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
After the kids washed their hands, they followed Luca into the dining room.Everyone else was already seated. Luca sat next to Luke, and after the three kids took their seats, Mr. Griffin and the maids brought out the food.By the time dinner was over, it was getting late. Just as Luke was thinking about taking the kids home, Susan spoke up, “Luke, I didn’t want to ask you during dinner, but now that we’ve eaten, there’s something I need to ask.”“Yes?” Luke sat back down on the couch, his gaze fixed on her.The air around him was so intense that Susan almost wanted to flee. However, as his elder, she could not back down now. Since she had something to say, she forced herself to withstand the pressure and spoke up, “I’ve been hearing rumors that your mother hurt someone in Seoul and now plans to return to A City. Is that true?”Luke raised an eyebrow and glanced around the room. He had only just learned about this, yet Susan already knew? It seemed like she had people keepin
It was late at night. A black full-size Lincoln SUV is driving into an extravagant mansion in A City’s most expensive suburb.Inside the mansion.Bianca Rayne’s eyes were covered with a silk blindfold.He did not want her to know who he was.“Don’t be afraid. Take deep breaths.“You can do it, Bianca. There’s nothing more important than getting Dad a liver transplant so he can live. It’s fine to sacrifice a little for Dad.”She could not ignore the sound of the car entering the mansion.Now that it had come to this, all she could do was keep talking to herself, to persuade and comfort herself.When Luke Crawford walked in, his body tall and his spine straight, he immediately saw Bianca, who was standing in his room. She was young, in the prime of her youth—“H-Hello…” She could sense his body approaching, so she instinctively took a step back despite the blindfold, stuttering as she greeted him stiffly.She had thought that the past few days of mental preparation had left her
Once he was done, the man left.Bianca was exhausted to the point of passing out. She stayed curled up on the bed for a long, long time.The doctors said it was easier for her to conceive this way.…This continued for more nights than she could keep track of. Luke Crawford would come to the mansion every night, no matter how late his work kept him. He never failed to show up.The middle-aged driver who followed Luke around, Charles Finn, was Faye’s husband. Both of them were experienced in these things, so they really wanted to give their young master a word of advice. These things should be taken slowly! Rushing it would only be unhealthy!However, their haughty and aloof young master was also known for being a harsh employer with the cold face of a devil. He was famous for being hard to handle!The couple had no choice but to keep their mouths shut!They could only watch as that young girl was rendered limp and listless every day thanks to their young master’s energetic dema