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 host of the radio show was telling the story of a young daughter of an elderly couple in A City. She was only ten years old, but she was suffering from leukemia. The couple also had a son who was a firefighter, but he had sacrificed himself in a rescue mission. The son was an only child, and the couple was very sad when he lost his life. In an attempt to comfort his wife who was devastated by the tragedy, the husband discussed it with her and eventually got a daughter. They lived a peaceful life, but the daughter was eventually diagnosed with leukemia. The elderly couple incurred huge debts to pay for their daughter's medical fees. They did not have the money to pay for her medical fees for the coming month. It was New Year's Day, but the elderly couple could only afford plain white bread. They had been living such lives for most of the past year. The old lady even had to beg for the bread they ate. "It's fine if we are poor. We don't need much money to survive anyway,
In the cramped house, Bianca said to the uneasy old lady. "Your daughter's health is the most important, and she should get it treated as soon as possible. Shania is still so young, and you shouldn't delay the treatment. It's New Year's Day today, and we hope that we can bring you some joy." The white-haired old lady cried tears of gratitude. "You're the only ones who came. We don't expect anyone to come, and we didn't expect that kind people existed in the world. I pray for your safety, my kind benefactors!" The elderly couple kept on thanking Luke and Bianca while Bianca tried her best to comfort them. Meanwhile, next to the little girl's bed. Rainie put her pocket money and her doll in Shania's hands. The little girl's voice still smelled of milk. "Bis Sis, this is one of my favorite dolls. I hope that you'll treasure it… Also, here's some pocket money that I got from my Great-Grandpa and Aunt today…" Then, she leaned close to Shania's ear. "Don't tell anybody else, but
Mallory Residence. Luke leaned lazily on the couch. His left hand was hugging the quiet Bianca while his right hand swirled a crystal wine glass. Percy loved alcohol, especially red wine. He had a collection from all over the world. Recently, one of his friends, an earl from England, had given him a crate of high-quality red wine. Percy had invited Luke, Johann, and other good friends to come and have a taste. Luke was not fond of alcohol. He thought that alcohol would impair his judgment. He was willing to entertain Percy and visit him at his house because they were old friends. He had sent the children back home because he would be drinking. Only he and Bianca went to meet Percy. Johann sat on the other couch. He watched Luke put down his wine glass and carefully peel a grape for Bianca. After peeling the grape, Luke fed the grape into Bianca's mouth. Bianca wanted to decline awkwardly, but it was no use. Johann was shocked and even horrified by Luke's display of af
“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