Wayne's muscular body stood in front of the bed. His well-built body formed a stark contrast with Leia's frail body, who seemed more like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Leia had always known that Wayne had certain interests in bed. She had suffered quite a lot, but today was shaping up to be the worst torture ever. Leia retreated out of shock. When her back hit the corner of the room, she realized that she could not escape. "W… Wayne… I'm not feeling very well today. Can we do this some other day?" She sounded like she was almost crying. Wayne grabbed Leia's hair and pulled her away from the corner without showing her any tenderness. "You'll do what I tell you! I'll kill you if you don't!" He delivered a mighty slap on Leia's face, which caused her to tumble off the bed and onto the floor. Leia's cheek instantly swelled up. She felt that her teeth were coming loose too. She spat out a mouthful of blood, though more blood continued to flow from the corner of her lip
Bianca's gaze fell onto a rose garden in full bloom in the garden outside of the window. The flowers were white, pink, red, and orange. Thanks to her meticulous care, the plants were especially healthy. The bloom brought love and warmth to the house. However, Luke would be gone for a few days. Without Luke at home, there would be less love and warmth. Bianca lowered her gaze. When she looked at Luke again, she seemed visibly unhappy. Luke kissed her lips helplessly and promised Bianca once more, "I'll come home safely, and I can promise you that. If I can't do that, you can punish me however you want." "Alright." Bianca agreed to it, though her left ear was ringing once again, which made her uneasy. She hugged Luke tightly to try to make herself feel better. "You will come home safe. Otherwise, I won't forgive you!" … Luke sat in his seat on the flight to Country M. He closed his eyes to rest. He had developed a keen intuition in his stint on the Island of Despair
Bianca struggled to breathe when she looked at Tommy, whose face resembled Luke. Pain spread throughout her chest. Every breath felt painful. What followed the pain was sorrow and grief… Luke had promised her that he would return safely, but it seemed that he would be going back on his word again. Tommy could see from Bianca's face that she was not in a good mood. He was not as naughty as before. Instead, he handed Bianca a napkin and said, "You're crying, Mommy. Wipey…" The little boy tiptoed and tried to reach his mother's face so that he could wipe off the tears for her. However, he was too short. Dejectedly, he tugged the hem of his mother's sleeve and asked her, "What happened, Mommy? Don't ignore me. Did I do something wrong? I won't ever make you angry again, Mommy. Can you please forgive me?" The little cutie that was half his mother's height thought that he had gotten into trouble. He was apologizing to Bianca, even though he did not know what he did wrong.
Bianca felt relieved when she found that Luke was alive. Around noon, Tommy said that he was hungry, while Old Master Rayne said that he was craving cornbread buns with collard greens. He was already quite old, and he missed comfort food from his younger days. Furthermore, he was sickly, and it was natural that he had specific cravings. Bianca almost missed the taste of cornbread too. She had lived with her grandfather since young. They were poor, and they ate cornbread for most meals. Grandpa used to make his own cornbread in the kitchen, and Bianca had learned how to do so by watching him. Cornbread was quite tasteless and rough, but it was delicious to her because she was hungry and poor. Now that her living conditions had improved and the food at every meal was of much higher quality, it was nonetheless healthy to eat grains sometimes. It might help Old Master Rayne in his recovery too. Bianca got the driver to go to the grocery store and bought a bagful of cornmeal a
Bianca hastily put on her slippers and rushed out of the door. She did not even realize that she knocked over a vase. Tommy ran across the yard with his short legs and stretched his arms toward the man that just came out of the parked car. "Daddy, gimme a hug!" Luke picked up the little boy in his arms and straddled him across his shoulders. "You're finally calling me Daddy. Tell me, what do you want me to buy for you this time?" The man's expression was cold, but his gaze was brimming with care and indulgence. "I don't want anything, Daddy. I miss you!" The cute little boy planted a kiss on Luke's cheek and slobbered all over his face. Luke helplessly wiped his face. His son was getting better and better at flattery. The little boy was jealous of him when they first met in Russia. Now that they were back home, he seemed to be quite clingy toward his father. "Daddy, Lanie already has his own car. When can I have one of my own?" Tommy stared at his father with his puppy ey
Luke tried to coax Bianca with a gentle voice. His low and resonant voice had a hint of an indulgent smile in it. The setting sun gave his sculpted facial features a charming silhouette, which made Bianca's heart beat faster. She could feel her earlobes turn hot. "Don't make me worry about you again. Otherwise…" Luke lowered his voice and stared at her gentle face. "Alright, but will you forgive me this time?" Bianca grunted coyly. "What if I don't forgive you?" Luke smiled, and his gaze became gentler. "Then I'll do whatever I can to convince you to forgive me. You know that I love you. I'll even pluck the stars from the sky if you want me to." His words made Bianca bite her lip. Her emotions were undergoing a tremendous change. She pretended that she was still angry, though she could not help but smile. "I want the stars in the sky. Are you going to fulfill my wish?" Luke tousled her hair and said abruptly, "Close your eyes, Bea." Bianca was surprised but did what s
Wayne grunted nonchalantly. "Don't you have anything else to do lately, Vince? You rarely meddle in my business." He was not the pushover third son that he used to be. As lowly as he was in the past, he was now on top of the chain of command. The populous Blatt family had a massive family business with more than a century of history. Naturally, a family like that would place importance on the preservation of their main bloodline. They were a weak and unremarkable branch and had been bullied and oppressed by the main family. All three brothers were competitive and ambitious. They were not going to yield to others so easily. The three brothers joined forces and, in the short span of a few years, eliminated the other branches of the family one by one. Victor Blatt, the eldest brother, was successful in the military circles. Vincent, the second brother, was an influential figure in the business circles. Wayne, the youngest brother, wielded considerable influence in the underwor
Leia's gaze discomfited Bianca, but she did not think too much of it. After all, Leia had never seen eye to eye with her, especially after she had reunited with her birth mother. She had taught Leia a lesson several times, which kept her attitude in check. However, she wondered if she was seeing things. She thought that Leia had lost a lot of weight recently, and her beautiful hair that used to be her pride had become a lot thinner. Her animated gaze was sunken, hollow, and unfocused, as though she was a migratory bird that had lost her way. Leia flashed an unnerving grin when she saw Bianca. Bianca shuddered and turned her head away. She looked at the black jar next to Queenie. She could catch a whiff of something fragrant emanating from the jar. "Are you pickling something, Mom? It smells quite good." "Your dad loves pickles, and so I'm pickling some radishes and gherkins for him. I'll give you and Luke some when it's ready. Do you like pickles too, Tommy?" Queenie said
Lucius was different.He did not care about getting close to anyone, whether man or woman. Even when Hera’s attempts to seduce him were blatantly obvious, he still remained unmoved and even showed signs of rejection.Gerald could not help but marvel at Luca’s sharp observations and incisive remarks. He could not help but clap his hands lightly, genuinely impressed.“Lucius truly is exceptional,” said Gerald.Luca came downstairs.When she took the last step off the stairs, the men in the living room immediately fell silent.They held their breath as they watched the woman in front of them. Her hair was straight, not like their boss' companion.The men's gazes grew intense.Luca’s expression darkened.Gerald stood beside her and said, “See, I told you—you’re like a piece of meat dropped into a pack of wolves. Be careful.”One of the men heard Gerald and asked unhappily, “Hey, kid, what are you saying? What wolves? We’re gentlemen. We’d never dream of doing anything inappropr
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