“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
Tommy wrapped his arms around Luca’s waist and mumbled, “But we want to live with Dad and Ms. Luca.”“Be good. After you finish your finals, and after Lanie's grade-skipping evaluation, we'll bring you back,” replied Luca. She did not want to be apart from the kids either, but she did not want the adults' issues to affect their studies.The three kids were very smart.Luca did not want them to perform poorly or let the situation with Allison leave a negative impact on them. When kids experienced trauma, it could be harmful to their development.Some people thought kids were young and forgot things easily, that if something bad happened, they would move on quickly. The truth was, kids had excellent memories, especially with negative experiences. That was why Luca did not want them to be affected.“Tommy, listen to Ms. Luca. This is also what Daddy wants,” Lanie chimed in.He was not afraid of their grandmother. Even though her face was disfigured, it did not bother him. It did
The blender roared to life as it whirred away. In no time, Vivian had turned all the fruits into juice, and Luca mixed it with cream before putting it in the fridge to chill.“Why don't we sit in the living room for a bit?” invited Luca.Vivian shook her head. “Something came up, and I need to get back to finish some assignments. I should head out now. Sorry for bothering you today.”Luca gently linked arms with her. “Let me walk you out.”“It’s okay. It's too hot outside, and I already called a ride online. You should stay here and spend time with the kids,” replied Vivian. She had spent the day with Lanie and Rainie, and they had talked a lot about Luca.She could not help but marvel at how much the kids really adored Luca.She did not want to trouble Luca and preferred to let her spend more time with the kids.“Okay, just be careful on your way back, and call me when you get to the campus,” said Luca as she walked Vivian to the door.“Will do. Bye!” Vivian waved as she lef
Luke knew he had a lot of responsibilities weighing on his shoulders. The most important one was that the matter with Luca still had not been resolved. He could not afford to rest just yet. Only when he was certain that his wife and kids were safe could he take a breather.Luca looked at him tenderly, her eyes filled with affection. “For me, no one is as special as you.”Luke smiled and gently ruffled her hair.Luca sat up and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. “Luke, I love you. It’s been amazing meeting you, knowing you, and loving you in this life. We’re a team, partners for life. So whatever comes our way, don’t try to carry the weight by yourself, okay? You’ve got me and the kids. We’ll always be here for you.”She knew how exhausted Luke was from dealing with both work and her situation. Luca only wanted to help him, to lighten his load.“Alright, I promise.” Luke's voice was hoarse, and a deep desire for her flickered in his eyes.The room grew warmer as their lips
“Let’s keep going!” Tommy said. “I’m determined to stick a strip of paper on Lanie's face today!"Then, they started another round of chess. Once again, Lanie won, and this time, Rainie came in last. She took the initiative to stick a paper strip on her own face.“Lanie is just too good. Even if we play until tonight, we’re never going to beat him…” said Tommy, feeling a little defeated.“Yeah, Lanie’s way too good,” Rainie agreed, puffing out her cheeks and blowing upward. However, she was not that competitive, so she still looked cheerful even after losing.Luke came downstairs and saw Luca and the two kids with paper strips stuck on their faces. He paused for a moment before looking at Lanie, whose face was clean. He quickly understood what was going on.“Daddy! Come help me. You’ve got to help me beat Lanie!” Tommy spotted his father and immediately saw him as his savior. He bounced over and tried to pull him to sit down. “Daddy, Lanie is too good. I can’t beat him at all.
Luca glanced at her eldest son. She did not know why, but as long as her other kids were with him, she felt at ease.Lanie was like a mini version of Luke. When something happened, he could calmly analyze the situation. He was smart. Even when it came to adult matters, he could explain things with great clarity.Luca nodded in agreement, and Luke remained silent.When they arrived at Crawford Manor, Luke went straight into Old Master Crawford’s study.Luca sat in the living room with the kids. Mr. Griffin served them tea and snacks.Tommy said, “Lanie, Rainie, let's go read some books.”“Sure, let's go read,” Lanie agreed, leading his younger siblings upstairs. The grown-ups’ business was not something they needed to worry about. As long as they took care of themselves and did not make the adults worry, that was all that mattered.Luca watched the kids go upstairs, feeling a bit lost. What should she do now?Mr. Griffin noticed her boredom and smiled. “Ms. Craw, Old Master Craw
Luke had always admired his grandfather's past as a child. Old Master Crawford would speak of everything regarding Crawford Manor and mention taking him to do various things, but in the end, it all came to nothing because he was too busy. After repeated delays in their plans, Luke had stopped expecting much from those promises.However, when Old Master Crawford suddenly set up a greenhouse at home and began growing medicinal herbs, Luke found himself intrigued. He pushed open the greenhouse door and stepped inside with his grandfather. Immediately, the fragrant scent of the herbs filled the air, and Luke could not help but feel refreshed.Luca heard the noises and turned around to look at them. Then, she smiled and asked, “Old Master Crawford, Luke, what brings you two here?”“I heard you were here, so I came over. Luca, let me show you my treasures!” Old Master Crawford replied cheerfully. He relied on a cane to walk, but he was excited when it came to this greenhouse. He had c