Bianca held the bowls and chopsticks. She looked at Luke who was sitting across from her with her sorry eyes. Luke probably hated Jean. When Grandpa called him Jean, even though it felt bad, he had to swallow it for the time being."Grandpa, you should eat more too." Luke did not correct him and made sure the old man ate first.After he picked up food for Grandpa, he picked up two pieces of ribs for Bianca."Thank you." Bianca picked up a few grains of rice with her chopsticks but did not dare to look up at him. She took a small bite of the rice before she bit into the ribs that he picked up for her.It was then when Bianca noticed that the ribs that Luke picked up for Grandpa and her were fine pieces of ribs.It was the type with one single bone and had meat that could be easily bitten off.He ate the backbone.The small town was not fancy, so ribs were sold together with the backbone.Bianca picked up a piece of fine ribs and put it in his bowl. "You should eat too. Don't j
"The owner’s my buddy, so I asked him for a spare key to your room..."From what they heard, the unidentified man Jennifer was struggling from had a wife. His family lived in the small town.Bianca’s hand was grasping the sheet hard.She felt sad for her dad.Dad had struggled for more than 20 years to earn money to support Jennifer and her daughter.In the end, however, Dad was in the hospital enduring the pain from his terminal illness while his wife Jennifer was cheating on him."You dirty man...""Don't you like me being nasty? Anyway, I’m better than that guy of yours who either has this cancer or that cancer... Say it... Don’t you agree...""Ah... You’re good. You’re the best… Ahhh… Don't thrust so hard… You’re going too deep…”"Too deep? I think you can still take a couple more inches in you!" the man said crudely, "You’re at such an old age now. Why are you still pretending… I can go deeper… You’re not that tight either… And I’m the only one who can make you come…”Bi
The manner Allison was speaking in sounded very strange. Bianca was so shocked that she had forgotten to greet her."Where are you? I want to see you right away, Bianca Rayne. I think we need to sit down and talk seriously. It’ll be good for both you and me," Allison said selfishly.When they met at Crawford Manor, Allison treated her very warmly and called her Bea. This was the first time she had called her by her full name, Bianca Rayne. Bianca remembered that when she was five years old, she was pushed to the ground by other kids and ended up knocking her knee under her skirt on the gravel. One of her knees bled after getting scuffed badly.She had cried and gone home to look for her grandpa. She told him that she wanted her mommy and asked why everyone else had a mommy but her.The kids who had mommies always bullied her, calling her ‘little bastard’ and that bastards deserved to be bullied!Grandpa, who was exhausted from her crying, stopped his kind demeanor and had a very
Luke leaned in front of the car, his fiery body wrapped under his shirt and trousers. He was still clamoring to ejaculate.The man frowned and opened the car door to take his box of cigarettes and lighter. He lowered his head, lit a cigarette, and inhaled fiercely. It seemed that the only thing he could do was to smoke to suppress the unrest in his body.His eyes that were as black as ink looked at the room with the dim lights. The old house had been empty for several years, so there were no curtains installed. Luke continued staring at the room until she turned off the lights after a while. That night, Bianca did not sleep well.Luke barely slept in the first half of the night either. He returned to the town. The quiet night inevitably made him feel emotional as he thought back about everything that he experienced in the town.All the good and bad flooded into his mind vividly.Bianca woke up with a headache just a little after five in the morning.She could not sleep well i
"What did you just say?"Bianca's face stiffened.Allison must be joking.Perhaps that rich lady really hated her to the extreme and wanted to separate Luke from her. However, it was a little absurd to say such blatant lies."I said, you’re my daughter. Am I not clear enough?" Allison finished her sentence, reached out, and picked up her coffee cup. She took a sip from it, then raised her head to show an expressionless face. "So you can’t be together with Luke.”Bianca stared at Allison across her. One of Bianca’s hands was clasped across her other hand beneath the table. Her palms were slick with cold sweat.She never told Allison that she had lost her biological mother when she was a child. ‘How does Allison know about this? Did Luke tell her about it?’Bianca's mind was in a mess.She also remembered that Allison was the mistress who separated Susan, who had gone crazy that day, and Luke's father, Zachary. Allison then succeeded in taking over Susan’s position in the family.
"You can’t pick up the phone the way you are now." Allison did not need to look to guess who was calling.Bianca lowered her head as her tears continued to flow out."Come on, wipe your tears and follow me." Allison could not say anything comforting. She took out tissues and handed them to Bianca as if it was the best thing she could do.Bianca rejected the two tissues Allison was giving her. She took another deep breath, wiped the tears from her face, and walked into the hospital.A sad person who kept crying while they walked in the hospital would attract a lot of people's attention, but they would not stare because sad people were aplenty in a place like that.The elevators in the hospital were not busy in the afternoon.Soon, Bianca arrived at the floor where her dad was hospitalized."I need to go to the bathroom."She knew she had to take into account her dad's feelings and not let him see her embarrassed and sad.Allison stood silently at the bathroom door, waiting.Bi
"Your friend gave me her key." Luke explained how he got the key in his hand.Bianca glanced at him to signify that she understood, but her eyes were still red and swollen from crying.Luke suddenly took two steps toward her to check what was going on with her. However, when he saw that she was frightened by him approaching, he took several steps back.It was clear that she was dodging him instinctively.Luke did not know why she was avoiding him.He carefully recalled that she did not reject the hot kiss when he leaned on her body in front of the car before going to bed when they were still in the small town last night. In fact, she was receptive most times and responded enthusiastically.Since they were in the car with the old man in the morning, he did not talk much with her due to the old man's presence. However, when they were conversing normally, she did not show such an alienated attitude toward him.It only started in the afternoon when he tried calling her but she did n
Luke could not tell what Bianca was thinking. That feeling made him panic because he had hoped that they were able to know what each other was thinking in their relationship."Come here," he said those two words softly as he stretched out his arms and pulled her into his embrace.The moment the man’s big hand touched Bianca's back, she shuddered. Each distinct finger of his was like a soldering iron that burnt her skin."Let go, don't hug me..." Bianca said tiredly and hoarsely.The woman in his arms had lost all her strength to break free.Luke hugged her even more tightly. His thin lips started from her forehead and kissed down inch by inch, sliding across her cheeks and finding her lips…When both of their lips touched, Bianca cried out loud.Luke stopped all of his movements as his body stiffened. She felt his hot and rapid breath on her lips."If you do this again, I will disappear completely from your sight from tomorrow onward." Bianca threatened.She was cornered.Luk
After signing the agreement, Karen eagerly handed it over to the man she believed to be the lawyer.The moment the doctor took the shares transfer agreement, a syringe containing anesthesia slipped from his sleeve and was swiftly injected into Karen’s hand.“You...” Karen felt a sharp sting, but before she could speak, her consciousness faded.At the same time, the knife in her hand clattered to the floor.The doctor quickly steadied her to prevent her from hitting her head when she collapsed.“Luckily, the dose was strong enough, or she wouldn’t have been knocked out so quickly.” He gently laid her down, checked to make sure she was unconscious, and then hurried out of the office to notify the hospital director.Percy quickly stepped forward, gently lifting Nina’s chin to examine her wound.“I’m fine,” Nina said in a soft voice, lowering her head to hide the injury on her neck.“Let me take a look at you,” Percy insisted, gently lifting her chin again. After checking, he added
“Mr. Mallory, won’t you feel guilty if something happens to Nina?” Sue did not understand why he refused to call the police.“It won’t happen.” Percy furrowed his brows as his mind raced to find a solution.Sue was even more confused. “Just because you say it won’t happen, does that mean it won’t? Yes, Madam Mallory is your mother, but Nina is also your wife. If your mother harms your wife, shouldn’t you call the police? Instead of doing that, you’re leaving her in this dangerous situation. I honestly feel sorry for Nina.”Sue had always been straightforward. She thought Percy would protect Nina for life, but seeing him defend Karen at the cost of his wife’s safety, she was deeply disappointed.She felt she was in no position to feel sorry for Nina, but she could not understand Percy’s actions.Percy furrowed his brows. Calling the police was not an option.The Mallory family could not afford this kind of turmoil.If Old Master Mallory found out that he handed his mother over to
Nina trembled when she was touched. Her whole body was shaking.Karen’s touch was icy cold, and when her hand fell on Nina’s face, it carried a chill.“Don’t hurt her!” Percy’s voice was hoarse, his anger barely concealed in his eyes.He was furious but kept reminding himself not to provoke Karen.“Hmph, look at how nervous you are.” Karen's patience wore thin. Without another word, she laid out her conditions. “If you want me to let her go, fine.”“What do you want me to do?” Percy knew the conditions she was about to propose would not be as simple as keeping her out of the psychiatric hospital.It could involve Pierre.Perhaps even the company.Even though Karen had spoken to him about the high hopes she had for him, Percy did not believe a word of it. To her, from beginning to end, the only person who mattered was Pierre.Percy was merely a tool to secure her position in the Mallory family.“See? You still care about this woman. You’ve disappointed me!” Karen glanced at Ni
“Mr. Mallory, I didn’t dare to go in. Nina and your mother are still inside.” After Sue realized that Nina might be in danger, she had been waiting outside, unwilling to leave.She had been planning to rush in with the other employees if she heard Nina scream.Percy's expression darkened. He did not blame Sue for the situation, so he did not say anything. Instead, he quickly walked to Nina’s office door and pushed it open.The sight before him sent a chill through his veins, as though his blood had turned to ice.“You're here?” Karen fixed her eerie gaze on the person who had opened the door. A strange, sinister smile curved at the corners of her lips. She stood behind Nina with a knife tightly gripped in her hand.The sharp blade was pressed against Nina’s neck, already leaving a faint red mark.Sue gasped at the sight and instantly lost her composure.Karen frowned in dissatisfaction, moving the knife slightly and muttering, “Why is there another woman here? Tell her to leave!
“'ll contact someone in A City to investigate,” said Gale.“Let Percy know while you're at it,” added Luke. “He needs to be aware of this.”“Got it.” Gale hurried off to handle the matter.…After taking Gale's call, Percy hung up and stared icily at the middle-aged man standing before him.Under Percy's chilling gaze, the man nervously dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.“Mr. Mallory, my sincerest apologies…” The man, the director of the psychiatric hospital, had come to personally apologize to Percy today.Karen had escaped.Two days ago, Percy admitted Karen to the psychiatric hospital. After an evaluation, the doctors determined her condition warranted hospitalization, so she was admitted.Even though Karen was against it, given her mental state and with the consent of an immediate family member, the hospital was legally authorized to proceed.Percy had even informed the hospital to take special care of Karen. He had explicitly instructed them not to
When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened slightly.Luca mumbled, feeling the warmth beside her. She instinctively curled closer. “What time is it?”“It's a little past five.” Luke gently rubbed her back, offering a quiet comfort to help her feel at ease.Since he could not be there beside her, he could only make these small gestures to bring her some peace of mind.“An entire afternoon just passed like that…” Luca was reluctant to leave at the moment. Her slender fingers lightly pressed against his chest.Luke took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss, holding it as if it were something precious and tenderly stroking it.Luca's hands had once been delicate and smooth, but during their time in the small villa, they had become much rougher.“You've got calluses.” Luke felt sorry for her.Luca gently traced her finger over his lips, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on him. “It’s just from the needlework and the experiments I’ve been d
Luca walked over to another couch and sat down. “I think I’ll stay here. How about letting Luke come down so that we can all catch up? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”Gordan’s face fell. “Ms. Craw, are you doing this on purpose?”Luca pretended not to know anything. “Doing what on purpose?”Gordan quickly shook his head. “Nothing. Just go upstairs already. Brother Luke’s been waiting for you.”Luca had intended to tease Gordan a little longer, but after not seeing Luke for the past few days, she found herself missing him deeply. Standing up with a smile, she said, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Oh, by the way, Mr. Gale, could you help me pick up a few things? Someone over there asked me to get them, and I couldn’t refuse.”“Sure, no problem. What do you need?” Gale agreed immediately.After handing him the list, Luca turned and headed upstairs.Gale watched Luca leave from behind, nudging Gordan’s arm. “Let’s go. We should leave and give the boss and Ms. Cr
The security guard remained completely unfazed.This was because the village chief was his uncle, and in their tight-knit community, they always stuck together and never favored outsiders.With directions from the people inside the ancestral hall, Hera found the village chief.“You’re the village chief, right?” Hera looked at the man in his fifties in front of her and spoke with an arrogant tone, completely unbothered.“And you are?” The village chief, seeing her attitude, was puzzled. He had no idea whether she was an investor or someone looking to discuss a major partnership to bring development to their quiet village.“It doesn’t matter who I am. I see you have surveillance here, and I need to review your footage,” replied Hera.The village chief was even more confused. “Are you a police officer?”“No.” Hera frowned. She thought reviewing surveillance footage was no big deal. Why was this village chief being so difficult?The village chief gave her a look as if she were a fo
“Wait a little longer. By the way, what kind of ancestral hall is this?” asked Hera.“It's a local family's ancestral hall. I heard it's been designed by the owner of a large company, and now it's also one of the tourist attractions.” The taxi driver was not from around here, so he did not know all the details, but he knew it had become a popular spot. “Now, thanks to the reputation of that boss, many architects come here as one of their reference points.”Hera frowned deeper. What was Luca doing here?The driver suggested, “If you're interested in sightseeing, the attractions inside are pretty good. But for outsiders, they charge an entrance fee. Maintenance costs a lot of money, so they charge tourists from outside.”“I'm not here for sightseeing,” replied Hera, “Don't worry. I'll pay you for however long I stay here. You’ll get your money.”The driver heard that she was paying, and did not press her further and remained quiet.Hera stared at the entrance of the ancestral hall,