Bianca's decision annoyed several of the project managers. However, they knew that it was not the right time to refute her. They held in their anger and went on with the so-called field survey. Zayne admired Bianca. Bianca was not afraid of hardships and easily made her way through the mountain. He suddenly smiled when he looked at her thin but strong back. When Mr. Crawford was still around, Zayne had mentioned this project to him. Mr. Crawford thought that the plan was feasible and asked him to prepare a detailed bidding proposal, but before he could even give the proposal to Mr. Crawford, something happened to him.Unexpectedly, his wife shared the same opinion as him. Even though everyone opposed the project, she went forward with it firmly. Luke would be proud of his courageous wife! …Noon. Bianca and the others dined in the folk houses at the foot of the mountain. Although the scenery of Bay Town was beautiful, it was located in a remote
At the end of the meal, Mr. Norman chatted with Bianca in private about the details of developing the mountainous area. He would support Bianca's decision to develop a residential area there. Bianca hesitated before letting Mr. Norman know her concerns. "I've surveyed the geography of this area, Uncle Jack. The existing conditions aren't anything special, but the environment here is amazing. If T Corporation embarks on this project, I'm not too worried about technical challenges like carving the mountain or dredging the water channels. Instead, I'm concerned about connecting the area to the public transport network…" T Corporation's engineering team was top-notch, and Bianca was not worried about the technical aspects. What she worried about was that the remote area was not connected to any public transport lines. For many house-buyers, accessibility to public transport was a major factor. It would also cause the area to develop rapidly. If the residential area was poorly con
Kassy knew that Luke was extremely charming even when he was unconscious. When he opened his eyes, the world seemed to have lost all color. His gaze was ice-cold, but it was stunning! Kassy's heart started to beat faster as she looked into the man's bewitching eyes. She produced a clear crystal ball in her right hand. The crystal ball emanated a warm yet dazzling glow. Luke's sharp gaze became unfocused when he looked at the crystal ball. "Relax your body. You are now floating in a warm and endless ocean. The gentle moonlight envelops this beautiful world. You can hear the waves gently lapping on the beach. See the moon rising about the wisp-like clouds in the sky. Shh… do you hear the seagulls? Relax. You are in a comfortable state…" The man on the bed seemed to be hypnotized. Kassy smiled and brazenly caressed the man's handsome face. "Luke Crawford, CEO of T Corporation. Your reputation precedes you. I've never been interested in businessmen, but you've successfully piqu
Moscow. The cold winter wind whistled past the thriving city, and heavy snow covered the city in a silvery blanket. The pure-white snowflakes that were scattered in the air brought light to the dimly lit city. It was an especially cold night, and there were not many pedestrians walking on the streets. It was rare that the bustling city got so quiet. A sleek black Bentley limousine drove on the snow-covered streets, unhindered by the heavy snowfall. In a dark alley, several tall and burly hooligans in tattered clothes and wielding weapons drooled as they stared lecherously at two beautiful foreign young women. Snowflakes landed on the girls' long hair and melted. Their curvaceous bodies could be vaguely seen under their thick down jackets. It was a tantalizing sight. The hooligans exchanged glances, flashed a perverted smile, and spoke teasingly in Russian, "These two chicks are not bad. It's been a long time since I've tasted foreign flesh. They look small and cute, but
T Corporation. Bianca named the development project Longing Greens. She was longing for a man, waiting for a man. The man was the indelible mark in her heart. Her heart was like a barren field, and he was like the rain. When Longing Greens would be completed in the future, she hoped that her rain would come back to her too. … Construction work on Longing Greens started, but T Corporation faced another problem. They had temporarily removed themselves from the collaboration project with Vivi Group because of certain problems. Now that news about Luke's death had spread, Vivi Group took the opportunity to seek compensation from T Corporation for breaching the contract. Bianca was not going to let Vivi Group get what they wanted. She immediately called an emergency meeting and decided that they would pursue all legal avenues. While legal proceedings were ongoing, T Corporation ran into problems with its funding chain. Without funding, construction work on Longing Greens
Jack was not surprised by Queenie's decision. Even if she did not mention it, he would discuss it with her some time soon anyway. They needed to be reunited with their birth daughter. Jack sighed and said, "I'd love to be reunited with our daughter too. A few days ago, I met Bianca at Bay Town. It hurts to see her right in front of me, but I can't get any closer to her, and it… breaks my heart to see her so thin and haggard." Queenie washed her hands with the tap next to the easel, then returned to her rattan chair and massaged her neck. "I don't think I can wait any longer, Jack. We should go to visit the Crawfords this weekend, tell them the truth, and reunite with our birth daughter!" She had chronic cervical spondylosis. If she lowered her head for extended periods, she would suffer from intense sharp pain in her neck. Seeing what his wife was doing, Jack took off his coat, placed it on the rack, and began to massage Queenie's neck and shoulders. To alleviate his wife's
When she heard her daughter sleep-talking, Bianca could not help but reach out and gently hold Rainie's hand. The little girl's hand was slightly cool. Bianca tried to warm it with her hand. Rainie sensed her mother's grip. She moaned softly and opened her eyes. "Mommy?" She called out coyly, still half-asleep. Bianca tucked her daughter into the blanket and said gently, "Are you awake, Rainie? It's still early. You should continue sleeping." Rainie rubbed her eyes with her other hand and said expectantly, "Mommy, is Daddy home yet? I dreamed of Daddy just now. He bought many toys for Big Bro and me, and he also said that he'd bring us to the theme park… Mommy, Daddy has been on a business trip for so long. When will he be back? I really, really miss Daddy…" Bianca tried hard not to cry when she heard her daughter say that. She patted Rainie's head and said softly, "Daddy will come back. If you finish your food and go to school every day and listen to what Mommy says, Dad
"I believe you've met Uncle Jack and Aunt Queenie before, Bea, and I don't think I need to introduce them to you. They're here at home today because they want to meet you." "They want to meet me?" Bianca looked doubtfully at Jack and Queenie. "Is there something, Uncle Jack and Aunt Queenie?" Queenie's lips trembled. She stood up from the couch, took out a test report, and nervously handed it to Bianca. The nanny picked up the baby in Bianca's arms. Bianca looked at the test report. She could understand what was going on when she saw the words "DNA Test Report" on the cover page. At the bottom of the last page, when she saw that her DNA shared a 99.9% similarity with Jack and Queenie, all her doubts instantly disappeared. She looked at Queenie, feeling rather perplexed, and called out, "Aunt Queenie…" Queenie looked at Bianca with sparkling eyes and held her hand, unable to contain her excitement. "I hope you don't mind that I secretly took a few strands of your hair for
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