Allison did not expect to meet a woman whom she thought she would never meet again in A City! Dr. Vyen Lane, Queenie’s obstetrician and gynecologist! She gritted her teeth and stared at Vyen. Allison wanted to throw her LV bag in her hand on Dr. Lane’s head. "You promised me that you’ll never step into A City ever again. I didn't expect that you would dare break your promise! Vyen, what do you want? Are you regretting your decision?" Vyen was about 50 years old. She was tall and fat with an ordinary appearance. She was one of those women who would blend into the crowd. The only thing that made her stand out was her extraordinarily round and plump figure. She was the same age as Allison, but because she had not been taking care of her appearance, she looked ten years older than Allison. Vyen did not expect that she would be caught on the spot by Allison just a few days after she arrived in A City. She said with a guilty tone, "For so many years, I’ve been h
Therefore, Vyen and Allison conspired to swap Queenie’s healthy and beautiful daughter with a dead baby who had been born to another local girl. After Queenie woke up, she learned that her baby was stillborn and almost went crazy. Her pale face was full of gloom and despair. She held the dead baby in her arms and refused to let go. Her eyes were almost blinded by the excessive crying. She kept complaining that she was useless and had failed to keep her and her husband's child. Vyen was uncomfortable when she saw Queenie's death-like appearance. However, she was consumed by her greed. She prioritized her needs and ignored the guilt she felt for Queenie. She forced herself to persuade Queenie that she was in good health and that she would have a chance to have other children in the future. However, Vyen knew that Queenie had a high probability of being infertile due to this dystocia, and her physical condition would not allow her to carry another child.
Luke carried Bianca to the bedroom and kissed her fair forehead. "Why aren’t you sleeping in the room?"Bianca stayed in his arms like an obedient kitten, and there was still a hint of drowsiness in her voice. "I thought you'd be back soon. Who knew you’d come back so late...""I'm indeed a little busy recently. Something went wrong with the partnership with Vivi Group, and the maid arson case is about to be heard in court. I'll spend time with you and the baby after dealing with these matters." Luke put her on the big bed."Are these things troublesome?" Bianca frowned.Luke said, "The problem with the partnership has been resolved, and we're still working on the arson case."Bianca heaved a long sigh as she recalled Giovan jumping from the building after the arson case.The whole country had been in shock since the arson case.Luke pushed Bianca's messy hair aside, revealing her delicate little face. "Deciding on a verdict isn't as easy as you think."Bianca was upset. "Are w
The hospital.Leia was huddled in the hospital bed, shivering like a madman!It was almost June when the weather was hot, but she had covered herself with a thick blanket.She screamed frantically and would not let anyone get close, including Queenie, the doctor, and the nurse.Several doctors and nurses tried to hold her down to give her a sedative, but the deranged Leia was unusually strong!She was also the heiress of the Norman family, so they dared not push too hard. For a moment, there was nothing they could do with her.Queenie looked at Leia with tears streaming down her face. Why had her daughter, who had always been so understanding and sensible, turn out like this?She remembered how her daughter had told her not to tire herself out when she was going to the office and it was right before Leia went missing in the hospital… Leia even said Queenie had worked so hard in taking care of her these days that Leia would cook a nice meal for her and Ol' Norman when she recover
Shakira's words hit Queenie hard like a bomb, exploding instantly! The fragments penetrated deep into her heart, making her feel throbs of pain...Queenie thought she had misheard her. She grabbed Shakira's arm tightly, her pale face full of shock. "Shakira, what... What did you say?""I said your daughter is alive and well. She wasn't stillborn when you gave birth to her!" Shakira's arm hurt from Queenie's grip. She took in a cold breath and said bluntly, "Queen, would you please ease your grip? It hurts."Queenie let go of Shakira with a look of joy on her face, but then it quickly dimmed again. She mumbled in disbelief, "Impossible. My daughter can't possibly be alive. I gave birth to a stillborn baby! The baby was so stiff that she didn't have any warmth when I held her. I remember it clearly!"Queenie began to cry again at the mention of her biological daughter.Children were her armor and her weakness.Shakira took out a piece of tissue and wiped Queenie's tears. She said w
Bianca rested at home for a few more days and felt almost well enough to go back to work.She was bored out of her mind resting at home for so long.Technology was so advanced now that people could communicate with others through video calls without going to the office. However, if a person was separated from a group for too long, they would not only feel lonely but also out of place when they got back to work.Luke could not resist Bianca's repeated requests. His heart softened, and he relented when she repeatedly assured him that she would not tire herself out.Luke never had the heart to refuse anything Bianca requested.Bianca returned to work and clocked in as usual. As soon as she got to the Design Department's entrance, she came face to face with the cold and elegant Mavis."Good morning, Ms. Laviere," Bianca greeted her with a smile.Mavis glanced at Bianca, her gaze falling on her belly that was clearly showing. Her eyes did not seem to stir."Good morning, Ms. Rayne."
Soon, it was time to get off work.Thinking that he had not taken Bianca out for dinner for a long time, Luke drove Bianca to a fancy restaurant for dinner.Shakira ran the restaurant, and the dining environment here was excellent.The music from the melodious violin wafted through the entire space. The place overlooked the city’s scenic lake and one could admire the sight by the French windows. They also served a variety of delicacies.As they were regular customers she was familiar with, Shakira served them personally.She placed the last dish on the table and said happily, "Luke, what have you been up to all this time? I haven't seen you for a long time. I missed you."Although Shakira got along well with Queenie, she did not have much contact with Allison. However, she was very fond of Luke. Plus, her husband was close with Zachary, so she was naturally more attentive to Zachary's son.Shakira had watched Luke grow up, so to speak, and sometimes, she was even more like his m
Fortunately, Shakira was an agile person, and she was experienced with such situations. She managed to catch the plate before it hit the floor, thus averting disaster. However, what Bianca said earlier rang in Shakira's ears like a clap of thunder. 'Allison was married to Bianca's father, and she said that Bianca was her daughter? How is that possible 'Luke said that he had done a DNA test with Bianca, and it proved that they're not siblings! 'That has to be it. 'The two are not related by blood. 'However, It's undeniable that Allison used to be related to Bianca's father…' Shakira remembered very well that Allison only bore one child, who was Luke. Luke was Allison's tool to enter the Crawford household, but Old Master Crawford had not recognized Luke's status back then. He only wanted to wait for Susan to give birth to a legitimate Crawford child. Zachary did not have the authority in the family, and he dared not go against his father's wishes. The child was not abl
When Gerald heard this, his face fell. “Huh? Ms. Craw, you're not cooking anymore?”Luca said nothing. Luke had already left with the others. She turned her gaze back before walking inside.Gerald realized that Luca had only been cooking breakfast because of Lucius. The thought puzzled him. Had they taken a liking to each other from the very start? That did not seem right.In this fast-paced modern world, even if they had, using something as old-fashioned as cooking to win someone over did not add up.Still, the timing was too coincidental to ignore. Luca started cooking for everyone when Lucius arrived, and she stopped as soon as he left. That realization gave Gerald an eerie feeling.Thinking they might have known each other back on the island, it all suddenly made sense. Of course! They must have met before. How else could this all line up so perfectly?With that thought, Gerald quickly caught up with Luca. “Ms. Craw, my cooking is terrible. Why don’t you keep doing it?”
Kassy’s eye donor was Hera, the one Abel had brought over.Even though Hera’s eyes resembled Kassy’s, they did not meet the criteria for a transplant. However, Hera’s blood type matched Kassy’s exactly.Hence, Abel decided to use Hera’s eyes. His belief was that her eyes were specifically meant for Kassy.Shanks knew he would not be able to change Abel’s mind, so he did not try. Abel’s stubbornness was something even Kassy herself could not sway.Luca remained silent for a while, not saying anything further. She understood that using a cadaver was the best option as it would not harm anyone.However, the eyes Abel wanted for Kassy were not from a cadaver. He intended to take them from Hera.Luca certainly would not participate in such a surgery. It was too cruel.“What are you thinking?” Shanks suddenly asked.Luca shook her head. “I’m just thinking about the volunteer’s situation.”“You’re wondering if this solution will be marketed, aren’t you?” Shanks suddenly asked.L
“I’m still a bit worried. Let me take a look in your room and change the dressing while I’m at it.” Luca knew Luke would not want her to worry. Therefore, she needed to see for herself that everything was fine before she could feel at ease.“Alright.” Luke knew she was worried about him, so the two of them headed into the room.He took off his shirt, revealing the bandage wrapped around his torso.Luca could not help but chuckle at the sight. The wrapping was done by Gerald, and it was hilariously sloppy. It was haphazardly bound—overly tight in some places and entirely uneven. It looked like it was just meant to cover the wounds, with no thought for neatness.“Stop laughing.” Luke was clearly rendered speechless by Gerald’s lackluster bandaging skills as well.If it were not for the fact that it was difficult to bandage himself, he would never have let Gerald do it.“With it wrapped like this, how are you supposed to sleep at night?” Luca asked as she began unwrapping the ba
Abel chuckled. His voice was low and gravelly.“Hera, let’s agree on something. Don’t use threats of leaving to manipulate me anymore, or I won’t be happy,” said Abel in a low voice.What might have sounded like a plea or a compromise came across to Hera as a veiled threat.The cool sensation of his fingers brushed against her eyelids, and she could not help but shiver. His touch felt as cold as death itself. She could not feel a trace of warmth.Her hands clenched tightly together. The tension in her grip was the only thing keeping her from trembling further.“Alright,” Hera murmured obediently.Abel withdrew his hand. Hera opened her eyes. A strange unease stirred within her. For reasons she could not quite explain, Abel’s behavior filled her with an unsettling dread…“Will you stay at the hospital with me tonight?” Hera could not help but crave some semblance of comfort.Abel frowned slightly. “Stay here with you? And what about Luca?”“You could just send her home. I onl
Luca's expression was serious, and Hera realized she was not just trying to scare her. Ignoring her warnings had already caused her to suffer once.Unwillingly, Hera sipped on the cereal. Her resentment was evident in every movement.Luca noticed it was not difficult for her to handle. She quietly sat down and ate her own bowl of cereal.Hera did not have much of an appetite.Hera took a couple of bites before growing bored. She glanced at Luca and asked, “How did you end up working for Abel?”Luca did not respond. She calmly blew on her cereal and ate in silence, showing no intention of engaging in conversation.“I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” snapped Hera.Luca lifted her gaze briefly and replied, “You should finish your cereal before it gets cold.”“I’m not even hungry.” Hera really had no appetite and was not planning to eat the cereal.“It’s still better if you eat something. Otherwise, when hunger strikes later, don’t expect me to help you,” said Luca, “I’m only he
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