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
After Leia took the item from the man's hand, she carefully stuffed it into the pocket of her jacket.She walked toward Blue Honors.When she passed a crossroad, a dirty hand suddenly grabbed the corner of her coat. "Miss, can you do me favor? Can you spare some change?”Leia took off her sunglasses.She frowned in disgust when she saw a shaggy homeless person tugging on the corner of her clothes.The homeless man was drunk and wore a shabby jacket with holes. His clothes were dirty, and his natural skin color was barely visible from all the dirt. His face was in a horrible mess and it seemed as if he had not washed his face for at least a week.Leia could not stand his sloppy and dirty appearance."Piss off!" Leia rudely kicked the homeless man away with her high-heeled boots.When she saw the stains on the corner of her clothes where the homeless man had touched, Leia's brows furrowed deeper.It seemed that the new coat that she had just bought not long ago was about to be t
Leia leaned against the wall of the bathroom and almost exploded in anger due to the Persian cat.No matter how much she tried to tempt the cat with the canned cat food, it would not get down from the flower stand! It was a freaking cunning little thing!No matter what, she had to inject the liquid medicine into the cat.Otherwise, she could not go ahead with the next step of her plan!Leia took off her high-heeled boots and climbed barefoot onto the sink. She wanted to grab the cat from the flower stand down herself.Unexpectedly, the snow-white Persian cat seemed to guess her intentions. When Leia had just climbed onto the sink, it jumped off the flower stand directly onto the ground.At the same time, its sharp claws scratched Leia’s white and tender flesh when it passed by her!If Leia had not reacted quick enough and blocked her face with her arm in time, her beautiful face would have been sliced through by that time.Leia almost fell down.Meanwhile, the Persian cat even
Everyone was shocked by the sudden scene.The tiny little Rainie was even more frightened and puzzled. She could only watch with her eyes wide as the crazy white cat clawed right at her.The little girl's eyes were wide open from the horror."Rainie!"Right at this critical moment, the maternal instinct and love in Bianca made her grab Rainie and Lanie, protecting them in her arms. She hid their little faces tightly in her chest and used her back to resist the attack of the white cat.The white cat went mad. Its snow-white fur that covered its body stood upright like thorns and its bright blue eyes faintly glowed red. Its sharp claws caught right into Bianca's sweater!"Go away!” Bianca pushed the white cat off her shoulder fiercely.She did not understand how the purring little obedient and quiet Persian cat from just now that was lovable and cute became like this.How did the cat’s temperament change drastically, becoming cruel and abnormal in a manner of mere minutes?!!The
The man’s familiar and scorching breath struck Bianca…The smell of his male hormones that made people feel at ease filled Bianca's nose. When she smelled the masculine and chilly smell from Luke's body as he held her neck tightly, Bianca's fear in her head slowly faded. She started to feel at ease.She had not felt anything before, but after she saw Luke, her sadness suddenly poured out like spring water.Bianca whispered, "Luke..."Luke hugged her tightly and sat on a nearby bench with Bianca on his lap.The man gazed over at the wounds on her neck, and the pain in his heart showed on his face.At the same time, there was an unquenchable hostility that lingered in his eyes!Bianca subconsciously covered the scratches on her neck with her hands because she did not want him to see her ugly wounds.Luke leaned forward to tuck a lock of her hair that was bouncing on her cheek behind her ear.After that, he lifted Bianca's tiny chin. "I look away for one second and you get yourse
“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