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
Leia drove a convertible sports car. The night breeze brushed across her face as she drove to a nightclub. Julie followed her cautiously. She kept a safe distance with the car in front, ensuring that she would not lose Leia while also staying hidden from the woman’s sight. Julie was very grateful for the limited edition sports car that Queenie gave her. Otherwise, she would not be able to keep up with Leia's speeding. Leia parked the car at the club. She threw her keys to the jockey, put on her sunglasses, and walked inside. Julie was afraid of losing Leia, so she left her keys with the jockey as well before hurrying to catch up with her... Leia arrived at an extremely luxurious VIP room. At the entrance of the room, two men in black stood guard. The door opened, and Julie, who was hiding in the corner, saw more than 20 men and women inside. It was unsightly. On the crystal table, there were blocks of well-packaged white powder. Se
At the same time, a wave of frustration rose in Luca's heart.She thought about how Sophian might be eavesdropping on them during their rest time, standing by the door anytime, anywhere. The thought made her feel uneasy, as though she were being watched by Abel. No matter how she thought about it, something just did not sit right.Luca asked in a soft voice, “Do you think it’s possible that Sophian is working for Abel?”Luke paused for a moment. He had no reason to doubt Sophian’s background as Old Master Crawford had investigated her, and everything checked out. However, people like Abel could easily fabricate a perfect cover story if they wanted to.Luke opened the bedroom door. By now, Sophian was no longer standing outside. He closed the door again and locked it. “I’m not sure, but if we have doubts, we need to be cautious.”Luca frowned, her expression showing clear concern. “If she were just an ordinary person, that’d be fine. But if she’s with Abel, that’d be terrifying.”
Sophian was also shaken by the events of the day. If Luke had not returned just in time, she did not know how long the fight between the two would have lasted. As Sophian thought about Luke, admiration showed in her eyes. Her heart fluttered at the thought of him, making her lose focus and become careless with what she was doing.“Ouch! Are you trying to kill me?” Allison winced as she clutched her face. Her hand instinctively shot up.Sophian came back to her senses and quickly moved away. “Sorry, Madam Allison, I’m so sorry!”Allison’s slap did not land, but her anger was evident. “What are you doing? Are you trying to hurt me?”“No, Madam Allison, I was just lost in thought and didn’t pay attention…” Sophian stammered, terrified of Allison’s strength.Allison's strength was immense! If Sophian took a slap from her, it would probably hurt for days. What worried her most was that Luke would see it, and it would ruin the impression he had of her.Allison noticed the lingering
Allison was so thrown off by his commanding presence that she took two steps back.When Luke mentioned Susan, her eyes widened, and she shook with anger. “I'm your real mother! Who does that woman think she is?! You call her 'Mother'? No! Susan’s not your mother. I'm your only mother!”Consumed with jealousy, Allison's eyes turned red. She could not stand Luke calling Susan 'Mother'.Furious, she smashed several items in the living room.“Madam Allison, please calm down.” Sophian was startled by Allison's sudden outburst.Allison shattered another item, casting a hateful, challenging glare at Luke. She was like a child causing trouble. When he still showed no reaction, she picked up a vase and smashed it, creating a louder racket.Luke watched the whole scene with an icy calm.These were genuine art pieces from reputable brands. Even though they were not as costly as his grandfather’s antiques, they were still valuable. One piece could cost a white-collar worker half of thei
The two women froze in surprise at the sound of the commanding voice. Allison realized Luke had returned, and from his tone, he was clearly angry. Panic gripped her, and just as she was not paying attention, Susan scratched her again. The pain on her face was searing, and she let out a loud, pained scream, stumbling back and covering her face.Luca, who stood beside Luke, was equally stunned. They were actually fighting! What on earth was going on?!Allison staggered back a few steps and saw Luke's dark expression. Even though she was afraid, she felt reassured that her support had arrived. She cried out, “Luke, you're finally back! Your mom's getting beaten by an outsider!”Luke looked at the two women, whose ages added up to over a hundred years, in complete disbelief. He exchanged a glance with Luca before speaking again, “Are you two going to keep fighting?”Susan let out a cold sneer. She had been scratched by Allison several times, and her face now burned with pain.
Sophian realized she had made a mistake and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Madam Allison. I saw it was someone familiar, so I didn’t think too much about it.”Allison shot her a furious glare.Sophian knew full well that Allison and Susan did not get along, yet she still opened the door for her. Was she out of her mind?“Oh my, after all that time in Seoul, you didn’t pick up anything good? Still that same fiery temper.” Then came Susan’s mocking voice.Allison froze for a moment and shifted her gaze toward the doorway.“How did you get in here?” demanded Allison. Did she not just ring the bell outside? How did she get in so quickly and without anyone opening the door to the villa?!Susan gave Sophian a smirking glance. “Your helper let me in.”Allison frowned, still confused. Susan continued, “I’m living right next door now.”“Oh, so I heard you got kicked out by Old Master Crawford. Moved right next door, did you? Sticking around like a ghost that won’t go away, living jus
Sophian stood before her. Her face was a picture of hesitation and discomfort. “Madam Allison, how about you order using your phone?”“What? You can’t even handle this small task?” At this point, Allison had completely shifted her view of Sophian, now seeing her as just another maid. Her previous tone vanished, replaced by a much more domineering attitude.Sophian felt helpless and quickly explained, “It’s just that the food from this place is just too expensive. I don’t have that kind of money.”Once she finished speaking, a flush of embarrassment crossed her face.Sophian had come back with Allison to work off the debt she owed from her cosmetic surgery. Therefore, she had no money to spare.Allison paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. After a brief moment, she picked up her phone and said, “It's not like I'm having you pay for it. You can't even temporarily cover it?”Sophian smiled awkwardly. “I just transferred money to the hospital.”Allison let out a faint hu
“You don’t like eating outside food, do you?” Luca thought that preparing breakfast and dinner for him was not a big deal.Besides, the main point was that Luke did not like eating out. He always felt the taste was off and lacked nutrition.“Actually, it’s not that I don’t like eating out. It's just that all the food outside tastes the same to me.” Luke gently squeezed her hand.“Hey, focus on driving.” Luca chuckled.Luke withdrew his hand and returned it to the steering wheel. “With that woman around, it wouldn’t be convenient for you to cook. Are you really going to make breakfast for them too?”If that happened, it would defeat the purpose of his plan.Luca thought for a moment. She did not mind ignoring Sophian, but if she cooked for Luke and not for Allison, that might not sit well with her. Allison could easily make a fuss over even the smallest details. “So, should we just eat out for breakfast and dinner from now on?”“Yes.” Luke did not mind.It did not matter where t
“Something I like?” Luca laughed. “What could that be?”“You’ll find out when we get there.” Luke kept it mysterious.“Alright then, I’ll wait for your surprise, Mr. Crawford.” Luca was in good spirits without letting family issues dampen her mood. Therefore, she video-called the kids.Luca dialed Mr. Griffin’s number.After Mr. Griffin answered the call, he handed the phone to Lanie. “Young Master Lanie, Ms. Craw wants to talk to you.”“Thank you, Mr. Griffin.” Lanie took the phone and pressed ‘accept’.Luca positioned the camera to include both her and Luke. She waved at the screen. “Lanie, Rainie, Tommy, what are you all doing?”“Lanie! Lanie, I want to talk to Ms. Luca!” Tommy waved excitedly at the camera, eager to take the phone.Lanie handed it to him. “Go on, tell Daddy and Ms. Luca about your good news.”Luca smiled and asked with curiosity. “Good news?”“Daddy, Ms. Luca, I made it to the next level in the math competition! The finals are this Saturday!” Tommy said e
“Why are you being so slow?” Allison was irritated. She shoved the products into Sophian’s hands.“I told you to use them, so just use them.” Allison ran out of patience. After urging Sophian, she lay back down.Sophian had no choice but to follow her instructions and poured out some product. The texture of the product in her palm made her pause for a moment. It was incredibly moisturizing!She gently patted it onto Allison's face and noticed the area she touched felt just as smooth.Allison let out a content sigh. “This essence is really soothing.”Even though Sophian was still worried about potential side effects, she could not help but admire the instant hydrating effect. She asked in a low voice, “Madam Allison, is this really developed by that woman?”She could not believe that Luca had such skills and wondered if the essence had just been repackaged into another bottle and sold as her own creation.“That's what she says,” replied Allison. “But she's into pharmaceuticals, s