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
After the opening ballet performance, a pair of male and female emcees walked up the stage and delivered their opening speech. "Respected administrators and dear guests, it is our honor today to welcome you to the award ceremony of our school…" At the end of the speech was the award ceremony. The emcees announced the third-prize and second-prize winners first. The vice-principal and the various heads of department awarded the trophies to the students. Every named student went up the stage excitedly. The school was the most renowned private school in A City, and every student there came from a wealthy and influential family. The school had the best educational infrastructure and teachers, and the students were naturally intelligent and talented. It was evident that being an ace student there was not an easy feat. All the students who went up the stage were excited and proud, while their parents in the audience shared their glory. Bianca waited patiently for Rainie's turn
The emcees noticed that Lanie and Ranie Crawford were first prize winners. Especially the brother, who had won six first prizes by himself. They invited their mother to come on stage for an interview, hoping that she would share her thoughts on raising her kids. Bianca walked up the stage. Everyone exclaimed when they saw that Bianca was pregnant. She seemed too young to be a mother. From her face, she looked like a college graduate and not like the mother of two, no, three children. The female emcee helped Bianca get on stage and brought her microphone in front of Bianca. "Good day to you, Madam Rayne. You are Blanche Crawford and Rainie Crawford's mother. You must've taught them well so that they could win so many awards. Can you share your thoughts and experiences with the parents here? Also, do you have any hopes for your children's future?" Queenie furrowed her brows when she saw Bianca. She still could not forgive Bianca and Luke for hurting Leia. However, she fel
Birth mother? Bianca's heart was in her throat. She looked at Luke excitedly. "Do you mean my birth mother is also in A City? Have you… found her?" Bianca knew that Allison was not her birth mother, and a DNA test had proven that she and Luke were not siblings. It was pure agony when Allison had lied to her that she was Luke's sister. Now that the misunderstanding was resolved, she did not have to experience that mental torment anymore. However, she wished that she could find her real birth mother and desired to be loved as a daughter. She did not tell that to anyone. Luke's gaze was profound and confident as he stared at Bianca. "I have indeed found your birth mother. You've also met her more than once." The man's slender fingers caressed Bianca's petite face, and he noticed the anticipation and excitement in her eyes. His deep eyes did not show any obvious emotion, but Bianca could sense his hesitation. Indeed, Luke was hesitating. Once Bianca knew who her birth mot
Allison was unhappy when she thought of the possibility that her son had registered his marriage with Bianca without informing Old Master Crawford. However, she felt slightly more relieved when she remembered that Old Master Crawford had kept Luke's driver's license in a secure place. Old Master Crawford had been prejudiced against Bianca ever since she rejected Luke's proposal. He would not allow his grandson to marry Bianca! Luke walked with Bianca over to the couch and sat down. "Grandfather," he greeted Old Master Crawford. "Mm," Old Master Crawford replied. The harsh lines on his face became gentle when he glanced at Bianca's bulging stomach. "The stomach is already so big. Did the doctor say when's the expected date of delivery?" Luke held Bianca's hand and said gently, "The expected delivery date is October 26th." "That's coming soon. Don't let her go to work, and get her to stay at home and rest. She shouldn't overwork herself; there's not much money to be made anyw
There was dead silence in the villa. Old Master Crawford was frowning while keeping quiet. He knew in his heart that it was pointless to hide Luke’s driver's license. If Luke insisted on obtaining a marriage license with Bianca, he would find a way to get his driver's license. He had always wanted an arranged marriage for Luke, just like he did with Zachary. Old Master Crawford believed in business interests rather than true love. However, Old Master Crawford was acutely aware that Luke was not like his cowardly father. He was strong and assertive, not at all as easy to control. Moreover, his grandson was king of the corporate world. Meanwhile, Old Master Crawford was getting weaker as time passed. Old Master Crawford eventually warmed up to the idea. He believed that Luke would be more responsible after he married Bianca. Luke and Bianca had three children together, so if he continued to object, that would only lead his grandson to rebel! Given the s
At home, in the bedroom. The light-colored curtains were blowing in the night breeze, and the temperature tonight was a bit cooler. Bianca looked at Luke who was smoking on the balcony with a frown. Since she got pregnant, he had quit smoking at home.Bianca knew that he must be in a bad mood. She quietly walked over, grabbed the half-burned cigarette from his hand, and pinched it out in the ashtray. She looked at him accusingly before putting her arms around his waist. "You promised me that you’d quit. You broke your promise." Luke’s eyes were dark, and he hid the complex emotions he was feeling. He took off his coat and put it on Bianca, saying slowly, "Sorry, I was a little out of control today. I promise it won’t happen again." Bianca wanted to ask him about his private conversation with Allison earlier in the day as she was not sure what led to the tension between them. However, she kept her questions to herself when she noticed Luke’s
“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