Susan was not convinced. Allison’s skin was good, but it could not be attained from just getting enough sleep. She mockingly said, “What a joke! You spent God knows how much on your face. Just admit it if you’re old, there’s no need to spend a lot of money to try to maintain your aging face. Fortunately, Luke still has money. Otherwise, your face would be rotten now!"Allison sneered and said, "Susan, you’re jealous that I’m better-looking and younger than you!"Bianca saw that the two were quarreling again and glanced at Luke. His expression was neutral and he did not seem to plan to do anything.She thought that it was not appropriate for them to quarrel in front of the children, especially since they were back for the first time in a while. When she wanted to say something to ease the tension, Old Master Crawford’s majestic voice sounded. "Both your ages combined add up to 100 years old. Enough with the fighting!"Susan and Allison looked at the old man. Even though they were st
Bianca fantasized about the carefree lifestyle after she and Luke retired. Their hair would have been graying, and they would be living a relaxing life with their children and grandchildren without the troubles from work. As the sky continued to darken, the family walked back to the mansion. Old Master Crawford was sipping tea in the living room and watching financial news on the television. Susan and Allison had already retired to their bedrooms because they were not interested in that. Louis and his family were not in the house. They were at a dinner banquet. Only Old Master Crawford was in the spacious living room. Bianca looked at Luke and said, "I'll go and help Lanie and Rainie with their homework." "Mm." Luke nodded and let go of her hand. He went to the couch and prepared to spend some time with his grandfather. "Grandfather." "How was the walk?" Old Master Crawford turned his head and glanced at Bianca and the three children. Bianca smiled gently and replied, "
"That's not what you originally told me, Madam." Jon thought that it was very troublesome. Allison had told him that he could dispatch anyone that tried to stop him, and that would have been a much easier job. "What do you want then?" Allison was getting annoyed. If things went her way, she would not have wanted Luke to stay in the mansion for the night. Other than Luke and her three grandchildren, she did not care if anyone else in Crawford Manow lived or died. Jon saw the antiques in the study and thought that Allison had paid him too little. It was the right opportunity to ask for more. "It'll be easier if you pay up," he said. "How much?" Allison had expected him to say that. However, she had no other choice. "Five hundred thousand," Jon said. "That's daylight robbery!" Allison was reluctant to part with that much money. After all, that was ten days' worth of living expenses. "Those antiques are worth a lot of money, even in the black market. The more I take, the more
Luke quickly drove his car to the front door. Louis carried Thea into the car while Yuri pressed the bandage tightly on her head. Susan also went along to the hospital. Bianca looked at the bloodstains and the broken shards of the antique vase on the corridor. The stench of blood was thick. She could not forget how lifeless Thea seemed as she lay on the floor. "I'm scared, Mommy." Rainie took a step back and hid behind Bianca. She stuck her head out to look at the blood on the floor. "I'm scared too." Tommy also hid behind Bianca. He did not know why Thea was bleeding or why she did not answer when the adults called her name. Bianca covered the children's eyes and glanced at Lanie. His cute little face remained cool, and Bianca was impressed by his maturity. "It's fine. Let's go back to bed," she coaxed the children softly. "Mm," Rainie replied softly and looked away from the bloody floor. After Tommy fell asleep, Bianca went to Rainie's bedroom to check on her. The lit
Allison's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. "You can restore the footage?" She blurted. "The surveillance system is the most advanced in the world. Barring a power disruption, there's an eighty percent chance that the footage can be restored," the manager said. They would use the best technology for their important clients. "How about the remaining twenty percent?" Allison asked. "If the jamming device is too close to the camera, then our technicians can't do anything about it." The manager did not want to admit it, but he could not hide the facts when he saw Old Master Crawford's gloomy expression. "Don't worry, Old Master Crawford," he said, "We'll do our best to restore the footage and cooperate with the police." The stolen antiques were worth at least a hundred million dollars, and the culprit had injured someone. The manager knew how serious the incident was. "Mm." Old Master Crawford nodded as he saw the caretaker come over with cleaning equipment. The police ha
"Faster," Luke urged because he thought that Johann was too slow. "There's no point in hurrying. A mercury thermometer needs time to work," Johann said leisurely. He shook his head when he saw how anxious Luke and Bianca were. "It's normal for kids to have a fever, especially Lanie, who hasn't fallen sick in a while. It shouldn't be surprising that the fever hit him hard." As the saying went, "Sickness comes on horseback and leaves on foot." Bianca was nonetheless anxious when she heard that. She had been focused on taking care of Rainie and Tommy the night before and had neglected Lanie. She did not even know when he started to have the fever. Five minutes later, Johann took out the thermometer and glanced at it. "103.1 degrees. Don't worry, Lanie is a strong boy. He'll be fine after an injection and an IV drip." "Alright. Sorry to trouble you." Bianca's heart wrenched when she saw Lanie's lips cracking from the fever. She took a cup of water and a straw and said, "Drink som
Johann raised an eyebrow and looked at Lanie's handsome little face. "Why would you want to stay here? I thought you hated hospitals." Lanie glanced at his parents and said, "Daddy and Mommy want to visit Thea. I shouldn't go, in case I pass my germs to her." Johann turned his head to look at Luke and Bianca. "Am I a babysitter too?" "Fifteen minutes," Luke negotiated with him with his glacial demeanor. He meant that Johann would only have to take care of Lanie for fifteen minutes. "That's too long. Ten minutes." Johann did not hate Lanie, but he felt uncomfortable looking at the boy's face. It reminded him too much of Luke. He would try to avoid Luke whenever possible, and looking at a copy of Luke's face would give him a headache. "Twenty minutes," Luke said with finality. He took Bianca's hand and left the room before Johann could say anything. Johann pouted. "What a hard sell. I haven't even agreed to it." Even so, he had no other choice but to take care of the bo
Luke frowned, and his gaze turned sharp. If the signal jammer was in the mansion and close to the cameras, how did the thief manage to sneak it in? Bianca noticed the grim expression on her husband's face and could guess that he was thinking about the incident. She did not want to disturb him, so she said softly, "I'll bring Lanie upstairs." "Mm. I'll get the caretaker to bring breakfast upstairs later." Luke kissed her forehead and went to the couch. Bianca held Lanie's hand and said softly, "Let's go upstairs." "Alright, Mommy." Lanie still looked a little weak. The two of them went up the stairs. After seeing his wife and son go up the stairs, Luke went into the kitchen to tell the caretaker to prepare breakfast for them, then walked around the living room. "Why are you so sure?" "It's like this, Mr. Crawford. The technicians have managed to restore the footage from outside the mansion, but they haven't managed to do so for the footage within the mansion. The footage g
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