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
“I do like someone, but he’s not just some random guy,” said Rain.Before Gale could process what she meant, he burst into tears. “So, you really have fallen for someone else!”Rain was rendered speechless. How could he not catch what she was trying to say even when she was trying to be sentimental for once? “Gale, I swear, if you get this drunk again, I’ll chop you into pieces!” Rain threatened harshly. “You’re such a mess right now. If I recorded you and posted the video online, you’d go viral.”His crying stopped abruptly. He looked at her with widened eyes. “What did you just say?”Rain was at a loss for words. How could someone be so clear-headed one moment and so out of it the next?“Rain, I’m drunk, so my hearing’s a bit off and my memory’s not great either. Could you repeat what you said?” Gale continued to mumble.Rain had no choice but to say, “Fine, listen carefully. I do like someone, but he’s not some random guy.”Gale blinked. Not some random guy. He suddenly sat
Luca had just dropped Tommy off at the competition and was planning to wait at a nearby café until it was over when she got a call from Gale.“Dr. Craw, do you have time now?” His voice sounded a little rushed, like he was out of breath. Luca was puzzled. Gale rarely contacted her out of the blue. Could there be something wrong with the plans she drew up yesterday?“Yes, I’m available. Is something wrong?” asked Luca.“I have some personal stuff I wanted to ask you about, but I’m…” Gale paused for a moment, clearly hesitant to continue.Normally, he and Rain were seen as nothing more than close friends. They were always hanging out with their arms around each other, and no one ever read into it. Gale thought Luca saw them that way too, which made it awkward to bring up his feelings for Rain.“You’re too embarrassed to ask, right?” Luca chuckled. She pointed at Blue Mountain coffee on the menu for the waiter to get her order and continued, “Is this about you and Rain?”Gale
“Yay! You're the best, Ms. Luca!” Tommy’s face lit up with joy when he heard there was ice cream. His eyes narrowed into little crescents as he grinned. “It was so hot in the exam room! I just wanted to finish quickly and come home!”Luca smiled and gently patted his head. “You worked hard today, Tommy. Is there anything else you want to eat? I'll make it for you.”Tommy's eyes widened in surprise. This was an unexpected treat for him! He quickly listed off a few of his favorite foods and then looked up at Luca, asking, “Ms. Luca, do you think I’m being too greedy?”“Not at all!” Luca shook her head. “You just finished your competition. You deserve a treat!”“Aww, Ms. Luca, you're so kind to me.” Tommy smiled and hugged her arm. “From now on, I promise I’ll be good. You won’t have to worry about my schoolwork!”“That’s great. You just need to be good, grow up healthy, and stay happy.” Luca gave him a gentle smile. It was the best blessing a mother could give her child. There was
“Yes,” replied Luke helplessly. “She’s had several surgeries abroad, but they couldn’t fully fix her skin. Now, she’s planning to come back and continue treatment here.”“She still thinks her face can be restored…” Luca was rendered speechless. While the standards of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in the country were considered good, Allison’s condition was not something that could be fully healed anywhere.Luca walked over, pulled a chair, and sat beside him. “Is she planning to bring Ms. Thomas back with her too?”“I’m not sure.” Luke suddenly chuckled. His eyes carried a hint of tease as he looked at Luca. “Are you getting jealous?”“Why would I be jealous?” Luca felt helpless, her face flushing at his playful comment. “Even if Ms. Thomas comes back, it doesn’t matter. You’re not interested in her at all, so what’s there to be jealous of?”“As long as you trust me,” replied Luke with a smile on his face. “You used to get jealous all the time.”“I still do, but I’ve learne
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
Allison watched the two of them go upstairs, and instantly, her temper flared.Not allowed, huh?Allison refused to believe it. She would find a way to turn things around and reclaim her position in this family!…The next morning, as Luke and Luca came downstairs, they noticed Aunt Neile looking at them with red, puffy eyes.“Aunt Neile, what happened?” Luca was puzzled. What happened?“Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, Madam Allison just told me that I’m fired.” Aunt Neile looked distraught. She thought Allison’s words yesterday were just a joke, but first thing in the morning, she was told to settle her wages and leave. She was completely stunned.“Mr. Crawford, did I do something wrong?”Luke’s brows furrowed. Allison’s behavior was truly astonishing.“You’re not fired,” replied Luke. “Is breakfast ready?”Relieved to hear she still had her job, Aunt Neile quickly wiped away her tears and let out a sigh of relief. “Yes. Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, please have a seat. I’ll bring it out.
Luke was driving back home with Luca. It was already 9:00 pm when they arrived at the villa.Just as they reached the foyer and had not taken more than a few steps, Allison's voice rang out.“Oh, so you're finally willing to come back from Crawford Manor?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.Luca did not know how to respond to Allison and looked over at Luke.Luke let go of Luca's waist and whispered, “Go upstairs first.”“Okay.” Luca nodded, changed her shoes, and was about to head upstairs when Allison said again, “Stop. Who told you to go upstairs?”“Madam Allison, is there something you need?” Luca's tone was cold, carefully masking the helplessness inside her.Since she learned that Allison would be returning to the country and moving here, Luca had mentally prepared herself to be put in a difficult position. She loved Luke, so she was willing to tolerate whatever troubles came with it.Luca believed that as long as she and Luke faced things together, there was nothing th