A couple of days ago, Gale told him that they were brothers who would stick together through thick and thin. Whoever started dating first would be a dog.Now, Gale was willing to be that dog!Luke took a sip of the lemon water Luca had been drinking. “Feeling a bit jealous?”“He didn’t stick to the promise of being single together,” Gordan vented to them both.“He dragged me out for drinks a few days ago, talking about how we were in this together, and now, he’s getting ready to confess his feelings? Who says women are the only ones who are fickle? Men can be just as unpredictable!” added Gordan, still grumbling.Luke shot him a cold glance. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had a crush on Gale.”“Ugh, come on!” exclaimed Gordan, spitting out in disgust. “I’m not into guys.”“Mr. Norton, if you don’t feel that way about Mr. Gale, then why the long face? Could it be…” Even though Luca thought it was unlikely, she decided to tease him and deliberately changed her express
“Rain, I’m someone who has always been slow to understand my own feelings. After all these years, I’ve finally realized how special my feelings for you are. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and for always being there for me. I’m so grateful you came into my life. "Today, I’d like us to take the next step forward. I hope you’ll give me this chance. Rain, I like you. I don’t even know when it started, but I’m deeply in love with you now. Will you be my girlfriend?”Gale gripped the champagne roses tightly in his hands. His heart was pounding, thumping like crazy as he waited for her answer.Rain did not keep him waiting long.She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, then let out a little laugh and smiled brightly. Taking the champagne roses from his hand, she nodded and replied, “Yes, I will.”“Hurray!” Applause erupted from everyone around them.Luke and Luca also stood up, joining in the applause to celebrate the happy couple.Music soon began to flow fro
As Allison stepped out, she spotted Luke and tugged at the scarf around her neck. Quickly, she walked over with Sophian.“Why did you park so far away? I'm about to be burned by the heat!” Allison complained to him in frustration.Luke replied in a cold voice, “There was no parking over there. If you’re feeling hot, maybe you should wear less.”Allison’s expression soured. She would have liked to dress lighter. However, her skin was not in good shape. If she exposed it, people might get scared. She definitely did not want to return to A City only to have kids pointing at her and calling her a witch.Sophian, hearing the conversation between them, decided to chime in and remind them of her presence. “Mr. Crawford, Ms. Allison's skin is in really bad shape right now. She can’t be exposed to the wind, so she has to bundle up.”It was as though Luke did not hear her at all. He ignored her and opened the trunk to load all the luggage inside.Then, he settled into the driver’s seat.
Luke drove the car into the villa and parked it in the lot.Allison got out and looked at the villa, exclaiming, “This place is a far cry from Crawford Manor.”“A five-star hotel is luxurious enough,” Luke replied nonchalantly.Allison fell silent.A five-star hotel was indeed luxurious and offered more freedom, but Luke would only cover the room cost. She could not afford any additional expenses.When the car came to a stop, Luca walked out with Aunt Neile.“Madam Allison, you’re back,” Aunt Neile greeted Allison with a warm smile, aware that she had undergone a transformation and prepared to keep her surprise in check. Despite Allison’s covered face, it was quite bizarre to see her so bundled up in the sweltering summer heat.Luca also greeted her, “Madam Allison.”Allison let out a cold snort and said to both of them, “Help me carry my luggage.”“Sure.” Aunt Neile walked to the trunk and pulled out Allison's three large suitcases.Seeing the three suitcases, Luca hurried
Allison glared at Luke but dared not to talk back.She followed him into the bedroom and took one look around. She was instantly dissatisfied when she saw the size of the room. “Why is this room so small?”“This is the only bedroom left,” replied Luke.“So, this is the guest room?” Allison shrieked. “I’m your mother, and you’re actually making me sleep in the guest room?”“All the furniture here was bought brand new, specifically from the brand you like. No one else has slept here. If you’re not satisfied, you’re welcome to stay at a hotel.” Luke was not usually a talkative person, but when it came to Allison, he found himself having to say more.Even a couple of words felt insufficient to quell her sharp tongue.Allison inspected the newly arranged furniture. It seemed it had been set up just for her. She even noticed the plastic wrapping on some of the pieces.Allison did like this brand. She thought it was Luke’s arrangement. Figuring Luke must have spent quite a bit on the f
As Aunt Neile listened to Allison's words, she barely dared to breathe. She was afraid that if she said something wrong, she would be fired.However, Luke had the final say in the household. Even if Allison were to fire her, Luke might not necessarily go along with it. Even so, Allison was one of the ladies of the family, and Aunt Neile’s role was to follow orders.As Luca continued to give Aunt Neile a massage, she replied to Allison, “Madam Allison, if you need a massage, I can call a therapist from a wellness center to come and help you.”Allison crossed her arms and stood there, looking down at both of them. “I want you to do it.”“I can’t do that,” replied Luca.“Why not?” Allison snapped. Did Luca think she was even worse than a maid? Did Luca not understand the benefits of trying to please her? If Luca wanted to marry into the Crawford family in the future, she would have to face one less obstacle if she won Allison over now.“You don’t trust my skills. If I were to gi
However, Luke's heart was already churning with emotion. If it were not for his strong self-control and his exposure to far worse horrors back on the Island of Despair, he would have probably lost his composure by now.“This is all because of you! So, everyone else has the right to despise me but not you!” Allison’s voice had turned nearly hysterical.Luca turned off the shower and could clearly hear Allison’s hysterical rant. Her gaze darkened, and there was a trace of sympathy in her eyes. She felt sorry for Luke.He escaped the Island of Despair by the skin of his teeth, yet here was Allison, blaming him for everything as though he had ruined her life.Once one learned to shift the blame, one would become nearly unstoppable. Or rather, one would become especially shameless...Luca put on her nightgown and opened the bathroom door, locking eyes with Allison. Allison glared daggers at her.Treating Allison as though she were invisible, Luca walked over to the vanity, opened he
During that time, whenever there was a chance to pray, Luca would silently pray for Luke to come back safely and for their family to be reunited.“Back then, I was pregnant, remember? If it weren't for Louis, I might not have made it through waiting for you to come back. People are really complicated beings. Even though I was practically part of the family, there was no way to stop them from wanting to hurt me when they set their minds to it. "That’s why I have a pretty open mindset about your mother. As long as she doesn’t cross any fundamental lines with me, I can endure it,” said Luca.It was just a few bottles of skincare products, and she knew that it might not be as simple as that in the future. However, she had to endure, right? It was only because she loved Luke.“I’ll handle this as soon as possible,” said Luke, but he felt a whirlwind of worries in his heart.Handle it? Allison was his mother. Even if he could be ruthless, she could always stand on her moral high gr
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
Luke stood still, waiting as Hera had instructed.Hera, on the other hand, walked toward the door with a look of eager anticipation on her face.Gerald stepped forward. “Are you crazy? She told you to wait, and you’re just standing there? Hurry up and go upstairs.”"Isn't she trying to cause trouble? Do you think I can just walk away from that?" Luke suddenly asked.Gerald was rendered speechless. What Luke said made sense, so he patted his shoulder. “I heard everything Hera said to you in the garden. Pal, I respect you for being a man, but this time, you’re on your own.”Luke remained expressionless. His gaze was fixed on Hera, who was now smiling brightly as she linked arms with Abel. Even so, his face betrayed no emotion.Hera noticed that Luke, just as she had instructed, was standing there without moving. Her irritation flared up.If he was too stubborn to bow his head and beg for mercy, then she would not hold back!“Darling, I’ve been so upset today without you around."
Sensing the looming danger fading away, Hera furiously demanded, “What is wrong with that man?”Gerald let out a sigh of relief. He had been truly worried that Shanks might take a few swipes at Hera.It was common knowledge that medical professionals could be terrifyingly skilled. They could cut with precision, avoiding vital organs, leaving you in excruciating pain but far from death.Gerald had witnessed Luca’s expertise in this field and knew Shanks likely had the same skills. That was why he would not dare provoke him.If Hera ended up hurt and miserable, Abel would hold them accountable for failing to protect her. Shanks, however, would walk away unscathed. The blame would fall squarely on them.“Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Shanks doesn’t like people entering his lab without permission. Everything in there is extremely valuable to him.” Even though Gerald did not understand why, it was what the others told him, and he dutifully passed on the message.“I knocked, and he told me to come
Not only did Luke not give in, but he wasn't intimidated by Hera's threats either. Instead, he turned the tables and intimidated her right back.Gerald could not help but feel a sense of admiration for Luke. If it had been him in that situation, he would not have had the guts to refuse Hera outright. Even if he did not want to comply, who would dare offend the boss’ future wife?Even though her position was not set in stone, for now, Hera’s status remained unshakable. Yet Luke did not try to curry favor with her. Faced with threats and temptation, he stood his ground, even flipping the situation to intimidate her instead.Gerald quietly gave a thumbs-up.“This guy’s the real deal,” he muttered to himself.After venting her frustration on the tree, Hera stormed back. Her eyes were red and swollen.When she came to the second floor, she caught sight of Luca stepping out of the lab with a tray in hand. She quickly approached.“Stop right there!” Hera snapped sharply.Luca frow
A flash of disgust flickered in Luke's eyes. He was completely fed up with Hera's relentless pestering.“If you have something to say, just say it here.” Unlike other men, he did not address her politely as 'Ms. Sanchez'.His tone was so indifferent, and he did not even bother to call her by name.Hera’s smile did not falter. She thought he was only acting this distance because there were so many people around, and he could not openly show his affection for her.Hera replied in a soft voice, “It’s something important, and they won’t be able to help. Come with me.”Luke frowned and remained motionless.People around them grew envious.Even if Luke did not actually have a romantic interest in her, just helping Hera would be enough to earn points in their boss’ eyes. Their jealousy turned into playful teasing.“The boss’ girlfriend’s asking for help. Just go already. What’s with the cold act? It’s no fun,” teased one of them.Others chimed in, “Yeah, seriously. Just go. Who are y
“I know you’re not interested in her, but still, we should be cautious,” Luca joked, trying to lighten the mood.She was actually worried that Hera’s feelings for Luke might interfere with their plans.Luca looked at him with concern. “You weren’t in your room last night. If she really went to your room, she must've noticed your absence. How will you explain that?”“There are plenty of reasons I could give.” Luke already had an explanation in mind.However, if Hera really had feelings for him and stayed here, it would definitely cause him some trouble.“Just be careful.” Luca felt helpless. Abel’s sudden appearance had already messed up a lot of their plans.There was no way for her to leave this little villa now.With Abel bringing Hera here and her developing feelings for Luke, it was bound to cause more trouble for him later.Luca felt frustrated. She had enough trouble on her own. She did not want Luke to get caught up in trouble too. She had never intended for him to be
The man remained cautious. When he heard Hera was looking for Luke’s room, he immediately asked, “What do you need with Lucius?”Hera felt like her intentions had been seen through, and a sense of unease washed over her. However, when she thought about her status and position, she confidently replied, “Your boss said that Lucius is to serve me from now on. I'm hungry now, so I need him to go get me some late-night snacks. What's the matter? Is that not allowed?”The man remained silent, thinking that Hera could just order delivery.Why go to another man's room in the middle of the night?He thought about a possible reason and could not help feeling a little jealous, thinking that he was definitely more handsome than Luke. His feelings of imbalance grew. Why go to Lucius and not him?Hera, noticing his hesitation, snapped, “What are you zoning out for? Are you going to go for him?”If it had been any other task, the man would have been happy to step in. Still, something like g
“Alright, I'm really tired. How about we rest for a bit?” After kissing him, Luca snuggled against his waist and playfully whined. “The medication I took has some strong side effects. I've been feeling drowsy for hours. Can we sleep now?”A flash of concern appeared in Luke's deep eyes. His voice was hoarse as he replied, “Okay.”After lying down, Luca suddenly remembered Hera. She asked, “Have you met Hera?”“Hera? That woman?” Luke pulled her closer into his embrace.“Yeah.” Luca could tell from his tone that he did not remember who Hera was, so she explained, “Hera was a classmate of ours in high school, the popular girl. She was interested in you back then. We even ran into her once when we were abroad.”Her memory was sharp, and she remembered clearly all the details about people and events that did not seem important.Luke only caught one detail—she was a former classmate.“I don’t remember,” replied Luke.Luca continued, “Back then, Hera had a crush on you, but... I didn
“It's nothing. I just think you and our boss make a perfect match.” Luca decided not to say anything more. She was unwilling to risk causing trouble for herself.Hera felt that there was something mocking in her tone. It was meant to be a compliment, yet it felt like mockery, leaving her with the sense that something was off.Hera let out a cold snort. “Of course, we’re a perfect match. No need for you to say it.”Even though she knew there was an undertone of sarcasm, she still acknowledged it. She sized Luca up with a look of disdain. “You’re a doctor, right?”Luca shook her head. “Not exactly.”Gerald explained, “Ms. Sanchez, she’s skilled in medicine, but she wouldn’t call herself a doctor.”Hera shot him an annoyed glance and then turned back to Luca. “It’s fine as long as you know medicine. I’m not feeling well. Come help me with some treatment.”Gerald had no choice but to awkwardly suggest, “Ms. Sanchez, if you're not feeling unwell, perhaps I could ask Mr. Shanks to che