Luke was surprised when Old Master Crawford and Allison arrived at the mansion at the height of their anger, but it was not totally out of his expectations. He frowned. "Mother, Grandfather, why are you here?" Old Master Crawford's expression was sullen! He walked in front with the help of his walking stick. Behind him was Allison and several bodyguards dressed in black. When he saw Bianca standing in front of the couch, a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes. He knocked his walking stick on the floor heavily and asked his grandson with an unpleasant tone. "Why isn't that woman gone? Why are you still together with her?" His angry gaze wavered when he noticed the slight bulge in Bianca's stomach. The atmosphere in the living room was tense and stifling. No one made a sound. Bianca lowered her head, averting Old Master Crawford and Allison's disdainful gazes. She did not dare to greet the guests. Luke did not answer his grandfather's questions. He walked up to help Old Ma
Old Master Crawford nearly choked when he heard what Luke said! Why did that ingrate not think of how to mend the broken relationship between the Crawford and Norman families, but instead wanted to call off the marriage? That was totally different from what Old Master Crawford had in mind, and that had made him angry. "Luke, since you were young, I've taught you that you should be a man of your word, and you should be responsible for the promises you make. What do you have to say about your actions? Do you want to be known as an unfaithful man? Do you wish for the Crawford name to be the subject of ridicule? You'll have to marry Leia Norman no matter what!" Veins bulged on Old Master Crawford's face because of his anger. His tone of voice was menacing. To be frank, Old Master Crawford did not care whether his grandson was unfaithful. What was more important to him was the financial benefits of the union with the Norman family! "Grandfather, I will only marry Bianca Rayne and
Bianca had never seen Luke being embarrassed. She could not help but take a dig at him. "I expected that you'd be an ace student since you're young, but…" She shifted her gaze onto the test papers with single-digit scores. The two children covered their mouths and giggled as they looked at their father. They had never seen such low grades before. In kindergarten, the lowest-scoring student in their class at least had a double-digit score. They had never seen a single-digit score before. "Daddy, Big Bro and I both scored 100 marks in the test last week. We always get 100 marks!" Rainie looked at her father smugly as she chewed on gummy candy. "Daddy, Mommy says that you have a doctorate from Harvard University. Why are your grades so bad? You even left this essay blank…" Lanie pointed at Luke's writing test and looked at him slyly. "That's because you've never seen what I can do when I work really hard. When I got to high school, I'm always at the top of my grade, and no
Bianca carefully observed Luke. His sculpted face was handsome and exquisite, his bewitching eyes were narrow and icy, and he exuded a unique masculine charm. That face undoubtedly belonged to Luke Crawford. Bianca would never forget that face. However, Bianca wondered why that familiar face would give her such an unfamiliar sensation. Luke also stared at Bianca without saying a word. His gaze was profound as it landed on her fair and petite face. The man was Gordan Norton, who had disappeared for the past few months. He was currently wearing the same face as Luke Crawford, and he was observing Bianca and the two children in the mansion with some interest. "Luke?" Bianca asked doubtfully when she saw that he did not say anything. Her instincts told her that something was not quite right about the man. "Luke" reflexively touched his face and smiled ambiguously when he saw Bianca's shocked gaze upon him. "Mm," he replied. The two children did not notice anything strange a
Like a proud princess, Leia held Luke's elbow and walked along the soft red carpet into the hall. All the guests were gathered there. Luke smiled elegantly and nodded at the people who greeted him. He pressed his lips in response to the congratulatory messages, but there was a hint of mockery in his smile. Countless cameras captured the loving scene, bearing witness to the union of the two influential families. The Crawford and Norman families sat at separate tables. Every one of them was joyous. Old Master Crawford, dressed in a navy blue suit, seemed to be in good spirits. The joy on his face was evident. Originally, he had thought that his grandson would not proceed with the engagement after negotiations failed. That had made him unreasonably angry. He was a control freak. He even thought of resorting to underhanded means so that his grandson would comply. To him, a union of the Crawford and Norman families could only bring them benefits. He would not allow Luke to
When Leia looked at Luke's icy gaze and heard the whispers among the guests, she realized that the man was not joking! No one would make such a tasteless joke at their own engagement ceremony. Leia's face turned pale at an instant. She did not expect that sudden turn of events at all. She was expecting bliss, but it turned out to be ridicule. All her hope had turned into despair! She stiffly lifted her dress, walked in front of Luke, and begged him softly, "Luke, we've never quarreled or fought. If there's a problem, treat it as all my fault. If you don't like any aspect of me, I'll change for you, alright? Don't call off the engagement. After we're engaged, you can do anything you want. Please… there are so many guests and media reporters here. I don't know what they'd say. Can't you spare some dignity for me and my family?" Leia had a pitiful expression as she stared at Luke. Tears were almost falling from her eyes. She admitted that she loved the man in an undignifie
After the people from the Norman family left, the media reporters flocked to Luke. They bombarded him with questions, and their cameras did not stop flashing! "Mr. Crawford, will the cancellation of the engagement today negatively affect the relationship between the Crawford and the Norman families?" "Mr. Crawford, it goes without saying that you are the perfect match for Ms. Norman. What is the real reason for the cancellation of the engagement?" "Mr. Crawford, T Corporation will be launching a series of products soon. Aren't you worried that the cancellation might affect its sales?" The reporters shoved their microphones in Luke's face. Their cameras accurately captured his expression. Luke loosened his tie, and his Adam's apple moved. The impatience on his sculpted face was evident. His grandfather had passed out. He was not in the mood to deal with all the reporters. He shot an icy gaze toward the reporters that were taking his photos. Instantly, everyone fell silen
Luke faced the people from the Public Integrity Committee with an indifferent expression. He loosened his tie and ignored them. A group of bodyguards surrounded him and prepared to escort him away. "Hold it right there, Mr. Crawford! You are suspected to be involved in a major bribery case. Please cooperate with us and follow us back to the headquarters for investigation." Amid the tumult, a young officer squeezed past the crowd and stood in Luke's way. Jason was standing next to Luke. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and smiled gently, but the words that came out of his mouth were a stark contrast to his expression. "Mind your words, Sir. Mr. Crawford has always been honest in his dealings, and slander is a serious crime." Jason quickly sized up the officer from the Public Integrity Committee. He seemed young, perhaps in his mid-twenties, and he had a round and plump face. Jason could tell that he was a new recruit. He could not help but be impressed by how that new
“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