The neon lights at night time were colorful, and the pale yellow light spilled into the warm interior of the Bentley Flying Spur through the windows of the car.The two babies were in the backseat, sleeping soundly while covered with a thin blanket.Luke drove in front and Bianca sat in the passenger seat.Her hand was under her chin as she looked at the illuminated billboards on the commercial street with something seemingly on her mind."Does it still hurt?" Luke steered the steering wheel with his left hand and gently stroked the white gauze on Bianca's neck with his right hand.Then, his hand clasped her left hand tightly, as if transferring some of his strength to her.Bianca looked up at him and saw how worried the man looked. She shook her head slightly and recalled what had happened in Blue Honors. "I was just thinking how weird and odd things were today. Even if Leia's assistant hated cats, why would she inject it with bacteria? And I think that the girl looked very timi
At the hospital. "I won't abort the child. Nobody can touch my child. I'll fight whoever lays a finger on it!" Nina protected her abdomen with her arms. She continually stepped backward like a panicked rabbit, trying hard to keep her distance from the doctors in white coats from nearing her. "I'm sorry, Ms. Langdon. We can't disobey Second Young Master Mallory's orders!" The eldest doctor said with an indifferent expression. It was not the first time that the doctor had performed abortions. In fact, he was quite experienced at it. Second Young Master Mallory was a playboy, and the doctor had performed many abortions for his women. She was not the first one, and she would not be the last. "Come out here, Pierre Mallory, you scoundrel!" Nina yelled hysterically. The strong doctors pinned down Nina's arms and legs. The room door suddenly opened, and Pierre came in with a beautiful woman with an arrogant demeanor next to him. When she saw Nina, she narrowed her eyes as th
The cab sped along the road and stopped at a hospital belonging to Mallory Corporation. Bianca threw the driver a twenty-dollar bill and rushed out of the cab before getting the change. The spacious hospital ward smelled of disinfectant. Nina's diminutive figure was curled up miserably on the bed. Bianca felt her heart wrench and her throat go dry. She could not speak a word. She walked in front of Nina and called out her name. "Nina…" Nina turned to look at her with teary eyes. Bianca hugged her but accidentally touched her abdomen, which caused her to yelp in pain. When Bianca lifted Nina's hospital shirt and saw that her abdominal area was thickly wrapped in bandages, her eyes opened wide, and her mind started buzzing. "Your stomach…" Nina's shoulder-length hair was scattered over her neck, and her face was wet with tears. More horrifically, bloodstains could be seen on the bandages wrapped around her abdomen, which made Bianca feel extremely uneasy. Bianca's f
Xavier stared at Bianca's furious face and suddenly smiled. However, there was not a hint of guilt in his eyes. Instead, he spoke with some bitterness in his tone. "Bianca, I noticed that you've never smiled at me when we're together. It's either you face me with an emotionless face, or you look as though you want to kill me. It's just Nina, right? I didn't do anything to her. Is she worth your time and effort?" Right after he finished speaking, he felt a searing pain on his other cheek. Bianca slapped him out of anger again! Her hands were trembling. She was not going to be satisfied no matter how many times she slapped him! Her eyes were turning bloodshot out of anger. "How dare you say that you didn't do anything to Nina? Do you have a conscience, Xavier Tanner? If you hadn't gotten someone to abduct Nina, would she have been violated and become pregnant? Would she have to be forced to carry out the abortion by the violator? It's all because of you. How could you shake i
Meanwhile, Nina was curled up on the hospital bed, sleeping. However, nightmares continually tormented her, which made her unable to rest. The clarion ring of her phone woke her up from her nightmare. She took a deep breath and saw that it was her mother calling her. Reflexively, she answered the call. "Hello, Mom…" she said weakly. Anna's harsh voice was heard over the phone. "You've finally answered the phone! Do you still remember that you have a mother? Where have you been for the past month and a half? You don't come back home, but you also don't call me. What's the point of me raising you, you ingrate? Have you been sleeping with another man? Get back home this instant! The money that you gave me the last time is no more. Think of some way to get me more money!" Nina was covered in a thick blanket, but she could not stop shivering. The person on the other end of the call was her mother. After Nina went missing for a month and a half, all she got from her mother was in
Nina was still recovering from an operation and she could barely move. Her mother came to ask for money from her and was not even concerned about her wellbeing. Did Nina have any conscience? Did she deserve to be a mother? When the door opened, the people in the ward turned to look in that direction. Nina's eyes were full of pain and confusion. The young nurse looked visibly relieved. Anna gritted her teeth and became angrier. "Bea…" Nina said hoarsely. Her lips were dry and cracked. She sounded very aggrieved, like a bullied little animal who did not know how to retaliate. Bianca's heart wrenched when she saw Nina like that. She walked over and placed her handbag next to Nina's pillow. She wiped Nina's tears from her eyes and said, "Don't be angry. All you need to do now is rest. You shouldn't be agitated. That won't be good for your recuperation. Understand?" Before Nina could say anything, Anna's plump body waddled over. She pointed a finger at Bianca and sta
Bianca wanted to stay the night with Nina, but Nina insisted that she leave. "The nurses at the hospital will be able to take care of me. You don't have to spend your entire day with me," Nina said. "Lanie and Rainie are still young, and they need their mother's company," she continued, "If you stay here, what should the kids do if they miss their Mommy?" Also, Luke had been calling Bianca non-stop. Bianca did not get to stay in the hospital but instead returned to Luke's mansion. She had just stepped into the mansion when she realized that something was amiss. However, she could not say exactly what it was. When she opened the front door, she was utterly shocked by what she saw! The entire house had transformed into a sea of flowers. The wall in the middle was decorated with balloons of all colors and shapes. Pink gauze fabric surrounded the living room, which added a romantic touch to the pastoral scene. An exquisite cake was placed in the middle of the table. T
Bianca looked at Luke infatuatedly. The man whom she loved was like a perfect creation from heaven. His eyes, his nose, his lips, his silhouette; every feature was perfect. His character was cold and aloof, but he seemed so gentle when he smiled. Luke handed the bouquet of roses to Bianca and said, "Happy birthday." The roses were fresh in the middle of winter, and the bouquet was adorned with Canadian goldenrods. It was exquisite and beautiful. The roses of different colors were fragrant and elegant. It carried the meaning: All these colors say I love you. That will be my lifelong promise. Women are romantic creatures. They could not withstand the temptation of flowers. Bianca was shocked as she took the bouquet. "Thank you," she said, surprised. That was not the first time that she received flowers from a man. Jean used to give her flowers on special occasions to gain her favor, but her sentiments back then were different from now. Luke had a serious personality,
“'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