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
Lacey was beginning to waver. Melissa was not done yet. She shook Lacey's arm and said, "Aunt Lacey, if you like children, I'll give you one once Xavier comes to his senses and marries me. You don't need Riley's baby. Who knows if you're only raising a child for someone else?" Lacey became wholly convinced. "Alright, but that b*tch is already a few months into her pregnancy. We can't afford to wait if we want to get rid of it." Melissa hurriedly added, "I've asked the doctor that examined her. He said that the baby isn't firmly embedded in the placenta, and she'll have to be careful. Otherwise…" She pretended to hesitate. "Go on, Melissa! Otherwise what?" Lacey was anxious when she considered that the child in Riley's womb might not be Xavier's. "Otherwise, if she bumps into something, she might easily lose it." Melissa let go of her hand. Now that she had gotten Lacey on her side, it was time that the little b*tch left Xavier. 'Do you think that you're special just becau
Luke's objective was for Xavier to stay away from Bianca. If Xavier did not want to leave the country, Luke had other options for him. "Would you like him to spend some time inside then, Uncle Daniel?" His voice was cold, clearly not in the mood for negotiation. "Please, no!" Daniel cried out in shock. Xavier was indignant when he saw his father begging and groveling. He did not believe that Luke did not have any dirt. Luke got lucky in the corruption case; someone had taken the fall for him. Perhaps he could find another one… Luke folded his arms together. His diamond wedding ring shone brilliantly under the lamplight, which stung Xavier's eyes. Daniel tugged Xavier's shirt sleeve in case his son acted rashly. "Xavier is almost going to be a father, Luke. After that girl gives birth to his child, he'll have to marry a daughter of the Lerches. Why would he harass your wife then?" "He can marry outside of the country." Luke stood up and headed toward the door. If Xavier
The servant did not move. She was caught between Lacey and Luke and did not know what to do. The ambulance arrived shortly. Before Xavier carried Riley downstairs, he said, "Bianca isn't like that, Mom. The truth will be revealed once Riley wakes up." Lacey was disappointed in her son. Why would he still be speaking up for Bianca when he was about to lose his child? Her chest heaved with anger. Seeing that the servant did not act, she took out her phone. "If you're not going to call the police, I will!" Luke grasped her hand tightly and said sinisterly, "Think twice before you act, Mrs. Tanner." Lacey was at the height of her anger. She wanted to pull her hand away, but she realized that she could not move her hand at all. The pain from her wrist caused her to tremble. "What are you doing? Are you threatening me?" Bianca put her hands on Luke. "The truth will prevail. If you'd like to call the police, Mrs. Tanner, then please go ahead. However, if Ms. Riley wakes up and
Bianca saw the bruises on Lacey's face. She indeed looks quite pathetic; Daniel did not hold back at all. She stood there and faced Lacey and the Crawford family. Even without Luke, she did not feel afraid. "If you want to know what happened, Ms. Riley should know the best." "Riley lost too much blood, and she's still in a coma! You're the one who harmed her! You'll be the murderer if anything happens to her!" Lacey huffed. Then, she turned to the police officers. "The culprit is over there. Quick, arrest her!" The police officers looked at each other. It was up to the patriarch of Crawford Manor if they were able to take Bianca away. Old Master Crawford glanced at the two police officers with a profound gaze and spoke authoritatively. "Lacey, are you sure that you want my granddaughter-in-law arrested?" Bianca was moved. The old man might not be fond of her, but he was willing to stand up for her. Lacey was cowed by Old Master Crawford's tone of voice. She stood up and con
That mistake allowed Lacey to frame her. "I'm sorry, Luke." She apologized for her mistake. If she had remembered what Luke told her, she would not have gone upstairs to the lounge, and none of this would have happened. Luke sighed and hugged her tightly. "I don't blame you, Bea. Let's go home. The children are worried about you." The couple left the police station. Several reporters were standing outside of the police station. News that Bianca was brought to the police station for questioning had spread throughout A City. The reporters swarmed up to Luke and Bianca when they saw them come out of the exit. "Mrs. Crawford, is it true that you have deliberately harmed a pregnant woman?" "Mrs. Crawford, it is said that the pregnant woman is your ex-husband's lover. Did you harm her out of revenge or spite?" "Mr. Crawford, how do you view what your wife did? Are you planning to divorce her to cut all ties with her?" The reporters' questions got more and more ridiculous.
The other person on the end of the phone became annoyed when they heard Melissa's threat. They were assassins, not menial workers! "Ms. Lerche, according to your job description, it was supposed to be an easy hit. Now that our assassin has gone missing, it shows that the job isn't as easy as you first described it. The money that you gave us is not enough to compensate us for losing the assassin." "You want to talk money with me? If you can't settle this issue satisfactorily, you'll see what's coming!" Melissa shrieked. She was livid about Riley's disappearance, and she had forgotten that she was talking to an assassin organization. She might be the client, but she would be the target if necessary. The assassin chuckled and replied, "Naïve woman!" Melissa flung her phone at the wall out of anger. Crash! The phone was smashed into bits, and the call was cut off. Melissa dashed out of her room and yelled, "Where is the driver? Bring me to the hospital now!" She arrived at
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