Luca tried to keep talking, but she could not hold it in any longer and broke down crying. Just thinking about her child still being in Abel’s hands made her heart ache, and she cried even harder. The thought of all the things Luke had done for her in secret pained her even more. Luke had not done anything wrong, but it hurt that he had done so much and never told her. Luca knew he meant well. He wanted to shield her from worry. However, when it came to something like this, she was involved too and could have helped. Yet Luke did everything on his own, keeping her in the dark for her own good, and that hurt her deeply. Luca felt helpless. It seemed he still saw her as someone fragile. It pained her that she could not do anything to help and that Luke had to shoulder everything alone. When he saw her tears, Luke knew he had made a mistake by hiding the truth. She wanted to stand by his side through it all, but he had only thought of protecting her. When it came to the issu
When Luca felt like she was about to suffocate, Luke finally released her lips.His gaze burned intensely, his deep eyes locked onto her red lips. Luca could clearly sense what he was thinking. The desire in Luke's eyes was so overwhelming it felt as though it would completely consume her. She trembled slightly, her own body betraying her, longing to be devoured by him.“Luca,” Luke murmured huskily, his voice thick with desire.Luca softly responded with a faint hum. Just then, Luke’s phone rang. It was his alarm. Luke helplessly silenced it.Clarity returned to Luca’s gaze. “Do you have a meeting to attend?” She knew full well that it was usually for something important whenever Luke set an alarm. An important meeting meant it could not be postponed.Luca let out a chuckle.No wonder Luke had not carried her straight to the lounge. He had something pressing to attend to.Luke heard her laughter and replied helplessly, “I really don’t want to.”Luca shook her head and told
Luca was not one to tolerate nonsense. Without hesitation, she grabbed the man’s arm and shoulder.Before the man could react, he was slammed to the ground with a swift over-the-shoulder throw.The man let out a grunt, stunned by the sheer force of her move. He could not believe a woman managed to flip him like that.He was a man nearly six-foot-three and weighed close to 200 pounds!Dressed in tailored pants instead of a skirt, Luca did not have to worry about modesty. She stepped forward, pressing her pointed shoe firmly onto his chest. “Now, do you believe I’m one of you?”“You! Argh, that hurts—” His attempt to curse got cut off as she applied more pressure with her foot.Strangely enough, he had been beaten to a pulp during training before, but it had never hurt this much.“Still don’t believe me?” Luca’s shoe pressed directly onto one of his weak points.Her sharp-toed shoes made it easy to pinpoint the spot, and the pain was excruciating.“Damn it!” The man clenched his
Abel and Luca were not people one could provoke casually. If one did, one could lose one's life at any moment!“I've said what I needed to say. If you don't believe it, then you're on your own,” replied Gerald, no longer trying to convince the man. There was no point in arguing further.…Inside the laboratory, Shanks did not look up. He pointed at a spot in the room and said, “Change into the lab coat.”Luca followed his gesture and saw a lab coat laid out.She obediently put it on, along with shoe covers, goggles, and other necessary gear. After all, the drugs he researched were highly toxic, so these precautions were necessary for her safety. Once she finished changing, Luca walked over to Shanks’s side.“Mr. Shanks, what do you need me to do?” asked Luca.Shanks pondered for a moment before pointing at some files on the right. “Start by looking at these. A test subject will be coming in for the clinical trials tomorrow. You need to finish reviewing these before they arrive
Once Shanks' figure had completely disappeared from view, Luca finally regained a bit of her composure.She felt an intense cold. It was so cold it felt like she could hardly breathe.Whenever it came to Nyla's safety, she lost all ability to stay calm.Luca quickly made her way up to the third floor. Shanks had already gone back to his room. She walked absentmindedly to the last room and pushed the door open.She entered the room, closed the door, and locked it behind her. Then, she used the device that Luke had given her to scan the room. Once she confirmed there were no listening devices or surveillance cameras, she took out her phone and dialed his number.The phone rang twice before it was answered.“Luca, are you okay?” Luke’s concerned voice filled her ear.Luca trembled. She could feel the cold seeping into her body, and her words were shaking from the chill.“Luke, there are two things I need to tell you,” said Luca.Luke frowned when he heard the seriousness in her t
“Is that so? You didn’t drug me?” Luca's eyes darkened. She was in no mood to be polite with men like him, so she kicked him again.The man screamed in pain. Before he acted, he did not expect Luca to be so strong. It felt like he was about to be crushed! The force and sound made everyone around them gasp in surprise.It was ruthless—too ruthless.A woman could kick that hard? They suddenly remembered what Gerald had said and shuddered. This woman was not to be messed with.Even if she was beautiful and had a great figure, they should never mess with her!Otherwise, the next person getting treated this way might be them.Luca crouched down and reached into the man’s pocket, pulling out a cigarette. She shoved it into his mouth. “Tell me, is this an aphrodisiac?” The man spat the cigarette out angrily. “That's my cigarette!”“Very well, then.” Luca's gaze darkened. She had given him the chance to live, but he did not appreciate it. He even kept harassing her.She was not going
Luca pushed open the door and went downstairs. It was still early, and the people for the clinical trials hadn’t arrived yet.Luca found Gerald in the kitchen, making breakfast.Gerald was not as skilled as the others from the Island of Despair, so he was the one who usually cooked breakfast here. After all, the weak had no say in a place like the Island of Despair.When Gerald heard footsteps, he turned around and saw Luca. He could not help but shiver. The man who had tried to make a pass at her yesterday had been carried away later on.They originally wanted Shanks to help treat him, but after Shanks examined him, he said that he needed to go to the hospital for treatment since the equipment here was not sufficient for the necessary surgery.That man had to be sent to the hospital for surgery that very night.According to the group who brought the man to the hospital, the doctor was shocked when he saw the man’s injuries. The doctor even said on the spot that it looked like
The injuries of the volunteer willing to participate in the clinical trial were strikingly similar to Kassy's injuries. If this volunteer recovered, then Kassy should be able to as well.Luca felt it was almost like science fiction—completely unrealistic.Still, when it came to Shanks, she could not help but feel a flicker of hope.Without realizing it, Luca had started to adopt Shanks’ passion for pharmaceuticals and medicine.Shanks glanced at Luca briefly before shifting his gaze back to the volunteer.“Get him onto the vehicle,” Shanks instructed the staff.“Yes, Mr. Shanks."“Why are we putting him in the vehicle?” Luca was puzzled.Gerald glanced at her and explained, “It’s because this room doesn’t meet the necessary hygiene standards. Mr. Shanks arranged for a medical van to be brought in.”He heard that Shanks initially planned to transport the volunteer to the Island of Despair for the procedure since the equipment there was fully equipped. However, the volunteer’s f
“As long as he stays out of your sight, I won’t make a move,” said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Luke’s pals, he would have been long gone.Anyone who dared to mess with someone Ray cherished would not be let off easily. The only reason Gordan was still breathing was thanks to Luke.“Alright, Ray. Just let it go. I’ve moved on and started a new life. Plus, I’m studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, we’ll just be strangers. There’s no need to step in for me or act impulsively.” Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.“Is it the clothes delivery?” asked Ray.“No, while you were talking with Mr. Crawford, I asked someone to buy some medicinal cream. The ones here work better than the ones in Russia. A little massage with it should help you heal faster,” Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.“Miss, is the boss alright?” asked one of Ray’s subordinates.“He’s fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, “Can you walk me through your plan?”“The prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. I’ve already spoken with the prison officials, and we can use that passage to transport her out. It connects to the sewage system, which leads directly to another detention facility. "The only catch is that this facility’s underground pipes don’t connect to the outside world, so the remaining 10% risk lies in moving Kassy onto the main road and securing her at the new location.“This whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why I’m confident it’ll work.” As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. “Here’s the layout I had someone retrieve. This is the starting point, and this is the destination. If we take this route, we can move Kassy without alerting Abel’s people.”Abel’s men were keeping a constant watch outside the prison now. That was prec
Luke had no idea what kind of mindset the person who poisoned Vivian had. However, he found Gordan’s current behavior quite intriguing.“Luke, what’s with that look?” Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.“You seem pretty concerned about Vivian,” Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. “What? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, don’t say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.”Luke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. “Why are you here?”“Speaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.” Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. “Man, Ray really didn’t hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.”Luke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. “Unlock it.”“All set, boss.” Gordan unlocked the phone and went back to pressing an ice pack against his face.Luke scanned the scr
It was the sound of a body slamming onto the ground.Gordan’s furious curses rang out. “Damn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?”Another loud thud followed.Vivian frowned. What the hell were they doing? Were they really going to fight until one of them won?Both of them were skilled fighters. If they kept this up, neither would walk away unscathed.“Enough!” shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.“Vivian, stay out of this. I’m beating him to a pulp today,” growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.“Ray, I don’t want to see him,” said Vivian. She did not want Ray fighting him. It was not to protect Gordan but because she did not want Ray getting hurt.Also, she definitely did not want Gordan to see her like this. She could already picture his smug face, his sarcastic remarks and his gloating.“Fine. If you don’t want to see him, I’ll just beat
After returning to the hotel from the hospital, Vivian felt much better.To her, the fact that Ray had taken her to the hospital meant there was hope for the future, which lifted her spirits. She picked up an apple from the fruit platter the hotel had provided and took a bite.“Ray, this apple is really good. Want to try one?” asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. “You go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?”Vivian nodded. “I only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.”Ray walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.“You didn't bring any food with you?” asked Ray.“I haven’t really been in the mood, but the food here is way better than Russian food, so I didn't feel the need to bring anything.” Vivian’s tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.“That's true.” Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. “Alright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, we’ll still need your help.”“For toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Don’t worry, if I can help, I definitely will,” Luca assured him.“Alright, thank you.” Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, “If Vivian was really poisoned, don’t worry. Previously, Luca discovered that her biological mother had been poisoned with a slow-acting toxin. She prescribed herbal medicine and used purely traditional herbal medicine to detoxify her. It didn’t take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If it’s something she can fix, she’ll do everything she can.“Besides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?”“Yes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. “Ms. Sanchez, what's wrong?”He was eager to get back upstairs and stash his cigarettes before someone noticed and took them.Hera yanked open his bag, glanced at the cigarette brand, and scoffed. “I thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And you’re acting all deferential to her over this?”Gerald was rendered speechless. “I knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand I’m used to. Maybe it’s not expensive to you, but for me, it’s what I can afford.”Realizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. “Still, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?”“It’s not about the money,” replied Gerald. “It's just a nice surprise. I never expected to get anything out of helping Ms. Craw, and this kind of unexpected gift has nothing to do with the price. Besides, I'm not being overly grateful. I'm just happy.”He was ba
Luca’s lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Luke’s eyes, was utterly captivating. It tugged at his nerves, stirring an uncontrollable desire within him.At that moment, he had only one thought, and it was to completely lose himself in her.…The two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, “Hello, Mr. Crawford.”“Vivian, don’t worry. Everything will get better,” replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Luca’s hand and led her away.It was only after hearing the door close that Vivian finally turned back around.Ray glanced at her and said, “Vivian, they’re your friends. You don’t have to act this way around them. They won’t judge you.”“I know they won’t…” Vivian let out a soft sigh. “I just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didn’t want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But it’
“I once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivian’s. Given that your family has good genetics, yet Vivian is different from the rest of you, and her skin improved after leaving her original environment, all of this confirms my suspicion.“Could it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.”“If she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?” asked Ray.Luca shook her head.“The poison I’ve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victim’s skin dark. I don’t know exactly what it was, but long-term exposure to any poison has an effect on the body. It's just a suspicion now. I need to consult someone I know. And honestly, I can’t be sure what’s really causing Vivian’s condition.“Is her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a