Anna and Jean knew there was no way the guard would lie to them, so they awkwardly left.…Percy was indeed taking Nina for a post-wedding visit. However, this visit was taking place at Crawford Manor, not Anna’s house.Old Master Crawford had put on a perfectly pressed suit early in the morning and was now sitting on the couch, eagerly waiting for his godson-in-law, Percy, and Nina to arrive. As he watched Mr. Griffin and the maids busy with the preparations, Old Master Crawford was beaming with delight. His smile stretched from ear to ear.“Old Master Crawford, please have some tea,” said Mr. Griffin, bringing a cup of freshly brewed tea.“When will Luke and Luca be here?” asked Old Master Crawford.“Master Luke and Ms. Craw should be arriving soon, and so will Master Louis,” replied Mr. Griffin. He had already checked the status of their arrivals ten minutes ago.Even though Nina was only acknowledged as Old Master Crawford’s god-granddaughter, Old Master Crawford loved the
Before Louis and his wife could respond, Old Master Crawford said, “The child used to be frail, so it’s normal for her to get sick sometimes. Look at her now. She’s full of energy and much more cheerful than before. Was she ever like this when she was living with you?”Louis nodded in agreement with the old master. When Thea lived with Susan, she was timid and had poor mental health. However, ever since they moved out, Louis noticed that Thea was getting happier by the day.Originally, Louis thought it was because he and his wife were too busy and had neglected their child, which caused her emotional issues. Now, he finally realized it was Susan who had been pressuring her all along. Without that pressure, Thea was thriving. Even her psychologist was amazed by the rapid progress she had made and praised them as good parents. However, Louis knew the truth.The reason Thea was doing so well was that he had firmly insisted on taking her out of that environment.Even Susan
Susan glared at her. “You’re always using the child as an excuse. Now that the Crawford family and the Mallory family are on good terms, why don’t you go chat with Mrs. Mallory? The others might think you don’t like her!”Yuri was getting frustrated. She had no desire to talk to Nina, and she was afraid it would look like she was trying to suck up to her. She nudged Louis with her elbow.Louis had been chatting with Luke and Percy, but after his wife nudged him, he turned to look at her. Yuri shot him a look, signaling for him to deal with Susan.Louis understood, but there was nothing he could do. If only he could actually deal with Susan…Susan’s stubbornness was something no one could handle.“You both are a bunch of good-for-nothings!” Susan noticed their glances at each other and got really upset.She was doing this for their own good! Louis was so insistent on running his own company, was he not? If they could form a good relationship with the Mallory family, it wou
“I know where Nina is,” said Jean.As soon as Anna heard this, she stopped worrying about the gift and immediately asked, “Where did that brat go?”“She's with the Crawford family,” answered Jean.Anna thought she had misheard. “What?”“Crawford Manor, as in Luke’s place,” repeated Jean.“That's impossible!” Anna snapped angrily. “I heard that when the Mallory family didn’t approve of Nina and Percy’s marriage, Old Master Crawford stepped in and took Nina as his god-granddaughter, leaving the Mallory family with nothing to say," explained Jean.“Are you kidding me? Even so, she shouldn’t have gone back! They just feel guilty and did her a small favor, and your sister actually bought into it?” Anna stomped her foot in anger. Was the Crawford family determined to take away their family member from them?“Visiting the Crawford family of all places! If it weren’t for them, you'd be at the top of your game right now, and she’s over there? I raised a traitor!”Jean replied, “We’re
Nina looked at Luca with a serious expression. Sometimes, she felt like Luca had known her forever.How did Luca know her so well? “Luca, have you been secretly investigating me?”“No, I haven't.” Luca was surprised. “What makes you say that?”“You know me so well. It's shocking!” replied Nina. “Sometimes I really wonder if you can read my mind. How else could you know me so well?”“Is that so? Do I know you well?” Luca smiled. “Even if I did investigate you, I wouldn’t be able to do it so thoroughly. I just feel like you’re that kind of person.”Nina nodded. “Yeah, things have definitely changed after getting married.”Luca listened to her without saying anything.“To be precise, after the wedding, I've been feeling like I need to work harder to stand by Percy’s side and not be a burden to him. The old, go-with-the-flow me is gone.”“Working hard isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” replied Luca. It was not that Nina’s old way of life was bad. Everyone would choose different ways
With a soft click, the manor’s door swung open. Jean wiped the smile off his face, staring seriously at the people stepping out.There came Luke, Luca, Percy, Nina, and Louis. There were five of them. That seemed like a lot, but Jean had brought ten thugs with him, which clearly outnumbered them.His lecherous gaze lingered on Luca for a while before shifting to Nina. He picked the weakest target to start with. “Nina, look at you. Instead of visiting your real family, you come here to people who have nothing to do with you. Have you lost your mind? Or are you just hoping for me and Mom to drop dead so that you can forget your own family?”Nina rolled her eyes and let out a cold snort. “This is my god-grandfather's house. Where else would I go? Jean, I suggest you don’t stir up trouble, or you’ll regret it!”Jean erupted with rage. “So what? You’re treating me and Mom like we’re dead, is that it? Do you even have a conscience? Mom raised you through thick and thin, and now you
“Jean!” Percy shouted angrily. “If you dare try anything reckless, you’ll be spending the rest of your life in prison.”Fear and panic flashed in Jean's eyes when he heard the word prison. He had endured unbearable torment during his years behind bars, all because of Luke and Bianca!“My boys are here today to make sure I get justice. What's the matter? You think you can scare me with prison threats? If you really want to go that route, I'll hold a press conference and tell everyone how Luke stole my fiancée, then expose how he cheated after stealing her!”Jean spoke confidently, thinking this would pressure Luke. What an idiot!Percy secretly cursed Jean as he listened to him. He had considered stepping in to help, knowing that Jean was Nina's brother. After all, there would be no mercy once Luke made a move. Unfortunately, Jean was a hopeless fool, and there was no way to save him.Percy decided to stay quiet.Luke calmly pulled out his phone, which made Jean alert. He th
“Get lost.” Luke's gaze was cold and sinister. If today were not about Percy and Nina, there was no way he would have let Jean off so easily. How dare a useless piece of trash like him come here to cause trouble? Such thoughts crossed Luke’s mind as he glanced at Luca. She gave him a faint smile, indicating she was fine.Jean left with Anna with a gloomy expression on his face.The few bodyguards spoke up once they saw that the matter was resolved, “Mr. Crawford, Mr. Mallory, if there's nothing else, we'll head out. If you need anything in the future, just reach out to us.”“Alright, thanks,” replied Percy.The person most upset by today’s events was not him or Nina. It was probably Luke.After all, he and Bianca truly loved each other, yet Jean had spoken so disgracefully. Knowing how protective Luke was of his wife, it was unlikely he would let Jean’s apology be the end of it.After Jean left, Percy and Nina did not linger either. They said their goodbyes to Luke and left.
Allison was so thrown off by his commanding presence that she took two steps back.When Luke mentioned Susan, her eyes widened, and she shook with anger. “I'm your real mother! Who does that woman think she is?! You call her 'Mother'? No! Susan’s not your mother. I'm your only mother!”Consumed with jealousy, Allison's eyes turned red. She could not stand Luke calling Susan 'Mother'.Furious, she smashed several items in the living room.“Madam Allison, please calm down.” Sophian was startled by Allison's sudden outburst.Allison shattered another item, casting a hateful, challenging glare at Luke. She was like a child causing trouble. When he still showed no reaction, she picked up a vase and smashed it, creating a louder racket.Luke watched the whole scene with an icy calm.These were genuine art pieces from reputable brands. Even though they were not as costly as his grandfather’s antiques, they were still valuable. One piece could cost a white-collar worker half of thei
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