Bianca returned to Norman residence and picked up Tommy. After that, she was just about to go back home when she suddenly received a call from Rainie's class teacher.The class teacher sounded very anxious. "Mrs. Crawford, the art teacher took the class to a flower field to do live sketching today, but Rainie suddenly disappeared. We couldn't reach her on the phone, so did she go home?""You couldn’t reach Rainie?" After Bianca learned about this, her phone almost slipped out of her hand. She panicked and immediately called home as well as Crawford Manor.However, after calling both sides, she was told that Rainie was not there.Bianca became really anxious and imagined the millions of possibilities such as Rainie being caught by human traffickers. Trafficked children would get sold and get their limbs chopped off. Worse, she might even have her organs gouged out to be sold.When she thought of this, Bianca felt the blood all over her body freeze and solidify.She was terribly an
When they heard Rainie's sweet and soft voice, Bianca, Luke, and the entire group of people followed her voice to find her."Mommy..." Rainie's small, thin body was almost drowning inside the dense flower field.Even so, she still answered loudly, "Mommy, I'm here..."Rainie had thought that the place where their art teacher brought them to for live sketching was not beautiful enough. Although the little girl was young, she had a good sense of aesthetics, so she chose another spot to do her live sketching according to what she liked.That was why Rainie initially picked a place somewhere near where her teacher and her classmates were doing their live sketching. Without knowing it, however, she walked into the endless flower field and soon became fascinated by this beautiful spot. She then decided to stay there to draw.She did not expect that the place would be so big and everything would look the same. When she tried to leave, she realized that she could not remember the way out.
Today, Luke surprisingly left work at six o'clock and that surprised Jason a lot since his boss was a workaholic. He was especially surprised due to the fact that Luke had just returned to T Corporation. Usually, he would only go back after midnight.At the parking lot.A noble-looking black Rolls-Royce RV was parked there. All the other luxury cars there could not even come close to it.Inside the RV was a perfectly functional space that was comparable to a villa.Once the door of the RV was closed, it felt like the inside of a theater. The luxuriousness of it all was too blatant and impossible to ignore.Inside the RV sat an unrivaled handsome man with an upright posture and an extraordinary temperament. His long and slender fingers casually pressed on a button. The mellow and fragrant wine automatically filled up his wine glass."Sir." The driver in the driver's seat asked Luke, "Where would you like to go?”The driver was equally surprised that Luke had left the office this
By the time Luke and Bianca left the amusement park, it was almost ten o'clock at night.He took Bianca to a romantic candlelit dinner, and by the time they got home, it was well past midnight.The three children were already quietly asleep. Blanche and Rainie slept in separate rooms, while little Tommy was still sleeping with Bianca and Luke for the time being because he was still young.Bianca actually felt a little guilty about leaving the kids to go out with her husband for a romantic getaway.After gently kissing each of them on their foreheads, she went to the bathroom to wash up while Luke went into the study.After Bianca finished washing up, she saw that the lights in the study were still on.When she passed by the door, she heard sounds of typing on the keyboard.Bianca frowned and knew that Luke was working overtime again.She knew how hard it was to be the CEO of a large corporation as she had been the interim CEO for the past two years. It was very stressful and
Nighttime, a brightly lit place.Tonight was Blatt Corporation’s anniversary celebration and Old Master Blatt’s 70th birthday. They were celebrating two occasions today, so the banquet was extra grand. The banquet was held in a luxurious five-star hotel and everyone who was anyone had been invited to attend.In the parking space near the hotel, all kinds of luxurious cars were seen everywhere.Old Master Blatt used to be a famous tycoon, while his son, Samuel Blatt, led a mediocre life. Even so, he ended up having three capable sons. His eldest son, Victor Blatt, inherited his grandfather's legacy. He was a rising star in the military, whereas the second son, Vincent, founded Blatt Corporation. Under his management, coupled with his exceptionally vigorous methods, the Blatts firmly occupied the top economic position in A City. As for the youngest son, Wayne, he was doing well abroad.Except for the eldest son, Victor, who got married a few years ago and had a son and a daughter, th
Everyone was gorgeously dressed in the banquet hall and the atmosphere was lively. When Luke and Bianca suddenly appeared, there was a brief silence before an uproar followed. The noise almost drowned out the music flowing in the luxurious hall.The people at the banquet were all influential people. Even though there were many handsome men and beautiful women, none of them were as perfectly matched as the couple that just appeared. That was because they were a rare sight to see, so the moment they appeared, they stole the hearts and breaths of many people.The man had short black hair and was wearing a clean white tuxedo with diamond-studded platinum cuffs, which was very exquisite.In front of his slender neck, he also had a black silk bow tie that elongated his tall figure further. He looked incredibly handsome.The man in front of everyone made the ordinary tuxedo look even more elegant, especially with those energetic eyes of his that were as deep as the sea and as cold as ice.
The air in the banquet hall suddenly became tense with Wayne's sudden appearance.Wayne was stunned for only a second and instantly reacted. His wild eyes unrestrainedly sized Luke up and down.Wayne quickly hid his killing intention in the bottom of his eyes and reached his hand out to Luke. "Young Master Luke."This time, Luke did not refuse. The two strong hands clasped together tightly with a shake. "Young Master Wayne."One of them was cold and handsome, while the other one was unruly and unrestrained, creating a stark contrast between the two of them.This was the second time Luke and Wayne were meeting one another in person. The two men made eye contact and contended silently.It felt as though the surrounding music was their background music.Wayne was secretly surprised. When he shook hands with Luke two years ago, his handshake was not as strong. However, it seemed like the man was about to crush the bones in his palm now. He wondered why there had been such a big chan
The second floor.Julie rubbed her bottom. She felt as if her tailbone had shattered from the fall. She looked at the man who was arrogantly looking down at her with horror in her eyes.His body that could be compared to Schwarzenegger was like a big moving mountain.When his entire body covered her sight, she could not see anything else but his solid muscles that overlapped each other, bulging in her sight. It was simply appalling."Hey you, what did you just hear?" Wayne stared at Julie without moving, and from the nervousness in her eyes, it was clear that she had heard a lot.Julie raised her right hand and braced herself as she swore stiffly, "I-I didn't hear anything... Really... I promise... No, I swear. I just happened to be passing by. If I’m lying, I swear I’ll be struck by lightning!”She did not know who this rough and wild man in front of her was, but everyone at this banquet today was someone influential.Although he was wearing casual clothes like a thug, she coul
“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