The sunset was picturesque.In a cafe near T Corporation, the elegant tune from a piano sounded soft and smooth. It did not interrupt the customers' whispered conversations.Bianca was quite familiar with the cafe as she had been here more than once. Both the environment and the service here were top-notch, perfect for talking business. She had negotiated with a few clients here before for collaboration.However, this time...Bianca stirred the steaming cup of coffee in front of her with a spoon but did not feel like drinking it.After a moment's hesitation, she spoke her mind anyway, "Julie, I invited you out here to ask you something."Julie, who was opposite Bianca, had light makeup on.She was excited for the family reunion banquet tomorrow and did not notice Bianca's unusual behavior.She looked at her watch somewhat impatiently, saying, "Bianca, you can just go ahead and say it. My mom asked me to go home early after work. She said she’d take me to the store to pick out a
Meanwhile, in the chief physician's office at the hospital. Dr. Hoover stared at the documents of the kickbacks he had received because of his status and the evidence of his tampering with the DNA test. He nearly had a heart attack! He never had a good night's sleep since he took Leia's money and agreed to fake the test results. He did not expect the matter to be exposed so soon. Dr. Hoover did not know who could have had the power and influence to dig up everything he did. Dejectedly, he looked at the man in gold-rimmed glasses in front of him. He seemed to be in his thirties, and he seemed intelligent and capable. "Who are you? What do you want?" Jason glanced at Dr. Hoover and said coldly. "My identity isn't important. What's important is that you expose Leia Norman's conspiracy at the family reunion banquet tomorrow. Let everyone know that Leia tampered with Julie's DNA test results." Dr. Hoover shuddered when he remembered Leia's threat. "Mr. Doyle, don't you know ho
The extravagant red carpet started from the paved path outside the hotel and stretched inside. On both sides of the carpet were reporters from various media outlets as well as paparazzi. Cameras flashed non-stop. It was brighter than the sun in the sky. A fleet of luxury cars was parked outside, indicating the elevated statuses of their owners. After all, those invited to the party were luminaries in the political and business circles. It was a great honor to be invited by Provincial Committee Secretary Jack Norman. That was a confirmation of their status, as well as a great opportunity to get closer to him. At about nine o'clock, a black Bentley slowed down and stopped not far away from the hotel. The car door opened. A tall and well-built man stepped out. He had impeccable facial features that were unforgettable. Luke Crawford extended a hand toward the woman in the car. An ivory-fair hand gently covered his palm. Then, a pair of slender legs in diamond-encrusted fl
Leia thought that she would be in the spotlight today. She knew that Bianca would be in attendance together with Luke. Knowing that Bianca usually dressed simply, she thought that she would dress seductively. She did not expect that Bianca stole the spotlight from her anyway. Bianca deserved to stand next to Luke. That already proved that she was better than Leia. Everyone's attention was focused on Bianca. Bianca wore only light makeup, and her clothes were not the most beautiful in the event. However, she was as brilliant as a star. Her sweet smile, gentle demeanor, and magnanimous bearing caused everyone's eyes to be glued to her. Even Julie, who was supposed to be the main character of the event, could not compare. Leia might be smiling, but she could not hide the hatred in her eyes. If not for that b*tch Bianca, she would have already been a couple with Luke! Perhaps she would have even been Mrs. Crawford by now! How did things turn out differently? Meanwhile,
Leia thought that the old geezer would yield and listen to what she said! She did not expect that the doctor would not be cowed by her threat and expose the truth in public! The guests were agitated when they heard that shocking revelation! Everyone from the Norman family did not look pleased, especially Old Mr. Norman, whose hands were trembling with anger. Leia, that wretch! Old Mr. Norman was not fond of the young woman the moment he set his eyes upon her. He could tell that she was not as innocent as she looked. However, he reluctantly accepted her presence in the Norman household because her son and daughter-in-law liked her. He certainly did not expect that his adoptive granddaughter would cause so much trouble for the family! On the stage, Leia's delicate hands were clenched into fists. A chill coursed down from her head, down the spine, and to the soles of her feet. She turned to look at her adoptive parents and tried to explain to them. Even her eyelashes were
For a moment, Leia was baffled. She had kept the flash drive containing the video locked in her safe. How did that old geezer obtain the evidence? Leia tried to think of the reason. Suddenly, she remembered that had made a copy of the video and stored it on her computer. However, the file was heavily encrypted. Did someone manage to obtain the file from her computer? While Leia was lost in thought, she heard the discussions going on in the hall… "I didn't expect that the adoptive daughter of the Norman family would have a duplicitous character. Oh my god, the doctor is old enough to be her grandfather! How shameless!" "That's right. I thought I wanted to introduce my second son to her. Fortunately, I didn't act on an impulse. Otherwise, my son would be in trouble. One would be extremely unlucky to have a daughter-in-law like her…" "Mr. and Mrs. Norman are righteous people. How would they have such a shameless daughter?" Leia wanted to shut everyone up! She looked at h
Bianca fell asleep on the journey back home, perhaps because too many things had happened today and that her pregnancy was making her sleepy. Luke drove slowly on the road. After they arrived at Crawford Manor, he picked up Bianca, who was still fast asleep, and carried her into the bedroom. He met Allison on the second-floor corridor. She was furious when she saw how her son was carefully carrying Bianca in his arms. "My son, she's so heavy when she's pregnant. Can't you wake her up and get her to walk upstairs herself? Isn't carrying her very tiring?" Luke was emotionless. He ignored his mother's exhortations and went toward the bedroom. After placing Bianca on the bed in a comfortable position, he covered her with a blanket, kissed her forehead, and went downstairs. Allison had nowhere to release her anger. She could see that her son's face was thinner because of his workload, and so she ladled a hearty bowl of chicken soup for him. While handing him the bowl, she co
At night. Old Master Crawford was dressed grandly in a bespoke suit, as though he was attending an event. He seemed much more spirited than other days. Bianca thought that the atmosphere at the dining table was different. She noticed that Old Master Crawford would steal glances at her, as though comparing her with someone else. Sometimes he nodded, but sometimes he sighed. Bianca was confused. She looked curiously at Luke, but Luke smiled and said nothing. He scooped some salad for her and said, "You should eat more." Before she could take a bite, Old Master Crawford put a fish fillet on her plate. Bianca looked at Old Master Crawford with surprise. "Thank you, Grandfather…" "Mm," Old Master Crawford replied, "You're too thin, and you should eat more fish. That'll be good for you and your baby. I hope that the baby will be as smart as Lanie and Rainie too." He could guess from his grandson's hint that Bianca might be the long-lost Ms. Norman. That explained the 180-
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