Ch. 3381..3390

Chapter 3381 Do You Still Want To Leave?

Abel did not have much of an impression of Lucius. However, he believed he would not lie to him.

If Lucius had actually done something to betray him, he would not have been foolish enough to admit that Hera had tried to seduce him.

Abel studied his face. Lucius was not handsome, and his physique was not any different from the other people in the organization.

His gaze then shifted to Hera. "You didn't do anything?"

Hera could feel the chilling intensity in his eyes, and she could not help but shiver.

"A man had to step forward to file a complaint because you were harassing him, Hera. Have I been too lenient with you?" Abel continued, his voice light, almost indifferent. Still, the underlying menace was unmistakable.

Despair filled Hera as she shot a resentful look at Luke. How could he be so ruthless, pushing her toward the brink of destruction?

"Hera, look at me," Abel commanded coldly, his hand suddenly gripping her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Hera knew she had no choice but to escape now. If she did not, she would never get another chance. At this moment, with her life and money hanging in the balance, she chose her life.

Despite her trembling body, she stepped back and spoke with determination in her voice. Abel, who do you think you are?"

Abel's gaze darkened further. His hands started twitching as though he wanted to crush her. No woman had ever dared speak to him like this.

The only one who had ever dared was Luca, back when she was first captured. In the end, however, she gave in to him.

"Hera..." Abel's voice was full of warning.

Hera sneered, "I've been following you because of your money, but now that I don't want it, I'm done with you. You think just because you have money you're some kind of emperor? Abel, when I needed your money, you were the boss of me. Now that I don't, you're nothing."

Luke's eyes flickered with amusement. Hera was truly foolish.

Did she really think Abel was with her for her beauty?

If she had not had her eyes altered to look like Kassy's, Abel would not have spared her a second glance.

Now, she wanted to leave and try to save her reputation, but it was too late.

Luke said in a low voice, "It's too late."

Gerald, who stood beside him, was confused and asked in a low voice, "Too late for what?"

Luke did not answer.

Abel's expression twisted into something more sinister as he watched Hera prepare to leave. He had finally found someone who met his standards, and he was not about to let her walk away like this.

"Hera." Abel's voice was calm. There was no anger but a depth to it that made Hera's blood run cold.

"Are you really going to leave?" he asked again.

At that moment, Hera felt the suffocating presence of death closing in on her.

Hera wanted to nod her head, but as the thought of what Abel would do to her later crossed her mind, she shuddered. She forced herself to speak, her voice trembling but firm, "You're terrifying. I don't want to stay by your side anymore."

"You really think you can leave?" Abel's eyes flashed with mockery. "There's only one way for someone to leave without my permission."

"What?" A sense of dread washed over Hera.

She immediately regretted asking. She should not have asked.

The answer was clear in Abel's eyes before the words even left his mouth.

"Only death can separate someone from me," Abel's smile was as sinister as a demon from hell. His overwhelming hostility seemed to suffocate Hera.

"Do you still want to leave?"

Feeling as though she were ensnared by a vengeful ghost, Hera's vision blurred. In a daze, she fainted.

Luke stood there, watching the scene unfold with a detached expression.

After all, Hera was nothing more than an ordinary person in his eyes.

Cerald, observing from the sidelines, clicked his tongue in disbelief. For a moment, he was not sure whether he should step in or stay back.

Remembering his boss' possessiveness, he hesitated. He had started to move toward Hera, but the thought of possibly being reprimanded by Abel later made him stop.

It was not worth the risk of being accused of touching her and making Abel jealous, especially when he could end up losing his limbs.

Abe showed no sign of mercy when he saw Hera collapse. His eyes were cold and unfeeling as he looked at her pale, unconscious face.

She was nothing like Kassy, and no matter how miserable she looked, she would never earn his sympathy.

Abel watched the scene unfold indifferently. His only interest was in her eyes.

Abel lifted his head with a cold expression on his face. "Why are you two still standing there?

Hurry up and carry her upstairs."

Luke, however, did not budge. His voice was cold as he replied, "Boss, I'm not touching her.

If Hera wakes up and finds out, she'll accuse me of taking advantage of her."

At that moment, Luke truly demonstrated his reluctance to intervene.

"I won't either," Gerald quickly added.

Abel's eyes narrowed in irritation. He was exhausted and did not want to deal with this nonsense. "Go get Ivana and have her carry her upstairs."

Then, he tumed around and walked out of the living room.

Cerald looked at Luke. "Are you going, or should I?"

"I'll go," Luke replied indifferently, turning to ascend the stairs.

He knocked on the door of the laboratory.

"Come in" came Shanks" voice from inside.

Luke pushed open the door. As soon as Luca saw him, she quickly went over the protocols with him, explaining the procedures in place.

Luke stopped just inside the doorway, not entering.

"Mr. Shanks, we need Luca's help downstairs," said Luke.

Luca heard Luke's voice and lifted her head to look at what was happening outside. Her gaze met his, and she silently asked what was going on.

"Go ahead," replied Shanks.

Luca quickly removed her lab coat and laid down her materials, then walked out of the laboratory. Once the door was closed behind her, she asked, "What's going on?"

"Hera fainted, and we need you to take a look and help carry her upstairs," explained Luke. Then, he added, "I'll carry her. You just check on her and see what's wrong."

Even though he was reluctant to touch Hera, he did not want Luca to overexert herself. She might appear frail, but at nearly 900 pounds, carrying her upstairs would definitely tire Luca out.

Luca was surprised and walked downstairs with him, asking, "Why did she suddenly faint?"

Luke could not explain everything in detail, so he replied shortly, "I'll tell you later. She tried to leave, but Abel scared her into fainting. She's lying on the floor right now."

Luca's curiosity only grew. Hera needed Abel's money. Why would she suddenly try to leave and faint because of a scare?

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Luca glanced at Gerald and then at the unconscious Hera on the floor.

"Maybe we should just put her on the couch?" suggested Gerald. Both he and Luke were unwilling to touch Hera, fearing she would accuse them of something later.

However, leaving her lying on the floor was not a good option either.

Luca shook her head. "No. There are too many people coming and going here. Even though she's with the boss, it'll be hard to avoid unwanted attention."

Even though Luca did not like Hera, she wanted to be considerate of the situation since she was a woman.

"What should we do, then?" asked Gerald, "We can't touch her, and you'll probably have a hard time carrying her upstairs by yourself."

"I'll do it," replied Luke.

"No need. I'll handle it with Gerald," Luca directed, taking charge. She and Gerald each took one side of Hera's body and began to lift her.

She was being petty. It was obvious that Hera liked Luke, and if he helped carry Hera now, it might cause more trouble later.

Chapter 3382 Why Put Yourself Through All Of This Gerald was relatively strong. However, he tried to avoid touching other parts of Hera's body, making it quite difficult to carry her. By the time they reached the third floor, he was out of breath.

Luca, however, seemed to handle it better than he did.

"Ms. Craw, aren't you tired?" Gerald could not help but ask as he set Hera down on the bed, panting.

Luca glanced at him and replied, "I'm not tired because I'm not worried about touching other parts of her."

Gerald, whose hands were on his hips, was out of breath and muttered, "This is the first time I've realized how exhausting it is to carry a woman upstairs."

After positioning Hera properly, Luca took her pulse and frowned. "Did she mention feeling unwell earlier?" "Yeah, but wasn't she pretending? She was crying, throwing a fit, and making a scene downstairs. It was quite the performance, Gerald recalled, chuckling at the memory of Hera trying to cling to Luke and failing.

Luca switched to her other hand to take Hera's pulse and then said, "She has some inflammation."

"Inflammation? Where?" Gerald asked with curiosity.

Luca glanced at Luke and Gerald but did not answer directly. "I need to do a more thorough examination. You two should wait outside."

*Alright." Luke, who had been silent, could tell from her expression what the problem was. He turned and left the room.

Gerald was still curious. "So, where exactly is the inflammation?"

*Just go outside. You can't stay for the examination." Luca furrowed her brows.

Gerald had no choice but to leave the room.

After the door closed, Luca pulled a fresh pair of medical gloves from her pocket. She had kept them with her since treating the volunteer, always prepared to help with medical treatment if needed.

After putting the gloves on, she unbuttoned Hera's clothes.

As she removed the clothing, the bruises all over Hera's body became clear. The marks showed how cruelly she had been treated by Abel.

Luca heaved a sigh, looking at the unconscious woman. "Why put yourself through all of this?"

Hera, in her condition, could have found a good boyfriend. They could just work hard together, enter marriage, and live a simpler life. What would be so wrong with that?

Instead, Hera let her body be mistreated like this for the sake of money. Luca could not help but feel sympathy. She conducted a thorough examination of Hera.

Even though she did not have the assistance of any medical equipment, she learned many things from working with Shanks. After finishing the examination, she helped Hera put her clothes back on before standing up. Luca exited the room.

*How is she?" Gerald quickly asked when he saw her.

*She's not in any danger, she just got a shock and fainted," replied Luca.

Gerald let out a sigh of relief. "As long as she's not in danger."

Luca continued, "Although there's no immediate danger, her condition isn't great. She was feeling unwell earlier because of a low fever caused by internal inflammation. She just needs some anti-inflammatory and fever- reducing medication, and she'll be fine."

Gerald thought it was no big deal.

Luca did not respond. She made her way downstairs.

Luke and Gerald followed her.

"Why is she inflamed?" asked Luke.

Luca replied, "Intercourse."

Gerald's eyes widened in confusion. "What does that mean?"

*She overdid it, and her body couldn't handle it, so she got inflamed." Luca did not explain too much and did not care if the men understood. She walked to the second floor and directly entered the lab.

She said to Shanks, "Abel's companion has an inflammation, and I'd like to get some medication."

"Okay." Shanks did not care much about Hera's condition.

However, since Luca wanted to get the medicine, he did not stop her.

Luca opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed anti-inflammatory medication, a cream for bruises, and a bottle of intravenous fluid.

Shanks glanced at her and asked with furrowed brows, "Where's the inflammation?"

*Her private area," Luca answered tactfully. Even though there was no gender distinction in medicine, Shanks mostly focuses on pharmaceutical research. Hence, she made an effort to be tactful.

Shanks frowned. "That's troublesome."

Luca replied, "Yes, it requires ongoing treatment. But with your medication, it should heal faster as long as she keeps up with the treatment. There shouldn't be any major issues."

Shanks did not reply.

Luca placed everything she had gathered onto a tray and left the lab.

Luke and Gerald were waiting for her.

When Gerald saw the tray in Luca's hands, he asked, "You're still treating her after what she did to you?"

"What else?" replied Luca, "Should I just let her stay in pain?"

"Well, I suppose not..." Gerald thought to himself that Luca was doing a thankless task.

Luca added, "Do you expect her to heal on her own?"

Most people, except for a few with particularly strong constitutions, would not heal by themselves in such a case. Without treatment, it would only worsen.

The three of them arrived at the third-floor room.

Luca stood at the door and said, "It's not appropriate for you to go in. Just stay out here."

*Alright," Gerald said first.

If it were not for Luca, he would not dare enter Hera's room.

Luca opened the door, then closed it behind her. She first cleaned Hera and then applied the cream on her body.

Then, she set up the IV.

As she looked at the pale-faced woman, Luca let out a sigh. After completing everything, she exited the room and said to the waiting men, "I've set up the IV. I'll have to wait until the fluid is finished before I can leave. You two should go do what you need to. It'll take a while before the IV finishes."

*Alright." Luke gave Luca a meaningful look, reminding her, "Be careful."

Luca nodded and glanced at Gerald before walking away.

Gerald did not say anything but remarked, "Let's go. If the boss sees us standing here, he might think we have ideas about his woman."

Luke's expression darkened. He glanced at Luca before turning to go downstairs.

Luca initially thought about sitting on the couch, but the thought of a certain matter made her feel disgusted. So, she pulled over a chair, sat beside the bed, and began handling business with the messages from Rhett. She dealt with matters from Watson's side.

She did not know what Luke had said to the people at Watson.

The research there was still progressing smoothly, unaffected by her time off.

Even though Luca was busy with things here, she made time to check the messages and data Rhett sent.

With Shanks' research as a foundation, Luca was able to remotely guide the ongoing studies.

After Luca handled her work matters, Hera started to slowly wake up.

Luca heard a sound and put her phone away, glancing at the woman on the bed. "You're awake?"

Hera was initially a bit disoriented, but when she heard Luca's voice, she fully regained consciousness. She blinked her eyes and looked at her. "How did you end up here?"

*Do you remember what happened?" Luca placed a mercury thermometer under her arm. "I'm taking your temperature. Don't move."

"I fainted." Hera remembered being frightened by Abel's expression and secretly mocked herself for being so weak.

They lived in a law-abiding society.

No matter how ruthless Abel was, he would not kill her. Realizing this, she could not help but feel frustrated. How could she have been so easily frightened into fainting?

Chapter 3383 Willingly Step Into Her Own Downfall "Yes," Luca nodded. "You have a mild fever and some inflammation in your body."

Hera was surprised. "Inflammation? Where?"

She often mingled with men, so every few months, she made sure to get a check-up to avoid picking up any unwanted diseases. Her previous check-ups had all been normal, with no signs of any illness.

"You've been getting along well with the boss these days, haven't you?" Luca did not say it outright but hinted at it. She then glanced at the thermometer, seeing that her temperature had returned to normal.

Hera understood and widened her eyes. "You're saying I have inflammation there? That's impossible."

"Your body can't handle too much." Luca did not want to go into too much detail. She looked up and saw that the IV was nearly done. She rose to her feet, removed the needle, and pointed at the medicine on the side. "Your body won't have any major issues. Don't worry. Here are the anti-inflammatory pills for the next three days. Take them, and you should be fine."

Hera was still dazed. She sat up but did not react for a while.

Luca saw this and felt a twinge of sympathy.

While she knew that Luke would have intervened if Abel had made a move, Hera was still in danger.

Before Luca left, she said, "Ms. Sanchez, your freedom hasn't been restricted yet. It's actually quite simple if you want to leave. After all, life is more important than anything else."

Then, she walked out of the room.

Hera sat there for a while, confused. Then, she suddenly furrowed her brows.

What did Luca mean by that?

Hera's jealousy flared. Was Luca trying to hint that she should leave?

She suddenly twisted Luca's good intentions into something else. Hera thought that if she left, Luca would become the only woman in the villa. She even thought that Luca advised her to leave because she liked Abel and wanted to gain his favor.

Hera's heart grew bitter as she believed Luca, like her, was just after Abel's money.

Determined, she clenched her fists. Luca wanted her to leave? Well, she would not. She needed lots of money to secure her future. Abel just happened to be the person who could provide it.

Hera scoffed and eyed the anti-inflammatory pills. She picked them up and inspected the colorful pills, which looked like candy.

However, she did not need them.

"I'm not sick, Luca. Don't try to scare me," muttered Hera as she threw the pills into the trash.

Luca was unaware that her well-meaning advice had been misinterpreted by Hera.

Little did she know, those words only solidified Hera's determination to stay, driving her to willingly step into the depths of her own downfall.

For the years that followed, whenever Luca recalled this incident, she could not help but reflect. If only she had not offered that advice, perhaps Hera's fate would not have turned out so tragic.

After Luca left the room, she returned to the laboratory, planning to continue her experiments.

As soon as she walked in, Shanks asked, "How's the woman?"

"She's no longer feverish," answered Luca. "But she's very resistant to accepting that she's ill. Perhaps she doubts my medical skills. Mr. Shanks, if you're in a good mood one day, you could go check on her. It seems like Ms. Sanchez is quite different from the other women around Mr. Abel."

Her words carried a hint of curiosity. It was as though she wanted to gauge whether Abel's plans were as she suspected.

Shanks' gaze darkened, and he studied Luca carefully.

"What are you trying to find out?" Shanks asked straightforwardly.

Luca was startled for a moment, feeling helpless. Shanks was sharp, as expected. Before she had even asked her question, he had already picked up on her intentions.

She shook her head. "Nothing, I'm just curious. Back then, although there were always women around him, none of them were brought directly to the base like this. And Ms. Sanchez doesn't seem like the type who's trained in any way..."

Shanks turned his gaze away from her and said in an indifferent tone, "This isn't exactly a base."

"What?" Luca was confused. How could this not be a base?

There were people from the Island of Despair on rotation here, and some weapons were also stored.

"At best, this is my laboratory," clarified Shanks. "Aside from the drugs I'm researching, there's nothing here that can't be seen in the light."

Luca's expression grew a little odd. Drugs that should not be out in the open?

They were not illegal substances. It was just that they had not passed clinical trials and could not be marketed yet. They were not really things that needed to be hidden.

Moreover, even if someone got their hands on the drugs, they would not be able to analyze their contents immediately.

Take the antidote used by the Island of Despair to manipulate people, for example. Even if someone had the formula, unless they had years of experience working alongside Shanks and access to precise equipment, it would be nearly impossible to decipher the composition.

The drug's components were highly complex.

Luca was about to say something else when Shanks interrupted, "I just did dry needling treatment for a volunteer. It's about time for you to remove the needles."

"Got it." Luca nodded and left the lab.

Luke was waiting by the door.

Luca was slightly surprised and she asked in a soft voice, "What's the matter?

"Gerald just told me that Hera changed her mind and no longer wants to leave," replied Luke.

Luca frowned. Was Hera not planning to leave just a while ago? What could have caused her to change her mind so suddenly?

"How do you know this?" Luca asked quietly.

"After Gerald knew she woke up, he suggested how she could leave. But before he could finish, Hera interrupted him and said she didn't want to leave anymore," explained Luke.

Gerald was just bored. He thought that if Hera wanted to leave, she could still do so. Hence, he tried to give her a friendly reminder. However, she rejected his advice.

Gerald instantly felt like he was in big trouble. If Hera told Abel about this, he would either lose an arm or a leg. So he ran over to tell Luke, hoping to figure out a way to solve the problem.

Luca shook her head, looking helpless.

"Seems like she's not afraid," said Luca. She had already tried to warn Hera, but it had no effect.

Well, Hera was willing to stay close to Abel for the money, and nothing they said could stop her. They could not exactly tell her to run away and that Abel was after her eyes. That would only make things worse for all of them. "Gerald is really something. After all this time in the organization, he still hasn't learned to keep his mouth shut, keep his eyes down, and avoid trouble." Luca was rendered speechless.

Experience was the best teacher, but Gerald just did not get it.

"Hera didn't record anything, so there's nothing to worry about. Gerald is just panicking," added Luke.

After he explained things, Gerald finally stopped rambling around him. Given what had happened earlier this morning, Abel would not believe Hera's words anyway.

Luca pointed at the lab and said, "I need to go remove the needles from the volunteer first."

"Can I come in and take a look?" asked Luke. He had not been inside that room yet.

They thought he did not know how to take care of people. That was why they did not assign him any responsibility to look after the volunteer.

Chapter 3384 I'll Make Sure You Don't Get What You Want "Sure." Luca was unsure why he was suddenly interested in the volunteers. She led him into the room where the volunteers were.

Luke noticed that the volunteer's legs were covered in needles.

If Johann saw this, he would probably make a big fuss about it.

Luke watched as Luca carefully removed each needle, checked some of the volunteer's nerve functions, and offered a few reassuring words before picking up a tray filled with medical waste and leaving the room.

Once they were outside, Luke, not having seen the volunteer's previous condition, asked, "Were his legs completely immobile before?"

"Yes. He said it was an injury caused by a machine malfunction at the factory. It hadn't been treated properly for years. By the time he was sent here, his family didn't have time to help with massages, and his calves had atrophied. But now, as you can see, the muscles are gradually recovering, and he's starting to regain sensation. In another week or two, his legs should be able to move." Luca nodded. Abel was dissatisfied with the pace of the treatment, but from a medical perspective, it was already a miracle, and the recovery was progressing rapidly." This progress is already quite fast. If someone with a fresh injury had come to us right away, the recovery would've been even quicker."

Luke began to calculate something in his mind.

"What's in your mind?" asked Luca.

Luke shook his head. "Nothing. Go ahead and focus on your work."

"Alright." Luca nodded but then remembered something. "By the way, you're going out this Saturday, right?"

"Yeah, and you can't go out, right?" Luke felt a bit helpless. Abel's arrival had disrupted their plans.

He could leave, but there was no way Luca could step outside right now.

If both of them left the base at the same time, Abel would undoubtedly become suspicious.

"Right. It's not convenient for me to leave." There was a hint of frustration in Luca's voice. If Abel had not shown up, she could have asked Shanks for some time off and gone out.

However, with Abel here, she had to stay put.

If she and Luke took time off at the same time, Abel's suspicious nature would undoubtedly cause trouble.

"I still have to go. Do you need anything? I can bring it back for you," asked Luke. He was thinking about how she had not brought anything with her when she arrived.

Luca shook her head. "Not for now. If I need something later, I can always get it when it's more convenient."

"Alright."

While the two of them were chatting, Hera stood around the corner, listening to their conversation. They spoke casually, like family members discussing everyday matters.

Jealousy burned even brighter in Hera's eyes.

No wonder Luca had tried to convince her to leave. It was not about Abel, it was about Lucius.

Luca knew she had feelings for Lucius and, lacking confidence, feared she would take him away from her. That was why Luca tried to persuade her to leave, was it not?

Hera recalled the trouble Lucius had brought her, a storm that had almost destroyed her...

With her fists clenched tightly, she secretly swore she would make them both pay.

"You want to be together, do you? I'll make sure you don't get what you want," Hera muttered under her breath before turning and heading upstairs.

Suddenly, Luca frowned and walked forward a few steps.

"What is it?" asked Luke as he stepped closer and glanced around, but seeing no one.

"I just heard someone talking, but I couldn't make out what they said." Luca's hearing was sharp, and she was certain someone had been speaking. Even though the voice was faint and the words unclear, she was sure it was not her imagination.

She walked over but did not see anyone.

Luke, knowing her sharp hearing, did not doubt her words despite not seeing anyone. Instead, he believed someone had indeed been speaking there moments ago. "Did you catch what they were saying?"

Luca shook her head. "I'm pretty sure it was Hera, but I couldn't make out the exact words."

She was certain it was a woman's voice, and in the entire villa, the only women present were herself and Hera. "She really has a knack for sneaking around." Luke was rendered speechless. He turned around and added, "Hera isn't leaving anytime soon. She'll stay close to Abel, so be careful. Her tactics may be crude, but she has plenty of them."

"I know, I'll go ahead and..." Luca felt a warmth in her heart as she pointed to the lab behind her. "I'll head back to the lab and get some work done."

"Okay."

Luke watched her leave before heading downstairs.

He had only descended a couple of steps when Hera's voice called out behind him. "You like her, don't you?"

Luke did not stop, continuing down the stairs.

"Stop!" Hera shouted, anger bubbling as his indifference triggered memories of her previous experiences with him.

Back then, Luke ignored her because of Bianca.

Now, Lucius was ignoring her because of Luca.

She rushed down to black his path. "Tell me! Do you like that woman?"

"It's none of your business." Luke furrowed his brows. Her confrontational stance reminded him of a shrew.

"I know you do!" Hera crossed her arms, her eyes blazing with jealousy and anger.

"Move," Luke said coldly without any expression on his face. If not for his dislike of hitting women, she would not have the chance to stand in his way.

Hera sneered with a dark smile, as though she had known all along. "Whether you deny it or avoid the topic, I know you have feelings for her. Last night, you weren't in your room, and you weren't with Gerald, was it? You were with that woman. I'll give you one more chance. No matter who you like, as long as you stay with me while I'm here, I'll pretend I don't know anything. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Hera." Luke's fists were clenched tightly, and his patience was wearing thin.

Anyone who dared to threaten him never ended well.

Hera would be no exception.

He reminded himself of his current role. He and Luca still had to rescue their kids. He could not let Hera ruin everything.

"So? Do you agree?" Hera thought she had the upper hand.

Luke stepped back. His gaze was full of disdain. "Stay away from me. I don't hit women, but if you keep this up, don't blame me for not being nice."

Hera froze for a moment, stunned by the disgust in his eyes. Was this... disgust?

He actually refused to compromise for this woman?

"Let's see what you'll do to me. You're the one forcing my hand." With a sharp remark lingering in the air, Hera spun on her heel and strode away.

Luke's face darkened. His expression was like a brewing storm. He wished he could get rid of Hera immediately, not to harm her, but to ensure she never showed up in front of him again.

He took a deep breath to calm himself.

Suddenly, Gerald appeared out of nowhere.

"How much did you hear?" Luke's expression darkened.

"Bro, don't worry! I heard it, but I swear I won't say a word to anyone," Gerald was clearly worried Luke might punch him. He held up his fingers as though he was taking an oath.

Luke's face was clouded with a heavy gloom.

"Honestly, you've got it pretty rough," added Gerald as he pointed downstairs. "There's beer in the fridge. Want one?"

Luke nodded, following him downstairs. They grabbed beers from the fridge and headed to the garden, sitting down on the grass.

The sun had already set, and without the heat of the day, the ground felt cool and comfortable.

Luke opened a bottle and took a sip.

It was the first time he had a drink since arriving here.

Gerald opened his own beer, took a swig, and then chuckled. "You know, you're not even that handsome. So why is Ms. Sanchez so obsessed with you? She keeps pestering you, again and again."

Chapter 3385 Where Else Can I Go Luke stayed silent, letting the chilled beer cool him down, washing away some of the lingering heat.

Gerald glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before leaning in and speaking softly to Luke. "Actually, I've seen it."

"Seen what?" Luke could not be bothered.

Lowering his voice even further, Gerald whispered just loud enough for the two of them to hear, "I've seen you going into Ms. Craw's room quite often."

Luke's expression sharpened instantly. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He had been so cautious. How had Gerald noticed?

Was he bluffing?

Luke narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

His aura grew colder by the second.

Gerald, sensing the rising tension, shrank back slightly and quickly added, "Relax, I'm not going to tell anyone. If I wanted to report you, I would've done it already."

Luke's expression eased slightly.

Gerald continued to reassure him, "I'm not one to meddle. Look, I haven't said a word about you, and I even stood up for you during that whole thing with Ms. Sanchez. You don't have to worry."

After taking another sip of his beer, Gerald smirked and said, "I am curious, though. There are plenty of men in our organization, and Ms. Craw doesn't seem interested in any of them. Why is it you? And isn't she already in a relationship outside the organization? I've seen the guy. He's tall, handsome, and rich. You actually managed to make a guy like that get cheated on. Bro, I have to respect you for that."

Luke's sharp gaze cut into him. "Why haven't you reported me?"

"Why would I? I'm not stupid," Gerald replied with a laugh, clapping Luke on the shoulder. "Besides, reporting you wouldn't benefit me in any way. Think about it. If people found out I ratted you out, I'd never be able to stay here. And it's not like we have any personal grudges, so why would I go stirring up trouble? Who knows? Maybe one day I'll end up joining the Island of Despair, and then you might be my ticket to survival."

Gerald paused for a moment, gesturing animatedly. "I've seen what you're capable of. Your skills are way above most people's. With enough time and missions, you might even rise to a leadership position in the organization. I'm betting on you."

Luke frowned. Gerald wanted to stay in the organization?

"Why would you want to stay here?"

"Bro, you saying that makes me question your intelligence, Gerald burst out laughing, giving him a hearty slap on the shoulder. "I'm not like you guys. I'm more like an auxiliary member. I only joined the organization back then for the money. But when I joined, I had to take the medication too. If I don't stay here, where else can I go? And even if I leave, I probably won't have much time left to live..."

Luke furrowed his brows, realizing his question had been foolish. He said nothing more.

Up on the third floor, Hera stood watching them from afar.

The distance was too great for her to hear their conversation.

However, they seemed to get along so well...

Hera's eyes darkened. She picked up her phone, intending to call Abel, but hesitated for a moment, remembering the events of the day.

She changed her mind.

Fine, let Abel stay away for now. She would wait until his anger subsided before reaching out again.

Meanwhile, Gerald and Luke each finished two bottles of chilled beer. As the time approached, Gerald said, "You'd better not go to Ms. Craw's room tonight. I'm worried she might come looking for you again."

A trace of irritation flashed in Luke's eyes.

It was unbearable for Luke not to hold Luca as he slept.

However, with Hera now keeping a close watch on him, no one could predict when she might lose control. For the sake of Luca's safety, he decided he would have to stay in his room tonight.

"I know it's frustrating, but there's no way around it," added Gerald, secretly marveling at the audacity it took to put a man like Luke in such a position. Only someone from the Island of Despair would dare.

"By the way, could you teach me some boxing? I've seen how easily you handle people. I'd really like to learn," asked Gerald.

"Tomorrow morning, six o'clock, at the training grounds," replied Luke. Normally, he would not have entertained the request, but since he had nothing else to do while staying in the room, he agreed.

He did not like owing favors, and since Gerald had helped him before, he saw no harm in granting the request.

"Thanks!" Gerald beamed with excitement, convinced that after tomorrow, he might even become as formidable as Luke himself.

Night fell.

Luca dragged her exhausted body back to her room.

She pushed open the door, only to find that Luke was not there waiting for her.

Confused, she paused for a moment. She remembered it was not his turn for patrol duty tonight and was about to go ask him what was going on when her eyes landed on a folded piece of paper pinned beneath her pillow.

She had a strong feeling it was a note left by Luke.

Pulling it out, she unfolded the page and found it filled with his neat handwriting, almost covering the entire sheet. As she read, her expression darkened.

She did not expect Hera to stoop so low, resorting to such shameless tactics just to get closer to Luke.

Now, to ensure their safety, Luke would not be able to stay with her for the next few nights.

Luca's heart sank.

With Luke around, she could sleep soundly. In a place like the organization's base, without the protection of someone she trusted implicitly, her senses were on high alert.

She knew she would not get a good night's sleep, or possibly any sleep at all.

With Hera's relentless presence, Luca had no choice but to lock her door and set a cup on the handle as an improvised alarm to safeguard herself.

In the middle of the night.

Hera tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Her body felt like it was on fire, a sensation so intense it was almost unbearable.

This was not a fever. It was a searing pain that cycled through different parts of her body.

She thought back to what Luca had said earlier that day.

At first, she refused to believe that she was sick, assuming it was just a scare tactic Luca used to drive her away.

As the effects of the medication wore off in the night, the discomfort grew exponentially, forcing Hera to confront the truth.

Struggling to her feet, she staggered toward the trash can, hoping to retrieve the medicine she had tossed earlier. To her dismay, the trash had already been emptied.

Hera closed her eyes helplessly.

Without the medication, she would have to go to Luca for help.

As soon as she stepped out of her room, dizziness overwhelmed her. Before she could take another step, she collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

The next morning.

Luca was still in bed when a knock sounded at her door. "Ms. Craw, are you awake?"

Luca opened her eyes. Without Luke by her side, it had taken her a long time to fall asleep.

Reaching for her phone, she checked the time. It was still early.

"Whatever it is, let's talk about it later." Luca rolled over, intending to get a few more minutes of rest.

From outside, Gerald's voice cut through. "Ms. Craw, don't go back to sleep! Ms. Sanchez passed out in the hallway. You'd better come take a look."

Luca's eyes snapped open. Hera passed out?

Forgetting her grogginess, she quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes and hurried out of the room. "What happened?

"I'm not entirely sure. The patrol found her unconscious in the hallway earlier and brought her back to her room. But she's burning up, like she has a fever," explained Gerald as he followed closely beside her.

Luca picked up her pace, entering Hera's room to find a man standing by the bed.

He was likely the one who had carried her back.

Approaching the bed, Luca placed a hand on Hera's forehead. It was scalding.

"She's running a fever." Luca frowned. Then, she lightly pressed her fingers against Hera's pulse. "It's worse than thought."

"What's wrong, Ms. Craw?" Gerald noticed her expression and asked with concern.

Chapter 3386 Got Hera Admitted To The Hospital Luca placed her hand on Hera's other wrist, checking her pulse. "Her condition is worsening. The inflammation in her body has intensified.

"I prescribed her medication. Those are Mr. Shanks' formulations, and they're highly effective for reducing inflammation. It shouldn't be getting worse."

Gerald pursed his lips before finally speaking up. "Luca, when I was cleaning yesterday, I saw that Ms. Sanchez had thrown all the medication you prescribed into the trash. She didn't take any of it."

Luca was speechless.

She had been questioning whether the medicine was ineffective or if she had made an error in diagnosis. It turned out that it was Hera herself who had sabotaged her treatment.

"What should we do now?" asked Gerald.

"There's no other option. She needs to go to a hospital," Luca decided firmly. "Her condition is serious, and since she doesn't trust my treatment, the hospital is her best choice."

"Can't you help her just this once?" pleaded Gerald, "I mean, she looks really bad right now. You and Mr. Shanks are way more skilled than any hospital doctors. She'd recover much faster with your help."

Luca frowned. She was not one to meddle unnecessarily.

Hera's blatant rejection of her help did not inspire any goodwill.

"Call Mr. Shanks. If he's willing to treat her, fine. If not, she goes to the hospital." Luca's tone left no room for negotiation.

Gerald heaved a sigh and went to fetch Shanks.

Ten minutes later, Shanks came strolling leisurely. "What's the issue?"

Luca stepped aside to give him space and briefly explained Hera's condition and her earlier diagnosis. After checking the pulse, Shanks's expression did not change. "Your diagnosis is accurate. She won't die." Gerald and the other man in the room froze, caught off guard by Shanks' bluntness. She would not die? Was that supposed to be reassuring?

Only Luca understood his meaning. Hera's life wasn't in immediate danger, so hospital treatment would suffice. "Mr. Shanks, you're not going to treat her?" Luca asked in a soft voice.

"Why should I waste my effort on someone who threw away my medicine?" Shanks' tone was as cold as ice. He despised those who disregarded others' goodwill.

The moment he learned Hera had discarded his medicine, she was firmly placed on his blacklist.

Luca straightened her back and turned to Gerald. "Are you taking her to the hospital yourselves, or should we call an ambulance?"

"Can't you just handle it here?" Gerald dreaded the hassle of a hospital visit.

Luca shook her head. "She doesn't trust me and has already discarded Mr. Shanks' medicine. It's better if she goes to the hospital."

Left with no choice, Gerald relented. "Alright, I'll notify the boss first."

Stepping out of the room, Gerald called Abel.

After Abel answered the call, Gerald summarized the situation concisely.

"No need to send her to the hospital. Shanks can handle it," Abel responded calmly, his tone almost indifferent. "Mr. Shanks is unwilling to treat her because of what happened with the medication," Gerald replied cautiously, starting to doubt whether Abel genuinely cared about Hera.

He seemed far too detached for someone supposedly concerned about her well-being.

Just as Gerald was contemplating this, a sultry woman's voice echoed faintly from the other end of the call. It dawned on Gerald what his boss was preoccupied with.

No wonder he did not come back all night.

If Hera found out about this, she would probably be furious...

Abel, growing impatient, said bluntly, "Just send her to the hospital. Make sure she doesn't die, and have someone watch her so she doesn't run off."

"Yes, boss." Gerald clicked his tongue quietly. He had to make sure Hera did not die and could not escape...

Not wanting to leave himself, he passed the task to one of the nearby men.

Half an hour later, an ambulance arrived to take Hera away.

The villa returned to its usual calm.

Gerald stood next to Luke, looking a bit restless as he said, "I have a secret."

Luke did not even glance at him as his focus entirely on Luca, who was busy in the kitchen.

He wanted to help her.

However, Luca had refused, saying it would be too obvious and might raise suspicion.

So all he could do was stand there with the others, watching her busy back as they waited for breakfast.

Still, seeing her handle so much work on her own tugged at his heart.

Gerald, noticing the lack of response, continued talking to himself. "I've realized something. The boss doesn't actually love Ms. Sanchez."

Luke remained silent, acting as though Gerald did not exist.

Gerald, now used to the lack of reaction, pressed on, "When I called the boss earlier, I could hear a woman's voice in the background. Seems like he spent the whole night with someone else. And when I told him Ms. Sanchez was sick, he couldn't have been colder about it. It's like she's just a stranger to him, not his girlfriend."

Luke's expression showed a hint of exasperation. He reminded Gerald, "When have you ever heard him admit that Hera is his girlfriend?"

Gerald froze for a moment, furrowing his brows as he thought back. When he came to think of it, it had always been Hera claiming she was Abel's girlfriend.

Abel had never confirmed it, not even once.

However, he also had not denied it publicly, so everyone just assumed she was...

"You're right..." Gerald glanced around, suddenly feeling like he had stumbled upon some juicy gossip. Leaning closer to Luke, he whispered, "So, everything might just be in Ms. Sanchez's head?"

Luke did not reply.

Undeterred, Gerald muttered to himself, "If Ms. Sanchez is just one of the boss's many female companions, why bring her here? Tsk, tsk... Do you think the boss has some bigger plan?"

"Not afraid of losing your head?" Luke shot him a sharp look. How did someone like Gerald end up on the Island of Despair?

Was he clever before but just got dumber over time?

Gerald shivered, instinctively touching his neck as the gravity of his words hit him.

Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut before he said something that really got him into trouble.

Luca walked out of the kitchen, addressing the group waiting for breakfast. "It's ready."

The group quickly headed to the kitchen.

Luke lingered for a moment, his gaze fixed on Luca. He said in a low, sincere voice, "Thank you for your hard work."

Luca smiled back at him warmly.

If Luke were not here, she definitely would not have volunteered for this.

Now that he was risking everything to stay by her side.

Luca could not bear to let him suffer either.

After breakfast, Abel returned.

Luca was busy in the lab with Shanks.

Someone knocked on the door to tell her to come downstairs.

She had no choice but to put down her work and head down.

Abel was seated on a dark red sofa. The leather was not real, and its quality left much to be desired, with noticeable creases.

He looked at the woman walking down the stairs with a cold expression.

Luca stood there, her tone far from respectful as she greeted him, "Good morning, Boss."

Abel's gaze turned icier, his voice dripping with mockery. "So, you still remember I'm your boss?"

Luca froze for a moment but said nothing, waiting for him to find an excuse to make things difficult for her.

"How dare you!" Abel suddenly lashed out.

Luca frowned, assuming he was here to hassle her about Hera.

Sure enough, his next words confirmed it. "Why is Hera in the hospital?"

Chapter 3387 What Proof Is Needed Luca instantly understood the situation. It was about Hera.

Hera was someone Abel valued, possibly as a future corneal donor for Kassy. While Abel might not love Hera now, he certainly took her health seriously.

In a calm tone, Luca explained, "She was hospitalized due to inflammation that caused a fever."

Abel furiously flung his half-smoked cigar at her.

The glowing embers singed her clothes, leaving a small burn mark She instinctively stepped aside.

Abel roared, "What kind of care is this?! I told you to look after her! Is this how you handle things?"

Luca was perplexed. When did he ever tell her to look after Hera?

Besides, she did take care of her."When Ms. Sanchez fainted last night, she already had a low-grade fever. I diagnosed her condition as inflammation and prescribed anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing medication. I also emphasized that she needed to take oral anti-inflammatory drugs. She didn't trust me and threw out Mr. Shanks' medication, which led to her condition worsening."

Luca deliberately mentioned Shanks' involvement, ensuring her actions would be beyond reproach since Abel trusted Shanks' expertise implicitly.

Abel's face darkened further. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the woman in front of him. Shanks' medications were unquestionably reliable.

The fault indeed lay with Hera's own choices.

If it was not for her negligence, she would not be suffering now.

Still, needing an outlet for his anger, Abel coldly snorted and accused, "It's still your fault. If you had been more attentive, she wouldn't have fallen ill in the first place!"

Luca almost laughed at the absurdity of the accusation. Realizing he would not back down, she retorted without hesitation, "Ms. Sanchez's inflammation is a result of overindulging in intimate activities. Mr. Abel, you can't possibly blame me for that."

Abel's expression turned livid.

Intimate activities?

Had Hera betrayed him?

However, then he recalled how rough he had been during one of his fits of anger.

Hera had complained of discomfort, yet he had ignored her.

The situation could not possibly be pinned on Luca.

Abel's face darkened. Even though he was sure that Hera had not betrayed him, he still needed to find someone to vent his anger on.

"Call everyone here," Abel ordered one of his men.

"Yes, sir!" The man ascended the stairs. Shortly after, everyone except Shanks gathered in the living room, standing in tense silence.

Abel sat with an ominous expression.

No one dared to breathe too loudly, afraid of drawing his ire.

Everyone knew Hera had been hospitalized.

It was not hard to guess that Abel's wrath stemmed from the incident.

However, Hera's hospitalization had nothing to do with any of them, and no one was willing to bear the blame or face Abel's wrath.

"Who has had contact with her?" Abel's gaze was fixed on the crowd. His stare hardened until it landed on Luke. Luca followed his gaze, feeling a surge of panic.

Abel was looking for someone to vent his anger on, and it seemed most likely that person would be Luke, especially since his eyes had been focused on him.

Luca's heart raced...

All eyes were now on Luke.

When Hera approached Luca, everyone had seen it, and some even felt jealous. They wondered why a plain- looking man like him had caught the attention of the future boss's girlfriend.

Moreover, she was an incredibly beautiful woman.

The jealousy would only deepen.

Luke, fully aware that everyone's eyes were on him, knew that he could not avoid trouble today.

However, he stood tall and unbothered, showing no signs of guilt.

He felt that he had done nothing wrong, so there was no need to apologize.

Luca's heart tightened in worry.

If Abel really decided to confront Luke, she would have to remain silent and not speak up.

Otherwise, Luke's identity could be exposed, and their precious daughter would undoubtedly be put at risk.

With that thought in mind, Luca bit her lip, bracing herself for what Abel might say next.

"Lucius." Abel's face was gloomy. His icy blue eyes flickered with a menacing intensity. "Did you have contact with Hera?"

"No," Luke responded indifferently, showing no sign of panic.

Unlike the others, who would have shown fear or anxiety if questioned by Abel, Luke stood unmoved.

Abel narrowed his eyes, a slight smirk on his lips. "Oh, you're not admitting to it, huh?"

"If nothing happened, what's there to admit?" Luke suddenly questioned.

Abel clapped his hands in mock approval, a chilling laugh escaping him. "Fine, you won't admit it. I'll make you confess. Bring me my whip."

"Yes, sir," one of the men beside him replied, moving to fetch it.

Luca's heart skipped a beat. She almost said something, but then she caught Luke's gaze.

He was silently warning her not to interfere.

Her heart felt as though it was being squeezed. She clenched her hands behind her back, her nails digging into her palms without her even noticing.

Her entire focus was on Luke.

The man returned with the whip and handed it to Abel. "Boss, the whip."

Abel took it and swung it with a sharp flick.

"Crack!" The whip struck the floor with a loud, crisp sound.

The others in the room flinched instinctively, as though the strike had landed on them.

They dared not speak a word.

Abel pointed at Luke. "You. Step forward."

Luke took a step forward, his expression unafraid.

Everyone else took a step back except for Luca, fearful that Abel's whip might land on them when it was swung.

Abel looked at his fearless demeanor and said, "You say you didn't touch Hera, do you have proof?"

"No." Luke answered calmly, "But there's no proof I did either. Although she may have hinted at it, if I didn't do it, then I didn't."

"Fine!" Abel's whip cracked against the ground. "But this is my territory. Whether you touched Hera or not, whether you've been messing around behind my back, you're getting a whipping today!"

His tone sharpened as he added, "Do you have anything to say?"

Luke replied calmly, "A guilty man will always find an excuse."

Abel, furious, was ready to lash out. If it had been anyone else, whether guilty or innocent, they would have been on their knees begging for mercy by now.

"Fine. You'll get ten lashes today as a warning. From now on, if anyone sees Hera, unless she needs your help with something, everyone should stay at least one meter away from her!"

Then, he swung the whip at Luke.

"Crack!" The sound echoed through the room.

A sharp pain shot through Luke's body. Even though he was wearing clothes, he could still feel the searing sensation of his skin tearing open.

He silently endured it, unwilling to make a sound.

Luke knew that Luca was watching.

If he cried out in pain now, she might be unable to hold back and speak up for him.

They had planned this for so long, and he could not let this moment derail everything.

Moreover, Luca could not be hurt.

Another Crack! The second lash landed.

Luke wore a black shirt, and though no blood was visible, it was clear his shirt had already begun to soak through.

Blood was seeping from the wound.

Chapter 3388 Let Me Check Your Brain Luca could not help but tremble with heartache.

She fought hard to resist the urge to rush forward.

Everyone in the room had survived brutal training to make it out of the Island of Despair, and they could not help but shudder when they saw the scene.

The sound of the whip felt like it was landing on their own bodies.

Gerald closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer.

It was too cruel for him to watch.

The ten lashes felt like an eternity, stretching on for what seemed like a century.

Luca looked at the drenched clothes on Luke. His eyes were red, and his shirt was so soaked that you could wring out the blood from it.

Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that the veins were bulging.

Abel tossed the whip aside, looking at Luke's disheveled state with satisfaction.

He enjoyed the thrill of this bloody scene.

He turned to Luca, noticing her reddened eyes, and smiled even more devilishly. "Hera is in the hospital now. You'll go take care of her for the next few days."

Luca frowned, about to refuse, but then he added, "If you dare to refuse, don't blame me for being nice."

She swallowed the words that were about to leave her mouth, forcing herself to answer stiffly, "Yes."

Abel turned around and left.

He did not stay any longer.

He knew that if he stayed, he would end up pushing Shanks to hurry things along.

He knew Shanks was doing his best with the experiments, but some things were too slow for his liking.

It was better not to be around to witness it.

Once Abel left, everyone scattered.

Luca walked over to check on Luke and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Luke detected a metallic taste in his throat. He thought about how Luca had endured these kinds of years on the Island of Despair, his sympathy and guilt toward her deepened.

If only he had protected her better back then.

Gerald also stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Let's treat your wounds first."

"Upstairs," replied Luca. Abel's strength was immense, and the lashes he delivered would have taken most people's lives.

Luke clenched his teeth and moved forward.

Luca said, "Let me help you!"

"It's fine, I can walk by myself." Luke shook his head. His lips and face were pale, with beads of sweat the size of beans forming due to the pain. They dripped down, mixing with his clothes, amplifying the pain.

He did not make a sound, walking straight up the stairs.

Gerald followed behind them, clicking his tongue. "Now that's tough."

He quickly followed, thinking that he had become quite familiar with him over this period of time. If he could help in this situation, he would.

After confirming that Luke had returned to his room, Luca hurried to the lab.

She pushed open the lab door and greeted Shanks urgently, "Mr. Shanks."

Shanks turned around, noticing her anxious expression. He frowned and asked, "What did Abel do?"

"He lashed someone ten times. Now I need to help treat the wounds. As for the volunteers..." Luca hesitated for a moment. She certainly would not let Luke handle his wounds alone.

Even with Gerald's help, she would still be worried.

If the wounds were not treated properly and got infected, it would be a real problem.

Shanks frowned. Abel's actions at this time were nothing but trouble for him.

"I'll handle the volunteers," said Shanks. He could see from Luca's expression what choice she had made.

Therefore, Shanks did not stop her.

"I need to get some medical supplies," added Luca.

"Go ahead," Shanks did not care.

If any supplies were missing, they could always send someone to buy them later.

"Thank you, Mr. Shanks." As she gathered the supplies, Luca also told him, "Abel told me to go to the hospital to take care of Ms. Sanchez."

"What?" Shanks frowned in displeasure.

"He thinks I didn't take good care of Ms. Sanchez, which caused her condition to worsen," explained Luca, "I need to care for her until she's discharged."

"How troublesome!" Shanks was irritated.

He would be very busy on his own.

Abel wanted them to hurry up and develop the medicine, but now he was sending Luca to take care of that woman. Was that not like pulling away his right-hand man?

Luca remained silent.

If Shanks did not want her to go, he would find a way to stop it.

If he did not need her help, there was nothing she could do about it.

Luca picked up a tray, which held various medical items. There were scissors, gauze, iodine, some powders to promote wound healing, and even a set of suturing tools and anesthetics. She had not had a chance to check Luke's wounds yet, so she did not know if they would require stitching.

She quickly left the lab.

Shanks watched her leave from behind. His gaze was deep and thoughtful, then he made a phone call to Abel.

As soon as the phone was answered, Shanks spoke directly, "You know my experiment is at a critical stage, and yet you sent Luca to take care of your woman?"

"If you need her, I can have her go back to help you." Abel's voice on the other end was equally dark. "However, if that's the case, you'll have to admit your feelings for Ivana."

"What feelings? What could I possibly feel for her? Abel, are you out of your mind? Why don't you come back and let me check your brain?!" Shanks was furious, thinking Abel was deliberately getting back at him. However, this kind of revenge was meaningless.

It would only slow down the progress of the experiment, and that was no good for Abel.

Abel, however, ignored everything Shanks said and sneered coldly. "You don't have to admit it, but if that's the case, I'll just have her take care of Hera."

"I can't leave Hera alone in the hospital; someone needs to watch over her. I think Ivana would be perfect for the job. Her condition won't keep her in the hospital for long. It's gonna be just two or three days. Anyway, your experiment is already progressing so slowly. What's a few more days?"

Shanks took a deep breath, feeling that speaking further to the paranoid Abel was beneath him.

He reminded him sharply, "Fine, just don't regret it."

Shanks hung up the phone and began preparing the IV fluids for the volunteers.

Luca would be handling wounds and going to the hospital soon, so she would not have time to manage the volunteers.

On the other hand, Luca arrived at Luke's room. He had already removed his shirt, revealing a torso covered in deep wounds.

Luca's heart clenched in pain when she saw this. Her eyes reddened, and her chest ached.

She stepped into the room, noticing his black shirt on the floor. Although it did not show any blood, it was soaked in his own blood.

Her heart ached even more.

Gerald, noticing her reaction, quietly shut the door and spoke in a low voice. "His wounds are deep. Do you think he needs stitches?"

"Yes," Luca responded, her voice thick with emotion.

"I'm fine." Luke frowned when he saw her on the verge of tears. His brows furrowed.

He hated that she had to see him like this, but there was no choice. Now, only Luca could treat his wounds properly.

Luca carefully examined the wounds and asked for his opinion. "The wounds look deep, but they might not necessarily need stitches. Stitches would help them heal faster, but if we don't, it could take half a month for them to heal completely."

Gerald frowned. "It shouldn't take half a month, right? We all took that medicine. Even without stitches, the wound should heal pretty quickly."

Luca seemed lost in thought for a moment.

The people from the Island of Despair healed quickly because they drank that poison, but Luke was not one of them...

Chapter 3389 Things Will Only Get Worse Later Luke had never taken the medicine that could speed up healing, so his recovery was nowhere near as fast as the others from the Island of Despair.

Luca did not respond to Gerald's comment. Her gaze fixed on him with intensity.

"No stitches," said Luke, "I trust you."

Luca bit her lower lip.

"But if you don't stitch it, it might tear open," insisted Gerald, staring at Luke's wounds.

Luke glanced at his injuries and shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, as though the wounds had nothing to do with Luca.

"Stitches will leave scars."

"Are you afraid of scars? What kind of man doesn't have a few scars on him? Scars are a symbol of manhood," teased Gerald with a playful tone, "Scars show you're reliable, that you can protect a woman."

Luke gave him a look as though he were an idiot, then his gaze shifted to Luca. "I don't want too many scars. I'm worried my future wife might dislike them."

Luca's heart sank at his words, but his lighthearted remark eased her sadness.

Despite the severity of his injuries, he was still trying to comfort her.

She felt helpless, unable to say or do anything to change his mind.

Gerald, oblivious to the undercurrent of emotion, continued to argue, "Scars show you're dependable. Your future wife will admire and worship you for it... but..."

He paused for a moment and his expression was suddenly strange. "Can any of us really get married? I've never heard of anyone in the organization getting married!"

Luca did not respond to Gerald.

Luke had made up his mind not to get stitches, and Luca knew there was no point in arguing further. She picked up a cotton swab, dipped it in iodine, and carefully began cleaning his wounds. "This might hurt a bit, bear with it." "Okay."

Luke lowered his eyes, watching her delicate movements with tendemess.

After she carefully disinfected each gruesome wound, she sprinkled healing powder on them, and then layered them with gauze. Finally, she administered a tetanus shot to prevent infection.

By the time she was done, a fine sheen of sweat covered her forehead.

She let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't let the wounds get wet for the next few days. Avoid strenuous activity that makes you sweat. Otherwise, they might get infected," Luca reminded him, worried that he would not follow her instructions.

"Got it." Luke's gaze softened as he looked at her.

Luca, feeling the warmth in his eyes, glanced over at Gerald, then handed him the remaining gauze and powder." Here, take these."

"Huh?" Gerald looked confused as he took what she handed him. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"I'll be at the hospital taking care of Hera, so you'll need to change his bandages," explained Luca. She did not feel comfortable leaving it to anyone else.

Gerald, although he did not seem ideal, was the only one she trusted enough to leave the task with.

"Oh, I see." Gerald understood now. "Sure, it's easy enough. Just disinfect, apply the powder, and wrap it with gauze."

Luca nodded, then turned back to Luke. After she pondered for a moment, she added, "If you want the wounds to heal faster, don't eat anything that's too stimulating, and avoid spicy food and alcohol."

"Got it." Luke listened to her instructions with a warmth in his eyes that made it feel as though no hardship had ever come between them, and their life together was as happy as it had ever been.

Luca still could not shake off her worry. After all, she would not be able to keep an eye on Luke these next few days, so she tumed her gaze to Gerald.

Gerald, sensing her unease, immediately understood what she meant. He flashed a teasing smile. "Don't worry, Ms. Craw. I'll take good care of him. You don't have to worry about his recovery either. We've all taken the medicine, and you know how beneficial it is for the body. Don't worry, he'll recover quickly."

"Thank you for helping," replied Luca as she glanced at the time. "I'll go pack a few things and head to the hospital. If anything comes up, just give me a call."

Shanks had not contacted her yet.

So Luca knew her trip to the hospital could not be avoided.

She quickly went upstairs to gather her clothes before hurrying to the hospital.

After asking for the room number, she walked straight into the room where Hera was staying.

Hera was in a high-end single room.

After receiving medical treatment, she had already woken up and seemed to be in good spirits.

When she saw Luca walk in, she frowned in disgust. "What are you doing here?"

"Your boss asked me to come take care of you," answered Luca.

Hera's eyes flashed with disdain. "Can't your boss afford to hire a caretaker?"

Luca did not react to her tone. She opened the wardrobe and placed the change of clothes inside before speaking slowly. "Don't you understand what your boss means?"

"What?" Hera frowned. When she said this, it was completely vague and out of context, leaving Hera utterly confused.

Luca said, "You don't really need someone to take care of you. Your boss asked me to watch over you, secretly keeping an eye on you. He's worried you might run away."

She deliberately said it that way.

This was Luca's last attempt to give Hera a chance.

If Hera understood and was frightened enough to run, it would mean she was not completely doomed.

Even if nothing happened afterward, at least the danger would still be there.

Luca's gaze turned steady as she observed the woman sitting on the hospital bed.

Hera's expression darkened, then she frowned and said, "Are you trying to scare me? Don't want me to run? never thought about running!"

Luca gave a nonchalant smile. Considering their past as classmates, she had said more than she should have.

However, now it was clear that Hera was not even going to acknowledge it.

Since that was the case, Luca did not feel like saying anything more.

"Well, as long as Ms. Sanchez isn't planning on running, it's almost noon. What would you like to eat?" asked Luca.

Hera, seemingly intent on making a point, ordered a bunch of expensive food.

Luca nodded. "Alright, I'll go get it for you."

Hera paused for a moment. She did not argue with her?

Besides, the hospital did not even provide that kind of food. Where would she go to buy it?

Just as Hera was about to say something, Luca had already left the room.

She tried to get out of bed to stop Luca, but the moment she moved, a sharp pain shot through her body.

The doctor had applied medicine to her wounds today and warned her not to overexert herself.

It seemed like the doctor's warning was the same as Luca's.

Hera frowned, too afraid to move any further.

Fifteen minutes later, Luca walked back in with two takeout containers. After she set the table, she opened the boxes.

Hera took one look and saw it was peanut butter oatmeal. She screamed, "Luca, what is this?! This isn't what I asked for!"

"It's not," Luca replied honestly.

Hera glared at her. Her eyes burned with fury.

Luca continued, "Your current condition isn't suitable for the kind of food you wanted. If you eat it, things might get worse. Of course, I'm here to take care of you. If you insist on eating it, I can give you a little, but don't blame me if it makes you feel worse."

Hera snorted in contempt, about to make a snarky remark, when she heard Luca add, "The hospital medication is pretty harsh, right?"

Hera froze for a moment.

It was true. The hospital medicine was harsh, and after receiving the treatment, she had not dared to move around recklessly.

Luca continued, "Actually, I treated you yesterday too, but you didn't feel uncomfortable because the medicine I used wasn't as irritating as the hospital's, and it works even better. If you had taken the anti-inflammatory medication properly, you wouldn't have ended up in the hospital.

"If you don't listen to me now, things will only get worse later."

Chapter 3390 Abel's Obsession Was With Her Eyes Luca's expression was serious, and Hera realized she was not just trying to scare her.

Ignoring her warnings had already caused her to suffer once.

Unwillingly, Hera sipped on the cereal. Her resentment was evident in every movement.

Luca noticed it was not difficult for her to handle. She quietly sat down and ate her own bowl of cereal.

Hera did not have much of an appetite.

Hera took a couple of bites before growing bored. She glanced at Luca and asked, "How did you end up working for Abel?"

Luca did not respond. She calmly blew on her cereal and ate in silence, showing no intention of engaging in conversation.

"I'm talking to you. Are you deaf?" snapped Hera.

Luca lifted her gaze briefly and replied, "You should finish your cereal before it gets cold."

"I'm not even hungry." Hera really had no appetite and was not planning to eat the cereal.

"It's still better if you eat something. Otherwise, when hunger strikes later, don't expect me to help you," said Luca, "I'm only here to make sure you don't try to run away. Anything else isn't my responsibility."

Hera's eyes widened in disbelief. "Aren't you supposed to be here to take care of me?"

"That's just what we're telling others. If you're so curious about the boss, why don't you ask him directly? If he really values you as much as you think, maybe he'll treat you like a proper boss's wife' and share everything with you." Finishing her cereal, Luca deliberately turned her focus away, clearly not intending to continue the conversation.

"If I ever become your boss's wife, the first thing I'll do is fire you!"

Despite the venom in her tone, deep down, Hera knew Abel did not truly care about her.

Now that she was in the hospital, he sent someone over. Whatever his reasons might be, it made it seem like he cared about her.

However, in reality...

Hera knew deep down that if Abel truly cared for her, he would be right here in the hospital room, staying by her side and taking care of her attentively.

Yet, he never came.

She was not foolish enough to actually hope for a marriage with Abel.

Hera knew better than anyone that money was the only thing she would truly gain from this relationship.

As for the things Luca said about watching her, Hera just thought she was jealous and did not take it to heart. Hera forced herself to drink a few more sips of cereal.

After that, Luca, bored after finishing her meal, turned her attention to the experimental data Rhett had sent her. She carefully dissected the critical figures and documented them meticulously, engrossed in her work for hours. It was not until nightfall that Abel finally appeared at the hospital room door.

Luca saw him and froze for a moment before realizing his intentions.

Abel always valued Hera, but the way he valued her was different from how they understood it.

He needed her body, specifically her eyes, to remain in good health to ensure the success of the transplant he had planned.

"Mr. Abel." Luca rose to her feet.

Abel narrowed his eyes slightly. He recalled Shanks' earlier request for her, and a trace of amusement flickered across his eyes.

It was evident that Luca meant a lot to Shanks.

However, Shanks himself did not seem to realize it yet.

Abel could not help but anticipate the moment when Shanks would finally understand.

When that time came, who would Luca choose?

Would she go for a wealthy and powerful man or one with exceptional medical skills?

Abel was curious, but deep down, he already knew. Luca would not have a choice.

After all, Luke's fate was sealed, and most likely, so was hers.

Unless Shanks intervened to protect her, Abel would ensure that anyone connected to Luke would not remain alive in this world.

"Yes." Abel gave a curt nod before speaking indifferently, "I have something to discuss with Ms. Sanchez. Leave us."

"Yes." Luca exited the room, closing the door behind her.

She did not want to listen to their whispered conversations.

After all, Hera was bound to be deceived in the end, so whatever Abel said was all lies.

Unless, of course, he said he wanted her eyes...

Inside the room.

Hera was overjoyed the moment Abel arrived.

However, as memories of what he had done to her resurfaced, she turned her face away and stopped looking at him.

His presence, however, was proof of his concern, or so she convinced herself.

Hera prided herself on her ability to deal with men. She decided to play hard to get, thinking she could tug at Abel's heartstrings.

Seeing her act distant, Abel handed over a gift box. "You've endured a lot these past few days."

Hera cast a quick glance at the box.

She intended to ignore it, but her eyes widened when she recognized the brand. It was a luxury handbag box from her favorite designer. The cheapest bags from this brand cost over one hundred thousand dollars.

Abel was so generous that Hera's anger instantly faded. She turned to him with a look of feigned grievance and said, "Do you think a bag is enough to make me feel better?"

"Open it," Abel said with confidence, knowing exactly how to manipulate her.

Curious, Hera opened the box.

Sitting atop the bag was a check. Her eyes lit up as she picked it up and saw the amount-half a million.

Setting the check aside, she then pulled out the handbag. It was a new season's release, priced at more than two hundred thousand dollars!

"Fine, I'll forgive you this time." Seeing the seventy hundred thousand dollars in front of her, Hera could no longer keep up the pretense of being angry.

"You haven't even checked inside the bag," Abel added with a smirk.

"There's more?" Hera's voice rose in excitement.

She quickly opened the bag and found a thick stack of cash inside.

Her heart soared!

This was the most romantic gesture Abel had ever made.

Previously, he had always transferred money directly into her account. There were no gifts, no personal touches like this.

"So, are you still mad?" asked Abel.

"You've gone this far, so how could I stay mad?" Hera ran her fingers over the stack of cash, estimating it was probably at least a hundred thousand.

To Abel, this amount was nothing. Yet, to Hera, it was a fortune, a windfall she could hardly believe.

Not wanting to draw attention to herself, especially in a hospital bustling with people, she quickly placed the bag back into the box and shut the lid.

"Happy now?" Abel's gaze lingered on her eyes, almost obsessively.

Her eyes reminded him so much of Kassy's.

His Kassy would soon be by his side again.

"Very happy. I'll never be mad at you again," replied Hera.

"Good. And don't talk about leaving anymore. Once I wrap up my current matters, I'll take you traveling. We'll explore new places and enjoy the sights." Abel reached out, gently stroking her cheek with affection.

His fingers moved to trace the area around her eyes, his touch deliberate and reverent.

Hera instinctively closed her eyes, letting him continue.

After all this time, she knew Abel's obsession was with her eyes. He always touched them this way, and she had grown used to it.

"Does that sound good?" asked Abel.

Hera briefly remembered what Luca had said earlier. A chill ran down her spine, but she quickly shook it off.

As long as Abel kept giving her money, what was there to complain about?

"Sounds good." Hera's voice trembled slightly as she felt the softness of his touch.