Queenie was so sure that her birth daughter was Julie because she had gone to look for Allison more than once! She wanted from Allison the truth of the incident back then! Allison, irritated by Queenie's incessant pestering, said mockingly, "Queenie, when you delivered your daughter back then, she was lacking oxygen and was blue and purple all over. She didn't even cry or make a sound, and we thought that she was dead. That was why we tossed her out into the dumpster near the clinic. It was so cold, and even if the baby were alive, she would have been killed by the weather…" At that moment, Queenie had the urge to kill Allison! Why did they not wait for Queenie to regain consciousness, so that she could see her baby at least once? Why were they so cruel to toss her baby into a dumpster, even though she had almost died giving birth to it? Seeing Queenie discreetly wiping away her tears, Shakira knew that she was not in a stable emotional state. She turned to speak to the mid
Meanwhile, at Crawford Manor. The scene at the dining table was relatively harmonious. Bianca was surprised that Allison did not pick on her or insult her while they had their meal. However, she noticed that Allison would occasionally look at her with a deep-seated hatred, though Allison dared not say a hateful word. Bianca was curious about what was going on. After lunch, Luke and Bianca sent the twins to their tutor. They dropped the children off at the destination. Then, Luke turned the car around and drove along Orchid Road, which Bianca was quite familiar with. The road led into the commercial center of A City. It was wide, but traffic was usually heavy. Moreover, it was the weekend, and the traffic was worse than usual. Bianca sat in the side passenger seat and waited patiently for the traffic light to turn green. She thought that Luke was going to bring her home. However, she began to have doubts when she saw that they were on the jammed road. "Why aren't w
Bianca felt that everything was so surreal as she walked out of the city courthouse, clutching the wedding certificate in her hands. They were really married. They were now a legally married couple. Luke turned his head to look at her. It was noon, but the sky was partially cloudy. It was not very hot, but instead cool and windy. Loose strands of hair danced on Bianca's face. He pushed them back behind Bianca's ear. The man's slender fingers were like paintbrushes, gently tracing the outlines of her eyebrows and eyes. Her smile was like a blooming flower that heralded the summer. Luke thought that he would never get tired of looking at her face, no matter how long they would be together. As he thought of that, he abruptly picked up the pregnant Bianca off her feet and twirled her around. He was laughing without restraint. "We're married, Bianca. We're now officially husband and wife." Bianca was red-faced as she hugged his neck. "Put me down. I'm too heavy." Luke
Leia stepped into Dr. Hoover's office on her high heels and closed the door behind her. Dr. Hoover was surprised when he saw Leia walk in front of his desk and take off her sunglasses. "Do you have any more questions, Ms. Norman?" Dr. Hoover sat up straight and put on his glasses. Leia smiled at him. To the doctor's shock and surprise, she took out a ten-million-dollar check from her pink handbag. Then, she placed the check on the desk and pushed it in front of the doctor. "I'd like to trouble you with something, Dr. Hoover…" "It's no trouble at all. Please state your request, Ms. Norman." Dr. Hoover suddenly felt an ominous premonition. Indeed, the words that came out of Leia's mouth chilled Dr. Hoover to his core. "I'm asking you to tamper with the DNA test results, Dr. Hoover. I want to make it so that Julie's DNA is a perfect match with my parents. That shouldn't be too hard for you, right? I've heard that… you've acquired a new mansion recently, and you need some mon
Even though she was jealous, Julie remained sensible. She would not have gotten this job if not for Bianca. If she were to apply to T Corporation with her own abilities, she would not have been considered, even though she had a bachelor's degree from a ranked university. She knew that the recruitment process of T Corporation could be inhumanly harsh. Candidates needed to have at least a master's degree, which she did not have. She counted her lucky stars. Julie sneaked a few glances at Bianca, who was hard at work. She still could not understand why the idol of many young women around the country would have his eye on the unremarkable Bianca. While Julie's thoughts wandered, several gossips in the office started to discuss her… "Hey, who do you think that Julie Anderson is? Mr. Doyle was the one who brought her to the office…" Female Employee A said. "I don't know, but it looks like her qualifications don't match the company's most basic requirements. Did higher manag
After work, Luke told Bianca to go to the CEO's office to look for him, and they would leave together. Bianca waited next to the CEO's personal elevator to head up to Luke's office. Meanwhile, Julie joined Nina, Sue, and her other colleagues to wait for the employees' elevator. Julie saw Bianca, who was standing not far away, enter a bigger elevator by herself. On top of the elevator doors was a sign with "CEO's Elevator" written in gold. It was a dazzling sight. Building A of T Corporation was quite big and had a lot of employees. Even though many high-speed elevators were operating, they were quite crowded during peak times. Julie was envious that only Bianca alone could use the CEO's personal elevator. She could not help but tug at Nina's shirt sleeve and ask softly, "Nina, is Bianca… going into the CEO's personal elevator? What is her relationship with the CEO?" She knew perfectly what Bianca's relationship was to Mr. Crawford, but she wanted to confirm it. "Bianca?
Queenie and Jack walked toward Julia. Queenie held an exquisite jewelry box in her hands. Her eyes were still red. She had been crying ever since she received the test results, though those were tears of joy. She did not expect that her birth daughter was still alive, and that she would find her in such a short time. When Julie saw them, she eagerly hugged Queenie's elbow and greeted her, "Mom." Then, she greeted Jack, "Dad." Those greetings were very natural, and Julie did not sound like a stranger at all. Tears of love gushed out of Queenie's eyes again. "Oh, my dear daughter…" Jack was usually an emotionally stoic man. Tonight, everyone could see from his face that he was happy and excited. Julie did not expect that she was actually the birth daughter of the Provincial Committee Secretary. She almost passed out from the good news. Until now, she was still immersed in ecstasy. Queenie composed herself and placed the jewelry box in Julie's hands. "This is my present
Leia's mocking words made Julie feel humiliated. She was in ecstasy a moment ago, bidding farewell to poverty. Her joy did not last long; the harsh truth had left her battered and bruised! It took Julie a long time to come to her senses. She turned stiffly to look at Leia. "If you know that I'm not their birth daughter, why did you tamper with the test results? What objective could you possibly have, Leia?" "You should've seen in these few days that Mom is eager to reunite with her birth daughter, right? She's been doing that for years and she hasn't succeeded. It's seriously wearing her down, and I can't bear to see her like that. I had to create a lie to comfort her and keep the family intact," Leia said. Julie still could not understand. "Why did you choose me?" Leia chuckled. "Do you think I want to choose you? You happened to be at the right place at the right time. How lucky… let me warn you, Julie, don't think that you're the real Ms. Norman just because my parents ac
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