“Pfft.” Luca looked at how helpless Nina was and laughed.Tommy shook his head and deliberately lowered his voice, “Ms. Nina, it’s not like our homework is difficult.”“I know it’s not difficult, but you all… I can only say that you’re too smart. There’s no need for me to get involved.” Nina sighed.“Yeah, they don’t need tutoring, but they need someone to check their homework later. Nina, I’ll go help Aunt Neile in the kitchen. Can you check the kid’s homework later?” said Luca.“Alright, I’ll promise to get the job done.” Nina gave her an OK gesture.Luca turned around and walked into the kitchen.Tommy whispered, “Great, we’ll have good food again tonight.”Nina listened to the child and patted his head. She said, “Aunt Neile’s cooking is also very good.”“But Ms. Luca’s tastes even better!” Tommy handed his finished homework to Nina. “Ms. Nina, I’m done. Check it, please.”Nina was glad. She finally had something to do. She took the workbook and checked it while saying, “D
"Okay, got it. How did they know Nina was here?" Luca's expression was stern. It seemed that the Mallory family was dead serious about wanting Nina to leave Percy.However, how was Nina at fault?She did not cause the misfortune that came upon her blood family nor did she have an option.Pierre was the one who caused all of Nina’s recent suffering. She was the victim!Nina sighed when she saw Luca’s sour expression. "It should be Joanne… They came for me. I'm sorry for putting you in such a difficult position, Luca. I'll go out.""No, you stay here." Luca wanted to make a call but realized that her phone was not there. She then remembered that she left it in the bedroom.She said to Aunt Neile, "Aunt Neile, I'm going to make a call. In the meantime, please open the door for the Mallory family and have Lanie and the others go upstairs. I don't want the Mallory family to scare them.""Okay, I'll do it right now." Aunt Neile nodded and was about to leave the bedroom."Another thin
Pierre was raving mad at Luca when he thought of the suffering he went through because of her. He wanted to take revenge right there, right then.However, he could not afford to act recklessly in that situation.After all, they were in Luke's territory. The explanation that he promised Luke previously had not been made.No matter how much money he offered, no one in the company was willing to be the scapegoat. Mr. Peralta knew what was coming and opted to resign immediately.Pierre looked stern as he sat beside Old Master Mallory."Who is this?" Old Master Mallory's tone was unfriendly. He looked at Luca with contempt.Luca frowned. She had met Madam Mallory and thought that her arrogant and domineering appearance was not at all like the demeanor of a lady.After she met Old Master Mallory, she finally understood that Madam Mallory's arrogance came from him.Old Master Mallory and Old Master Crawford were from the same era. They should be about the same age. However, the pers
Even after some time had passed, Pierre could not forget the pain that he suffered.He wanted the pain to end, but it felt like he was stuck in a bottomless pit of suffering. He took so many painkillers that his mouth was bitter and his stomach felt uncomfortable. He did not want to go through that once more."Pierre." Old Master Mallory gave him a way out.Pierre sat down and glared at Luca. He was fuming and swore to find an opportunity to teach this woman a lesson."Ms. Craw, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Since the police didn't bother Pierre about it, mind your words." Old Master Mallory knew about it, but he would never admit it in front of Luca. "Mind my words? Mr. Pierre is unwilling to admit what he did in the past, but Nina is innocent. How can you accuse her of being a b*tch?" Her gaze was cold as she stared at the man in front of herIf Percy was not the only one who was nice to Nina, she thought that the entire Mallory family would go to hell because none of
Old Master Crawford, who was on the other end of the call, shook his head. "That won’t work. You’re not disturbing my grandchildren, but you’re bothering my goddaughter.""Your goddaughter?" Old Master Mallory’s eyes were wide. He was unsure what Old Master Crawford was up to. He looked up at Luca and wondered if he was referring to her. ‘Isn’t she involved with Luke? How could he take this woman as his goddaughter? Is it to cover up her and Luke’s shady relationship?’Luca was also stunned. ‘Who’s his goddaughter?’Old Master Crawford said with a smile, "Yeah, my goddaughter… Mallory, you haven’t heard? My goddaughter is Nina, the woman you’re looking for. She became my goddaughter some time ago, but we’ve been busy. Nina is a low-key person, so I didn't tell the media about it. The Crawfords are the only ones that know. I didn't inform others.""Nina is your goddaughter? Are you kidding me?" Old Master Mallory blew on his beard and thought that Old Master Crawford was making a
"Okay, it's getting late. I’ll hang up now. Luca, drop by to have a meal with me when you’re free." Old Master Crawford waved at the camera."Old Master Crawford, rest well." Luca smiled, hung up the phone, and waited for Aunt Neile to return.Aunt Neile immediately returned to the house after she sent the Mallory family out the door. She noticed that Luca was sitting calmly on the sofa. She patted her chest and said, "Ms. Craw, I was almost scared to death! I’m glad that they didn't do anything.""It would’ve been fine even if they tried something. Aunt Neile, if you encounter this situation again, make sure you protect yourself." Luca was touched by how Aunt Neile put herself in front of her when she realized that there was danger. "That won't work, Ms. Craw. I'm stronger than you and can take hits for you." Aunt Neile smiled. After the false alarm, she relaxed a little and cleaned up the cups on the coffee table.Luca stood up and said, "Aunt Neile, you can get off work when y
After she hung up the phone, Nina walked into Luca's study, leaned against the frame, and watched Luca conduct experiments with tubes of reagents."Luca, you’re still conducting experiments?" She admired Luca's calmness."The matter is settled, and it's not yet time for bed now. I want to attend to work when I still have the energy," Luca spoke but did not stop working.Nina stood there and knew that she would not be much of a help. After all, she did not understand what Luca was doing. "I won't disturb you. I’ll go downstairs and spend time with the kids.""Mm, by the way, when it’s 9:30 p.m., have them turn off the TV and remind them to get ready for bed," Luca said. She was happy to hand over the task seeing that Nina was willing to take care of the kids."Don't worry, I’ll make you proud." Nina made an OK gesture, walked out of the room, and closed the door on her way out.Luca was relieved that Nina was watching the kids and continued to focus on her experiment.She wanted
Lliam drove off as soon as Luca got into the car.Luke had called Tina, so she knew what she had to do. As such, when the car arrived, she was already waiting by the side of the road.Lliam got out of the car and looked at Tina with a smile on his face. "Ms. Tina, there was some traffic on the road. Sorry that I’m a little late.""It's okay, let's go to the airport," Tina said. After Lliam opened the car door, she got into the car and smiled at Luca. "Dr. Craw, I’m glad we have a chance to work together again.""Yeah." Luca smiled and waited for Lliam to drive off before she said, "Tina, I'm not familiar with entertaining business partners. I'll have to trouble you to help me out later...""Dr. Craw, you don't have to be so nervous. Although the other party is like a god to T Corporation, they’re just ordinary people. Mr. Crawford said that Mr. Marcos isn’t here specifically for a site visit. He’s on vacation. He reached out to Mr. Crawford, but he didn’t expect that Mr. Crawford
“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