"Okay." Rainie complied and pointed the tablet's camera at her face.When Luca saw that Rainie had laid down, she began to softly hum a nursery rhyme.The sound of Luca singing came from the tablet. Rainie closed her eyes and felt like she was back in the past when their Mommy would sit by their beds, either to tell them stories or sing to put them to sleep.She had sweet dreams every night that her mother was by their side.Rainie closed her eyes and smiled slightly. She believed that she would have a sweet dream tonight.Luca hummed softly. She sang another song as soon as she was finished with the first. She chose some Russian nursery rhymes to avoid Rainie suspecting anything. Rainie did not say anything about it and gradually fell asleep to Lucaโs singing.Luca continued to sing softly before gradually softening her voice and stopping. Rainie did not wake up. She was already asleep.Luca sighed and whispered, "Good night, baby."After that, she hung up the call.Luke wa
Luke was like the head of the household, coming and going at will. He kept barging into her life.Luca looked at the closed door with mixed feelings. It was not that she did not welcome him. It was that she felt unworthy of standing by his side.If Luke wanted to get close to her, there was no way she could refuse him. In the end, it was them who would be hurt while Abel was the biggest beneficiary.Thinking of this, Luca felt like she was about to break down. She took a deep breath and cleaned the dining table.She had to find something to do to distract herself from the negative emotions.After she was done with the dishes, Luca walked to the balcony and saw the clothes Luke had changed out of. She sighed, sorted the clothes, and put them in the washing machine.She also washed the clothes he changed out of the night before.After Luca put the clothes in the washing machine, she stared at the machine and spaced out for a moment before she walked into the maid's room.The swel
Marie was standing there looking like she was about to bulldoze her way in.Luca stood not far away. She hesitated whether or not to enter through this entrance. After all, Marie knew her and the two of them already had a conflict.It was not that she was afraid of Marie and the people around her. Luca just did not want issues to arise.Unfortunately, the truth was that even if she did not want to cause trouble, trouble would come knocking on her door.Marie had already seen Luca when she turned around. She ignored the security guard and roared at Luca, "Stop!"Luca did not have to turn around to know that she was yelling at her.She turned around helplessly and saw that Marie was walking toward her. The men behind her also walked over.The four of them were enough to surround her.Luca glanced at them and asked with a blank expression, "Yes?"Marie lowered her gaze and glanced at the bags she was holding in her hands. She recognized that the brands inside were expensive, so s
The men with Marie instantly backed away when they heard the security guard mention the police.They were regulars at the police station. If they were locked up again, they would have to find someone to bail them out. It was not worth the trouble.A man put his arms around Marieโs shoulder and said, "Stop bickering. You won't be able to get in today."Their presence disturbed the residents who came in and out of the building, so the security guard reminded them, "You wonโt be able to enter in the future as well. Don't come back and harass our residents. Next time, youโll be handed over to the police without a second thought."Marie spat at the security guard and snorted coldly when she realized that she would never be able to enter the building. "What a sh*tty place! I wonโt come even if Iโm invited!"After she shouted that, she left angrily.She was humiliated by strangers and denied entry. She felt like she had lost all her reputation.When the three men saw her leave, they al
When Luca said that Old Man Rayne needed them, Wanda was persuaded. After all, Luca knew better than her what nutrients Old Man Rayne needed.She took one of the bags and said, "Thank you, I'll take these. You can take the rest back."Luca looked at Wanda's slightly sallow complexion and remembered that in the past, she was always a graceful woman. After she got divorced, she spent a lot of energy taking care of Old Man Rayne. She had no time to take care of herself. That was why her current physical condition was not the best.She continued to persuade Wanda, saying, "Please take these too. Iโm sure youโve been putting in a lot of effort taking care of Old Man Rayne. You need to take care of yourself too. These are for conditioning your body and external use. I promise, these are much better than the cosmetic products you see on TV.โWanda was touched by what she said. "In that case, Iโll accept your gifts andโ"Before she could finish speaking, Luca shoved the bag in her hand an
When it was about time, Luke sent a car from the company to pick up Luca. At the same time, he informed Wanda that the car was on its way to the villa.After she ate with Old Man Rayne, Luca glanced at the time and saw that it was getting late. She said, "Thank you for your hospitality but it's getting late. I have to head home."Wanda quickly said, "Luca, leave a little later.""No, I have some things to attend to." Luca shook her head. She was satisfied being able to spend the entire day with her grandfather. She did not want to overstay her welcome.Moreover, now that Old Man Rayne had finished eating, it was time for him to rest. Her presence would only affect Old Man Rayneโs rest.After Wanda heard that Luca had something to do, she knew that it was not her place to ask her to stay. Hence, she said, "In that case, wait here for a little longer. Luke has arranged for a driver to come over. He should be here any moment now.""Mr. Crawford arranged a driver for me?" Luca was st
The front desk receptionist of T Corporation had gone home. The security guard was the only one who was left.Luca did not bring her employee card but the security guard recognized her and swiped her in.Before she arrived at the elevator, Luke called. Luca answered, and his low voice said, "Come to my office.""Okay," Luca responded, put the phone back in her pocket, and took the elevator to his office floor.The lights on the floor were bright. When she walked out of the elevator and walked past Jason's office, she saw that he was still working overtime. The entire T Corporation was working hard for the Europe project, while she was the only one who had nothing to do.Jason looked at her and smiled politely. "Dr. Craw, why are you here?""Mr. Crawford asked me to come," Luca replied. She noticed that Jason's desk was full of stacks of documents. As Lukeโs assistant, he had to deal with many documents to begin with. She did not have to think much to know that there were going to
Luke paused his gesture while he was turning the pages of the document. Then, he continued to read the documents as if nothing had happened. โWe have to speed up the progress of the project. Weโll need a regular Russian translator, and we canโt afford any unforeseen circumstances on your part anymore.โLuca, who read between the lines, knew that he had only sent someone to pick her up because he wanted to ensure the companyโs project would go on as scheduled.After all, translating was an essential job for overseas projects like this.Luca nodded. She stood up with the document in her arms and said, โI got it. Iโll try my best to translate these documents.โ โOkay.โ Luke did not lift his head to look at her. Luca was upset. The person in front of her was aloof. That was his true colors, but she could not help herself from being unreasonable. She was hoping that the man in front of her could spare a little warmth for her. However, given her identity and background now, she could
โAs long as he stays out of your sight, I wonโt make a move,โ said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Lukeโs 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.โAlright, Ray. Just let it go. Iโve moved on and started a new life. Plus, Iโm studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, weโll just be strangers. Thereโs no need to step in for me or act impulsively.โ Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.โIs it the clothes delivery?โ asked Ray.โNo, 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,โ Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.โMiss, is the boss alright?โ asked one of Rayโs subordinates.โHeโs fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, โCan you walk me through your plan?โโThe prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. Iโve 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 facilityโs underground pipes donโt 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.โThis whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why Iโm confident itโll work.โ As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. โHereโs 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 Abelโs people.โAbelโs 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 Gordanโs current behavior quite intriguing.โLuke, whatโs with that look?โ Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.โYou seem pretty concerned about Vivian,โ Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. โWhat? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, donโt say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.โLuke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. โWhy are you here?โโSpeaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.โ Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. โMan, Ray really didnโt hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.โLuke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. โUnlock it.โโAll set, boss.โ 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.Gordanโs furious curses rang out. โDamn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?โAnother 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.โEnough!โ shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.โVivian, stay out of this. Iโm beating him to a pulp today,โ growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.โRay, I donโt want to see him,โ 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.โFine. If you donโt want to see him, Iโll 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.โRay, this apple is really good. Want to try one?โ asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. โYou go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?โVivian nodded. โI only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.โRay walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.โYou didn't bring any food with you?โ asked Ray.โI havenโt 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.โ Vivianโs tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.โThat's true.โ Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. โAlright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, weโll still need your help.โโFor toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Donโt worry, if I can help, I definitely will,โ Luca assured him.โAlright, thank you.โ Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, โIf Vivian was really poisoned, donโt 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 didnโt take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If itโs something she can fix, sheโll do everything she can.โBesides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?โโYes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. โMs. Sanchez, what's wrong?โHe 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. โI thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And youโre acting all deferential to her over this?โGerald was rendered speechless. โI knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand Iโm used to. Maybe itโs not expensive to you, but for me, itโs what I can afford.โRealizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. โStill, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?โโItโs not about the money,โ replied Gerald. โIt'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.โHe was ba
Lucaโs lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Lukeโs 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.โฆThe two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, โHello, Mr. Crawford.โโVivian, donโt worry. Everything will get better,โ replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Lucaโs 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, โVivian, theyโre your friends. You donโt have to act this way around them. They wonโt judge you.โโI know they wonโtโฆโ Vivian let out a soft sigh. โI just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didnโt want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But itโ
โI once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivianโs. 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.โCould it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.โโIf she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?โ asked Ray.Luca shook her head.โThe poison Iโve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victimโs skin dark. I donโt 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 canโt be sure whatโs really causing Vivianโs condition.โIs her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a