Blanche opened his mouth to say something, but then he looked around to give his tall father behind him a cautious look. After that, he turned back around and shook his head at Bianca. “No, we’re taking you to the department store.”“The department store? Why?”As soon as she said that, Bianca immediately remembered that there was no more mineral water in the fridge. The kid was probably worried that she did not have any water to drink when she felt thirsty.“We don’t need to go to the store. I’ll boil myself some water later.”What she really needed now was for the two of them to leave, ASAP.However, the boy shook his head adamantly. “Nuh-uh, I’m worried you won’t have anything to eat or drink…”Helpless, Bianca looked at Luke, signaling at him to help her. As his parent, she hoped that he would take the boy away.Instead, Luke patted his son’s head and said to her mildly, “Lanie is so worried that he might even insist on staying here with you tonight.”Bianca, “...”There w
Back at the hospital.Bianca stared at the shopping bags for a long time before she went to brush her teeth.The father and son did not stay for long after that.Once she was cleaned up, Bianca changed into her pajamas and lay on the pure-white single hospital bed. She squeezed the covers between her fingers for a long time, unable to sleep.She tossed and turned, but she just could not go to sleep.Her eyes were wide. Bianca was thinking that this was the first time in her twenty-four years of life that someone gave her a coat without hesitation when she was feeling cold.She would be lying if she said that she was not touched in the slightest.Luke led his son out of the hospital and prepared to drive back to the mansion.The drive had barely started when they reached a red light.Luke then opened the car window and lit up a cigarette. Holding it between his fingers, he took the occasional dreg, his deep eyes staring directly ahead of him and gradually narrowing.“Dad, you
Just then, Jean walked over and tried to turn the bedroom doorknob.He turned it a few times, but it did not budge.At some point, Luke had locked the door from inside. However, this was just a regular doorknob, and it was not very sturdy.Bianca’s heart leaped into her throat and stayed there, all the blood draining from her face...Her lips were sealed by the man’s scalding kiss. She could only look at the man with sorrow deep in her eyes, shaking her head desperately.Luke kissed her for a long time, venturing deep into her mouth every time. After a pause, he pulled his tongue out of her mouth, his gaze bright with an unending blaze of lust.The man’s well-defined side profile stuck to one of her cheeks. The warmth of their bodies melded together, and his large hand did not ease up its grip on her wrists at all. Instead, his other hand, placed between his legs, applied even more pressure there.“No…”Bianca could not help another shudder.Her knees were weak, and she needed
“He’s asking you a question. Are you crying?” Luke’s hoarse voice was pressed against her back. He kissed her, again and again, moving up her spine and reaching her earlobe. “Tell me, are you crying?”Just then, there was a loud clap of thunder outside, followed by a flash of lightning.Bianca took that chance to bark at him, saying, “You’re such a thug!”“That’s right. In public, I am a gentleman to everyone. But in private, I am your personal thug.” Luke bit her ear from behind and licked her back and forth.One of his hands reached around her slender waist at the same time, reaching to touch her round belly button.The man’s rough and cracked thumb rubbed her belly button back and forth…Bianca could not stand the way she was caressing her, and she instinctively fought against his finger on her belly button. That was why she arched her body back and raised her head.That way, though, she made it much easier for Luke to press his body against hers…Jean was still pouring his
Bianca’s levels of humiliation reached an unprecedented high.She never thought that Jean would one day call her an “adulterous pig”!Luke grabbed onto her snow-white ankle and refused to let go. She shrank away backward, resisting the bitter taste in the mouth. At the same time, she was utterly terrified by those blood-red eyes threatening to eat her up.After a brief struggle, he had abrased her ankle and turned it red.“Ow…” she cried out.Bam!Bam!Jean kicked the door two more times.The door was on the verge of shattering. Bianca was beside herself with anxiety, the last traces of blood draining from her already-pale face.While Bianca was stuck between a rock and a hard place, her lips were suddenly taken by the man whose face was magnified infinitely before her.That was followed by another sound from outside. Bianca’s ears were filled with the man’s burning breath and his sexy panting.Outside the bedroom.Jean turned around when he heard the sound and saw four m
After Luke left, Bianca stood at the door and stared for a long time.He was right, and the doctor’s diagnosis was right too. However, she did not know if she was right. Her body and senses had completely betrayed her.There would probably be very few women who would not feel anything for such an accomplished and capable man.However, when faced with a man as superior as Luke Crawford, many women would appraise themselves. They would consider if they had any right to feel anything for him, and what the consequences would be.Aside from someone like Charlotte Shaw, which normal woman would be able to match up to him?Bianca knew herself well, so she had managed to keep her defenses up all this while. Today, though, when he forced her so overbearingly, her body had thrown in the towel and betrayed. It almost felt as though this body was not hers…“Your body will speak the truth your mouth does not.” That sentence was actually extremely discriminatory, but today, Bianca had to tragi
It did not matter if they were the same person or not. Bianca was still going to this gathering.Not for her classmates, nor for the senior she could barely remember, but solely for the teacher who once gave her so much love and care, Miss Clinton.It was one thing if she had not heard about Miss Clinton, but now that she had, there was no way she could not go.…That noon, at Crawford Manor.From the moment Luke walked through the door, the old man had been following behind his oldest grandson, asking, “You’re not getting any younger. Maybe you should think about finding a life partner. Tell me, what kind of a woman do you like?”Luke went upstairs without saying a thing.The old man followed him upstairs despite his walking stick, but he inwardly cursed his ungrateful grandson as he climbed the stairs. The boy had no love for the young or the elderly.“Do you like them plump? On the fair side?” the old man pressed. He thought that was his older grandson’s type.Luke walked i
Anna was being wholly unreasonable. She yanked Bianca back and forth, messing up the latter’s hair and even scratching her on the neck several times. Bianca’s face was still smarting from before, too.Anna grabbed Bianca’s hair and refused to let go, cursing, “A woman like you should wear a scarlet letter! Are you that desperate for money? Will you give up your dignity for money? If you like having a sugar daddy, no one would care, but don’t pull my son into this! How are you gonna pay my son back for the past five years of his youth?!”Bianca could not stand it anymore. Wincing from the pain, she pulled her hair out of Anna’s grip and then shoved the woman away forcefully. “That’s enough!”Anna was shoved more than a meter away, her face and neck scarlet with anger. Her finger trembled as she pointed at Bianca, “You’re a despicable, shameless hussy! How dare you act like you’re in the right!”More people started crowding around them, watching the spectacle.One of the older ladie
“Mr. Mallory, won’t you feel guilty if something happens to Nina?” Sue did not understand why he refused to call the police.“It won’t happen.” Percy furrowed his brows as his mind raced to find a solution.Sue was even more confused. “Just because you say it won’t happen, does that mean it won’t? Yes, Madam Mallory is your mother, but Nina is also your wife. If your mother harms your wife, shouldn’t you call the police? Instead of doing that, you’re leaving her in this dangerous situation. I honestly feel sorry for Nina.”Sue had always been straightforward. She thought Percy would protect Nina for life, but seeing him defend Karen at the cost of his wife’s safety, she was deeply disappointed.She felt she was in no position to feel sorry for Nina, but she could not understand Percy’s actions.Percy furrowed his brows. Calling the police was not an option.The Mallory family could not afford this kind of turmoil.If Old Master Mallory found out that he handed his mother over to
Nina trembled when she was touched. Her whole body was shaking.Karen’s touch was icy cold, and when her hand fell on Nina’s face, it carried a chill.“Don’t hurt her!” Percy’s voice was hoarse, his anger barely concealed in his eyes.He was furious but kept reminding himself not to provoke Karen.“Hmph, look at how nervous you are.” Karen's patience wore thin. Without another word, she laid out her conditions. “If you want me to let her go, fine.”“What do you want me to do?” Percy knew the conditions she was about to propose would not be as simple as keeping her out of the psychiatric hospital.It could involve Pierre.Perhaps even the company.Even though Karen had spoken to him about the high hopes she had for him, Percy did not believe a word of it. To her, from beginning to end, the only person who mattered was Pierre.Percy was merely a tool to secure her position in the Mallory family.“See? You still care about this woman. You’ve disappointed me!” Karen glanced at Ni
“Mr. Mallory, I didn’t dare to go in. Nina and your mother are still inside.” After Sue realized that Nina might be in danger, she had been waiting outside, unwilling to leave.She had been planning to rush in with the other employees if she heard Nina scream.Percy's expression darkened. He did not blame Sue for the situation, so he did not say anything. Instead, he quickly walked to Nina’s office door and pushed it open.The sight before him sent a chill through his veins, as though his blood had turned to ice.“You're here?” Karen fixed her eerie gaze on the person who had opened the door. A strange, sinister smile curved at the corners of her lips. She stood behind Nina with a knife tightly gripped in her hand.The sharp blade was pressed against Nina’s neck, already leaving a faint red mark.Sue gasped at the sight and instantly lost her composure.Karen frowned in dissatisfaction, moving the knife slightly and muttering, “Why is there another woman here? Tell her to leave!
“'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