"It’s all my fault. I was eager to know the truth so I pushed her for it. I didn't think it through and thought that her mental state would be able to take it. It was never my intention to trigger her... I can somewhat relate to how she feels now, and I think it’d be good if I spent some time with her," Bianca explained while she held his hand and whispered in his ears, trying to get him to agree with her. "Luke, let me go. Else, I won’t be able to sleep at night from the guilt." She felt she had to talk to Riley. Luke could not say no to her. Bianca may seem like a gentlewoman, but the moment she insisted on something, she would not stop until she got what she wanted. He looked at Johann and asked, "Will that woman suddenly go mad again?" Johann shook his head. "No, her condition has stabilized." He had thoroughly evaluated Riley's condition. She would be fine if no one intentionally tried to trigger her. Luke knew that he could not stop Bianca, so he sai
Riley opened his eyes and there was a look of hatred in them. Rain did not say much, so she could ignore the few words she uttered from time to time and just be immersed in her sad world. However, she could not ignore Bianca's words... Riley tried to sit up, but her body was weak after the operation so she could not sit upright. Her hands trembled. "Bianca, stop pretending like you care. Go away!" Bianca had anticipated this reaction and put down the bowl. She stood by the hospital bed and bowed. "I’m sorry." Rain was surprised and uttered, "Madam?" Riley was taken back as well. "Bianca, what are you up to?" Bianca explained herself, "What I said yesterday was a little harsh and I’m really sorry that I hurt you." At that time, she just wanted to help her out of her fantasy and sorrow, but she never thought that it might be too much for Riley. Riley shrank in a corner warily, staying silent. Luke was the most powerful man in A City and s
"I'll go to the kitchen to help." Luke kissed Bianca's cheek lightly and walked to the kitchen with two bottles of wine. "Okay." Bianca smiled slightly, her gaze following him to the kitchen before she withdrew it. Queenie was initially a little frustrated at Luke because of Bianca’s injury but seeing this tender scene, her dissatisfaction gradually subsided. Sometimes, hits and bumps were inevitable. As long as Luke treated Bianca well and she was happy, she could feel assured as her mother. "Bea, come and help me arrange the flowers?" Queenie put a black porcelain vase in front of her. Bianca nodded, trimmed a perfume lily, put it into the porcelain vase. She gave it some nutrients. She had not gone for any flower arrangement classes but she was so talented that it looked good even when she just intuitively arranged them. Bianca put in a bunch of gypsophila as an embellishment. She glanced at Queenie and slowly said, "Mom, was there anything specifi
"Luke, this incident has damaged Bea's reputation. It can't drag on. After Bea married you, there have been many misfortunes. If you can't protect her, let me protect her." Jack was distressed when he thought about his darling daughter. Since he found out about the kind of person Leia was, he had paid more attention to Bianca. He could not accept that his favorite daughter was constantly hurt and wronged. After all, Bianca was his flesh and blood. Jack felt bad that she had to grow up without him and go through so many hardships alone. He was comforted that she still had good conduct and a kind heart. Luke thought to himself that Jack was here to warn him. It seemed that he was dissatisfied with how the matter was being handled. He then told Jack everything. After Luke was done talking, Jack’s stern expression finally turned into a smile. "Not bad, you’re quite far-sighted." He thought it was a simple accident that Bianca was unintentionally involved
"Shut up!" Grandma Hilton was fed up with Leia’s crying and weeping. Her gaze was cold as she played with the bangle around her wrist. "I'm talking to Brody, who are you to jump into the conversation like that? How rude! You call yourself Mr. Norman’s adopted daughter?" Brody coaxed, "Grandma, please don't be angry. Leia can’t control her emotions, she’s just trying to be nice." Grandma Hilton looked at the herbs on the coffee table, then at Leia's slightly bulging belly. She snorted coldly and said, "Brody, I love you, but do you think I’m old and confused? I know why she chose to visit today. Today is the day when your parents are coming back. She’s thinking that if your parents agree to it, she can then marry into the Hilton family. You’re blinded by love, don’t you see?" Leia wanted to marry into the Hilton family just because she was pregnant? Never! Grandma Hilton's attitude was unwavering. As long as she lived, she would never allow it. "Grandma, Leia is
Tania looked at Leia indifferently and said, "Leia Norman, right? I‘ve heard about you. You’re an actress who used to be fairly popular." When she heard that, Leia knew that Tania was not a fan of hers… Maybe it was because she did not like that she was in the entertainment industry. Leia explained herself, "I chose to enter the entertainment industry to fulfill my mother's wishes. When she was young, she wanted to be a star." Tania's gaze was sharp. She walked over and sat down on the velvet sofa laced with gold thread. The caretaker poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her. She picked up the teacup and took a sip. "This needs more tea leaves."The nanny said immediately, "I'll make you another cup." Brody gave Leia a look, sat down, and massaged Tania's shoulders while praising Leia. "Mom, although Leia is an actress, she’s also a kind and wonderful girl. She’s not what you’d expect for someone who’s an actress." Tania watched her son rant about Le
Leia desperately squeezed her tears and wiped them on Brody's clothes. "Brody, I don't want to make things awkward for you. It’s okay that your family doesn't like me, let’s not force it. Our baby is a mistake!" Brody touched her belly and was upset. He promised her, "Okay, don't cry. My parents will stay for a while. I’ll convince them. Head back first, okay?" "Brody, I'm scared. Can you promise me one thing?" Leia's eyes were red and swollen from crying. She looked sad. Brody wiped her tears with his sleeves and asked, "What's the matter?" "I don't want to force you, but if we want to get married, we have to do it before the child is born. I don't want him to be called an illegitimate child. I was adopted. I don’t want our child to be bullied like I was when I was growing up. If… If you can’t marry me, let me know. I'll be considerate and go to the hospital..." Leia leaned on his chest and could not continue her sentence. Brody squeezed her hand tightly and r
"Leia..." Queenie was getting anxious. Leia was forced to share her issues under the gaze of four pairs of eyes. "Mom, it's the Hilton family. They’re bullying me." ‘Hilton? Brody Hilton?’ Bianca thought of the name in an instant, and her brows wrinkled slightly. ‘Leia got involved with Brody?’ Queenie was not sure what she was going on about, so she looked at her husband and then at Leia. "Which Hilton family?" "The Hilton family in the west of the city. They’re involved in foreign trade," Luke, who had been silent, said. Bianca was surprised that Luke knew who Leia was referring to. Leia kept silent. "Leia, how did they bully you? Tell me everything, I’ll make sure that you’re treated right." Queenie was gentle and chose to blindly believe in Leia. Although Leia was adopted, she shared a deep bond with her and would never allow anyone to mistreat her darling daughter. Leia cried and recounted what had happened at Hilton Residence. Of cour
“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