Luca had long gotten accustomed to Luke's cold attitude toward others. She glanced at the time and suggested, "It's already noon. Why don't we grab lunch before heading back?""Sounds good. Let's go to the restaurant we went to yesterday. Since it's not the weekend and the event is over, there shouldn't be as many people. We can get a table without reservations," replied Luke. He remembered that Luca enjoyed the food there.Luca probably wanted to savor that taste again. However, she would have to wait until their next visit to X City."Do we really need to go back there? Let's save the trouble. There's a restaurant upstairs in this hotel. We can have a meal there and then head home." Luca shook her head as she thought it was unnecessary to backtrack.She knew Luke suggested going to that restaurant because she enjoyed the food there, but for her, it did not matter where they ate. As long as she was with Luke, she felt content.Luke understood her thoughts and did not insist. It w
"Alright," Aunt Neile replied as she carried two suitcases and headed upstairs.Luca glanced at Luke and asked, "Are you going back to the office now?"So much had happened these past few days, and Luke had not had much time to deal with T Corporation's documents. Although he had not mentioned it, she could guess that he must have accumulated a lot of paperwork by now."No, I'll stay upstairs to deal with some documents," replied Luke. He stroked Luca's head and added, "You've been riding in the car for so long. You must be tired. Get some rest. The kids will surely be all over you when they come back later.""Alright." Luca smiled. After such a long journey by car, she was indeed tired.For some reason, unlike before when she would inevitably doze off during long bus rides, she did not feel sleepy at all on the way back today. Perhaps it was because she knew that Abel would be coming to A City, which made her nervous...That was the only reason Luca could think of. She could n
However, Amur could not catch evidence of Luca lying to him. "Got it. If anything happens, I'll tell you.â"You need to protect yourself, Amur. We'll be free soon," replied Luca.Amur was taken aback for a moment.Freedom? He knew how to read and write the word, but he had never dared to dream about it.Perhaps he once used to dream about it.When they were still on the Island of Despair, Luca told him what freedom was, and he had dreamed about it then. Standing in the outside world meant freedom.However, as days passed with the brutal training on the Island of Despair, he realized that even when he was out there, he was not free at all.Despite having control over much of his time, he was still bound by the commands of the Island of Despair. He also had to regularly return to the base for the antidote. Without the antidote, he might have more freedom, but it would come at the cost of his life.Amur never doubted that he could sacrifice his life for a moment of freedom.
Luca nodded in understanding and came downstairs with him.Nina was not there.She could not help but ask curiously, "Aunt Neile, is Nina not coming back for dinner tonight?"Aunt Neile replied as she served the dishes, "Mrs. Mallory just called me. She said that she received an unexpected guest at the company, so she won't be coming back for dinner. She told us not to wait for her."Luca did not think much about it, but Luke said, "Percy is back.""Huh? Mr. Mallory is back?" Luca was surprised. "How do you know?""I guessed. You'll see later. Nina probably will come back tonight to pack her things and move out," replied Luke.It was more like a calculated guess rather than information leaked by Percy himself.However, Percy had made it clear that he wanted to surprise Nina, so he asked Luke not to tell Luca to avoid any accidental slip-ups.Therefore, Luke knew when Percy would return, but Nina did not.Luca did not know either because Luke had agreed to keep it a secret as
"Alright, I'll send it to you shortly," Luca said cheerfully. After Nina and Percy finished their soup, Luca accompanied Nina to the guest room to pack up."I'll do it. There isn't much anyway," said Nina as she packed the skincare products on the dressing table.These skincare products were all bought recently. She had not used many of them yet. She was not one to waste, so she packed all the skincare products into her bag."Let me get you a bag, then. You didn't bring anything. It's not convenient to bring your clothes out without a bag," suggested Luca as she walked out of the guest room. She found a large bag in the living room on the second floor.Nina had brought over a few pieces of clothing for work, so she needed a bag to pack them in.Luca walked back into the guest room and handed the bag to Nina.Nina did not have much stuff. It did not take long before she finished packing."Mr. Percy is chatting with Mr. Crawford," Luca reminded her."Yeah, they probably have work
"Thatâs very attentive of you." Luke stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his embrace.When Luca saw the words 'download complete', she said, "The kids really like this cartoon. Today's plot seemed quite exciting. You know, even a mature kid like Lanie enjoys watching this cartoon. So, I think itâs better to get it ready for them.""Lanie is just watching it with his younger siblings. He may not necessarily like it." Luke understood Lanie very well.Luca was surprised. "Really?""Yes. As an elder brother, he knows he must excel, but he also has to accompany his younger siblings. If he finds such things boring, it might affect his siblings," explained Luke. Lanie was not a childish kid. In fact, he did not really enjoy watching cartoons. He knew Lanie only watched them to accompany his younger siblings.Luca was even more surprised. "I thought he really liked it...""Thatâs not the case. For him, whether he watches it or not doesn't matter. But Tommy is different. I wo
Multitasking was not something difficult for Evan."Capital University's request for our professors to teach classes wasn't something I brought up when I took over the management of the company. Dr. Craw, you should be aware of this. "But since you've agreed to it, I'll make sure to handle the communication with them. You can trust me," said Evan.Getting Evanâs uncle to agree to such a matter was effortless.After all, it was not a challenging task. His uncle was the kind of person who focused solely on the education sector. As for other matters, he was not keen on managing them. Otherwise, the Turner family would not have entirely relied on his father."Alright, I'll wait for your good news," replied Luca, making it clear that she would not be able to teach classes at Capital University this week.After that, she turned around and left.The moment Luca left the office, Evan paused his work and picked up his phone. He dialed the number for the president of Capital University.
Anthony's words also reminded Karen of this.Even though she was dissatisfied, she said to him, "Let's get started, then. Also, make sure to keep a record of those media outlets that didn't show up. From now on, the Mallory family won't be cooperating with them."Anthony thought to himself that the Mallory family was not under Karen's control. Ever since she fell out with Percy, Karen had practically no say in the Mallory family affairs. Therefore, even if Karen kept a record, there was not much she could do to those media outlets."Yes, Madam," answered Anthony as he took the microphone and began to host the press conference.The content of the press conference was straightforward. It was just for Karen to proclaim her innocence and for Silas to come out and clarify a certain matter. Anthony held the microphone and greeted, "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for taking the time to attend Madam Mallory, also known as Ms. Karenâs, press conference. âThis conference
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.âĶThe 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 wonâtâĶâ 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