As soon as Nina's words fell, a noise came from the living room.Luca said, “It must be the groom and his party arriving.”Nina became nervous. “What should I do? I feel even more nervous now, and it's hard to breathe…”Sue quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry. Think about how happy and fulfilling your life will be after this wedding. It’s a wonderful thing. Try to relax and take a deep breath.”Nina tried to take a deep breath but felt like crying. “The wedding dress is so tight. I can't breathe deeply.”Luca pressed an acupoint on Nina’s arm. “Do you feel better now?”Nina found it quite amazing. “Yes, much better. What acupoint is this?”“Just press it when you're nervous. Don't press too hard, or it might make your skin red,” said Luca, showing her where to press. “This spot is helpful.”“It really works!” replied Nina.A bridesmaid walked in, cheerfully announcing, “The groom has arrived. Let’s close the bedroom door.”“Okay,” replied Nina, gently pressing on the spot Luc
Luca did not show them any courtesy. She knew reasoning with them here might cause a scene, but she also knew Anna and Jean would not agree to talk it out elsewhere.“You!” Anna was furious. “What business is it of yours if I attend my daughter’s wedding?”A few guests passing by could not help but watch them.Luca frowned, sensing that they might have already blown through the money Percy had given them. She turned to look at the attendant.“Security is on their way.”Anna, enraged, raised her hand to hit Luca.However, before she could, Luke caught her wrist. “Don’t you dare!”Anna was terrified when she saw it was Luke. She remembered the last time she tried to harm Bianca after things did not work out between her and Jean. Luke’s intervention had made her abandon that plan.“Let go! If you lay a hand on my mom, I’ll call the police!” Jean's anger flared the moment he laid eyes on Luke. However, he knew he was no match for Luke, so his bravado was all talk.Luke shove
As soon as Luca finished speaking, the wedding march started to play. The guests, who had been chatting just moments before, fell silent and turned to look behind them.The sunlight was perfect. The gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh grass, champagne, and desserts. A little boy and girl scattered the flower petals on the ground as they walked in. Nina walked slowly while holding onto Old Master Crawford's arm, entering the wedding venue.Some guests recognized Old Master Crawford and could not hide their surprise. They were expecting Nina's biological father to walk her down the aisle, but instead, it was Old Master Crawford.Seeing him brought to mind the time he had publicly acknowledged Nina as his god-granddaughter. They realized then it was not just a rumor. It was real.Many could not help but feel a pang of envy. Everyone here came from wealth or status.Yet, having Old Master Crawford as a god-grandfather was something to aspire to. After all, the Crawfor
She rarely appeared in public with Luke before, so those romantic advances had not come her way just yet. Back then, while she trusted Luke, she would also be quite concerned about such things. She often felt that she was not good enough to be with him, which fueled her worries.However, things were different now. Despite her unfortunate experience on the Island of Despair, she had grown a lot over the past three years. It was not related to Abel. It was Shanks who had helped her become more capable.Now, when these women approached her, she did not think much of it.She knew they were not as capable as she was.Luca still valued Luke, but she had become much more composed in the face of such provocations.The bridesmaid was indeed surprised. She did not expect that the company was not Luke’s! However, what was the big deal? Even if it was not Luke’s company, he was managing it, and she was working under him.The bridesmaid sneered, “What’s the point of saying all this? I
Rainie said, “Daddy definitely won't scold you. He'll probably praise you instead!”Lanie shook his head and replied, “I don’t want Dad to know. It’s fine if you guys know.”Tommy chimed in, “Lanie just wants to act all cool in front of Daddy. No, wait, he actually wants to be as cool as Daddy! But being that cool isn’t a good thing. Now, none of the girls are brave enough to give him love letters.”Rainie nodded in agreement with her younger brother, “Yeah! They think he’s too cool, so they don’t give him the letters. Instead, they give them to me and ask me to pass on the letters to him! Lanie, it’s really stressing me out!”Luca could not help but laugh when she heard this. “Really?”“Yeah, they stuff all the letters meant for him into my hands!” Lanie added, “Not all of them are for me. Half of them are for you. Don’t worry, this won’t last long.”“That’s right. Once you skip grade, no one will know I’m your sister anymore, and they won’t give me any more love letters. You
After the photos were taken, Old Master Crawford hobbled over with his cane and chuckled. “How about the old man joins in for a picture too?”“Of course!” Nina quickly let go of Percy’s arm and helped the old man to the center.“Luke, go stand next to Luca,” instructed Old Master Crawford.Luke obediently moved to stand beside Luca while the kids remained in front. The photographer snapped several more shots. Then, they had Old Master Crawford sit down on a chair, with the kids standing by his side and the rest of them standing behind. The photographer clicked a few more times.After giving a thumbs-up, signaling they were done, Nina grabbed Luca’s arm and said, “Could you help us take a few more photos?”The photographer nodded and took a few shots of just them as well.Nina then asked, “My assistant went to look for you earlier, right?”Luca was surprised. “How did you know?”“I noticed it. She’s…” Nina heaved a sigh. “I’ve always had this feeling she’s got a thing for Mr.
The moment the man finished speaking, several people showed a hint of regret on their faces.They only knew that Luca was Luke's lover. They had no idea she had such capabilities, or that Old Master Crawford had already accepted her.“There's something else you all don’t know,” said one of them, and everyone’s attention shifted to his face.“What is it?” a woman asked. “Is there something else that’s amazing about her?”“That woman is something else. Do you remember Jack Norman’s wife? She fell ill, and it was Luca who figured out what was wrong and prescribed the treatment that helped her recover. "My relative, who’s a nurse at the hospital, said her dry needling technique is different from everyone else’s, but it’s more effective. The thing is, she rarely treats anyone. If you don’t have a connection with her, she won’t even acknowledge you,” explained the man.He was not just making this up. Luke had made the arrangements.It was time to let these people know what Luca was c
Rainie heard her little brother and shook her head.Tommy noticed and asked with confusion “Rainie, did I say something wrong?”“Yes, yes you did!” replied Rainie. “Someone who’s into good looks likes anyone who’s attractive, but our father is very loyal, so he’s not one of those.”“Oh, I get it now.” Tommy was suddenly enlightened.Luke felt a bit helpless. Kids these days… Did they really know everything? Sometimes, he could not even understand what they were talking about.Luke glanced at Luca, feeling a bit lost. Were they getting old? Why did they not understand half of what the kids were saying?Luca caught his gaze, smiled, and said, “Rainie’s right.”Luke felt a little disoriented, realizing that maybe he was the one getting old, not Luca.The wedding banquet had officially begun. Nina, wearing a pristine white wedding dress, opened the doors and slowly walked toward Percy as the music played. All eyes were on her.Several bridesmaids followed behind her.Luca not
“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