around me. I feel like the smell has clung to my clothes,” replied Luca as she heaved a sigh. The
Luke nodded to the doctor, indicating his agreement. The doctor returned to his office and prescribed medication for Luca.Ten minutes later, a nurse walked in with the medicine. After watching Luca take it, she advised, “You should rest now. If you feel uncomfortable, just press the call button.”“Okay, thank you.” Luca closed her eyes. Luke gently pulled the blanket over her.After a moment, Luca opened her eyes and said, “Luke, how about you stay with me while I sleep?”"I'm worried I might squish you," replied Luke. Even though the bed in the VIP ward was wider than a standard hospital bed, it was still a single bed. It was not that two people could not fit on it, but he wanted her to rest well.Luca said, “I’ve been having bad dreams. If you stay beside me, I think I’ll sleep better.”“Alright.” Luke agreed and got into bed from the other side.Once he settled in, Luca turned to her side. After getting used to the dizziness, she hugged Luke. He smelled different today
Luca thought that after the traffic police left, nothing else would happen for the rest of the day. That was until Old Master Mallory showed up.Luca watched as the old master, supported by his butler, walked into the ward. She felt a wave of relief that Luke was still here.When Luke saw Old Master Mallory, he frowned slightly. He stood up and asked, “Old Master Mallory, what brings you here?”“I came to check on Ms. Craw,” replied Old Master Mallory, glancing over at Luca, who was lying in bed. “Is she feeling better?” The usually stern old man now had a gentle smile on his face.Luca did not find it particularly kind. Some people are good at pretending, and those who did not know better might think it was genuine. However, someone like Luca, who had undergone professional training, could easily see through the old master’s act.Karen had messed up, and now, the old man was here to apologize on her behalf. Still, it was not necessary.Karen was not drunk driving, nor di
“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