Mavis was mentally strong.In the face of Luke's piercing gaze, she kept a cold smile on her face, even though her chest felt tense.She knew how shrewd Luke was.She dared not lie to him, so she admitted it graciously. "Yes, Mr. Crawford. When I sat in your car the last time, I went to the convenience store and bought some lingerie, but when I got home, one piece was missing. I didn't dare to ask you about it. After all, it is lingerie, and I felt awkward..."The always capable and cold Mavis showed a rare feminine look of embarrassment when she spoke of it.Seeing Mavis admitting it generously without the slightest concealment, Luke was less suspicious.If there had been any seed of doubt, it was now gone.He even thought it was funny that Bianca had made such a fuss about an unidentified piece of women's clothing.His woman was good in everything but possessive in her feelings. However, he loved her and doted on her. He could let her have her way and tolerate everything abou
Bianca stared at Charmaine and did not let herself lose her cool. Her gentle eyes were cold.She took a sip of milk. "I don't know who you are, Miss. I don't know if you're Luke's secret admirer or if you've had some feud with him in the past, but I can tell you this for certain. I'll never leave him unless he asks me to. Who are you to make me leave him?"Charmaine narrowed her eyes as she looked at the calm Bianca, and her smoking hand paused.The girl in front of her was graceful and pretty. She looked nice, but she had a sharp tongue and spoke on point. She could not be underestimated. It made Charmaine feel as powerless as if she was punching cotton.Charmaine blew a smoke ring. She picked up a dessert from the table and unceremoniously stuffed it into her mouth. "Not bad. This caramel pudding is delicious."The woman who appeared out of nowhere made Bianca lose her appetite.She got up gracefully and looked down at Charmaine from a commanding position. "Take your time with
Seeing Luke staring at her, Bianca joked with some embarrassment, "What's the matter? Why are you staring at me? Are there flowers on my face?"Luke came to himself. His dark, bottomless eyes were full of tenderness. "You don't have flowers on your face, but to me, you're more beautiful than flowers."Bianca blushed.Luke chuckled and gave her a peck on the lips.Out of the corner of her eye, Bianca saw many customers in the dessert cafe, and among them were many children eating with their parents. That made her cheeks even hotter."Stop it. We're in public," said Bianca.Luke naturally knew that this was not the occasion for intimacy. He pinched her nose; that was his favorite affectionate gesture toward her. "Come on. Let's go home."Luke accompanied Bianca as they left the dessert cafe.A City was worthy of being an international metropolis. At night, the neon lights shone, and the heavy traffic was like the Milky Way. Everywhere was steeped in prosperity.Luke drove Bianca
Bianca was embarrassed to see Old Master Crawford, Luke, and Louis staring at her.She apologized to the old man. "Sorry, Old Master Crawford, I was thinking about something. I'll go home over the weekend to ask my grandpa and aunt what they think and see when they're free. I'll let you know then, okay?"Old Master Crawford laughed loudly, "Okay, I'll have dinner with my in-laws and go through the calendar for the best date for the engagement and send the invitation. We still have to go through the formalities."The old man was superstitious about picking the perfect date. Luke naturally understood.His grandfather was supportive of his and Bianca's marriage, so he was naturally happy. "We'll do whatever you say, Grandfather. Bianca and I will get engaged as soon as possible and start on the preparations. Bea's two months pregnant. We can wait, but your great-grandchild can't wait."Old Master Crawford raised his walking stick and tapped his favorite grandson. "Jerk. You know they
"May 1st? So soon?" Old Master Rayne and Wanda said in unison.Even though he knew that Bianca was going to marry someday, Old Master Rayne was nonetheless overcome with emotion.His favorite granddaughter, who used to live with him and depended on him, was about to get married. He was so reluctant.The old man raised his trembling old hand and wiped the tears that had somehow appeared in the corner of his eyes. "Bea, I know you're going to get married sooner or later, and I've been looking forward to this day for a long time. But I'm reluctant when you do get married!"Old Master Rayne's old eyes and those uncontrollable tears made Bianca's heart as heavy as a rock. The tip of her nose twinged, and she felt a lump in her throat.However, over the years, she had learned to control her emotions, so she did not cry in front of her grandfather.Bianca pulled out a tissue to wipe Old Master Rayne's tears and comforted him. "Grandpa, it doesn't matter whether I'm married. We're in the
Leia's confidence was unfounded. She had been preparing herself for her eventual entry into the Crawford family. She learned upper-class etiquette from Queenie and also how to play the piano, create flower arrangements, and cook simple dishes. She even started to learn about investing and business management from her mother. With her talents and her abilities, she was sure to be Luke's wife… Leia's agent walked behind her and told her, "There will be a dinner with the production crew tonight, Leia. I think you should join it. That'll strengthen your relationship with the director and producer. That way, you'll receive more roles in the future." Leia declined without thinking. "I've been busy recently, and I don't have time for any gatherings. Maybe next time." No matter what the agent said, Leia was not in the mood to listen. All the agent could do was to shake her head and lament Leia's stubbornness. When they passed by another trailer, they could hear several female act
After leaving that harsh message, that person ended the call without waiting for Bianca to respond. Bianca thought that it was a prank call. She wanted to go back to the kitchen when she suddenly remembered that a few days ago, she had met a stranger in the dessert cafe. That woman handed her a CD, telling her that its contents were disadvantageous for Luke. The woman also threatened her to leave Luke if she wanted him to be safe. After she got home, she completely forgot about the matter. As the saying went, pregnant women were easily forgetful. The woman had reminded her about the existence of the CD. She wondered why that woman was so sure that the contents of the CD would be enough to threaten her. Bianca lowered the heat on the stove to simmer the tonic in the pot. She found the CD in her handbag, then took it out and played it. The video played on the screen. Bianca's gentle face stiffened when she saw the contents of the CD. Her body trembled as though she fe
Luke had always been an elegant gentleman. Once he stepped out of the car, the female employees of the bridal boutique were looking at him with heart symbols in their eyes. "Oh my, Mr. Crawford is so handsome! He's much more good-looking than any movie star on TV…" "That elite that I only see in financial magazines is so imposing! I'm going to faint, boo hoo hoo…" "That woman is so lucky to marry him. I wish I were her…" The female employees standing in a row were whispering to each other. Their eyes sparkled as they looked at the incredibly handsome Luke. The subject of their discussion stood straight like a soldier. He walked at a steady pace through the entrance of the bridal boutique while protecting Bianca. "Mr. Crawford, Ms. Rayne." The manager of the boutique welcomed them into the store and introduced the latest designs. "We have received a batch of wedding dresses handmade by the best designers in the world, and there are all types of styles, whether you want som
Allison was so thrown off by his commanding presence that she took two steps back.When Luke mentioned Susan, her eyes widened, and she shook with anger. “I'm your real mother! Who does that woman think she is?! You call her 'Mother'? No! Susan’s not your mother. I'm your only mother!”Consumed with jealousy, Allison's eyes turned red. She could not stand Luke calling Susan 'Mother'.Furious, she smashed several items in the living room.“Madam Allison, please calm down.” Sophian was startled by Allison's sudden outburst.Allison shattered another item, casting a hateful, challenging glare at Luke. She was like a child causing trouble. When he still showed no reaction, she picked up a vase and smashed it, creating a louder racket.Luke watched the whole scene with an icy calm.These were genuine art pieces from reputable brands. Even though they were not as costly as his grandfather’s antiques, they were still valuable. One piece could cost a white-collar worker half of thei
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