Luke let his guard down a little when he saw that it was Percy. "Why are you here?" "I happened to be passing through and saw a woman in need," Percy said jokingly. When he noticed the wound on Luke's arm, he sounded concerned. "Are you alright? Is it serious?" Luke chuckled coldly. "I won't die. Yet." He knew that Percy was concerned about him even though he was joking. That was the way Luke's good friends cared for him. Perhaps friendship among men was like that. "Tsk tsk, I should've known that you're born lucky. That huge explosion didn't even kill you, so what could a few underlings do to you? How did you become so fair though? Did you undergo plastic surgery? I'd like to know your secret…" Percy spoke animatedly as he reached out to touch Luke's chin. Luke narrowly dodged Percy's hand and shot a piercing glare at him. "Do you want to know my secret to fair skin?" Percy nodded in puzzlement. It was not surprising that he was curious. Luke's female disguise was brea
Tommy saw his mother covering her face and thought that she was crying. That made him behave even more angrily toward Luke. His tiny body stood tall and straight, and his round eyes glared unyieldingly at his father. Then, he bared his sharp, white teeth and bit down on his father's exposed arm. The pain caused Luke to gasp. Luke did not expect that the little boy's teeth would be so sharp. He wondered if Tommy was reincarnated from a wolf. Even though he was in pain, Luke was comforted by the fact that Tommy was so protective of his mother. However, he wished that Tommy would protect Bianca from the other people, not Luke. Luke lifted Tommy by the collar and narrowed his gaze as he looked at the little boy. "Hey, kid, I'm playing with your Mommy. What makes you think that I'm bullying her, hmm?" Tommy pointed at Luke and said angrily, "You were pinning Mommy down and she couldn't breathe! I saw that Mommy was crying secretly and moaning in pain. You're so big and stron
Bianca was still sleeping after the sun rose. She lost count of the number of times Luke had entered her last night. She was thoroughly exhausted. He hugged her soft and fragrant body. Under the first rays of sunlight, she was like a blooming flower. It just felt so good to hug her. He did not want to get up. Bianca seemed to be troubled by her dreams. She frowned slightly, and her body curled up like a lazy cat. Occasionally, she let out a slight moan. Luke made sure that she was in a comfortable position. He brushed the strands of hair on her forehead, then gently kissed her clean forehead. His indulgent gaze fell on her peaceful sleeping face. Her brows were thin and elegantly curved like paper fans. The three children inherited her long and curly eyelashes. Luke could not help but gently touch her eyelashes and lightly pull her eyelids. He loved to see her dark pupils that were pure and clean like spring water. Somehow, he clearly remembered the first time they me
After lunch, Bianca brought a tray laden with Tommy's favorite food and dessert to the room next door. Seeing Bianca at the door, Selena shrugged helplessly. She could not deal with the little boy's temper, so she left the room and let Bianca deal with her son. Tommy sat barefoot on the soft Persian carpet, assembling a monster robot toy. The toy parts were scattered all over the carpet. Tommy had disassembled the monster robot toy that Ray had given him as a present. After disassembling it, he began to put it together piece by piece. He was fully focused on his little project. Bianca placed the tray on the table and quietly crouched down in front of him. "Mommy brought you your favorite food, Tommy. Come and eat." Tommy seemed not to hear his mother. He continued to assemble the robot toy. Bianca was dazzled by the array of small parts. She was not sure which piece went where, but Tommy was deftly putting everything together like a master craftsman. Bianca held Tommy
Ray sat on the other end of the couch. Bianca was surprised that Percy was there too. Ray was dressed in a black dress shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. He did not look as intimidating as usual, but instead, he looked like a gentleman. Percy was dressed in a white shirt, which made his already fair skin seem even fairer. He smiled gently when he saw Bianca. "Long time no see, Sis." Bianca returned the greeting. "You're here in Moscow too, Mr. Mallory." The woman's smile was warm and charming, which made the two men dumbfounded for a moment. Bianca was not the most beautiful woman in Moscow, but she could be considered good-looking. She was not as unrestrained as Eastern European women, but she had a different, enigmatic charm. Bianca had a face that both men and women loved. She seemed docile and adorable. Her eyes were big and round, and her pupils were like black moons that sparkled brightly when she looked at people. Her smile was sweet and refreshing, and it co
Bianca turned around and stared at Luke's handsome face. She wanted to cry when she saw how concerned he was for her. She had thought of many possibilities, but she had not imagined that Luke would be living under such treacherous circumstances for the past two years. Her heart wrenched when she imagined him undergoing the inhuman tortures like in the video. A pair of immaculately sculpted hands gently wiped away her tears. "I'm fine, silly girl." Bianca reached out to tear away Luke's clothes as though she had gone mad. "No! I want to see if there are any scars on your body. I want to know what they have done to you in the past two years…" Bianca was too caught up in the passion while they were in bed last night. She regretted not showing enough concern for the condition of his body! Luke encircled Bianca's waist tightly, grabbed her hands, planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, and comforted her with a smile. "I'm really fine, Bea. I wouldn't be standing in front of you i
Bianca noticed the change in Nina's expression and realized that she should not have asked that question. "I'm sorry, Nina, I… I shouldn't have asked that. Did Percy threaten you?" She said, a little flustered. She knew what happened to Nina. That b*stard Pierre had ruined her. Unfortunately, Percy was Pierre's elder brother. It was a complicated relationship. Nina stood at the window and stared at the sun outside. The golden sun rays caused her eyes to hurt. She tried to fight the agony in her heart and spoke gently, "It's nothing. There are certain things in our lives that we can't control. I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me. I'm immune to a man's charms now. After what happened to me, the defenses around my heart are like iron walls, and I'm a better judge of character now. I won't get hurt that easily." "I'm sorry. If I hadn't…" Bianca felt even guiltier than ever. If not for her, Nina might have still been that cheerful and outgoing girl. Nina pretended t
Bianca tried dialing Luke's number, but somehow, she could not get through no matter how many times she tried. Worriedly, she tried to contact Percy, but she could not get through to him either. Without any other choice, she dialed Ray's number. The call went through, but Ray seemed to be occupied with something. Bianca could hear explosions and agonized wails on the other end of the call. "I'm very busy now, Sis. I'll call you later," Ray said hurriedly. Then, he immediately hung up. Bianca was angry, frustrated, and worried, but she had no other choice. Selena noticed Bianca's unease and tried to comfort her, "Don't be too anxious, Sis. They must be in the middle of a critical operation now. Otherwise, they would have answered your call." "Mm," Bianca replied carelessly, at the same time silently praying that they would be safe. She did not want them to be separated again right after the reunion. … Meanwhile, in the Troitsky Administrative Okrug in Moscow, a bla
“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