"But it's Friday tomorrow…" Bianca was a little troubled. Usually, the family would go back to Crawford Manor to have dinner on Fridays. Old Master Crawford adored his grandson and great-grandchildren. He was dissatisfied when Luke and the children moved away because he would only be meeting them once a week. If they did not return to Crawford Manor the next day, the old man would be even unhappier. "Grandfather will understand why we're doing this. Moreover, we can invite him over to your grandfather's house. The two old men can chat." Luke had already thought of a solution. "Okay." Bianca nodded. She agreed with his suggestion. The two old men enjoyed an amicable relationship ever since they first met. They could entertain themselves for an entire afternoon over a game of chess and a pot of tea. They might be better friends if not for that incident. The next day, Bianca and Sue went to visit Nina during lunch hour. The atmosphere in the private ward was calmer and more
"Bea." Nina reached out weakly, seeking comfort. Bianca quickly walked over, sat down next to her, held her hands tightly, and comforted her, "It'll be okay. The doctor said that the diagnosis isn't confirmed, right? It might be a harmless lump, or it might be a technical problem." Nina shook her head. She had been an optimistic person, but she could not even pretend to be optimistic anymore. "I remember Uncle Kevin, Bea. His liver also had a problem, right?" she said. Bianca nodded. "My dad was very sick, but he eventually got better, didn't he? Don't worry, your mom will be fine." Kevin Rayne might not be her birth father, but he had raised her since she was young, and that was why she had continued to refer to him as "Dad." The Normans also supported her doing so. "But if it's cancer, it'll be fatal…" Nina covered her mouth and sobbed softly. Sue also tried to comfort her, "That's not necessarily the case. Medical technology is so advanced now, and they can remove cancer
Bianca and Sue ran back to the car and locked the door. They breathed a sigh of relief when they noticed that Pierre had no intention of chasing after them. "Start the car, Sue," she urged. Sue came to her senses. She was shocked when she saw that man drag Bianca toward the middle of the road. Throwing the ice packs at that man was pure instinct. Seeing that the man was still looking at them, she started the car and quickly drove away. After they were some distance away, Sue asked, "Who is that man, Bea?" "Percy Mallory's younger brother," Bianca answered as she rubbed her reddish wrist. It would definitely leave a bruise, and she wondered how she would explain it to Luke. Sue nodded and said nothing. The Mallory family was famous in A City, though they were not similar to the Crawford family. The Mallory's family business was famous, but not as famous as their underworld dealings. Sue felt worried for Bianca. Fortunately, Bianca had Luke behind her. Otherwise, she wo
Rainie was not interested in chess, but she was curious about Wanda's handmade objects. "Mommy, I wanna see Grant-Aunt Wanda's handicrafts." Bianca glanced at the nearby room. That was Wanda's handicraft studio. "You'll have to ask Grand-Aunt Wanda yourself then." Rainie nodded. She saw that Wanda was coming out from the kitchen with a tray of cut fruit and drinks, so she went to her and asked, "Your handicrafts look beautiful, Grand-Aunt Wanda. May I take a look?" The little girl was interested in beautiful things. Wanda placed the tray on the coffee table and held Rainie's hand. "Of course you can." Bianca reminded her daughter, "Careful, don't touch anything without Grand-Aunt Wanda's permission." "Yes, Mommy." Rainie turned her head and smiled at her. Then, she glanced at her father. All three children were not bothering their parents. Perhaps they could work out the disagreement in the car now. In the living room, only Luke and Bianca were standing. Old Master Rayne
Bianca wiped away the tears on her face and shook her head. "It's nothing, Aunt Wanda." Wanda remained suspicious. Why would Bianca suddenly cry if nothing was happening? She handed her a napkin. "Don't use your hands. They might be dirty. Also, what's going on?" Luke took the napkin and wiped Bianca's tears. "It's my fault, Aunt Wanda. I made her cry." Bianca shook her head to indicate that it was not the case. Wanda felt quite worried as she looked at the married couple who did not say anything. "It's nothing major, Aunt Wanda, and it's also not Luke's fault. Don't worry," Bianca sniffed and said. She had not cried for a long time, and she could not hold her tears back. For a while, she thought that their marriage was facing a crisis. Her weak heart could not take it. Wanda felt a little more at ease after hearing the reassurance from Bianca. "I'll get an ice pack for you. I wouldn't want the two elders to think that something happened between the two of you." "Than
Old Master Rayne lost two straight games to Luke. He patted Lanie's cheek and said, "But I'm better than your Great-Grandpa!" "Nonsense! I'm the one who taught Luke how to play chess. If you can't beat him, then you're not better than me!" Old Master Crawford was not willing to admit defeat. "And the student surpasses the master. Luke is a better player than you. If you don't believe me, you can stay here for the night, and I'll play you until you're satisfied," Old Master Rayne said. He usually played chess alone, and Old Master Crawford rekindled his interest. "Challenge accepted. After dinner, I'll show you who's the better player!" Old Master Crawford was determined to win. "Let's eat," Luke reminded them. "Right, let's have dinner. We shouldn't let the children starve." Old Master Rayne pushed himself up with the help of the table and his walking stick. His physical condition had declined after the operation, and he could only walk with the help of a walking stick. Bia
Luke was also reluctant to be separated from her for so many days. He hugged her tightly and said, "We'll send the children back to Crawford Manor, and you can come along with me." Bianca knew that the children would be taken care of in Crawford Manor, but there were other reasons she could not leave. She leaned on his chest and said unhappily, "I have to attend to my company. There's St. Heckler's new project, and Nina is in the hospital. I'll have to take over her work." Luke stroked her hair gently, feeling a little sorry for her. She would not have been so busy if he had not supported her decision to start her own company. He could only accept that she was too busy with work to accompany him on a business trip. "I'll be back as soon as I can." "Mm," Bianca replied. She glanced at the suitcase next to them and hugged him even more tightly. Luke held her arm and carefully examined it. The redness had dissipated, but the bruise became even more obvious. He led her out of t
Tommy flopped over, though his eyes remained closed as he mumbled, "I'm not going anywhere today, Mommy. I only want to sleep." Bianca was at a loss of what to do. Her son looked too adorable, and she could not bear to wake him up. Tommy had slept for nine hours since the night before, and he already had slept enough. Bianca opened the closet and took out Tommy's day clothes. Her phone started ringing. Bianca put her son's clothes away and answered the call. "Bea." Luke's voice was heard on the other end of the call. Bianca was surprised; she did not look at the call notification before answering it. "Aren't you flying yet?" "Not yet," Luke replied. "Is Tommy awake?" "He hasn't," Bianca said helplessly. She could not persuade him, but the little boy was too young to be punished. It seemed as though only Luke could deal with Tommy. "Turn on the speaker." Luke had guessed that Tommy did not want to wake up, which was why he made the call. Bianca did what she was told an
As soon as Luca returned to her bedroom after dinner, she received a video call request from the kids.It had been a long time since she last saw them. When she saw the call request, she locked the door, put on her headphones, and immediately answered.“Ms. Luca!” As soon as the call connected, the faces of all three kids appeared on the phone screen.“Sweethearts!” Luca blew them a kiss.“Ms. Luca, we miss you so much!” Tommy was the first to express how much they missed Luca.Luca's heart stirred with waves of longing when she heard them. She had been so busy recently, hoping to finish everything here quickly so that she and Luke could reunite with the kids. That was why she had not contacted them much.Plus, with Old Master Crawford taking care of them, she felt at ease.Now that Luca saw the faces of the three kids, her longing for them instantly surged and overwhelmed her.Her eyes reddened. “I miss you all so much too.”Rainie, always the thoughtful one, noticed her em
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