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
Bianca remained calm as the discussion went on. She tapped the desk with a pen at random intervals, saying in an indifferent tone, "Are you done? If you’re done, please take a look at the e-invite for the meeting." "How ridiculous! A woman who doesn’t respect the time of others wants to be an acting CEO?" Jenson raised his voice and said in an unforgiving tone. As he said that, he checked his email. When he saw that the meeting time was 10:06 a.m., he was stunned. He then glanced at Bianca and thought, ‘So what?’ When Luke was around, they would always start the meeting at 10:00 a.m. sharp. They were all used to the meeting time. The former CEO was very punctual and spoke out against people who were late. Previously, a shareholder took advantage of his long-standing relationship with Luke and was late for a meeting for a few minutes. As a result, Luke kicked him out. Old Master Crawford had tried to talk him out of it but it did not work. Now, the ne
Bianca was shocked when she heard the news from Gordan. Her emotionless face finally displayed a hint of joy. "Gordan, is it true? Luke is still alive? Where is he now? Are you sure that man is Luke? If it is him, why hasn't he come home yet?" Her anxious attitude and eager face made Gordan feel bad. He handed a pile of documents to Bianca, gulped, and said, "Bianca, I'm not sure if the person in the photo is Luke. There’s no conclusive evidence yet." Bianca looked at the pictures. The pictures were blurry, so she could only see the figure of a tall and thin man who stood tall. The man had his back to the camera and was wearing a cap, so she could not see the man's face at all. Bianca looked at the picture and stroked the figure on it. She did not speak for a long time. Maybe it was because she missed Luke too much, so as she looked at the figure, she thought that it could be him. "Based on the investigation, this man was in a vegetative sta
After her friends left, Susan immediately called someone. Louis was speeding back home. There was a beautiful gift in his passenger seat for his mom. Today was Susan's birthday, and he, a social butterfly, was returning home early for once.He wanted to give his mother a surprise, so he had not told her in advance that he was coming back. In the last couple of weeks, his mother had been forcing him to marry Yuri. They were in disagreement over this, so he had been reluctant to go home. However, it was a special day, so no matter how unwilling he was, he still wanted to celebrate the day with her as he was his mother’s only son. When he found out that his mother was in Armstrong Manor, Louis rushed over. Armstrong Manor was a small Western-style building with a long history. He stepped onto a pathway through a garden upon entering. The glass door led directly to the sunny backyard. This place was one of the dowries given to Susan by the Armstrong family. S
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