Late in the night. Sue was in the critical stage of her pregnancy, and she could not move about that easily. That was why she left the venue first. Bianca and Nina also felt tired and said goodbye. Other than Michelle, the ones who remained in the private room were all men. After saying their superficial goodbyes, they continued having fun. Armand wanted to see Bianca off instead of staying in the boring room. He pretended to stumble and said that he was drunk and needed to go home and rest. The other male colleagues did not persuade him to stay. After all, those who remained had their own agendas. After most of the female colleagues were gone, the male colleagues that usually looked serious called for the manager of the karaoke bar, selected several escorts that had decent figures, and continued their merriment… The situation inside the room was warm and lively. Once they stepped out of Blue Honors, the biting cold wind froze their necks. Fortunately, Bianca, Sue, and
As Luke turned his head over, his face was illuminated by the street light and moonlight. That was the first time Anand saw his face clearly. The curves of the man's lips were elegant and graceful. He was noble and otherworldly. For a brief moment, Anand thought that the man was Prince Charming who had walked out of a book. His lofty demeanor was breathtaking, but he emitted an aura as serene and tranquil as the bright moonlight. Anand had to admit that he was impressed. The man whom he had recently classified as a "love rival" was noble and aloof, while Bianca in his arms was graceful and beautiful. As the couple hugged each other, it was extremely pleasing to the eye. Whoever looked at the man or the woman could have easily been charmed. His crush was as docile as a kitten in the man's arms. Anand felt uneasy. He wanted to say hi to Bianca, but the man escorted her to the car and opened the door like a gentleman. Bianca was smiling like a blooming flower. Anand stoo
As Bianca walked onto the podium, her gaze subconsciously turned to Luke. She saw that the man was looking at her encouragingly, and that had made her slightly at ease. She handed copies of the documents to the bosses of the two companies as well as the higher management… Then, she inserted the flash drive into the laptop, adjusted the microphone, and prepared to give her presentation. Quinton flipped through Bianca's document, and his expression instantly sank. "Ms. Rayne, are you mistaken about this meeting's agenda?" Bianca looked curiously at a copy of the document in her hand and was instantly shocked. 'How… how is this possible? This isn't the document that I prepared the day before, but the weekly report of our design department…' Slam! The chairman of Vivi Group slammed the document on the table. Quinton's authoritative expression became even gloomier because of his anger. "How could you possibly make this kind of mistake as a designer? Even a rookie employee wo
What a bold claim! Did she know what she was saying? Some people might meticulously prepare their presentations, and there would still be errors. Right now, she was going to improvise her presentation! Everyone cast suspicious glances on Bianca, which made her palms wet with sweat. Bianca's grip on the stack of documents in her hands became tighter. Earlier, while she was looking for her missing documents, she found some design sketches in her cabinet. Those were not floor plans or 3D renderings but colored pencil concept sketches done during her free time. Bianca was not professionally trained in illustration, but she possessed certain talents. Moreover, whenever inspiration struck her, she would draw her designs on paper with a sketching pen or colored pencils instead of drawing them on the computer. The thick stack of paper was all her concept sketches for the project. The department lead had commented that Bianca was old-fashioned for sketching on paper, but Bianca
The urban reconstruction project involved funds of over a hundred billion dollars. The reason behind T Corporation and Vivi Group's collaboration was not only because of the astronomical sum of money involved, but also because it was impossible for a single corporation to gain sole development rights over the entire area. In an attempt to regulate the economy, the local government did not want to give the entire pie to one corporation, even if the company could do so. Even a single percentage point of profits from this project was a huge sum of money. Vivi Group was not going to go down without a fight. The two parties were caught in a stalemate. All of Vivi Group's higher management was furious. They were planning to fight tooth and nail for one or two percentage points. Now that Luke wanted a whole ten percentage points, they were definitely angry. After all, all civilities were already off the table. There was no point in courtesies, and therefore the boards of directors f
Quinton nearly popped a vein when he heard that! He was not expecting that Luke had several other partners waiting in line. However, he hesitated when he considered Luke's massive network. If he did not agree to Luke's offer, Luke might really go and look for another partner. Moreover, those companies were no pushovers either… Quinton clutched his chest that was starting to become painful and waved his other hand. "I'll discuss this with the other members of high management, and I'll give you a reply!" "Help yourselves with any of the conference rooms here, Mr. Lamarr," Luke said generously as he stubbed out his cigarette. The meeting was paused. The higher management of Vivi Group went into a smaller conference room next door. Bianca and her colleagues returned to the design department. Bianca wanted to spend some private time with Luke. After all, Luke must be tired from the intense negotiations earlier. She wanted nothing more than to hug him. However, their rela
Mavis went to the CEO's office to ask Luke why he changed his mind. Before the meeting, he had said that they were going to sign the agreement with Vivi Group. She did not expect to see that heartbreaking scene at the door. Mavis wanted to laugh, but she felt something stuck in her throat. It was uncomfortable, and at the same time, it felt like it was burning. She had fallen in love with Luke the moment she laid her eyes on him. Mavis had returned to the country after graduating from an internationally renowned design college. Many large corporations wanted to recruit her, but she chose Crawford Industries that was on the brink of bankruptcy only because Luke was the general manager. She noticed Luke's infinite potential since then. Indeed, he did not disappoint her. He managed to turn the tables, expand the business, wrested it from his family's control, and renamed it T Corporation. The more she interacted with Luke, the more she was smitten by his character. Her lov
Bianca was silent. From the moment she knew that Mavis had planted a pair of lace panties in Luke's car, she could tell that Mavis was a scheming woman… However, she believed that the love between her and Luke was indestructible. So what if Mavis was a scheming woman? She was the woman that Luke loved. If Luke had any feelings for Mavis, they would have already been a couple. Mavis would not have to wait. Bianca smiled at Sue when she thought of that. "I know, Sue, but I believe that our love can overcome every obstacle. If he belongs to me, then no one can take him from me. If he doesn't belong to me, then there's no point in me retaining him. We've gone through so many ordeals. It won't be that easy to tear us apart." When Sue and Nine saw how confident Bianca was, they did not say anything. They sincerely hoped that Bianca could find bliss. After all, a good woman like Bianca deserved to be loved. Nina decided to change the serious conversation topic. "Hey, Sue, Be
“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