âAs long as he stays out of your sight, I wonât make a move,â said Ray.If Gordan were not one of Lukeâs 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.âAlright, Ray. Just let it go. Iâve moved on and started a new life. Plus, Iâm studying at Capital University. We have mutual friends, so running into him is inevitable. If that happens, weâll just be strangers. Thereâs no need to step in for me or act impulsively.â Just as Vivian finished speaking, the doorbell rang.âIs it the clothes delivery?â asked Ray.âNo, 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,â Vivian said, grabbing a mask and hat before heading to the door.âMiss, is the boss alright?â asked one of Rayâs subordinates.âHeâs fine. Did you ge
When Ray heard that there was a 90% chance of success, he could not help but ask, âCan you walk me through your plan?ââThe prison where Kassy is being held actually has an underground passage. Iâve 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 facilityâs underground pipes donât 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.âThis whole operation can be done without anyone noticing, which is why Iâm confident itâll work.â As Luke explained, he pulled out a detailed map of the sewer system. âHereâs 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 Abelâs people.âAbelâs 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 Gordanâs current behavior quite intriguing.âLuke, whatâs with that look?â Gordan felt uneasy under his gaze.âYou seem pretty concerned about Vivian,â Luke leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully.Gordan froze for a moment before laughing it off. âWhat? No way! Why would I care about her? Come on, Luke, donât say stuff like that. If she hears it, she might start getting ideas.âLuke could not be bothered to expose his act and got straight to the point. âWhy are you here?ââSpeaking of that, I almost got sidetracked by that woman.â Gordan quickly pulled out his phone, grimacing. âMan, Ray really didnât hold back. I need to get some treatment for these bruises later.âLuke took the phone and tried to unlock it. It needed a passcode. He handed it back. âUnlock it.ââAll set, boss.â 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.Gordanâs furious curses rang out. âDamn it! You're really going all out, huh? Do you think I'm scared of you?âAnother 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.âEnough!â shouted Vivian.The two men locked in the fight froze for a moment.âVivian, stay out of this. Iâm beating him to a pulp today,â growled Ray, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was not in great shape, but neither was Gordan.âRay, I donât want to see him,â 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.âFine. If you donât want to see him, Iâll 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.âRay, this apple is really good. Want to try one?â asked Vivian.Ray shook his head. âYou go ahead. By the way, can I take a look at the luggage you brought from Russia?âVivian nodded. âI only hung up my clothes. Everything else is still in the suitcase. You can just take the things out.âRay walked into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and opened it. Inside were just books and a few other small items, nothing unusual.âYou didn't bring any food with you?â asked Ray.âI havenât 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.â Vivianâs tone was lighthearted now that she was in a better mood.âThat's true.â Ray agreed, then asked
Ray's tone turned serious. âAlright, I'll make the arrangements immediately. Dr. Craw, once the toxicology report is out, weâll still need your help.ââFor toxicology cases like this, I recommend combining both modern medicine and traditional herbal medicine. Donât worry, if I can help, I definitely will,â Luca assured him.âAlright, thank you.â Ray expressed his gratitude and ended the call before updating Luke on the situation.Luke reassured him, saying, âIf Vivian was really poisoned, donât 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 didnât take long for all the toxins to be expelled, and her health fully recovered. So, rest assured. If itâs something she can fix, sheâll do everything she can.âBesides, once we identify the exact problem, the doctors will be able to step in and help, right?ââYes. Thank you both in advance
Gerald walked over. âMs. Sanchez, what's wrong?âHe 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. âI thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And youâre acting all deferential to her over this?âGerald was rendered speechless. âI knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand Iâm used to. Maybe itâs not expensive to you, but for me, itâs what I can afford.âRealizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward. She quickly changed the topic. âStill, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?ââItâs not about the money,â replied Gerald. âIt'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.âHe was ba
Lucaâs lips were already swollen and flushed from Luke's kisses.That deep shade of red, reflected in Lukeâs 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.âŠThe two of them stepped out of the bedroom.Vivian quickly turned her back and greeted Luke when he saw him coming out, âHello, Mr. Crawford.ââVivian, donât worry. Everything will get better,â replied Luke.Vivian simply hummed in response.Ray gave them a grateful nod as Luke took Lucaâs 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, âVivian, theyâre your friends. You donât have to act this way around them. They wonât judge you.ââI know they wonâtâŠâ Vivian let out a soft sigh. âI just feel like I look terrifying right now. I didnât want to scare them, so I avoided facing them directly. But itâ
âI once treated someone who had been slowly poisoned over a long period of time. Their pulse was similar to Vivianâs. 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.âCould it be that someone in your family has been poisoning Vivian? That would explain why her skin ended up like this.ââIf she really has been poisoned, then would staying away from that environment or identifying the person responsible help her get better?â asked Ray.Luca shook her head.âThe poison Iâve encountered before was a slow-acting toxin that kept the victimâs skin dark. I donât 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 canât be sure whatâs really causing Vivianâs condition.âIs her skin deteriorating so quickly because she was poisoned once more a