“I did not…” Bianca’s first reaction was to deny it.“You dare lie to my face? If you didn’t, who was the person lurking behind the walls whenever she had a free period looking out at the playground of the high school next door foolishly?” Claudia talked about the past without restraint.Bianca still remembered her high school experience. She had always stared foolishly at beautiful sceneries and people for long periods. When she was in middle school, the person she had stared at the most was upperclassman Crawford from the high school next door.Claudia assumed that Bianca was perhaps embarrassed now, so she continued, “He was finer than a frog’s hair! And cute as a bug! Who wouldn’t have a crush on him? Is there anything to be embarrassed about?”Bianca coughed, and her face started to burn up.Subconsciously, upperclassman Crawford’s face in her mind had morphed into Luke Crawford’s.It was said that Luke also had a brother named Louis, and the two brothers had similarities
Kevin had a headache all night after returning home.Jennifer turned the entire house upside down, looking for the contract papers.After searching for a long time, she muttered to Marie, “Kevin’s playing tricks with me. Why the hell is he not dead yet!”“What are you on about? Can we still get the compensation for demolition if he’s dead right now? It’s hundreds of thousands! You’ve never seen that much money in your lifetime.” Marie helped her mother out and frowned. She whispered, “If he’s gonna die, he should hold it until we get our hands on that money.”“This is all your fault that I have to live in this sort of difficult life with him.” Jennifer moved a stool and looked for it on the top of the shoe cabinet.An hour had passed, and the mother and daughter’s search ended in vain.Jennifer disdainfully went into the bedroom and made sure that Kevin was asleep before coming out. Then, she went to the dining area to eat the takeaway her daughter ordered.As they munched on th
Bianca opened her teary eyes. Her cheeks were slightly red as she looked at the man before her in confusion.Luke’s abstruse eyes were brimming with passion as he stared deep into her. They were relatively speechless for a while. He did not know what was in her mind, so he had to wrap himself in her once again. Bianca opened her eyes as she was fully immersed in the man’s confusing kiss.She could see his tall nose and his deep brow bone that was different from other ordinary men. In the shadows under the night, his intoxicating delicate features did not seem real.The back of her head was held by the man’s big hand, and her lower jaw was lifted. The man’s fiery kiss spread from her lips to her neck and onto her collarbone…“Mmm…” Bianca was forced to look up and cater to him.The man’s wet lips were printed on her skin as he continued caressing her.The sense of erotism between them was gradually getting stronger.Bianca had minimal experience, especially in terms of kissing.
The moment Bianca uttered out the words’ blind date’, she was not surprised to see that the man’s furrowed brows had gone even more profound. It even became slightly terrifying.“Let go of me, there’s no point in this or for you to continue pestering me!”The words she said were not for Luke, but it was for herself to hear.Luke swiftly widened his eyes, and a sense of serene filled inside.Bianca was pillowed with the man’s legs. She pursed her lips tightly as she held her breath, barely breathing.After an unknown period, the man’s hand on her waist suddenly loosened. And the other hand holding her wrist was also untightened…She was let go.Bianca was finally free, but there was neither happiness nor discomfort written on her face.She got up to tidy up for a bit and picked up her bag.When she opened the door again to get out of the car, the man swooped jealously and dragged her back. Then, he threw her onto the passenger seat.“Why are you wearing so little for a blind d
Ten minutes later…"I, I can't do it," Bianca said in astonishment with her eyes wide.Luke pressed his body against hers, his sexy thin lips pressed against her delicate and tender lips slightly. His lips brushed against hers without going fully onto it. She was so scared that her eyelashes trembled with fear as she waited for the final penetration in one go."I… I..." She closed her eyes and said, "I, I can do it... Don't you..."Luke looked at her heaving chest before he got up and sat back in the driver's seat.The man rolled down the window and lit a cigarette as if he had done it a thousand times. He squinted his eyes and took a puff. He lifted his slender finger that was holding the cigarette and pressed against his painful temple.Luke was willing to wait until she was ready to kiss him.After being alive for twenty-nine years, the love affairs he had been in far exceeded the number of hotels she had stayed in. However, he had never let it go to his head and do whatever
"I’m not really looking for anything specific in a partner."She just wanted to end the blind date as soon as she could.She felt even more stressed with Luke sitting on the other side like a guardian angel."You don’t have any prerequisites? Let me tell you about my situation, then." At that moment, Leon's cell phone next to his coffee cup rang."Sorry, I have to answer this call."After Leon said that, he stood up.Bianca breathed a sigh of relief.However, she still did not dare to move in case she accidentally looked at the other man next to her.Luke did not move much either. He just looked at the newspaper and occasionally took a sip of the bitter coffee.The caller ID said, “Aunt Allison".Leon answered the phone."Leo, how’s the blind date going?" Allison asked anxiously and wanted to know the decision as soon as possible.Leon glanced at Bianca who was sitting alone in the distance, and said unbearably, "Aunt Allison, this girl looks very good and I don't want to h
Bianca raised her head and looked at Luke with her eyes unblinking.After a long time, it felt as if time had stopped. She had barely returned to normal and the unspeakable emotions still aroused her to the edge.Under her long and trembling eyelashes, they were eyes brimming with tears.Luke Crawford was upperclassman Crawford.The doubts in her heart in the past were completely different from the true testimony before her eyes.The man had changed a lot throughout the years ago, but so had she…Fortunately, many years had passed. From their schoolyard to working society, from the loose and spacious school uniforms to professional workwear. After all this time, she still met the man who had a special place in her heart.Sadly, when she left high school, her life was not a smooth sail and she had to get her hands dirty.When they were face to face, Bianca remembered the hot kiss that they shared in the car just a while ago. Suddenly, a strong and ardent emotion surged up in her
Bianca could not listen to the story anymore."I need to go to the bathroom." She put down the cup and got up.She admitted it! She was envious. She was jealous.In the last twenty-four years, she had been unhappy ever since she found out how life was. She did not know what made her happy. When she was a kid, all her meals were cold. She was bullied by kids when she was a kid, and then mocked and scolded by her high school classmates.She knew from a young age that she would not have what others were born with.Such as a mother.If it was something that others had to beg and work hard for it, she knew she could never have.Like Luke Crawford. Finally, she became an adult and reached the age that everyone said was liberating. However, she never felt the freedom nor the happiness. All she had was just the cruel shackles of reality.‘Bianca, you must’ve been a sinner in your past life.‘That’s why you had to exhaust all your strength to redeem the sins of your past lives in thi
Luca deliberately cracked her knuckles, making a loud 'pop' sound.Gerald immediately shrank back, pulling his neck in.“Ms. Craw, I’m sorry! I was being nosy. Please don’t be mad. I’ll just go take a nap,” he quickly apologized.“Hold on.” Luca stopped him.“What is it?” Gerald looked at her in confusion.“Do you know how to remove an IV yet?” asked Luca.“I’ve seen it done a lot, but I haven’t actually tried it myself.” A glint of eagerness flashed in Gerald’s eyes. “Ms. Craw, are you asking me to give it a shot?”“Do you want to try?” asked Luca.“Yes!” Gerald nodded enthusiastically. “I may not be a medical genius, but I can at least do something useful.”“Come with me. Let’s start with changing the IV bag,” instructed Luca.Gerald followed her, and under her guidance, he clumsily went through the steps but managed to replace the IV bag successfully.“This is so cool! I think I could totally be a nurse.” Gerald flashed a victory sign. “What do you think? Would I make a g
“Yeah, something came up with my family, so they got delayed. They just brought me my meal,” answered the volunteer.Luca glanced at his food, which consisted of meat and vegetables. It was clear that his family treated him very well.“That’s quite a feast,” remarked Luca.“Heh, they know I need the nutrition, so they always give me this much. Ms. Craw, have you eaten yet?” the volunteer asked cheerfully. Now that his health was improving, his appetite had returned, and his mood was much better too.“I have. You should eat more. I just came in to check how much IV fluid is left. There’s still quite a bit, so I think it won't be done before the guys are done eating," replied Luca.The volunteer chuckled. “They eat fast. You guys are amazing, taking such good care of me. I haven’t suffered at all since being here.”“Your recovery is our biggest wish,” replied Luca.“Mm, I’ll definitely cooperate with the treatment,” replied the volunteer.“Alright, I’ll get back to work. Enjoy yo
Abel's hand paused for a moment before he continued stroking her eyelids.“What’s wrong?” His voice was eerily low, carrying a chilling edge.Hera could not see his expression, but just the sound of his voice was enough to send shivers down her spine.“Thank you.” Hera forced herself to smile, summoning what little courage she had.“No need for thanks. Just be good from now on.” Abel’s fingers continued their slow, deliberate caress. It was like he was handling a priceless treasure.Hera remained still, letting him touch her without protest. More than anything, she did not dare to speak. She was terrified that if she broke the moment and interrupted whatever was going through his mind, he would be displeased.At that moment, Luca brought the food to the table and asked, “Mr. Abel, Ms. Sanchez, lunch is ready. Would you prefer to eat here or in your room?”“I’ll go with whatever my baby wants.” Hera smiled sweetly, masking her fear behind a bright smile. For some reason, she ha
“I’m just making plans with a friend. No need to go into all that, right?” As Luca said, she lifted her gaze to meet Shanks.His eyes were as deep as the ocean, and in that split second of eye contact, she felt like she was being pulled in. She suddenly felt like she had just exposed herself.Awkwardly, she cleared her throat and said, “Mr. Shanks, I’ll head downstairs to make lunch.”Shanks did not call her out on it, nor did he press further. He simply returned to his experiment.Downstairs, Luca saw Abel sitting on the living room couch. Ignoring him was not an option.Luca greeted him politely, “Mr. Abel.”Abel took a slow drag from his cigar, his blue eyes scanning her from head to toe. He was deep in thought.He remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. His dark and brooding expression sent a chill down Luca’s spine. Without saying a word, she turned around and walked straight into the kitchen.Gerald was already inside.When he saw her, he mouthed, “You’re here?”Luc
If Shanks’ prescription could help Hera sleep earlier, that would not be a bad thing.“Then I need to be treat…” Hera paused for a moment, realizing she could not say the word treatment. That would imply she was sick, and she could not let people know that. Instead, she corrected herself and asked, “How long will I need to take this herbal medicine?”“You can stop when your test results are back to normal,” replied Luca as she picked up the medical waste and headed out of the room.Gerald followed closely behind and asked with curiosity, “Ms. Craw, how long is that?”“How long is a standard treatment cycle?” Luca asked in return.Gerald pondered for a moment. “Usually about a month?”“The average endocrine cycle for women is three months, so the minimum duration for proper regulation is three months,” explained Luca.Although Abel could take action at any time, there was no way Hera could endure three full months of treatment. However, until Abel made his move, she would have
Luca’s head was slightly tilted, her cheek burning with pain.Abel had not held back at all. The force of his slap was merciless. A numbness spread across her face at an alarming speed.From the next room, someone peeked out again and asked in a low voice, “You okay?”“I’m fine.” Luca’s expression remained calm. This kind of injury was nothing to her.Back on the Island of Despair, she had endured far worse during training. She survived, did she not?Without another word, Luca pushed open the lab door and stepped inside.The man watching shook his head. Her face was already that swollen, and she still said she was fine… What a tough woman. She took a slap that hard and brushed it off like it was nothing.Shanks lifted his head when he heard the door open. When he saw it was Luca and noticed how swollen the side of her face was, his brows furrowed.“Abel did this?”“Who else?” Luca let out a bitter laugh, only to wince as the movement tugged at the pain. She sucked in a sharp b
“No.” Shanks’ tone was cold and firm with no trace of hesitation.Abel still looked doubtful.Shanks added, “Would you like to see her medical report?”Abel was startled for a moment. How did Shanks know he had been thinking about that report?Now that Shanks brought it up, the idea lost its appeal.Abel shook his head. “Even if you showed it to me, I wouldn’t understand it. Shanks, Kassy’s life is in your hands. If you can give her a second chance, I’ll provide as much research funding as you need."Shanks remained silent. He could save Kassy. In fact, his research had always been for Kassy.However, he did not expect Abel to be so ruthless as to insist on using a living person as a donor for Kassy. That was something he could not accept.Kassy’s condition could be treated with organs from a brain-dead patient. Why destroy a perfectly healthy life?Shanks was not acting out of mercy. He simply refused to go against his medical ethics.He was not someone who had to save lives
“You don’t need to remind me. I was going to check anyway.” Abel shot Luca a chilling look.She took a step back and stayed silent.Abel turned to the pale-faced Hera and said, “If you’ve got low blood sugar, get up and eat something.”“I’ll eat now,” Hera replied, sitting up.Luca handed her the takeout.Abel glanced at the food and then frowned at Luca. “Why didn’t you make breakfast this morning?”“I was busy,” Luca explained with a calm indifference, her expression unwavering. She showed no fear, even under Abel’s questioning.Hera suddenly found herself admiring Luca. Everyone feared this man, yet Luca remained composed even when facing potential punishment. Not just anyone could pull that off.At the thought of this, Hera opened the takeout and kept quiet.Abel narrowed his eyes, glancing between Hera and Luca. His gaze was not exactly gentle as he muttered, “Stop eating this junk. It’s bad for you.”“I know, babe. Just this once. After this, I’ll have what Luca cooks f
Hera panicked the moment she heard that. “I trust her!”Luca and Shanks were both watching her.Hera repeated herself, saying, “I trust her, okay? What kind of treatment does she need? I’ll cooperate with anything. But what about Abel…”“I’ll tell him it’s just to help improve your overall health,” replied Shanks. Then, he turned around, opened the medicine cabinet, and started preparing the prescription.Hera let out a sigh of relief. As long as Abel did not find out about her health condition, that was all that mattered.If he knew she was unwell, he would send her back to A City. Without free medical help and no way to make extra money, she would be in serious trouble.“Thank you,” said Hera.“Wait outside,” instructed Shanks.“Okay.” Hera carefully stepped out.Luca, however, remained where she was, waiting.While preparing the medicine, Shanks asked, “Do you know which acupoints to target for her?”“Yes,” Luca replied confidently. As long as she checked Hera’s pulse, sh