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
All Luca could do at this point was help him feel at ease.“Okay.” Luke nodded.When Gordan heard him mention Vivian, he could not help but frown. “Why do you care about her, Dr. Craw?”Luca shot him a helpless glance but did not respond. Instead, she said, “I’m heading downstairs.”Then, she turned around and walked out of the bedroom, carefully closing the door behind her.Gordan was left feeling puzzled. “Did I say something wrong, boss?”“With Dr. Craw getting chummy with Vivian, what do you expect? She’s not going to let that slide,” teased Gale.Gordan clicked his tongue. He knew that women usually defended each other, but he did not think Luca was that kind of person. Still, she seemed pretty annoyed with what he said.At the thought of this, Gordan decided he needed to be more careful with his words around Luca in the future. Otherwise, he would just be asking for trouble.…Downstairs, Luca found Vivian deeply engrossed in a book.“What are you reading?” Luca asked
There was a hint of awkwardness on Gordan’s face.There was no way he could argue against what Lanie said. The more he thought about it, the more he realized those words could really distract the kids from their homework.Luke glanced at his son. Then, he turned to Gale and asked, “Feel like having a drink?”“From your wine cellar?” Gale’s eyes lit up.“Yes.” Luke nodded.“Of course! Count me in!” Gale replied enthusiastically. He then remembered Gordan could not drink and teased him, “We’ll be enjoying ourselves, but someone here won’t be so lucky. No drinking for him!”Gordan rolled his eyes but remained silent.“Go pick a bottle, Gordan. You can have it once you’ve recovered,” added Luke. He knew Gordan was not exactly great at controlling himself around alcohol.“Thanks.” Gordan’s eyes lit up as well, the thought of good wine brightening his mood a little.The three of them headed to the wine cellar.After Gordan left, Vivian visibly relaxed. She was still trying to get u
For the first time, Gordan realized that being the center of attention was not all it was cracked up to be. Like now, in front of him sat a mug of bitter medicine. He hated bitter stuff, including herbal medicine. However, everyone was watching him now.He knew if he did not drink it, there would be no getting out of this. Worse still, people might think he was disrespecting Luca’s effort.Gordon braced himself and picked up the mug, only to feel the heat burning his fingers. With an awkward chuckle, he said, “This stuff’s a bit hot. How about I let it cool for a few minutes?” Really, he just needed a few minutes to mentally prepare himself.Luca slightly frowned and gently reminded him, “Mr. Norton, this medicine has to be taken while it's hot. The ingredients are too valuable to waste the effects.”Gordan furrowed his brows together. Was she telling him to drink it now?However, it was not just bitter. It was burning hot!Tommy, noticing his hesitation, flashed an innocen
As soon as Gale finished speaking, Rainie’s expression changed. “Uncle Gale.”“Yes, Rainie?” Gale looked at her with all the love in the world.“I'm on a call with Ms. Rain.” Rainie held out her phone for him to see, showing that they were on a call.“Oh no,” Gale muttered just as Rain’s voice boomed from the other end of the line. “Gale!”He jumped back at the shout. “Rain, let me explain!”“You don’t need to explain. Don’t even think about eating my cooking again!” Rain snapped before hanging up.Everyone’s eyes were now on Gale.“Am I in deep trouble now?” asked Gale. An hour ago, he had been enjoying the show. Now, he was the one being watched.Tommy nodded and replied, “Uncle Gale, you’re in big trouble! Are you gonna get body-slammed when you go home?”“Getting body-slammed is one thing, but I’m more worried she’ll come at me with a knife,” muttered Gale, shivering at the thought of it. He glanced at Luke.“You have to own up to what you say.” Luke sat there, not pl
“No, the credit is yours for figuring it out." Luca felt a bit relieved. Now that Vivian had seen through some things, it meant Luca's earlier words to her had not been in vain. After putting fresh sheets on the bed, Luca walked into the master bedroom, pulled out a brand-new nightgown, and handed it to Vivian. “This nightgown has never been worn. It might be a little short, but it should fit.”Ever since she came clean about her identity, Luke had gone back to spoiling her like before, buying her all kinds of things without holding back. This included clothes. The store managers from high-end boutiques would personally bring them straight to her doorstep.Now, she had way more clothes than she could ever wear.Vivian held the nightgown up and compared it to herself. She was a bit taller than Luca, so it would definitely be shorter on her, but it was still wearable.“Thanks, Luca.” Vivan thanked her.“Don’t mention it,” replied Luca with a smile. “Why don’t you grab anothe
When Rain saw Gale walk into the living room, she immediately caught a whiff of alcohol and frowned.“Didn’t you go out for dinner? Why did you drink?” asked Rain.Gale grinned at her, “I’m in a good mood, so I had a little.”“A little? You probably nearly drowned yourself in it!" Rain frowned and sat down across from him. “You just said my cooking is bad. Was it really necessary to get this drunk? I’m not going to do anything to you.”“You’d hit me,” replied Gale. His charming, slightly tipsy eyes sparkled more than usual.“Yes, I’m mad,” replied Rain. “It’s because I went out of my way to cook for you, and you had the nerve to complain. That’s not the point. If you think it’s bad, you could have told me to my face instead of talking behind my back. "Do you know how embarrassing that is for me? But hitting you? That’s a bit much.”“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” apologized Gale. Sometimes, he just could not help himself.What he really meant was to brag to Gordan that someone had
“Gale!” Rain felt like she was about to tear him apart. Why did he always have to press her sore spots?She shoved his hand away from her face, itching to slap him and swell that cocky, handsome face of his. “Even if no one likes me, I’m perfectly happy being on my own. Do I need you to remind me?”“Rain, don’t be so harsh on me.” Gale struggled to keep his eyes open. The alcohol hit him harder now. He felt uneasy, and her shouting shook him to his core.“Ugh! You drunk idiot! You should’ve stayed passed out somewhere. If I have to deal with you again, I'm the one who's asking for trouble,” replied Rain as she stood up to leave.However, his next words froze her in place.“Rain, no other man likes you, so can you not like anyone else either?”Rain frowned and turned around. Her heart suddenly leaped with joy, even though she quickly pushed the feeling down as she was unsure about it.“What do you mean by that, Gale?”“I...” Gale opened his mouth wide but could only manage to sa
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.”
Gerald was relatively strong. However, he tried to avoid touching other parts of Hera's body, making it quite difficult to carry her. By the time they reached the third floor, he was out of breath.Luca, however, seemed to handle it better than he did.“Ms. Craw, aren't you tired?” Gerald could not help but ask as he set Hera down on the bed, panting.Luca glanced at him and replied, “I'm not tired because I'm not worried about touching other parts of her.”Gerald, whose hands were on his hips, was out of breath and muttered, “This is the first time I've realized how exhausting it is to carry a woman upstairs.”After positioning Hera properly, Luca took her pulse and frowned. “Did she mention feeling unwell earlier?”“Yeah, but wasn't she pretending? She was crying, throwing a fit, and making a scene downstairs. It was quite the performance,” Gerald recalled, chuckling at the memory of Hera trying to cling to Luke and failing.Luca switched to her other hand to take Hera's pulse
Abel did not have much of an impression of Lucius. However, he believed he would not lie to him. If Lucius had actually done something to betray him, he would not have been foolish enough to admit that Hera had tried to seduce him.Abel studied his face. Lucius was not handsome, and his physique was not any different from the other people in the organization. His gaze then shifted to Hera. “You didn’t do anything?” Hera could feel the chilling intensity in his eyes, and she could not help but shiver.“A man had to step forward to file a complaint because you were harassing him, Hera. Have I been too lenient with you?” Abel continued, his voice light, almost indifferent. Still, the underlying menace was unmistakable. Despair filled Hera as she shot a resentful look at Luke. How could he be so ruthless, pushing her toward the brink of destruction?“Hera, look at me,” Abel commanded coldly, his hand suddenly gripping her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.Hera knew she had no