Old Master Crawford stood up and said with a cold expression, "Let’s talk in the study." Bianca paused and gave a wry smile. Old Master Crawford was not a fan of her and did not want to talk in front of her. She continued to walk into the kitchen while holding her children’s hands. Luke glanced at his wife and children before going upstairs with Old Master Crawford. In the study, there was a game of chess on the table that was in progress. Old Master Crawford played by himself and did not bother to look up at Luke, who sat opposite of him. He asked, "Is the company okay?" "T Corporation is doing great." Luke took out his phone from his jacket and showed Old Master Crawford a video. "I came over to show you a video." Old Master Crawford stopped and looked up. "What video?" Luke did not hand over the phone immediately. His deep-set eyes were filled with emotions that others could not read as he said, "Grandpa, you like Maxine?" Old Master Craw
"It’s impolite to talk while you eat." Before Rainie got an answer from Bianca, she heard Luke's low voice talking to her. She protested, "Daddy, I haven't eaten yet." Bianca laughed and touched Rainie's hair. "Baby, eat your food. It won't taste as good when it's cold." Rainie smiled sweetly and answered, "Okay, Mommy." Luke looked at the hot instant noodles and two soft-boiled eggs. As before, she had made them with love. He picked up his fork, took a big bite, and commented, "It's delicious!" Bianca handed a fork to Tommy and was satisfied after she heard Luke’s comments. "You’re easily satisfied." "It’s your cooking that satisfies me," Luke corrected her. Bianca lowered her head slightly and took a bite of noodles. Even though it was nothing but cheap noodles, they were happy.... The other side. Jason drove the drunk and unconscious Sue home. Although she had moved out of Nina's villa long ago and never told him her new addres
Kari hugged his thigh and stared at him with a blank expression. Her round and dark eyes were filled with longing for her father. "Will you stay here tonight?" Jason wanted nothing more than to stay and spend time with the twins. However, if Sue found out, she would rip him into pieces. He smiled bitterly, not showing too many adult emotions in front of his kids as he said, "I need to work tomorrow, so I can't stay." The nanny brought out a glass of water and was startled when she heard what Jason said. "Mr. Doyle, can't you stay here tonight?""What's the matter?" Jason asked. Nanny shared the challenge that she faced, "I promised Ms. Carter to stay and take care of the twins until she came back, but I didn’t expect her to drink so much that she’d come home unconscious. My mother is sick and I have to go back to prepare the medicine that she needs, but if you want to leave..." Kari and Teri were still young, so they could not be left alone. Teri gra
Crawford Manor. Luke and the family had spent the night in Crawford Manor as requested by Old Master Crawford. Early in the morning, the table was full of people once again. Old Master Crawford was delighted to see the happy family. Louis went downstairs with his wife and daughter. He saw Luke and said with a smile, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you’re all here." "Yeah." Luke was calm as always. "Good morning." Bianca was holding Tommy in her arms. He drooled as he looked at the breakfast on the table. If she were not holding him, he would already have a donut in his hand. Yuri Dunn sat down with Thea in her arms, feeling unhappy. She thought that Louis treated an outsider more eagerly more than he treated her and Thea. "Uncle Louis, Aunt Yuri, Thea, good morning," Blanche and Rainie greeted them.Tommy's attention finally shifted from the food. He greeted, "Good morning! Nice to see you, Uncle Louis, Aunt Yuri, and Thea." Louis smiled when
Allison's pale face was flushed as she glared at Susan. "What does this have to do with you?" Susan covered her mouth and smiled. Her gaze was full of disdain and mockery. ‘You’re nothing but a mistress! Your family offended T Corporation and is being backed to a corner, causing you to struggle now. How ridiculous!’ Luke furrowed his brows. He did not want to see this kind of farce. He had felt helpless when he was a kid but as he grew up, he learned how to ignore it. Bianca carefully wiped Tommy's mouth, stood up, and interrupted the farce by saying, "Grandpa, Luke and I need to leave first. We need to send Rainie and Blanche to school." Old Master Crawford nodded. He was getting a headache from Allison and Susan quarreling. His sharp gaze swept over them. Susan noticed how infuriated Allison already was so she said nothing. Instead, she yawned and stood up with a smug expression. She said, "I'm tired too. Life is interesting, there are always ridiculous thing
Self-defense? Bianca was well aware of how weak she was. Sometimes when something happened, even the bodyguards that Luke hired could not protect her. In the end, he had to put himself in harm's way to save her. Bianca raised her gaze and agreed with him, "Tomorrow is Saturday. I’ll sign up for a class and do my best." She was going to learn self-defense not only to make herself stronger and not hold him back anymore but also for the sake of her health. Bianca intended to spend the rest of her life with Luke, but after giving birth to Tommy, her health deteriorated. She was afraid that her dream would not come true because of that. Therefore, her intention of learning self-defense was to protect herself and strengthen her body. "You don't need to sign up for classes. I'll get someone to teach you." Luke freed his right hand and held Bianca's hand. She smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.They soon arrived at the Tanner family’s villa. T
Luke's cold gaze lingered on Riley's face for one second before turning away to look at Bianca once more while placing the back of her hand in his cheek. "To me, Bianca is a unique presence. No one in the world is like her, and no other woman is worthy of being her substitute." It was rare that Luke spoke so much about her, which warmed Bianca's heart as she listened to it. She did in fact think that Riley looked somewhat similar to her, and she was quite appalled that Xavier could do such a thing. However, Luke's words had made Bianca think that Xavier was doing all that in vain. She was irreplaceable after all. The love that they gave Xavier could not be compared to the love that she gave Luke. Riley seemed surprised. She had suspected Bianca's identity when she met her at the mall, but she did not expect that Bianca would be Luke Crawford's wife! Her face turned red with embarrassment. Xavier seemed to have set her up for humiliation, while Luke had expressed his revulsi
Xavier entered the study without knocking at the door. Daniel was furious. He threw the objects on the table at his son. "You wretch! Must you do this to your father?" Xavier's expression sank, though he was not going to lose his temper at his father. He glanced disdainfully at the things that had fallen on the floor. "Why are you acting all crazy? Your guests are waiting for you outside!" He said unhappily. Daniel's chest was heaving from anger. He pointed at the document on the floor and said, "Pick it up." Xavier bent over and picked up the few pieces of paper. He glanced at it and wondered why his father would be so angry. "Where did you get this?" His expression darkened, and the hands that were holding the document began to tremble. "That's the present from Luke Crawford!" Daniel stood up abruptly and, in a fit of rage, threw the burning cigarette at Xavier's face. Xavier managed to dodge it in time. He would be hurt if he did not. "How dare he!" Xavier's expressi
The men in the room were wincing in pain, but when they heard Gerald’s words, they were so furious they almost wanted to lash out at him. However, all their strength had been sapped by the excruciating pain, so they could only groan helplessly.As Shanks made his way upstairs, he paused halfway up the staircase and asked, “Is Luca cooking?”Gerald glanced at the kitchen and replied, “Yes, Mr. Shanks. It’s their fault. Ms. Craw was delayed in making dinner because of them.”Shanks' expression remained unchanged as he simply said, “Let me know when it's ready.”“Yes,” answered Gerald.After Shanks went upstairs, Gerald hesitated for a moment but decided to help the men to their feet, placing them one by one on the couch or chairs. As they slouched, groaning in pain, Gerald shook his head. “Do you guys now understand what happens when you mess with the wrong woman, especially Ms. Craw?”One of the men winced and asked, “Why did she have to be so brutal when throwing down?”“She
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