“Modern medicine hasn’t been able to achieve that yet,” said Luke.“But he’s Shanks. No one else can do it at the moment. Even if he hasn’t done it before, there are plenty of test subjects on the Island of Despair. Who knows? He might be able to figure it out,” replied Luca.Even though the Island of Despair was now powerful enough, Abel was still abducting captives from every impoverished place in the world, and there was no shortage of prisoners on the Island of Despair.With so many captives, Shanks could conduct experiments on them one after another, keeping just one of their eyes intact. He could run hundreds of experiments under such conditions.Given the intensity of the experiments, it was certain that Shanks would make significant progress.Luke knew that Luca’s statement was not an exaggeration. It was a real possibility.A glint of ruthlessness flickered in his eyes.He should not have spared Kassy back then.However, if he had been ruthless and eliminated Kassy, ma
“After Percy brought Nina back from the Maldives the first time, he seemed a bit different. He even started asking me about relationship issues,” explained Luke. That was the first time he had seen Percy like that, and he figured it was because his mindset had changed during that time.Hence, Luke felt they must have gone to the Maldives.Luca held his hand and clucked her tongue. “I can’t believe the usually decisive Mr. Mallory would be troubled by relationship matters one day.”“I knew from that moment that I'd be attending their wedding one day,” added Luke.Luca looked at his smug expression and could not help but laugh. “You’re so full of yourself! When I found out that Nina was with Percy, I didn’t think much of it. I just wanted her to be happy. Now, she really is.”“We’re happy too,” replied Luke as he pulled her into an embrace.As they walked into the living room, the cool air from the air conditioning helped to dispel the heat.“Ah, that feels refreshing,” said Luc
“Alright.” Luke nodded.After Luca left, Aunt Neile asked, “Mr. Crawford, will Mr. Gale and Mr. Norton be staying for dinner tonight?”Luke pondered for a moment and replied, “Prepare meals for both of them too.”“Yes, sir. I'll head to the supermarket, then,” said Aunt Neile. She grabbed a basket from the kitchen and quickly left.Luke went upstairs. He had planned to head straight to the bedroom to get some work done, but when he noticed the study door was open, he walked in instead.Luca was sitting at the lab bench, disinfecting her tools. When she heard footsteps, she looked up and glanced at him.It was not the first time Luke had seen her set of tools, but each time, he found them fascinating. He walked closer. “Let me take a look.”“Are you interested in these dry needling needles?” asked Luca.“Yes.” Luke nodded. These dry needling needles were not available on the market. If they were lost, they would have to be custom-made. However, without precise patterns and
Gordan’s face turned pale.“Ms. Craw, if I just let it heal on its own, how long would it take?” He had felt this kind of pain before and did not want to go through with the treatment anymore.Gordan even thought that he would rather have a stiff hand than go through this pain again. After all, he would not just be experiencing the pain once but over and over again.Luca stood straight and looked at him seriously. “Mr. Norton, are you scared?”“I'm the kind of guy who's a bit afraid of pain,” admitted Gordan, not embarrassed in the slightest. “Maybe I should just forget about it.”“If you skip therapy, your hand might never fully recover,” Luca warned him, trying to scare him a little. The truth was, it would heal, but it would take a long time. Even after it healed, it would not be as nimble as before.For an average person, Gordan’s current condition might be good enough. However, for someone like him, any slight loss of agility could be fatal. In his line of work, even the s
After about a dozen needles, Gordan was in so much pain he started questioning himself. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and his back was drenched in cold sweat. It was 38 degrees Fahrenheit outside, yet here he was, sweating from the sheer pain.He realized the pain from being shot was nothing compared to this. This was real agony. His mind wandered, pondering the meaning of life. Was he meant to endure this kind of suffering?Just as he was spiraling into these thoughts, Luca spoke up, “Last one.”As the final needle went in, he could not help but let out a loud yelp.The sound was so startling that Aunt Neile, who had just come in with groceries, jumped.“What’s going on?” Aunt Neile hurried over.Gale quickly reassured her, “It’s fine, Aunt Neile. Dr. Craw is just giving Gordan treatment.”Aunt Neile wondered if treatment should hurt that much? She glanced at Gordan, whose face had gone pale. However, since Luke and Luca seemed calm, she nodded and left, thoug
Gordan decided to stay after thinking about it. He felt like he was making a bold choice.He headed upstairs to join Luke and Gale for their meeting.Luca stepped out of the storage room, and by then, Gordan had already gone upstairs. She shook her head helplessly, knowing that things would turn tense once Vivian arrived. She really could not talk to Vivian about Gordan right now, or else it might lead to a misunderstanding.Luca carried the herbs and walked into the kitchen.Aunt Neile was making soup. When she saw the herbs in Luca's hands, she asked, “Ms. Craw, are you brewing herbal medicine for Mr. Norton?”“Yes.” Luca gave the herbs a quick rinse, placed them in the electric herbal pot, then set the timer. She would not need to worry about it for a while now.“Poor Mr. Norton, going through painful dry needling treatment and now having to drink such bitter medicine.” Even though Aunt Neile sounded sympathetic, there was a mischievous smile at the corners of her mouth.Lu
Vivian froze for a moment. She hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded in acknowledgment.She was confused. Why had Luca not told her that Gordan was around? If she had known, she definitely would not have come.“You two are in the past. Are you really going to avoid it for the rest of your life?” asked Luca. “Besides your university friends, you’ll inevitably have mutual acquaintances with him. Vivian, you need to take that step forward. Be brave. Don’t let this mess with your emotions or your social life. Running away won’t solve anything. You’ve got to learn to face it.”Vivian pressed her lips tightly together.She had shamefully run away after the divorce. However, it was just to make herself feel better. She had not really thought too much about it.Luca continued, “And knowing how sensitive you are, I figured if I told you ahead of time that Gordan was here, you might have misunderstood that I didn’t want you to come or that we chose him over you. "The truth is, adult
Luke's eyes darkened a little. At this point, it was clear they needed Luca. She was the only one who knew the layout of the Island of Despair.Gale asked, “Should we call in Dr. Craw now?”“I’ll go,” replied Luke. He rose to his feet and headed downstairs.Luca was chatting with Vivian when she saw Luke come down. “Coffee?”“No.” Luke glanced at Vivian. Then, after a moment, he said, “Miss Vivian, can I borrow Luca for a bit?”Vivian chuckled and replied, “She’s all yours anyway.”Luca stood up and said to Vivian, “Vivian, why don’t you check out the magazines? I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.”“Luca, don’t worry about me. I know my way around here.” Vivian waved her phone and added, “If I need anything, I’ll ask Aunt Neile. Plus, I have the TV and my phone... There's no way I’m getting bored.”“Oh, and there are two game consoles in the drawer if you feel like playing,” Luca assured her before following Luke upstairs into the bedroom.“Dr. Craw, we could really use your hel
“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
“This cup of coffee is from that gentleman for this lady.” The waiter smiled as he explained, placing the cup in front of Luca.Hera followed the waiter’s gaze and immediately recognized the man Luca had been looking at earlier.Her eyes darkened. She had noticed the man glancing in their direction. However, she had assumed he was looking at her.After all, she was dressed seductively, had put on makeup, and was undeniably beautiful. Any man who saw her would be attracted. If a man’s eyes lingered on her, it was not surprising at all.Realizing that the man had been watching Luca the whole time instead of her, Hera suddenly felt annoyed.Luca noticed her displeasure, glanced at Gordan, then smiled and said to the waiter, “Please thank the gentleman for me.”“Of course, miss. Enjoy your coffee.” The waiter, sensing the tension between the two women, quickly grabbed his tray and left before Hera’s sour mood could affect him too.“Hmph, feeling proud of yourself?” asked Hera.Luca
Although Luca did not know the exact value of the clothes, she was certain that anything Luke had specially sent over would not be cheap.So, when she caught the sales associate’s skeptical glance, she felt a bit helpless but did not bother to explain. The truth would speak for itself. Besides, she had no intention of justifying herself to a sales associate.Hera, despite her love for luxury goods, did not actually know much about haute couture. So, when she noticed the sales associate still sizing up Luca, she immediately snapped, “What are you looking at?”“N-Nothing.” The sales associate quickly averted her gaze and turned her full attention to Hera, smiling brightly. “Our esteemed guest, what can I help you find today?”Hera thought for a moment before saying in a serious tone, “Show me your new handbags.”The sales associate’s eyes lit up when she heard this. Anyone who could afford so much designer clothing had to have deep pockets. This meant a solid commission for her!
The sales associate nodded and said, “Yes, we do. I’ve already placed them in the fitting room for you. Would you like some assistance?”Hera shook her head and pointed straight at Luca. “No, I want her to do it.”Luca shook her head helplessly. It seemed that Hera was determined to make her play the role of a sales associate today.Luca asked, “Ms. Sanchez, where’s Mr. Abel?”“What does that have to do with you?” Hera shot her a wary look. “Where he goes isn’t important. What matters is that you’re spending the day shopping with me. And if I’m not happy, be prepared to face his punishment.”Then, Hera strutted toward the fitting room like a proud peacock.Luca had no choice but to follow.Inside the fitting room, Hera closed the door behind them and commanded, “Help me unzip the back.”“Alright.” Luca lowered her gaze. Since they were both women and Hera clearly had no reservations, there was no reason for her to feel uncomfortable. She placed her hands on the zipper.Hera re