Louis wanted to cry. He seemed to have dug a hole for himself. He thought that his future sister-in-law was a docile sheep, but she was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing. "I thought I knew you well, Sis. How can you be like that?" Louis said resentfully. "It seems like you don't have enough to do here," Luke said coldly as he walked toward the CEO's office. "If there's nothing else for you to do here, you can head over to South Africa now. I'll get Mr. Doyle to buy the fastest ticket there!" "Ah, Brother, must you drive me away so mercilessly? There aren't that many kind and honest younger brothers in the world like me! I admire you, Brother…" Bianca was speechless. It was the first time that she had seen a childish exchange between the two men. Louis shot a resentful glance at Louis, then returned to his office. He had to continue his boring work so that his elder brother would not transfer him to South Africa. … Bianca returned to the design department. Some c
When Bianca was reading the documents, the department lead brought several people into the office. "Let me introduce everyone. This is the design manager from Vivi Group and the core design team." Bianca observed them carefully. The female design manager was in her late thirties, while the others were a lot younger. "Nice to meet you. I am Sue Carter, the design team lead from T Corporation. It's a pleasure to be working with you," Sue said with a smile as she stretched out her right hand. "Yanis Fuller," The female design manager said briskly and lightly shook Sue's hand. Tom also shook hands with Yanis and introduced himself. When it was Bianca's turn, she stretched out her right hand and said, "I am Bianca Rayne. Nice to meet you." Unexpectedly, Yanis glanced at Bianca coldly and did not shake her hand. Bella was feeling rather smug about it. Earlier, when she had the opportunity, she had slandered Bianca in front of Yanis. She said that Bianca had gotten into th
When Bianca was imagining her children's smiling faces, Sue abruptly patted her shoulder. "Hey, look at the silly grin on your face. Were you talking to the boss earlier? You should've seen how gentle your smile was. I'm so jealous!" Bianca knew that Sue was almost thirty years old but remained single. She guessed that Sue must have experienced some trauma in her previous relationship. Many men tried to court her, but she rejected all their advances. Sue was an intelligent and capable individual. Bianca did not know that Sue had an ulterior motive when she tried to be friends with her. However, when Sue got to know more about Bianca, she found out that Bianca was full of personal charm and design talent. Eventually, they became true friends. "It's not him. I was on the phone with Lanie and Rainie earlier." Bianca had always had a good impression of the carefree Sue. Not only Sue had a good personality, but she had also helped Bianca when she was in a pinch. Bianca was gra
Melissa instantly noticed Bianca. She held onto Xavier's arm tightly and grunted audibly. "Why do I see that woman everywhere? How unlucky!" Not only had she failed to frame Bianca in the luxury fashion store, but she had also lost a diamond necklace worth almost a million dollars. She was scolded when she got home, and her elder brother had docked her allowance. Melissa had been troubled by that incident. Of course, Bianca was not too happy when she saw the capricious and unreasonable Melissa. She was about to hold the children's hands and turn in the other direction when Lanie suddenly looked at the woman and blinked. There was a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. He tugged the hem of Bianca's shirt and said childishly, "Mommy, I've seen that woman before…" Bianca looked at Lanie curiously. She did not understand how the little boy would recognize Melissa. "Where have you seen her, Lanie?" Bianca asked. Melissa was also surprised. She looked at Lanie and racked her
The host of the clubhouse glared at Melissa coldly. His tone of voice was like Arctic ice. "Miss, we do not tolerate such behavior here. This is a high-end place, and we do not welcome any guests who do not behave themselves. No one can insult any of my honored guests. You keep saying that my guest is a thief, but what you have lost is only a 900,000 dollar item. Anything of Mr. Crawford's presents to his woman would have cost at least millions. Would she be bothered about your diamond necklace? What nonsense!" The other guests in the clubhouse exclaimed in surprise. Indeed, Luke Crawford was richer than some countries. Any of his woman's accessories would have cost millions. Would she be bothered about stealing a 900,000-dollar necklace?The woman had been yelling that Mr. Crawford's woman was a thief, but she did not have any evidence. She must have lost her mind for accusing Mr. Crawford's woman in public. Melissa had been slapped first by Xavier, then by Luke. She was like
In the private room, a purebred Persian cat was sleeping lazily on the snow-white fur carpet. The Persian cat's long fur blended perfectly with the carpet… Bianca did not notice it. She nearly stepped on the cat's tail with her high heels, which caused the sleeping cat to suddenly pounce. As it pounced, it bared its teeth and hissed at Bianca, which gave her a huge shock! She instinctively took a step backward, and she lost balance. If not that Luke supported her in time, she would have fallen on the floor! "Are you OK?" Luke held Bianca in her arms while staring daggers at the "perpetrator." The Persian cat was not intimidated by the man's imposing aura. It shook its fur and started at the family of four with its sky-blue eyes. It looked like an arrogant but graceful noblewoman. Rainie could not help but fall in love with that cute and furry creature. She excitedly crouched down and stared at the cat while petting its soft fur. "Wow, Mommy, this cat is so pretty!"
Leia knew from Allison that Luke was having dinner at Blue Honors. She dressed up and wanted to surprise him with her appearance. She did not expect that Bianca was together with him. 'What's so good about Bianca that he loved him so much?' What made Leia even more disconcerted was that she had met Scarlett Quincy, a girl from the same orphanage. Leia closed her eyes, trying hard not to think of those detestable memories. Unfortunately, scenes from the past replayed in her mind like a movie. When they were taken in by the orphanage at the same time, Leia was six years old, while Scarlett was five. Back then, Leia was emaciated, and she did not speak much. She looked as though she came out of a refugee camp. Meanwhile, Scarlett was dressed in a puffy princess dress and wearing a tiara. She was as beautiful as an angel. Scarlett had a good temperament, and she knew how to sing, dance, and tell stories. Every child in the orphanage, no matter girl or boy, liked her and con
Leia's hand clenched onto the handbag tightly as she stared at the scene.Even though it was as if a stormy sea was rumbling in her heart, she still had to put on a look on her face to show and pretend that there was nothing wrong."Scarlett Quincy, room number three." Suddenly, a woman who looked like the maître d'hôtel called Scarlett in a hurry."Got it, I'll be there soon! Excuse me, miss, I have something else to attend to.” Scarlett smiled apologetically at Bianca.Bianca smiled and nodded, motioning her to go ahead.After Scarlett left, Luke thoughtfully picked up Bianca bridal style and walked into the private room.When Leia saw how thoughtful Luke was when taking care of Bianca in front of her, she was deeply hurt.‘Bianca Rayne?!‘Bianca Rayne??!‘She’s nothing but a plain old Jane! Why should Luke treat her any differently?’Leia thought about all the things she had done for Luke, how much she had devoted herself to him, but he had never treated her that tenderly
“'ll contact someone in A City to investigate,” said Gale.“Let Percy know while you're at it,” added Luke. “He needs to be aware of this.”“Got it.” Gale hurried off to handle the matter.…After taking Gale's call, Percy hung up and stared icily at the middle-aged man standing before him.Under Percy's chilling gaze, the man nervously dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.“Mr. Mallory, my sincerest apologies…” The man, the director of the psychiatric hospital, had come to personally apologize to Percy today.Karen had escaped.Two days ago, Percy admitted Karen to the psychiatric hospital. After an evaluation, the doctors determined her condition warranted hospitalization, so she was admitted.Even though Karen was against it, given her mental state and with the consent of an immediate family member, the hospital was legally authorized to proceed.Percy had even informed the hospital to take special care of Karen. He had explicitly instructed them not to
When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened slightly.Luca mumbled, feeling the warmth beside her. She instinctively curled closer. “What time is it?”“It's a little past five.” Luke gently rubbed her back, offering a quiet comfort to help her feel at ease.Since he could not be there beside her, he could only make these small gestures to bring her some peace of mind.“An entire afternoon just passed like that…” Luca was reluctant to leave at the moment. Her slender fingers lightly pressed against his chest.Luke took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss, holding it as if it were something precious and tenderly stroking it.Luca's hands had once been delicate and smooth, but during their time in the small villa, they had become much rougher.“You've got calluses.” Luke felt sorry for her.Luca gently traced her finger over his lips, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on him. “It’s just from the needlework and the experiments I’ve been d
Luca walked over to another couch and sat down. “I think I’ll stay here. How about letting Luke come down so that we can all catch up? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”Gordan’s face fell. “Ms. Craw, are you doing this on purpose?”Luca pretended not to know anything. “Doing what on purpose?”Gordan quickly shook his head. “Nothing. Just go upstairs already. Brother Luke’s been waiting for you.”Luca had intended to tease Gordan a little longer, but after not seeing Luke for the past few days, she found herself missing him deeply. Standing up with a smile, she said, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Oh, by the way, Mr. Gale, could you help me pick up a few things? Someone over there asked me to get them, and I couldn’t refuse.”“Sure, no problem. What do you need?” Gale agreed immediately.After handing him the list, Luca turned and headed upstairs.Gale watched Luca leave from behind, nudging Gordan’s arm. “Let’s go. We should leave and give the boss and Ms. Cr
The security guard remained completely unfazed.This was because the village chief was his uncle, and in their tight-knit community, they always stuck together and never favored outsiders.With directions from the people inside the ancestral hall, Hera found the village chief.“You’re the village chief, right?” Hera looked at the man in his fifties in front of her and spoke with an arrogant tone, completely unbothered.“And you are?” The village chief, seeing her attitude, was puzzled. He had no idea whether she was an investor or someone looking to discuss a major partnership to bring development to their quiet village.“It doesn’t matter who I am. I see you have surveillance here, and I need to review your footage,” replied Hera.The village chief was even more confused. “Are you a police officer?”“No.” Hera frowned. She thought reviewing surveillance footage was no big deal. Why was this village chief being so difficult?The village chief gave her a look as if she were a fo
“Wait a little longer. By the way, what kind of ancestral hall is this?” asked Hera.“It's a local family's ancestral hall. I heard it's been designed by the owner of a large company, and now it's also one of the tourist attractions.” The taxi driver was not from around here, so he did not know all the details, but he knew it had become a popular spot. “Now, thanks to the reputation of that boss, many architects come here as one of their reference points.”Hera frowned deeper. What was Luca doing here?The driver suggested, “If you're interested in sightseeing, the attractions inside are pretty good. But for outsiders, they charge an entrance fee. Maintenance costs a lot of money, so they charge tourists from outside.”“I'm not here for sightseeing,” replied Hera, “Don't worry. I'll pay you for however long I stay here. You’ll get your money.”The driver heard that she was paying, and did not press her further and remained quiet.Hera stared at the entrance of the ancestral hall,
Hera let out a cold sneer, feeling that Gerald's apology was not sincere.Hera did not want to press the issue at the moment. She gave him a sharp look. “Come with me.”Gerald knew that Hera was up to something again. If it were a normal order, she would have just said it in the living room. Whenever she called him aside, it meant whatever she had to say could not be overheard by others.Reluctantly, Gerald followed her out.It was midday, and as soon as Hera stepped out of the living room, a wave of heat hit her face.The intense warmth made her feel uncomfortable.Hera got straight to the point, turning to Gerald. “What did Luca say to you just now?”“She just asked me to help keep an eye on the volunteer,” Gerald answered honestly. This was not something that needed to be kept secret.Hera frowned. “Is she going out”Gerald hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to say anything.“I’m talking to you, not the wall. Are you mute?” Hera threatened. “If you lie to me, I’ll te
Gordan was puzzled. At most, it was just brotherly camaraderie. After all, they had been through thick and thin together. Their bond might be stronger than usual, but falling in love? That was a bit of a stretch.Luke said, “The way you acted just now, doesn't really seem 'straight' to me. Also, if you're into women, maybe you should consider finding one. Otherwise, if you're always single, people might start misinterpreting your feelings for me.”“Luke, actually, you're not bad at all. In fact, you're probably better than a lot of women,” Gordan replied with a sly grin.As a man himself, he honestly thought Luke was a great guy. If he were a woman, he would be utterly captivated by him.“Shut up!” Luke knew he was joking, but he still felt a chill run down his spine. He seriously worried that Gordan might do something inappropriate when he turned his back on him.Shivering from the thought, Luke put down his glass and headed upstairs.Gordan let out a deep sigh.The night w
“Anyway, I'm saying it here—I'm not going to Russia because of that ugly woman, Vivian. If I go to Russia, it's for you. I've already divorced her. Besides, I’m already trying to avoid her, how could I possibly go to Russia for her?” Gordan took a sip of red wine, then continued his rant. “And, Ray is still in Russia. I really can't go. His men are all brutal, and I've had enough of being beaten all these years.”“Then why did you buy an apartment in Vivian's neighborhood?” Luke continued to tease him. His sharp eyes glinted with intelligence.Gordan denied it, but whether he believed it or not was his own business.“It was just a coincidence!” Gordan raised his voice, trying to convince Luke.Or maybe himself.“Coincidence?” Luke sipped his wine, every gesture as graceful as a nobleman.“Of course, it’s a coincidence, Brother Luke. You wouldn’t know, but that apartment is in a school district, surrounded by college towns. There are a ton of hotties there, I picked the place just
As Luca listened to his tone that was full of regret, she felt a slight pang in her heart. She recalled when she had a child and continued pursuing her education. If she had given up on herself back then, perhaps she and Luke would not find themselves here today.Luca felt she was much more fortunate than the volunteer. Even though she loved her father, she also understood the importance of education and did not let her father’s illness cause her to give up. She was also fortunate to have a father who supported her education.At the thought of this, Luca could not help but ask, “Do you regret it?”“No, I don’t regret it,” the volunteer smiled. “Actually, I always look at it in a positive light. Back then, several boys in my class liked her. If I hadn’t confessed, she might have become someone else’s girlfriend. If there’s anything I regret over the years, it’s that I was too selfish and it affected her studies.“I never thought that being in a relationship at a young age would