After the private detective left, Leia remained on her seat, staring at the cup of coffee that had long gone cold. She pinched her arm and felt the sharp pain. She turned to look at the stack of documents on the table again and finally believed that what happened earlier was real! She had lived as a Norman for so long, and she had treated herself as the one and only Ms. Norman. She had never expected that the true Ms. Norman was still alive and might return to replace her one day. As she thought of Luke, the man she loved, she closed her eyes in agony. She had loved the man for too long. If only the man showed the least bit of tenderness to her, she would be satisfied. Bianca Rayne! Leia cackled hideously. Luke single-mindedly loved that woman with a humble background. If Bianca were truly Jack and Queenie's birth daughter and the truth was revealed one day, Queenie would divert all the love and attention she gave Leia to Bianca. By then, Leia would be abandoned! When
"I'm not judging you, Sue, but it's just that your symptoms look very similar to what I went through when I was pregnant… I mean, a woman should be in charge of her own health. I think you should go to the hospital for a checkup." Bianca knew how helpless a woman could be when they became pregnant before marriage. Back then, she did not know that the father of the babies in her womb was Luke. She had thought that the father was some despicable old man, and that she would never forget the physical and mental torment she went through during her pregnancy. Bianca's words seemed to have convinced Sue. She rubbed her temples, trying to recall something. That night, she had gotten herself drunk at a bar and spent a wild night with a stranger. Her heart nearly stopped when she thought of that. 'That can't be. It's just one night. Why am I so unlucky?' Sue tried to deceive herself that it was not the case. She felt as though her head was going to explode. She felt another wave of
Bianca handed the pregnancy tests to Sue. She waited outside the washroom worriedly instead of leaving. Sue's condition did not look too good. Bianca did not want to leave her alone. A few minutes later, Sue opened the washroom door. Her hand that was holding the pregnancy stick was trembling. Her face was silent and ashen. Bianca instantly saw the two red lines on the pregnancy stick… Her eyes widened, and her emotions became a mess. "Sue…" In the time Bianca was in the company, she had never heard that Sue had a boyfriend. Sue had always prided herself on being single. She even said that she wanted to devote her life to her career and not marry for the rest of her life. Why would she be pregnant suddenly? Sue's mind was blank. She looked visibly panicked. 'What is this joke that fate is pulling on me? I only had a one-night stand with a man because I was drunk, and I hit the jackpot? Is there another woman in this world as unlucky as I am?' "I'm really pregnant…
At that time, it was still rush hour, and there were many vehicles on the road.With Luke's encouragement, Bianca started the engine.She drove cautiously, afraid of hitting another car, but she was even more afraid that others would bump into hers.She did not notice that almost all the cars on the road kept a safe distance from her.After all, that kind of luxury car was not something that everyone could afford. Even a small chip would cost them more than their car, so no one dared to bump into her unless they had a death wish.Bianca managed to drive smoothly even though the roads were slightly congested.She saw that Luke was not supervising her when she drove, and he closed his eyes as he rested.That man was mature, attractive, successful, and was a prominent figure. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was eagerly sought after by all the women in A City.She was really lucky to have such a perfect man.Even so, when she thought about Nina, Bianca deliberated for a
Bianca felt extremely sorry that she nearly caused a car accident just now. She dared not continue driving in case she put their lives at risk again.However, Luke drank and could not drive under the influence.She took out her phone and used the ride-hailing app to find a driver.Luke stared curiously at Bianca.He got a little suspicious when he saw her entering her phone number on the app. "Can that find us a driver?”After all, when Luke traveled, either he or the driver would be driving. He never needed to ride in a cab, nor had he ever seen a ride-hailing app before."Of course. It’s very convenient. Let me show you how to use it. If you want to make an appointment for a driver, you have to enter your contact information, then do this..." Bianca grinned at Luke as she explained to him patiently.Luke quietly listened to her sweet voice and looked at her with a gentle gaze.In about ten minutes, a bespectacled male driver in his mid-thirties arrived.The driver was very e
As she spoke, Melissa's gaze went around the house, trying to find a trace of Xavier."Aunt Lacey, why hasn't Cousin Xavier come back yet?" Melissa asked.Lacey sighed loudly. "Sigh. Tanner Corporation is currently in a severe financial crisis. Your cousin goes out early and returns late every day to save the dying company. There’s no other way to it...""Don't worry, Aunt Lacey. When I go back, I’ll ask my brother and dad for financial resources. That should help Tanner Corp through its current difficulties." Melissa said, trying to please her.Melissa might have studied business administration in college, but she only knew how to live the high life. Even her admission to the college was bought over with a lot of money. How would she know about the lies and deception that happened in business?Her father and brother spoiled her, which made her think that if she went home and asked nicely, she would be able to persuade them to help finance Tanner Corporation."What a good girl. A
Sue had been in the workplace for many years and was used to all the fighting and scheming. It was rare to see a colleague like Bianca who distanced herself from politics. That was why Sue had a good impression of her.While they were talking, the design department lead walked over.At that moment, Bella looked cheerfully into Bianca's eyes. Bianca could not tell what she was thinking."Sue, since you're not in good shape, it's better if you stayed in the office in the future. Bianca, I'll be replacing Sue’s position in the project. I hope that we'll work well together," Bella said triumphantly.After Sue volunteered to leave the collaboration project with Vivi Group, Bella was selected as her replacement.Bianca forced a smile at Bella. "It’s an honor to work with the design department lead in this project."The truth was that she did not want to work with Bella, who was always acting against her. However, there were many things not under her control.Bella grunted and said,
The story went like this.Two years ago, a subsidiary of T Corporation developed a high-end residential complex called Greenview Regalia. A fire happened in the high-end apartment complex unit owned by a business owner named Mr. Sonny, and his wife and their six-year-old son perished.The arsonist was quickly arrested and turned out to be a nanny working at the owner's house.The nanny became greedy and was tempted whenever she saw valuables. At first, she stole Mrs. Sonny's belongings again and again without being noticed. Later, when she stole again, she was caught red-handed.Mrs. Sonny was hot-tempered and threatened to send her to the police station.The nanny was afraid that she would be sent to prison, so she set a fire to the place and tried to burn down all the evidence to cover up her crime…The terrible incident quickly garnered a lot of attention from the media.Almost all major news networks and mainstream media outlets condemned the nanny’s actions and called for h
“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