"He borrowed money from loan sharks and couldn't pay it back, so he got beaten up. What does it have to do with me?" Nina frowned. She thought that Anna was being ridiculous. Her bias toward Jean was driving Nina into a corner."If you had given him money, he wouldn’t have to borrow money from loan sharks. You made him do this. My poor boy… If something happens to him, I'll leave this world too." Anna hugged Jean. Her heart ached when she saw her son hurt. She was prepared to give up on her life.The patient on the bed beside them noticed the commotion and walked out of the ward in silence.After all, Anna's cry was irritating.Nina sneered and said, "You’re my mother. I need to support you and give you living expenses every month, so my burden is already heavy enough. Why do you want me to be responsible for Jean's living expenses? He’s my brother, not my father nor my son. Why should I be responsible for him?""He's your brother, you should be responsible for him! My poor boy, i
“Nina! B*tch, how dare you curse your brother?!” Anna was trembling with rage. Nina did not agree with her, and Anna refused to give up either.“Am I cursing him?” Nina sneered, “His arms and legs are still fine now. Why don’t you chop off his arms and legs for him? I’d be willing to pay for his living expenses until he’s dead, not to mention a monthly allowance of just 5,000 dollars!”Nina hated the two of them who were her so-called family. That was why she said such things."H-How dare you to say something like that?!" Nina's words pissed Anna off.Anna's blood pressure would have shot up high if it was in the past. However, her blood pressure was stable because she was in the hospital and the doctors took good care of her.“I’ll only support the handicapped,” Nina said in a cold voice.Anna rested her hand on her heart as she thought of pretending to be weak. She was so angry that her face reddened. The caretaker immediately said to Nina when she saw this, “Ms. Nina, please
Malice flashed across Anna’s eyes. She was in a dilemma. They were being straightforward when they agreed to it. If Nina was the one negotiating with Anna right now, Anna might be able to get more from her.However, there was a risk that Nina would refuse to give her more money.Deep down in Anna’s heart, she knew Nina had no obligation to look after Jean. It was her who was being stubborn, thinking that Nina should take care of Jean. There was no turning back this time. It was impossible for Jean to depend on Nina anymore. Hence, even though Anna thought the amount she asked for was not enough, she chose to sign the contract and get the two million dollars. “Fine.” Anna agreed to it after consideration."Okay. The lawyer will be the witness to the contract signing. I'll give you 2.5 million dollars in cash after signing the contract," said Percy. An extra half a million was added to the amount they decided just now.“Sure.” Anna’s eyes brightened when she heard that. She d
Before this, 500 dollars meant a lot to Anna, but it did not seem much when she had 2.5 million in front of her.Anna said indifferently, “Just take it. The CEO of Mallory Corporation taking 500 dollars... How ridiculous…”Percy’s eyes darkened. He turned to look at Nina and asked, “Is her public services card with you?”"Yes," replied Nina. Just in case the hospital wanted her to pay for medical expenses, Nina brought the public services card with her wherever she went. “Return the card to her. You have nothing to do with her no matter what happens to her in the future,” said Percy.Nina pursed her lips. She took the public services card out of her purse and placed it on Jean’s bed instead of handing it to Anna.Anna only cared about the money now. The public services card was nothing to her. The bags of money she held in her arms were the most important thing.Nina could see how happy Anna was with the smile on her face. It seemed like she was not upset about losing her daugh
However, if Anna let Jean spend the money lavishly, it would only take a while for them to spend 2.5 million dollars. Nina and Percy had done everything they could for them. It was up to Anna how she would spend the rest of her life…She could choose to spoil her son or keep a close eye on her money….“Stop thinking about them. Think about our future.” Percy lifted his hand and gently smoothened out her furrowed brows. Nina just realized that she would still be worried about Anna.“Did you hear what I told her?” Nina asked. “Yes.” Percy had been standing at the door. That was why he had heard their conversation. Percy initially thought of telling Nina that he was going back to attend a meeting, but his assistant called him when he was on his way, claiming that the other party had something else to do. Hence, the meeting was postponed to the afternoon. Although Nina had Luca by her side, Percy was still worried about her. Thus, he made a detour and headed back to the hospit
Anna was wiping her tears beside the ward bed and looking at Jean, who said nothing. She thought Jean was in pain, so she asked in a worried tone, “Are you in pain? Let me ask the doctor to come over and give you an injection for the pain.After that, Anna pressed the patient call bell beside the bed.Jean did not stop her. He closed his eyes and recalled what had happened yesterday.Jean was beaten up by Cobra. His body felt weak, and he could not find where his phone was. There was no way he could ask for help. He ended up sleeping beside a pile of trash.He was in pain and freezing at that time. Slowly, he began to feel drowsy and fell asleep. He forgot what happened next. Anna’s face came into sight when he opened his eyes. There was no memory of what had happened to him in between…The nurse walked into Jean’s ward when she heard the patient call bell. She asked, “What’s wrong with Patient No. 1?”“He’s awake,” answered the caretaker.“Okay. Let me call the doctor,” rep
Even if Nina had no idea about it, how could Percy not know about it?Percy had even asked his lawyer to draft the contract.Jean looked at the satisfied smile on Anna’s face. He had this feeling that there was something wrong, so he frowned. Anna noticed that and said, “Son, we don’t have to depend on others anymore in the future. Why are you still frowning?” Jean asked, “Mom, let me take a look at the contract.” “Contract? What contract?” Anna was startled for a moment. Then, she realized what Jean was talking about and immediately said, “I don’t have the contract.”Earlier, Anna was disgusted when she looked at Nina. That was why she did not take the contract. She had a feeling that it would bring bad luck to her when she saw Nina’s name. “Why didn’t you take it?” Jean’s voice was rising uncontrollably.“Why should I take it? She agreed to sever ties with her family and they gave me the money. She has nothing to do with us anymore,” said Anna. “Aren’t you afraid that t
When Luca got into Warren's car and headed back to T Corporation, it was already lunchtime.Luca hurried upstairs, assuming that Luke must have finished eating his lunch by now. She planned to head downstairs to grab something to eat after she put her briefcase in her office.Luca walked out of the elevator and shot a glance at the assistants’ office first. Zoey and Rhett were not in the office. She reckoned that they had gone out for lunch.Then, Luca walked back to her office, pushed the door open, and saw Luke, who was sitting on the sofa. She was startled for a moment. “Mr. Crawford, why are you…” Luca glanced at the lunch boxes on the coffee table. They were unopened. Luke had been waiting for her to come back and have lunch with her.“Come over here. Let’s have lunch together,” said Luke as he opened the lids of the lunch boxes.Luca put down her briefcase and walked toward the sofa before sitting down. Then, she said, “You didn’t take your lunch first. You even waited for
“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