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,
Luke hugged Bianca in his arms. He wrapped his strong arms around her delicate waist and showered her with indulgent kisses. The kisses that carried the fragrance of cream, cherry, and strawberry seemed to be especially tasty. Bianca was lost in the man's gentle kisses. His embrace was too warm, and the light was too gentle. Luke's long eyelashes seemed almost transparent under the light, and Bianca was moved by his unbelievably gentle expression. The kisses lasted for a very long time until Luke's hands started to reach beneath her shirt. Bianca came to her senses. "Luke, shall we… eat some cake for now?" The handsome man hugged her body dominatingly and said hoarsely, "All I want to eat now is you." Those words made Bianca's heart thump faster. Bianca noticed that the two children were not there. She pushed herself away from his embrace. "Um, let's finish the birthday celebration first… Where's Lanie and Rainie?" She had always been afraid whenever Luke looked at
The next day was Saturday. After Bianca and the children had breakfast, she brought them to meet their maternal grandfather. Luke wanted to go along, but he received an important call from the company and had to return to the office. He would join them for lunch later. Luke apologized to her, but Bianca thought that it was no issue. After all, Luke bore a lot of responsibility helming a multinational company. She felt sorry for Luke sometimes. As a wage-earner, she had two rest days every week. On the other hand, whenever Luke got busy, he could work days and nights without rest. Luke asked Lowry, his driver, to send Bianca and the two children over. Old Master Rayne lived in a scenic neighborhood in the Nordlong Lake district. The neighborhood was built near a mountain range and a lake, and the place had fresh air and beautiful scenery. It was far from the bustle of the city, but it boasted a complete range of amenities, including a hospital, a physiotherapy center, a park
Wanda poured a cup of hot tea for Bianca. She also brought out a lot of healthy snacks for the cute twins. Wanda loved the two children a lot. She could not bear children because of her health, and that was one of the biggest regrets in her life. That was why she gave all her love and care to Lanie and Rainie. The two children quickly familiarized themselves with their Great Aunt Wanda. "Are you used to living here, Grandpa?" Bianca sat on the couch and started chatting with Old Master Rayne. "This place is great. I wasn't too used to it at the start, but it grew on me. The environment here is good, and the caretaker attends to all my needs. I often go for walks around the neighborhood and find many friends of my age. I've never imagined that I'd be able to enjoy such a good life. The neighbors were right, Bianca. I'm so lucky because of you!" Old Master Rayne said emotionally. After toiling for many years, it was finally his turn to relax and enjoy life. When his son K
Everything served at lunch was home-cooked, but it had a full spread of meats, an assortment of vegetables, and Old Master Rayne's favorite sake. Luke had found out about Old Master Rayne's favorite sake brand from Bianca. He took a long detour on the way and bought it. After serving the rib stew on the table, Bianca sat down next to Luke. She scooped some stew into her grandfather's plate and said, "Grandpa, I've learned how to cook from recipe books. Try them. I hope that you'll like it." Most of the dishes were Old Master Rayne's favorites, while the others were Luke's favorite dishes. Old Master Rayne patted Luke's shoulders and heaped praise on his granddaughter. "My granddaughter is pretty good, right? Look at all the dishes served on the table. Not only do they look good, but they taste good too. I'm already drooling from the smell alone. You're so lucky to marry my Bianca. She's been a good girl since young, but she is too soft. She won't complain even if someone wron
Of course, none of Luke's family members ever gave him extra money, not even when he was a child. His grandfather had been strict with him. Susan treated him with hostility. Meanwhile, his mother Allison was the one asking him for money instead. Luke felt extremely emotional as he held the envelope in his hand. The envelope was light, but he felt that it was so heavy that his hands were trembling. Luke did not want to take money from an old man, but the envelope carried a special meaning. He had to take it. "Luke, Grandpa won't let you leave if you don't accept the money. It's a tradition in our family," Bianca said gently as she held onto his arm. She knew how stubborn her grandfather could be. If Luke did not accept the envelope, Old Master Rayne was not going to let him leave. "Thank you, Grandpa," Luke felt that his throat was dry, but his heart was indescribably warm. "We got envelopes too, Daddy! Great-Grandpa and Great Aunt Wanda gave them to us." The two chi
“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