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