Seeing that Bianca was awake, Allison choked her neck with both of her hands and shook her. Her venomous gaze was like a knife that threatened to stab her. Bianca was already weak. She instantly became dizzy after being shaken about. Before she could see clearly what was in front of her eyes, she fell into unconsciousness once more. She felt very tired. She wished that she could close her eyes forever. In her dreams, she saw Luke once more. The man's back was tall and straight like a pine tree. Her heart thumped faster at that sight. She ran toward Luke and called out his name. Luke turned around. The man's tightly pressed lips smiled gently at the moment he saw her. Tears welled up in Bianca's eyes. She dared not touch him, lest he disappeared like a reflection in the water. Luke's gaze was loving and indulgent. He slowly walked toward her, held her hands, and kissed them gently with his lips. "Can't you take care of yourself when I'm gone, silly girl?" Bianca'
Queenie's gentle expression darkened when she heard Bianca mention Allison. She was angry that Allison had come to the hospital to raise a commotion earlier. She looked at Bianca and said gently, "She was indeed here earlier, but Old Master Crawford chased her away. Bea, I understand that Allison is in a bad mood because she has lost her son, but that doesn't excuse her from acting toward you that way. She wants to get physical on you even though you're pregnant, not to mention that the baby in your womb is her grandchild! I think you shouldn't stay with the Crawfords. How about staying over with me for a while?" Allison had blamed Bianca for what happened to Luke. However, no one had expected that to happen. There was no reason for her to blame Bianca. Moreover, it was already hard enough for Bianca, a heavily pregnant woman, to lose her husband. Did Allison not think of the consequences of getting physical with her? What if Allison's rash actions cost two lives? Queenie u
Bianca had never expected that the almighty Luke Crawford would leave the mortal world so abruptly. She could not accept that fact. "Please sign here, Mrs. Crawford." Mr. Todd handed Bianca a pen, seeing that she had no response. Bianca took the pen woodenly and stared blankly at the document. Her face displayed pain, agony, and then anger. She was angry that the man might have known that he was going to be in mortal danger, and that was why he had enacted a will before he left. She knew that Luke was loyal to his friends, but could he have spared a thought for her and the children? Was that how he was going to make it up to them? No! He should have returned safely and let Bianca complain to him, not leave her alone to process the shocking news! Bianca threw the pen away angrily and yelled hysterically, "Get lost! Go away! How dare he leave the children and me behind? How could he? I don't need any so-called compensation from him! Not a single cent!" The atmosphere in
Jack Norman tried to make himself seem as approachable as possible, but he could not totally shed his air as an influential politician. Bianca was intimidated for a short while, perhaps because of Jack's stern expression. She subconsciously huddled closer toward Queenie. Queenie thought that Jack had frightened Bianca, so she frowned at him. Then, she held Bianca's hand and brought her to the seat next to hers. "You can sit here, Bea. Don't be a stranger here. You can treat it as your own house." Old Mr. Norman was dressed in formal wear. He seemed to be in good spirits. He smiled at Bianca while pointing at the seat next to his. "Queenie, let Bea sit beside me. I love to talk to young people," he said to Queenie. Ever since Old Mr. Norman found out that Bianca was his granddaughter, he had hoped to see her someday. Queenie and Bianca had not done their DNA test yet, but he could tell that Queenie and Bianca were mother and daughter. No one would doubt that. Now that
Cold sweat beaded on the unconscious man's forehead. His sharp eyebrows were furrowed uncomfortably. It was not a peaceful sleep. "Bianca, Bianca…" He kept mumbling. Kassy lay down next to him and gently touched the man's boiling forehead. She turned around and spoke unhappily to the doctor, "В Какое Время Он Может Проснуться? что он говорит самопроизвольно? (When can he wake up? What is he mumbling to himself?)" She did not understand what he was saying, but the fact that he was repeating the same word disconcerted her. The doctor examined the man carefully and slowly spoke to Kassy in Russian, "Miss, it's been a week since the man's surgery, and he should have been awake by now. Perhaps the severity of the bullet wound might delay his recovery by a few days. I have to say that the man is really lucky. The odds of survival are less than 0.1%." Kassy leaned over and kissed the man's forehead. There was a mysterious glint in her sinister gaze. "I have my eyes on him, and tha
Suddenly, Louis bowed deeply at Bianca. Bianca was shocked by that sudden gesture. "What are you doing, Louis?" "Sis…" Louis's voice was filled with lethargy. "The shareholders are beginning to question Brother's disappearance. I've tried to hide the truth from them, saying that Brother is away on a business trip and will be back soon, but I don't think they'll buy it any longer. Brother's will says that you'll be acting CEO of T Corporation. Do you think that you can hold the fort for a while?" Then, he cast his gaze on Bianca's bulging stomach and sighed. "I know that this isn't the perfect time to bother you, but the company is descending into chaos. I'm trying my best to keep everything afloat, but I'm not that capable." It was the first time Louis felt guilty about how helpless and incapable he was. He was not as smart or shrewd as Luke, and he could not maintain his composure. He found it hard enough to be the manager of a single department, let alone running the entire
Mavis had prepared that bid proposal. Bianca knew very well who Mavis Laviere was. She was not really considered a love rival, but she was a schemer that kept herself close to Luke. Mavis had even stuffed women's lingerie in Luke's car to try to create a misunderstanding. Bianca did not have a good impression of Mavis, but Mavis had a strong work ethic and was crucial to Luke's success. She hoped that Mavis did not interact with her husband too much, even though the interactions were strictly business. However, she did not say anything. Fortunately, Luke told Mavis something, and she stopped with her antics. Bianca carefully read Mavis's proposal and started frowning. She picked up the internal phone. "Tina, can you ask Ms. Laviere to come to the CEO's office?" "In a moment." Tina went to Mavis's office and asked her to go to the CEO's office. Mavis had been in low spirits ever since she knew that Luke had met with an accident. She had been crying, unable to accept
Back at the secretaries' office, Annette saw that everyone was busy at work. She smacked her table to get everyone's attention, then said exaggeratedly, "Hey, I have some juice news to tell all of you! Just now, I saw the acting CEO reprimanding Ms. Laviere! She even said that Ms. Laviere's bid proposal is imperfect. What a joke! No one in T Corporation dares to question Ms. Laviere's capabilities. Who does that newbie think she is?" The other two secretaries covered their mouths and chuckled when they heard Annette's description. Only Tina continued typing in front of her computer, fully focused on her work. Secretary A stretched, yawned, and took out a powder puff to apply some make-up to her face. "Does she think that she's the CEO just by sitting in that chair? Can she even stay in that chair for long?" "Who knows? I saw that she signed many contracts and documents, but I'm sure that she's only pretending." Secretary B pushed her glasses and guessed, "Our CEO's capabili
“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