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
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
The volunteer was attended to in shifts, and he asked the person in the current shift, “Did that person leave?”“Yes.” The man attending him let out a sigh of relief. He had been so nervous when Abel was here that he could barely breathe.“Who was that person?” the volunteer asked curiously. He could not see, but he could still sense the heavy, oppressive aura. It was as though the person might take his life at any moment.“Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t know. Just focus on your recovery,” replied the man.The volunteer heaved a sigh and gently turned around. Lying here, he had no idea when it would end. However, ever since the nerves had started reacting, he felt that his legs were getting better day by day.After a while, Luca entered, carrying a tray of dry needling tools. She glanced at the attendant, noticing that it was another man today.Luca asked, “Did the boss come by earlier?”“Yes.” The man nodded.Luca’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at the volunteer, wh
Shanks furrowed his brows. He knew Abel would snap, but he did not expect him to go this far.He grabbed Luca and pulled her behind him. “Abel, what the hell is wrong with you?”Luca touched her quickly swelling face. A flash of hatred crossed her mind, but she was also worried about Luke. If Luke found out that Abel hurt her, he would definitely lose it. She had to keep everything under control for the sake of her child.With that thought, Luca took a step back, exposing half of her swollen face to look at Abel.Abel was furious at the sight. “She’s useless, and that’s why the experiment is going so slowly. What’s wrong with me giving her a slap?”Shanks’ face turned livid at his crazy words. “This experiment is mine. If you have an issue with it, take it up with me. There’s no reason to take it out on her. I’ll do what you want and increase the dosage. But if this volunteer dies, you’ll have a hell of a time finding another one for the clinical trials. Abel, is this really how y
Hera suddenly felt a chill and turned to look at Abel.His expression was calm, not as eerie as when he was angry, but she still felt an unsettling vibe from him. Was he jealous?Hera quickly tried to flatter him, saying, “No way, I think the most good-looking man here is you, my dear.”Abel did not show any sign of happiness at her flattery. He did not actually have feelings for Hera. Her sweet words could not fool him.“Since you like him so much, let him stay with you and work for you in the next few days.” Abel was indifferent.As long as Hera did not embarrass him by cheating on him here, it was fine.Hera was a bit surprised, but at the same time, she realized that Abel did not really like her. If he truly cared about her, he would have been jealous when she kept staring at another man.Once she accepted that this was all just a business arrangement, she happily agreed, “Alright. Thank you, my dear.”Luke’s gaze darkened for a moment, but no one was paying attention.Abe