The next day, Luca opened her eyes as she woke up. She rubbed them.

Indeed, there were tears in them.

After the video call last night, she took some pills and fell asleep. She had nightmares all night. In her dreams, she was locked in a cage. When she looked out, she saw her youngest daughter, Nyla, getting tortured by Abel.

She screamed and yelled in her dream, calling Luke's name and hoping that he could save their child. Original from .

However, no matter how many times she called out, Luke never showed up in her dreams. There was only the sound of her miserable shouts and Nyla's cries.

Luca clenched her fists and covered her chest with her hands. Her heart was still aching after a night of torture.

"Nyla..." she called out in a soft voice. Then, she opened her phone gallery and found her child's photos.

Nyla was smiling innocently in the photos. Luca felt a sharp pain in her heart.

Luca stared at the photos for a while before she kept her phone away. Today was her official first day back at work. She could not be late.

After washing up, she made herself a simple breakfast. Then, she changed into her office wear and went downstairs.

She walked out of the neighborhood, planning to head to the place where she could hail a ride. However, she saw Jean walking carefreely toward her.

Luca stopped walking. She looked at him, not intending to avoid him. She knew she could not run away from an ignorant man like Jean.

Jean was secretly rejoicing when he saw her standing there waiting for him. He trotted toward her and asked caringly, "Dr. Craw, are you going to work today?"

Luca looked at Jean and glanced at a few gangsters who were standing not far away from them. She reckoned that they came with Jean.

"Please get out of my way. I've got work to do," she replied coldly.

"Didn't you stop to wait for me just now? Why are you asking me to leave now?" Jean looked at her. Of course, he was not going to let her go easily. He had been thinking of talking to her when he saw her at Nina's house a couple of days ago. He hung around here to keep an eye on her after he found out that she was staying here.

He did not expect that she did not show up at all yesterday.

However, Jean's hard work paid off as he finally saw her today. He had always seen Luca in her casual clothes. When he saw her dressed in her office wear today, his heart itched even more as more wicked thoughts came into his mind.

Luca looked at him coldly. She noticed that he was sizing her up with those eyes. She had the urge to gouge his eyes out.

Jean saw her keeping quiet and thought that Luca was different from other women. He realized he had used the wrong technique, so he asked, "Hey, I'm just joking. Don't be mad at me. You're going to work, right? Well, you don't have to hail a ride. I can give you a lift. Mind letting me send you to work?”

Luca glanced at the motorcycle at the side of the road and replied coldly, “There's no need to. I'm hailing a ride.”

"That's inconvenient. Riding on a motorcycle is much more convenient. Besides, it's peak hours now. I can promise you it'll be a smooth journey if you ride with me," said Jean.

Luca could not be bothered to talk to him, so she immediately walked away.

Jean followed behind her. "Dr. Craw, come on. I promise to send you to work on time, and my riding skills are pretty good."

Luca did not say a word. She pretended that she did not hear anything.

When Luca passed by the gangsters, they called out to her at the same time, "Good morning, Sister- inlaw."

Luca paused. She had always hated such annoying harassment. She turned around and gave them a death stare. Then, she said, "Don't blame me for being harsh to you if you call me that again."

After that, she trotted to the location where she could hail a ride. An unoccupied car happened to be there, so she got in right away.

The gangsters exchanged glances with each other, and one of them said mockingly, "Boss, is it true you've won over that woman? She looks tough to me."

They had seen a lot during their time on the streets. Was there any kind of woman they had never seen before? However, it was their first time seeing a woman with such a piercing glare.

When they called her their sister-in-law, she looked like she was about to kill them. It gave them the chills like they were on the verge of death.

Jean was given the cold shoulder too. He felt awkward, so he released his anger on them. "You know nothing. She's just shy!"

One of the gangsters said, "Boss, just be honest and tell us that you haven't gotten her. We're not going to laugh at you."

"You don't know anything. She's like a rose with thorns. That's the most attractive part about her. I'll make her mine no matter what. When the time comes, I'll be living a comfortable life, and so will everyone here!" Jean spat on the ground and swore to himself secretly.

One of the gangsters smiled wickedly and asked, "Boss, does that mean you're sharing your wife with us?"

"Are you mad?" Another gangster smashed his head in. "Boss cherishes this woman so much. How dare you have such thoughts in mind?" "How am I supposed to know that? Didn't Boss share his women with us the last time?" the gangster said innocently after getting hit in his head.

“Not this one. I want to enjoy my life in the future. Don't even think about it!" Jean warned them spitefully not to have any evil thoughts for Luca.

Jean was only playing with those women back then. He would let them have some fun with his women after he got tired of them.

However, Luca was different...

Jean looked in the direction Luca had left and said in a low voice, "She'll be mine one day, and she's going to be your sister-in-law when the time comes. That'll be her only identity. Just wait until I take care of her. Will you still be afraid that there will be no women beside you? Your sister-in-law is a rich and capable woman!"

"Got it. Boss, we were just kidding. We wouldn't dare to have such thoughts about your wife." The gangster who said it by mistake apologized quickly.

Jean shot him a cold glance and hopped on his motorcycle.

"Boss, where are we going today?" one of the gangsters asked immediately.

Jean rolled his eyes at him and said, "I'm going to the hospital to visit my mother. That's all for today. I'll call you if there's anything else."

Those people jeered for a while and went their separate ways.

Jean rode on his motorcycle and headed to the hospital. He wanted to have some fun, but how was he going to enjoy himself without money?

He had not won Luca's heart, so he had no choice but to please Anna by pretending to be a good son. That way, he would have money to spend.

It was peak hours now, and the traffic was heavy. Jean made a detour and took the alley. He slammed on the brakes the moment he came out of the alley.

There was a Mercedes parked at the junction where the alley and the road were connected.

The car door was left open. The man sitting inside the car was Pierre Mallory.

Jean shuddered. One was Percy and another one was Pierre. He could not offend either of them.

The words Percy told him before were ringing in his ears. Jean thought he would be fine as long as he hid well, but his path was blocked by Pierre now. He was doomed.

Jean looked at the man in the car, got off his motorcycle obsequiously, put on a respectful smile, and asked, "Mr. Mallory, what a coincidence. Why are you here?"