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
Bianca looked at Luke with her mouth agape. She had thought that Pierre's car crash was purely an accident. She did not expect that it was deliberate. More than that, she had never expected that the man who had a gentle demeanor could be so ruthless. Bianca thought that Luke would use his connections to make sure that Pierre received his due justice under the law. She did not expect that Luke would get a car to crash into him. She could not believe that the man could be chatting so calmly with Percy. Pierre was Percy's younger brother, and Luke could talk to Percy as though nothing happened. Bianca was impressed by Luke's composure. If it were her, Percy's penetrating gaze would have seen through her! Bianca licked her lips and asked worriedly, "Pierre and Percy are brothers. If one day he finds out that you were the one who caused the car crash, won't he become your enemy?" When Luke heard that, he glanced at her supple lips, and his eyes flashed with lust. He kissed
Pierre’s despair turned into delight by the unexpected news. His attitude towards Johann improved slightly, but he still had some doubts about the young man in front of him. He asked, "You are a doctor?" Pierre has always been a playboy. All he had ever cared about were luxury cars, yachts, nightclubs, and girls. He had never paid attention to anything else. He was not aware that Johann was well-known among the medical community. Johann crossed his hands in front of his chest and looked at Pierre condescendingly. "As real as it gets." Pierre's nostrils flared, and he said arrogantly, "I'll give you whatever you want if you can cure me!" "Wow, look at you talking big! If it were Master Percy who said this, I would believe it because he holds a certain degree of credibility. Why should I take you seriously?" "You..." Pierre was so infuriated by what Johann had said that he could no longer keep it in. His face turned ghastly pale. Johann was right. Pierr
Luke had never taken the medicine that could speed up healing, so his recovery was nowhere near as fast as the others from the Island of Despair.Luca did not respond to Gerald’s comment. Her gaze fixed on him with intensity.“No stitches,” said Luke, “I trust you.”Luca bit her lower lip.“But if you don’t stitch it, it might tear open,” insisted Gerald, staring at Luke’s wounds.Luke glanced at his injuries and shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, as though the wounds had nothing to do with Luca.“Stitches will leave scars.”“Are you afraid of scars? What kind of man doesn’t have a few scars on him? Scars are a symbol of manhood,” teased Gerald with a playful tone, “Scars show you’re reliable, that you can protect a woman.”Luke gave him a look as though he were an idiot, then his gaze shifted to Luca. “I don’t want too many scars. I’m worried my future wife might dislike them.”Luca’s heart sank at his words, but his lighthearted remark eased her sadness. Despite the severity
Luca could not help but tremble with heartache. She fought hard to resist the urge to rush forward.Everyone in the room had survived brutal training to make it out of the Island of Despair, and they could not help but shudder when they saw the scene. The sound of the whip felt like it was landing on their own bodies.Gerald closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer. It was too cruel for him to watch.The ten lashes felt like an eternity, stretching on for what seemed like a century.Luca looked at the drenched clothes on Luke. His eyes were red, and his shirt was so soaked that you could wring out the blood from it. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that the veins were bulging.Abel tossed the whip aside, looking at Luke’s disheveled state with satisfaction. He enjoyed the thrill of this bloody scene.He turned to Luca, noticing her reddened eyes, and smiled even more devilishly. “Hera is in the hospital now. You’ll go take care of her for the next few da
Luca instantly understood the situation. It was about Hera.Hera was someone Abel valued, possibly as a future corneal donor for Kassy. While Abel might not love Hera now, he certainly took her health seriously.In a calm tone, Luca explained, “She was hospitalized due to inflammation that caused a fever.”Abel furiously flung his half-smoked cigar at her. The glowing embers singed her clothes, leaving a small burn mark.She instinctively stepped aside.Abel roared, “What kind of care is this?! I told you to look after her! Is this how you handle things?”Luca was perplexed. When did he ever tell her to look after Hera?Besides, she did take care of her.”When Ms. Sanchez fainted last night, she already had a low-grade fever. I diagnosed her condition as inflammation and prescribed anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing medication. I also emphasized that she needed to take oral anti-inflammatory drugs. She didn’t trust me and threw out Mr. Shanks’ medication, which led to her con
Luca placed her hand on Hera’s other wrist, checking her pulse. “Her condition is worsening. The inflammation in her body has intensified.“I prescribed her medication. Those are Mr. Shanks’ formulations, and they're highly effective for reducing inflammation. It shouldn’t be getting worse.” Gerald pursed his lips before finally speaking up. “Luca, when I was cleaning yesterday, I saw that Ms. Sanchez had thrown all the medication you prescribed into the trash. She didn’t take any of it.”Luca was speechless.She had been questioning whether the medicine was ineffective or if she had made an error in diagnosis. It turned out that it was Hera herself who had sabotaged her treatment.“What should we do now?” asked Gerald.“There’s no other option. She needs to go to a hospital,” Luca decided firmly. “Her condition is serious, and since she doesn’t trust my treatment, the hospital is her best choice.”“Can’t you help her just this once?” pleaded Gerald, “I mean, she looks really b
Luke stayed silent, letting the chilled beer cool him down, washing away some of the lingering heat.Gerald glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before leaning in and speaking softly to Luke. “Actually, I’ve seen it.”“Seen what?” Luke could not be bothered.Lowering his voice even further, Gerald whispered just loud enough for the two of them to hear, “I’ve seen you going into Ms. Craw’s room quite often.”Luke’s expression sharpened instantly. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.He had been so cautious. How had Gerald noticed? Was he bluffing?Luke narrowed his eyes and said nothing.His aura grew colder by the second.Gerald, sensing the rising tension, shrank back slightly and quickly added, “Relax, I’m not going to tell anyone. If I wanted to report you, I would’ve done it already.”Luke’s expression eased slightly.Gerald continued to reassure him, “I’m not one to meddle. Look, I haven’t said a word about you, and I even stood up for you during that whole thing
“Sure.” Luca was unsure why he was suddenly interested in the volunteers. She led him into the room where the volunteers were.Luke noticed that the volunteer’s legs were covered in needles.If Johann saw this, he would probably make a big fuss about it.Luke watched as Luca carefully removed each needle, checked some of the volunteer’s nerve functions, and offered a few reassuring words before picking up a tray filled with medical waste and leaving the room.Once they were outside, Luke, not having seen the volunteer's previous condition, asked, “Were his legs completely immobile before?”“Yes. He said it was an injury caused by a machine malfunction at the factory. It hadn’t been treated properly for years. By the time he was sent here, his family didn’t have time to help with massages, and his calves had atrophied. But now, as you can see, the muscles are gradually recovering, and he’s starting to regain sensation. In another week or two, his legs should be able to move.” Luca
“Yes.” Luca nodded. “You have a mild fever and some inflammation in your body.”Hera was surprised. “Inflammation? Where?”She often mingled with men, so every few months, she made sure to get a check-up to avoid picking up any unwanted diseases. Her previous check-ups had all been normal, with no signs of any illness.“You've been getting along well with the boss these days, haven't you?” Luca did not say it outright but hinted at it. She then glanced at the thermometer, seeing that her temperature had returned to normal.Hera understood and widened her eyes. “You're saying I have inflammation there? That's impossible.”“Your body can't handle too much.” Luca did not want to go into too much detail. She looked up and saw that the IV was nearly done. She rose to her feet, removed the needle, and pointed at the medicine on the side. “Your body won't have any major issues. Don't worry. Here are the anti-inflammatory pills for the next three days. Take them, and you should be fine.”
Gerald was relatively strong. However, he tried to avoid touching other parts of Hera's body, making it quite difficult to carry her. By the time they reached the third floor, he was out of breath.Luca, however, seemed to handle it better than he did.“Ms. Craw, aren't you tired?” Gerald could not help but ask as he set Hera down on the bed, panting.Luca glanced at him and replied, “I'm not tired because I'm not worried about touching other parts of her.”Gerald, whose hands were on his hips, was out of breath and muttered, “This is the first time I've realized how exhausting it is to carry a woman upstairs.”After positioning Hera properly, Luca took her pulse and frowned. “Did she mention feeling unwell earlier?”“Yeah, but wasn't she pretending? She was crying, throwing a fit, and making a scene downstairs. It was quite the performance,” Gerald recalled, chuckling at the memory of Hera trying to cling to Luke and failing.Luca switched to her other hand to take Hera's pulse
Abel did not have much of an impression of Lucius. However, he believed he would not lie to him. If Lucius had actually done something to betray him, he would not have been foolish enough to admit that Hera had tried to seduce him.Abel studied his face. Lucius was not handsome, and his physique was not any different from the other people in the organization. His gaze then shifted to Hera. “You didn’t do anything?” Hera could feel the chilling intensity in his eyes, and she could not help but shiver.“A man had to step forward to file a complaint because you were harassing him, Hera. Have I been too lenient with you?” Abel continued, his voice light, almost indifferent. Still, the underlying menace was unmistakable. Despair filled Hera as she shot a resentful look at Luke. How could he be so ruthless, pushing her toward the brink of destruction?“Hera, look at me,” Abel commanded coldly, his hand suddenly gripping her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.Hera knew she had no