Susan did not expect that Louis was standing at the door. She instantly came to her senses and remembered what she said at the peak of her rage. She had to admit that the twisted marriage to Zachary Crawford had caused irreparable psychological damage, but undeniably, she was a doting and caring mother to her son Louis. Her position in the household was precarious, and she only had her son to rely on. She could not afford any cracks in her relationship with Louis. "What are you saying, my son? I don't understand," Susan said sheepishly. "See, Luke already has a pair of twins, and now Bianca is pregnant with a third child. You'll have to buck up and get your mother a grandchild soon. That way, the Crawford family business wouldn't fall entirely into the hands of Allison and her son!" "Tell me honestly, Mom, did you hire someone to cause Luke's car crash?" Louis was not beating around the bush. Louis's gaze was like Zachary's. Susan felt an inexplicable panic when looking int
At the study. Louis opened the door and looked at his brother Luke, sitting at the desk and carefully perusing some documents. The heater was turned on, and the man was only dressed in a black shirt, which accentuated his mature demeanor. From the door, Louis could see that his brother's legs were crossed. Even he had to admit that his brother was very charming when serious. Louis sighed again. He would also have been attracted to his brother if he were not a straight man. His brother was a workaholic, even working when it was the holiday period. Louis, though, would find sitting in front of a desk even for half an hour unbearable torture. Indeed, his brother Luke was his idol. Luke seemed to have noticed that someone was looking at him. He lifted his head, saw that it was Louis, lowered his head, and continued his work. It was noon, and the sunlight was comfortable. The gentle rays shone through the floor-to-ceiling window and around Luke, enhancing the handsomeness of
At the birthday party, Bianca saw Queenie chatting with a group of noblewomen. Queenie's hair was tied into a bun, and she was wearing a deep blue embroidered evening gown. She was the epitome of elegance as she chatted with her friends. Frankly, Bianca had never seen another woman with a uniquely elegant air as Queenie Ziegler. She carried the air of nobility, but she did not look arrogant. Instead, she seemed kind and gentle, though with a hint of authority. Even though Queenie had traded barbs with her before because of Leia, Bianca could not get herself to hate the woman. Instead, she somehow felt that the noblewoman looked familiar. "You're so lucky, Mrs. Norman. Your grown-up daughter is both beautiful and talented!" "Yes! Ms. Norman is gentle, beautiful, and knowledgeable. I wonder if she is currently seeing someone?" One of the extravagantly dressed noblewomen asked. "You're too kind. Leia doesn't have a boyfriend yet. If you know anyone suitable, you can recommen
Bianca was nervous while facing Leia's challenge. Her palm in Luke's hand started to sweat. She did not know how to play the piano at all. Bianca looked at Luke for help, but he was extremely calm. Luke squeezed Bianca's hand, indicating that everything would be OK. He smiled and said to Leia, "I'm sorry, my girlfriend hurt her hand yesterday. She won't be able to play for everyone." He lifted Bianca's hand and showed it to everyone. Bianca was peeling an apple for the twins the night before and had accidentally sliced her index finger. It was wrapped with a band-aid, and that was the perfect excuse for not being able to play. The guests nodded in understanding. Luke continued, "She might not be able to play the piano, but she has a sweet voice, and I think she can make it up with a song. As her boyfriend, I shall be her accompaniment." Bianca was shocked. She looked suspiciously at Luke. She was indeed good at singing, but she was extremely shy and had never sung in
The applause in the hall belonged to Bianca. Leia's strode stiffly to the bathroom. Several youths greeted her on her way there, but she did not see them. She also ignored their gossip as she walked past them. "She's just the adopted daughter of Mr. Norman. Why is she so cocky?" In the bathroom, Leia splashed cold water over her face in an attempt to cool herself down. However, it was all in vain. She could not control the feelings of anger and sorrow within her. Leia stared at the woman with the contorted face in the mirror. She could not believe that it was herself. Tears started to flow down her cheeks. Suddenly, she was shocked by the sudden appearance of a rugged and burly man! "Ah… how… how did you get in here? This is the women's bathroom…" Leia stared at the wolf-like gaze of the man with her tearful and bloodshot eyes. In a panic, she wanted to run away, but the man grabbed her delicate wrist! Wayne had suddenly appeared in the bathroom. The man's gaze
In the hall which exquisitely dressed socialites gathered, the atmosphere was refined. Leia stared at the person who was currently the highlight of the party. Luke's harsh eyebrows were bone-chillingly mysterious. Queenie held Jack's hand as they stood in the center of the hall, and Luke and Bianca were standing next to them. They looked like a happy family of four. Leia's eyes hurt when she saw that. She hoped that Luke would turn to look at her, even just for a short moment. Unfortunately for her, the man only had Bianca in his eyes. His gaze never left that woman. It was a lively venue, but Leia felt unbearably desolate. Leia returned to her room and changed into a more ladylike and beautiful gown. When she reappeared in the hall, she caused a commotion. She enjoyed being showered with praise and attention. She rejected several offers to dance and walked toward Luke. Jack was talking to Luke. Through the conversation, Jack became more and more satisfied with Luke,
Luke was chatting with Jack, but he had been keeping an eye on Bianca. He noticed that Bianca seemed uncomfortable, and so he hurriedly ended the conversation and strode toward her. He was dressed in a bespoke suit, and his tall and well-built body was incomparable. Leia was obsessed when she saw the man walk over. She had never seen a man in a suit as handsome as him. Luke hugged Bianca's waist, kissed her on the forehead, and asked out of concern, "What's wrong?" At that moment, Bianca was like a drowning person who had found a piece of driftwood. She instantly calmed down. She told him the truth, "I wasn't feeling well, and Ms. Norman said that she had some medicine for me. I don't want to take the medicine…" Bianca tactfully explained away Leia's forceful coercion. After all, they were in the Norman residence, and she did not wish for Luke to become angry over a minor issue. She considered her words from the angle of a businessman and thought that it was more importan
On New Year's Eve, Luke, Bianca, and the twins sat in front of the television while eating supper. Luke and Bianca did not eat much at Crawford Manor. As they ate, Luke and Bianca's phones did not stop vibrating. They were all messages wishing Happy New year, and most of them were copied and pasted. Bianca's messages were from her good friends, as well as some colleagues and clients. She replied to every message as a form of courtesy. Luke, on the other hand, did not bother. He replied to the messages from several good friends while ignoring those who wanted to flatter him. It was a simple supper, but the family was happy. The twins got tired after supper, and they went to bed early. Luke wanted to carry Bianca to the bedroom. It had been a long day, and Bianca must be tired, not to mention that she was pregnant. However, Bianca insisted that she make a pot pie. According to her family tradition, the first meal of the new year should be a pot pie. It signified toget
The two women froze in surprise at the sound of the commanding voice. Allison realized Luke had returned, and from his tone, he was clearly angry. Panic gripped her, and just as she was not paying attention, Susan scratched her again. The pain on her face was searing, and she let out a loud, pained scream, stumbling back and covering her face.Luca, who stood beside Luke, was equally stunned. They were actually fighting! What on earth was going on?!Allison staggered back a few steps and saw Luke's dark expression. Even though she was afraid, she felt reassured that her support had arrived. She cried out, “Luke, you're finally back! Your mom's getting beaten by an outsider!”Luke looked at the two women, whose ages added up to over a hundred years, in complete disbelief. He exchanged a glance with Luca before speaking again, “Are you two going to keep fighting?”Susan let out a cold sneer. She had been scratched by Allison several times, and her face now burned with pain.
Sophian realized she had made a mistake and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Madam Allison. I saw it was someone familiar, so I didn’t think too much about it.”Allison shot her a furious glare.Sophian knew full well that Allison and Susan did not get along, yet she still opened the door for her. Was she out of her mind?“Oh my, after all that time in Seoul, you didn’t pick up anything good? Still that same fiery temper.” Then came Susan’s mocking voice.Allison froze for a moment and shifted her gaze toward the doorway.“How did you get in here?” demanded Allison. Did she not just ring the bell outside? How did she get in so quickly and without anyone opening the door to the villa?!Susan gave Sophian a smirking glance. “Your helper let me in.”Allison frowned, still confused. Susan continued, “I’m living right next door now.”“Oh, so I heard you got kicked out by Old Master Crawford. Moved right next door, did you? Sticking around like a ghost that won’t go away, living jus
Sophian stood before her. Her face was a picture of hesitation and discomfort. “Madam Allison, how about you order using your phone?”“What? You can’t even handle this small task?” At this point, Allison had completely shifted her view of Sophian, now seeing her as just another maid. Her previous tone vanished, replaced by a much more domineering attitude.Sophian felt helpless and quickly explained, “It’s just that the food from this place is just too expensive. I don’t have that kind of money.”Once she finished speaking, a flush of embarrassment crossed her face.Sophian had come back with Allison to work off the debt she owed from her cosmetic surgery. Therefore, she had no money to spare.Allison paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. After a brief moment, she picked up her phone and said, “It's not like I'm having you pay for it. You can't even temporarily cover it?”Sophian smiled awkwardly. “I just transferred money to the hospital.”Allison let out a faint hu
“You don’t like eating outside food, do you?” Luca thought that preparing breakfast and dinner for him was not a big deal.Besides, the main point was that Luke did not like eating out. He always felt the taste was off and lacked nutrition.“Actually, it’s not that I don’t like eating out. It's just that all the food outside tastes the same to me.” Luke gently squeezed her hand.“Hey, focus on driving.” Luca chuckled.Luke withdrew his hand and returned it to the steering wheel. “With that woman around, it wouldn’t be convenient for you to cook. Are you really going to make breakfast for them too?”If that happened, it would defeat the purpose of his plan.Luca thought for a moment. She did not mind ignoring Sophian, but if she cooked for Luke and not for Allison, that might not sit well with her. Allison could easily make a fuss over even the smallest details. “So, should we just eat out for breakfast and dinner from now on?”“Yes.” Luke did not mind.It did not matter where t
“Something I like?” Luca laughed. “What could that be?”“You’ll find out when we get there.” Luke kept it mysterious.“Alright then, I’ll wait for your surprise, Mr. Crawford.” Luca was in good spirits without letting family issues dampen her mood. Therefore, she video-called the kids.Luca dialed Mr. Griffin’s number.After Mr. Griffin answered the call, he handed the phone to Lanie. “Young Master Lanie, Ms. Craw wants to talk to you.”“Thank you, Mr. Griffin.” Lanie took the phone and pressed ‘accept’.Luca positioned the camera to include both her and Luke. She waved at the screen. “Lanie, Rainie, Tommy, what are you all doing?”“Lanie! Lanie, I want to talk to Ms. Luca!” Tommy waved excitedly at the camera, eager to take the phone.Lanie handed it to him. “Go on, tell Daddy and Ms. Luca about your good news.”Luca smiled and asked with curiosity. “Good news?”“Daddy, Ms. Luca, I made it to the next level in the math competition! The finals are this Saturday!” Tommy said e
“Why are you being so slow?” Allison was irritated. She shoved the products into Sophian’s hands.“I told you to use them, so just use them.” Allison ran out of patience. After urging Sophian, she lay back down.Sophian had no choice but to follow her instructions and poured out some product. The texture of the product in her palm made her pause for a moment. It was incredibly moisturizing!She gently patted it onto Allison's face and noticed the area she touched felt just as smooth.Allison let out a content sigh. “This essence is really soothing.”Even though Sophian was still worried about potential side effects, she could not help but admire the instant hydrating effect. She asked in a low voice, “Madam Allison, is this really developed by that woman?”She could not believe that Luca had such skills and wondered if the essence had just been repackaged into another bottle and sold as her own creation.“That's what she says,” replied Allison. “But she's into pharmaceuticals, s
After agreeing to become the maid, Sophian’s excitement gradually turned into anxiety.The villa was so large. Could she really handle all the tasks a maid was supposed to do?As she thought about it, she accidentally left the bread in the toaster for too long. After serving it to Allison, she was scolded.“What’s this? It’s just a slice of toast. How could you burn it like this? How am I supposed to eat it?” Allison was clearly displeased.Sophian awkwardly explained, “Madam Allison, this is my first time using this toaster. I didn’t quite get the temperature right...”Allison was about to keep complaining but paused for a moment, remembering that Sophian was the one she had brought in to be the maid. Now, she was the only one who could make breakfast for her. She disdainfully tore off the burnt part and took a bite. “Where’s the soy milk?”“It’ll bring it out,” replied Sophian, heading back to the kitchen. She brought out two glasses of soy milk and another slice of toast tha
“Are you planning to tell me that Madam Allison brought someone back?” Luca had a feeling she knew what was going on. Luca had been wondering why Allison had taken such a big risk by going out during the day, but it all made sense now.“Yes, she brought someone back and said she'll be taking over my job,” Aunt Neile replied helplessly. She was worried she had lost her competitive edge, which made her feel anxious.“I got it, Aunt Neile.” As soon as Luca spoke, there was a cheer from inside the lab. She glanced back and saw that there seemed to be progress in the research. Rhett gave her a thumbs-up to signal success.She slightly smiled and nodded before hearing Aunt Neile's voice again on the phone. “Ms. Craw, there’s something I’d like to say, though I’m not sure if I should. I’ve thought about it, and I feel like I should. Even though Mr. Crawford isn’t the type to fool around, you have to be careful. He has no interest in that woman, but she’s clearly interested in him. You sh
Allison watched the two of them go upstairs, and instantly, her temper flared.Not allowed, huh?Allison refused to believe it. She would find a way to turn things around and reclaim her position in this family!…The next morning, as Luke and Luca came downstairs, they noticed Aunt Neile looking at them with red, puffy eyes.“Aunt Neile, what happened?” Luca was puzzled. What happened?“Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, Madam Allison just told me that I’m fired.” Aunt Neile looked distraught. She thought Allison’s words yesterday were just a joke, but first thing in the morning, she was told to settle her wages and leave. She was completely stunned.“Mr. Crawford, did I do something wrong?”Luke’s brows furrowed. Allison’s behavior was truly astonishing.“You’re not fired,” replied Luke. “Is breakfast ready?”Relieved to hear she still had her job, Aunt Neile quickly wiped away her tears and let out a sigh of relief. “Yes. Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, please have a seat. I’ll bring it out.