Ch. 3391..3400

Chapter 3391 Ease The Ache Of Longing Abel chuckled. His voice was low and gravelly.

"Hera, let's agree on something. Don't use threats of leaving to manipulate me anymore, or I won't be happy," said Abel in a low voice.

What might have sounded like a plea or a compromise came across to Hera as a veiled threat.

The cool sensation of his fingers brushed against her eyelids, and she could not help but shiver. His touch felt as cold as death itself. She could not feel a trace of warmth.

Her hands clenched tightly together. The tension in her grip was the only thing keeping her from trembling further. "Alright," Hera murmured obediently.

Abel withdrew his hand.

Hera opened her eyes. A strange unease stirred within her. For reasons she could not quite explain, Abel's behavior filled her with an unsettling dread...

"Will you stay at the hospital with me tonight?" Hera could not help but crave some semblance of comfort.

Abel frowned slightly. "Stay here with you? And what about Luca?"

"You could just send her home. I only want you to stay," Hera gently held his arm and whined, but all she felt was the icy chill of his skin. It was not just his fingers, his entire arm was unnaturally cold.

His entire being was ice-cold, like that of a corpse-absent of any warmth.

Hera froze as her mind reeled. She recalled past moments of physical contact, and his body temperature had always been like this.

Back then, her focus had been on securing money, so she had not paid attention to these eerie details.

Now, a wave of unease washed over her. What kind of person has a body temperature so low?

"I have other matters to attend to. Stay here, rest, and don't make trouble," Abel refused to stay at the hospital.

There was no chance he would spend the night in the hospital with her.

"Alright." Hera did not feel disappointed. Instead, she felt relieved.

She felt she needed to appear deeply infatuated with him. Hence, that was what she did. However, deep down, his refusal had brought her a strange sense of comfort.

"Get well. Listen to Luca. Do as she says, and don't pull any stunts that might worsen your condition. I don't like women who look sickly," said Abel. His Kassy deserved nothing less than the healthiest set of eyes.

"Got it. I'll behave," Hera replied with a bright smile.

Once Abel left, the smile dropped from her face. She stared at the luxury handbag box in her lap, lost in thought. Was it really worth staying by the side of such a volatile man for the sake of money?

Moments later, Luca reentered the ward. Her eyes briefly flicked to the box Hera was clutching, her expression unreadable.

Hera caught her glance. She smirked and sneered, "What are you looking at? This is a designer handbag. You couldn't afford it even if you worked for an entire year."

Luca said nothing.

Mistaking her silence for envy, Hera could not resist adding a cruel jab, "Some people just lack talent. They'll work their whole lives and still never own something like this. Tsk, Abel really does treat me well."

Luca thought to herself that he certainly did.

However, it was all for her eyes...

"Ms. Sanchez, it's time to take your medicine." Luca had no interest in designer bags or luxury goods.

After all, Luke always ensured that she lacked for nothing. He handled everything for her, sparing her the need to familiarize herself with the latest brands or trends. As a result, she harbored no desire for such things.

Hera could not help but feel that Luca's detached attitude was a deliberate insult.

Both of them lived in Abel's world, but their roles could not have been more different.

Luca's responsibilities were respectable, praiseworthy even. People admired her for what she did, perhaps even envied her.

In contrast, Hera's role could not be publicly acknowledged.

If she told others she was in a romantic relationship with Abel, who would believe her?

Even though she appeared the most glamorous and enviable among her friends, she knew what they whispered behind her back.

The thought sparked a simmering anger within her.

Luca handed her a cup of warm water and her pills.

Seeing her so composed made Hera want to knock the items right out of Luca's grasp.

However, Abel's earlier warnings held her back. He was displeased with her falling ill, almost as though he was blaming her for not taking care of herself. He even insisted she listen to Luca during her recovery.

Suppressing her anger, Hera took the pills and swallowed them without protest.

Two days later, after undergoing various tests, Hera was discharged from the hospital.

She returned to the small villa with Luca.

After returning to the villa, Hera ignored everyone and headed straight to her room. Noticing Abel's absence, she turned to Gerald, who was standing nearby.

"Where's your boss?" demanded Hera.

"I don't know." Gerald stood at the door, looking genuinely puzzled. How could he possibly know if Hera did not know?

"What kind of subordinate are you? You don't even know where your boss is?" asked Hera.

Gerald scratched the back of his head with an innocent look on his face. "The last time he came home was the day you were hospitalized. He hasn't been back since."

"He hasn't been back?" Hera's voice grew sharper. "Where is he?"

Gerald thought to himself that while her body seemed to have recovered from the hospital stay, her intelligence was still in question.

Did he not tell her that Abel had not returned? No one would be able to answer her question even if she asked a thousand times.

Hera noticed that Gerald was not answering and realized he had already already answered her question. "Why are you just standing there? Do I have some kind of virus?" Hera glared at him.

Gerald quickly shook his head. "Ms. Sanchez, the boss gave us strict orders to keep our distance from you. If we get too close, we'll be punished. I don't dare step into your room."

Hera froze for a moment, recalling Abel's obsessive possessiveness. It was just like him to issue such bizarre instructions.

"Fine. Stop hovering and get out of my sight. You're annoying..."

"Understood. If you need anything, you can find me downstairs." As soon as she dismissed him, he practically bolted.

Previously, Gerald did not mind being close to Hera. He thought that despite her bad temper, she was still easy on the eyes, and being around her was not unpleasant.

Now, he wanted nothing more than to keep his distance.

Gerald was always worried someone might report to Abel, accusing him of taking advantage of Hera. If that happened, he would be done for.

"Wait," Hera called out suddenly.

Gerald, who had just started jogging away, skidded to a halt and turned back to look at her with a confused look on his face.

"Did anything happen while I was away the past two days?" asked Hera.

Gerald hesitated for a moment. Should he tell her that the man she liked was whipped by their boss?

No, mentioning it might bring trouble for Lucius.

He quickly shook his head. "Nothing happened. It's been peaceful, and since the boss isn't around here, nothing out of the ordinary happened."

"Got it," Hera replied wearily. She waved him off, signaling for him to leave.

Gerald turned around and immediately left.

When Luca returned to the villa, she immediately went to find Luke.

"You're back?" Luke's eyes were deep and profound. Even though he wore bright blue contact lenses, they could not conceal the affection shining within them.

If it were not for the fact that others might appear at any moment, he would have pulled her into his arms to ease the ache of longing.

Luca nodded. Unable to read his true emotions through the colored lenses, she instinctively placed her fingers on his pulse.

His pulse was steady and strong, a reassuring sign that his injuries were healing well.

"Have your wounds been inflamed these past two days? Any low-grade fevers?" Luca asked with concern.

"No, I've been fine," Luke answered honestly. He knew she was worried.

He had a robust physique and strong constitution. Therefore, the whip injuries did not affect him much.

Besides, Gerald had been diligent about cleaning his wounds and changing his dressings daily, which greatly accelerated his recovery.

Chapter 3392 The Chosen Donor (1)

"I'm still a bit worried. Let me take a look in your room and change the dressing while I'm at it."

Luca knew Luke would not want her to worry. Therefore, she needed to see for herself that everything was fine before she could feel at ease.

"Alright." Luke knew she was worried about him, so the two of them headed into the room.

He took off his shirt, revealing the bandage wrapped around his torso.

Luca could not help but chuckle at the sight.

The wrapping was done by Gerald, and it was hilariously sloppy. It was haphazardly bound-overly tight in some places and entirely uneven. It looked like it was just meant to cover the wounds, with no thought for neatness.

"Stop laughing." Luke was clearly rendered speechless by Gerald's lackluster bandaging skills as well.

If it were not for the fact that it was difficult to bandage himself, he would never have let Gerald do it.

"With it wrapped like this, how are you supposed to sleep at night?" Luca asked as she began unwrapping the bandage. The front was not too bad, but the back was so messy that it was bound to be uncomfortable when lying down.

"I haven't been sleeping well," Luke admitted with a helpless shake of his head. "But honestly, it doesn't matter. Without you by my side, I can't sleep well anyway."

Luca's face turned a little red. Once the bandage was off, she inspected the scabbing wounds and let out a small sigh of relief.

The wounds did not require stitches, and it was healing well. Clearly, Luke had been following her instructions and had not been moving around recklessly over the past few days.

"How's the recovery going?" asked Luke.

"Pretty good," replied Luca as she picked up the iodine from the bedside table, gently cleaning the wounds before carefully applying some healing powder.

Just as she was focused on her work, a knock came at the door.

"Who is it?" Luke called out.

"It's me," Gerald's voice answered from outside.

Luke and Luca exchanged a glance before he said, "Come in."

Gerald pushed the door open. When he saw Luca tending to Luke's wounds, he did not seem surprised. With a cheerful grin, he said, "I figured Ms. Craw would be here with you."

Luca glanced over her shoulder at him. "Do you need something?"

"Not exactly. I just thought I'd check on his wounds. Don't you think the healing's a bit slow?" Gerald pointed at Luke's chest.

The wounds were clearly scabbing over.

Luca immediately understood what Gerald meant.

For an average person, this healing speed was considered fast. However, for someone from the Island of Despair, it should be much quicker.

Her expression did not change as she calmly replied, "Everyone heals at different speeds."

"But didn't we take that special medication? This doesn't add up. Maybe you should run some tests, Dr. Craw, to see if there's any underlying issue slowing down the healing process?" Gerald was genuinely curious.

He had grown closer to Luke recently and thought it was a good idea to show concern.

Luca replied expressionlessly, "There's no need for tests. He's perfectly fine."

Gerald looked at her, then shifted his gaze to Luke. Both of them had the same expression.

Gerald instantly felt awkward. Rubbing his nose, he decided not to say anything more.

Luca carefully applied the healing powder to each wound.

Then, she finally wrapped the bandage with precision.

As Gerald watched her work, she could not help but compare it to his own sloppy attempt. He gave her a thumbs- up. "No wonder you're a pro. You do a way better job than me. Lucius has been complaining non-stop about how I've been bandaging him up these past few days."

"The way you wrapped it, anyone would lose sleep over it," Luca said helplessly. "This is the proper way to wrap a bandage."

Gerald leaned closer to observe, eager to learn.

Luca demonstrated once more, then handed him the bandage. "Your turn."

"I didn't know there was so much skill involved in wrapping a bandage. I thought it was enough to just cover the wounds." Gerald took the bandage and started wrapping it around the wounds.

With Luca's guidance, his wrapping turned out much neater this time.

"How's that? Not bad, right? I think I've got some talent!" Gerald could not help but feel proud.

Luca nodded and handed him the rest of the bandages. "Great, then I'll leave the rest to you. I need to check on the lab."

"Got it. I heard Mr. Shanks' research has made great progress," Gerald said enthusiastically, taking over the task. Luca's heart skipped a beat, and she felt an urgent desire to find out more about the progress.

She turned to look at Luke and repeated, "I'm heading to the lab."

"Alright." Luke nodded.

After Luca left the room, Gerald continued wrapping the bandage, muttering as he worked, "You and Ms. Craw seem really close, huh?"

"What's it to you?" Luke glared at the chatty man in front of him.

Even though Gerald's earlier work had been less than satisfactory, Luke had to admit he was different from most people from the Island of Despair.

Gerald might have done bad things in the past. However, he was not a bad person. He was just annoyingly talkative.

Luke was not used to having someone this chatty around. People like Gordan rarely talked when they were ruthless, but once they let their guard down, they could be just as talkative. Gerald, on the other hand, was chatty all the time.

His chatter carried his own unique charm.

While Luke did not particularly like it, he did not entirely dislike it either.

On the other hand, Luca arrived at the lab.

She had not been there in two days, so instead of barging in, she knocked on the door.

No one answered from inside.

Curious, she made her way to the volunteer's ward, where Shanks was.

When she entered, Shanks looked up. His expression remained as distant as ever, and his voice was neither warm nor cold. "You're back?"

"Yes. Ms. Sanchez has been discharged," replied Luca. Her gaze fell on the volunteer in the room.

The volunteer was now able to sit up.

With Shanks' guidance, he was able to move his legs on his own.

Although it was very strenuous, it was clear that his legs were moving independently, without the aid of machines or relying on other parts of his body for assistance.

Shanks remarked, "You'll soon be ready for the eye transplant surgery."

The volunteer's emotions surged with excitement when he heard this. "Doc, is that true? I'm actually going to have the next surgery?"

His body had been recovering bit by bit every day, so he was filled with anticipation for the procedure.

Everyone had told him he would never walk again and that he would never see again.

Now, his leg function was gradually returning to normal. There was hope for his eyesight as well.

The volunteer was thrilled.

"Yes," Shanks confirmed. Despite the progress, his demeanor remained calm.

Luca could not find any trace of excitement on his face. It was as though the success of the experiment had nothing to do with him.

After leaving the ward, Shanks and Luca returned to the lab.

Luca asked, "Mr. Shanks, have you determined the maximum dosage for the solution over the past two days?"

Shanks shook his head. "No. I suspect there's still room to increase it slightly."

Luca was slightly surprised. There was still room for an increase?

Over the past couple of days, the volunteer's condition had improved so much that she had assumed Shanks had already maximized the dosage, reaching a peak value.

Luca pondered for a moment and asked, "Mr. Shanks, who will be the donor for the volunteer's eye transplant surgery?"

Donating even a cornea was rare, let alone entire eyeballs.

"A cadaver," Shanks replied nonchalantly. With enough money, there was nothing that could not be bought.

However, Shanks was not planning to source the eyes from the black market. He was exploring other channels to find a suitable donor.

As for Kassy's eye donor, Shanks had no say in the matter. He knew that Abel had already decided on the donor for Kassy's eyes.

Chapter 3393 The Chosen Donor (2)

Kassy's eye donor was Hera, the one Abel had brought over.

Even though Hera's eyes resembled Kassy's, they did not meet the criteria for a transplant.

However, Hera's blood type matched Kassy's exactly.

Hence, Abel decided to use Hera's eyes. His belief was that her eyes were specifically meant for Kassy.

Shanks knew he would not be able to change Abel's mind, so he did not try Abel's stubbornness was something even Kassy herself could not sway.

Luca remained silent for a while, not saying anything further. She understood that using a cadaver was the best option as it would not harm anyone.

However, the eyes Abel wanted for Kassy were not from a cadaver. He intended to take them from Hera.

Luca certainly would not participate in such a surgery. It was too cruel.

"What are you thinking?" Shanks suddenly asked.

Luca shook her head. "I'm just thinking about the volunteer's situation."

"You're wondering if this solution will be marketed, aren't you?" Shanks suddenly asked.

Taca had not been thinking about that, but she was indeed curious about it.

"This solution won't be marketed. Even if it were, very few people would be able to accept it, and not every doctor can handle the dosage properly," added Shanks. It was as though he had already thought about it.

"That's a shame," Luca murmured, "If it were diluted appropriately, it could slow down the recovery speed of the human body and still be marketable."

"I've considered that, but..." Shanks suddenly seemed to think of something and fell silent.

Luca was about to ask what he meant, but she decided not to push when she saw his expression.

What Shanks was thinking was that they were not even sure if there would be a future for the Island of Despair.

If Abel's plan failed or if the organization's prominence eventually led to its downfall, Abel's pharmaceutical company would cease exist.

to Without the company, even if they wanted to mass-produce this solution, it would be pointless.

Shanks prepared the Injection and turned to hand it to Luca. "Since you've returned, continue working on the experiment. Take this to the volunteer."

"Got it." Luca took the syringe and walked over. The volunteer was currently sharing his joy with his family.

Luca listened as he spoke about his improving condition and his upcoming eye surgery. She could not help but smile. She was genuinely happy for him.

After patiently waiting for the volunteer to finish his call, she said, "It's time for the injection."

"Ah, right, right." The volunteer quickly lay back, positioning his arm. "Sorry, I got so excited earlier. I couldn't help but chat with my family for a little longer."

"It's fine." After that, Luca administered the injection. Then, she walked out of the ward, only to see Luke.

"What's wrong?" Luca noticed that his expression was not quite right.

"We're switching shifts," replied Luke.

"Huh?" Luca was stunned for a moment before remembering that this place operated on a shift system.

Everyone, except Gerald, was due for a shift change.

Luke was about to switch with the others.

Luca quickly pulled him aside to a corner. "I just remembered about this. So, what are you going to do?"

Her face was full of concern. Now that Luke was impersonating someone, they definitely could not let the original person return. However, Luke could not just disappear either.

"I'll have to continue keeping up the impersonation. But are you okay here?" Luke's eyes were constantly scanning the area, ensuring no one was approaching.

"I'm fine, but you need to be careful, okay?" Luca's eyes were full of worry.

She did not know where they would send him.

Plus, if Luke were sent far away, Gale and the others might not be able to rescue him in time if something went wrong.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," Luke reassured her. “You don't have to worry so much about things here either. They're figuring it out, and they might send someone of a similar build to replace me. I might even end up switching identities again."

Luca shook her head. "No, that's too dangerous!"

Luke did not respond. His gaze was still fixed on her intently.

"You can have someone with a similar build replace you, but you absolutely can't stay here. Don't worry, things are safe enough for me here. You've seen that I've been fine so far," said Luca.

After Abel sent Hera over, he did not show up again.

Although Hera had a tendency to target Luca, it was more because of her interest in Luke.

Once Luke left with the shift change, Hera would not have much of a reason to cause trouble.

"Luca..." Luke's voice was hoarse, clearly not wanting her to face such a situation alone.

"Alright, it's settled, then. Besides, you can't leave your company without someone handling things for too long. Have Gale find someone to replace you so that you can focus on managing the company," decided Luca.

When Luke was captured by the Island of Despair, she took over his place to manage T Corporation, so she knew firsthand how difficult it was to run a company.

Seeing the determination in her decision, Luke had no choice but to agree.

The shift change happened quickly.

Take just told her in the morning, and by the afternoon, they had changed shifts with the other group.

Luca stood on the balcony, watching him leave.

Gerald stood beside her.

"Ms. Craw, are you going to miss him?" Gerald teased suddenly.

Luca glanced at him sideways. "Don't talk nonsense."

"Don't worry, I know everything about your situation. But you don't need to worry. I'm not one to blab. I keep my mouth sealed tight," Gerald said proudly of his discovery.

Luca, however, narrowed her eyes.

Gerald, who was waiting for a response from Luca, did not hear anything from her. Realizing something was off, he turned around.

Laca was staring at him with a dangerous look.

Gerald shuddered and awkwardly chuckled. "Ms. Craw, don't take it so seriously."

Luca said, "Gerald, sometimes, people die from talking too much."

"Y-Yes, yes, I promise I won't talk too much," Gerald stammered. Even though Luca had never lost her temper with him, Gerald knew that when she got serious, she was far more ruthless than Hera.

Hera, a woman with no real strength, could only threaten someone with punches and kicks, which were easy to dodge.

For someone like Luca, if she told someone to stay down, one would never get back up.

"Do you know where they're sending them?" asked Luca.

"I'm not sure. It's not something we're supposed to know. Every time there's a shift change, it's decided randomly by higher-ups. They don't know where they're going until they reach their destination," explained Gerald Luca replied, "I see."

"Ms. Craw, you're so close with Lucius. What do you plan to do in the future? Come on, tell me," Gerald gossipingly asked.

He liked Laucius as well, sensing that he was different from the others in the organization.

However, Gerald was not part of the shift change. He was fine staying here, guarding the place, and not worrying about being found by the police.

"Mind your own business," Luca said nonchalantly. "Remember to make their breakfast from today onward."

Chapter 3394 How Tough Can She Really Be When Gerald heard this, his face fell. "Huh? Ms. Craw, you're not cooking anymore?"

Luca said nothing. Luke had already left with the others. She turned her gaze back before walking inside.

Gerald realized that Luca had only been cooking breakfast because of Lucius. The thought puzzled him. Had they taken a liking to each other from the very start?

That did not seem right.

In this fast-paced modern world, even if they had, using something as old-fashioned as cooking to win someone over did not add up.

Still, the timing was too coincidental to ignore. Luca started cooking for everyone when Lucius arrived, and she stopped as soon as he left. That realization gave Gerald an eerie feeling.

Thinking they might have known each other back on the island, it all suddenly made sense. Of course! They must have met before. How else could this all line up so perfectly?

With that thought, Gerald quickly caught up with Luca. "Ms. Crew, my cooking is terrible. Why don't you keep doing it?"

"I don't have time." Luca rolled her eyes. "I'm busy."

"But you cooked even when you were busy before," muttered Gerald.

Luca acted as though she had not heard him and headed downstairs.

Gerald trailed after her. "Ms. Craw, should I at least make a portion for you?"

"No." Even though Luca was not picky about food, she definitely disliked Gerald's cooking.

"So, are you going to cook for yourself?" Gerald pressed.

Luca gave a soft hum in response.

Gerald let out a dramatic wail. "Ms. Craw, can you also make my portion while you're at it? Please?"

Luca did not respond. She neither agreed nor refused.

Taking this as a glimmer of hope, Gerald quickly added, "Ms. Craw, if you help me by making my portion too, I swear I'll repay your kindness tenfold!"

Luca stopped at the second floor landing and glanced at him. "Why would I make your portion as well?"

"Then I won't have to cook," answered Gerald.

Even though Gerald was the lowest-ranked person in the villa, cooking was not exactly his assigned duty. It was something he started doing out of necessity because he needed to eat.

Over time, others saw him cooking and asked him to prepare extra portions for them. Before he knew it, he had become the villa's unofficial chef.

No matter how many groups rotated through the house, Gerald always ended up cooking for everyone.

Gerald dared not to refuse, and that was why he took up the responsibility. However, he figured Luca would not tolerate such treatment, and those people probably would not dare ask her to cook for them. He saw an opportunity for a fresh start and hoped Luca could help him out.

Luca glanced at him again.

Gerald clasped his hands together, pleading.

After a moment's thought, Luca said, "I might not eat every meal."

"That's fine! As long as you think of me when you do book," Gerald said eagerly, already formulating his plan.

Cerald decided to order some instant noodles through a food delivery app. That way, if Luca did not cook, he would still have something to eat.

"Fine," Luca agreed. She stepped into the lab and shut the door behind her.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Gerald. He felt like a bright future was ahead of him.

He no longer had to cook for those big guys and could even enjoy better food. This was definitely a win.

Once Luke and the others left, the new rotation of people arrived to take their place.

As a long-term resident of the villa, Gerald took charge of assigning rooms to the newcomers.

The group was not troublesome. After finding out where they would be staying, they simply unpacked their luggage and started exploring, familiarizing themselves with the layout as quickly as possible.

Gerald followed them around, explaining everything.

He started from the lab rules to the ins and outs of the villa.

"Wow, this place is way better than our previous base!" exclaimed one of the men.

"No kidding! The environment here is fantastic," another agreed.

"I'm telling you, once I'm here, I don't ever want to leave." Gerald heard another one chimed in.

"Isk, like that's your call," the first man retorted. "Sure, the place is great, but there's no women around."

Gerald suddenly remembered something important when he mentioned women. He stepped forward to address them.

"Gentlemen, there are two things you should know. Listen carefully. There are two women here. One is the boss' companion, Hera. She's the one with long wavy hair. The boss has made it clear-if anyone dares make a move on her, they'd better be ready to lose their life.

The other woman is Ms. Craw from the lab. She doesn't have any special backing, but she's highly skilled. One guy tried to mess with her before, attempting to drug her. In the end, she took him down hard. He's still in the hospital, and the doctors say his functions won't ever fully recover."

"What kind of functions? Don't tell me it's what I'm thinking," one of them asked with curiosity "It's exactly what you're thinking. Ms. Craw is no joke. She came out of it completely unscathed while leaving that guy half-crippled. Now, she's helping with an experiment that's very important to the boss, so I strongly suggest you don't try anything with her," warned Gerald.

If they ignored his advice and still wanted to provoke Luca or Hera, there was not much he could do about it.

"Pfft, she's just a woman. How tough can she really be?" One of them refused to believe it. Gerald shook his head. "Pal, don't act so cocky. You might regret saying something so ignorant later."

The men burst out laughing. "Man, you're just scared. You probably don't have the guts to stand up to a woman, but we're not like you. Every woman we meet ends up bowing to us."

When Gerald saw how arrogant they were, he was torn between warning them again or giving Luca a heads-up that some of these men might cause trouble.

He shook his head and muttered, "Good luck to you all."

The group erupted in laughter again.

"Are all of you from A City this cowardly?"

"Exactly. If it weren't for the other wornan being the boss' companion, we wouldn't hold back either."

"Go ahead, mess around. If you disrupt the experiment-even if you don't touch the boss' companion-you'll still end up in trouble," Gerald said before heading upstairs.

While Gerald was on his way up, he ran into Luca, who was coming down to prepare lunch. He hesitated for a moment before deciding to wam her, "Ms. Craw, the new rotation has amrived," reminded Gerald.

"Okay," Luca responded with little enthusiasm, knowing that Luke was not among them. She was not particularly interested or excited.

"Uh, some of them didn't take my warnings seriously. So... If anyone tries to cause trouble or make a move on you, just be careful," Gerald said cautiously.

Luca stopped in her tracks and frowned, a flash of impatience crossing her eyes. "Men are such a hassle."

Gerald nodded in agreement, but realizing he was also a man, he quickly shook his head. Before he could say more, Luca added coldly, "How troublesome. I might as well just ruin them completely."

When Gerald saw the icy glint in her eyes, he could not help but shiver, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Cautiously, he reminded her, "Ms. Craw, Lucius is also a man."

"Can he even be compared to those lowlifes?" Luca shot him a sharp glare.

Gerald immediately shook his head.

Of course not.

Those guys would go after any woman they saw.

Chapter 3395 All The Men Who Are Knocked Down By Luca Lucius was different.

He did not care about getting close to anyone, whether man or woman. Even when Hera's attempts to seduce him were blatantly obvious, he still remained unmoved and even showed signs of rejection.

Gerald could not help but marvel at Luca's sharp observations and incisive remarks.

He could not help but clap his hands lightly, genuinely impressed.

"Lucius truly is exceptional," said Gerald.

Luca came downstairs.

When she took the last step off the stairs, the men in the living room immediately fell silent.

They held their breath as they watched the woman in front of them. Her hair was straight, not like their boss' companion.

The men's gazes grew intense.

Luca's expression darkened.

Gerald stood beside her and said, "See, I told you-you're like a piece of meat dropped into a pack of wolves. Be careful."

One of the men heard Gerald and asked unhappily, "Hey, kid, what are you saying? What wolves? We're gentlemen. We'd never dream of doing anything inappropriate."

"Exactly! Lady, why don't you come and have a drink with us?" asked another man.

Luca's expression grew even colder.

Their intentions were written all over their faces.

Gerald noticed the storm brewing in Luca's expression and hastily gestured at the men to stop. He made a 'shut up gesture.

Instead of taking the hint, the men burst into laughter.

"Man, we've seen cowards, but this one takes the cake!"

"Right? Lady, come on. Just one drink..." Before the words finished leaving his mouth, the guy reached out, trying to grab Luca's hand.

Luca avoided his touch, but she immediately grabbed his hand and effortlessly slapped him across the face.

The sound echoed crisply in the living room.

Everyone froze with wide eyes.

What was going on? Did one of them get slapped across the face?

"Y-Y-You!" The man who had been slapped stammered, struggling to find his words.

"Who else wants to invite me for a drink?" Luca hated trouble, but when she sensed it brewing, she preferred to nip it in the bud.

A tense silence blanketed the room.

None of the men had expected her to lash out, let alone strike one of their own so decisively. They all came from the same base and had been together for a while, so naturally, they were more united.

"Fuck you, you filthy bitch!" One of the men came back to his senses, grabbing a bottle of beer and standing up aggressively.

Luca noticed that they had already drunk several bottles of alcohol.

When these guys had nothing else to do, they either worked out or drank, which she could understand.

However, after just a few drinks, they acted like they were the world's greatest, expecting every woman to submit to them. This was something Luca could not stand. She stared coldly at the man in front of her.

Her gaze remained steady as she watched the man step toward her. His eyes were filled with rage, as though he were about to rip her apart.

Cerald took a step back.

He was not worried about Luca losing. He knew she could handle herself, but he was concerned that if a fight broke out, he might get dragged into it, so he kept his distance to ensure his own safety.

Luca's expression was cold as she watched the man approach. When he came within range, she acted quickly, delivering a flawless shoulder throw The man groaned as he hit the ground.

Luca stepped onto his chest. "How about this? You like it?"

The man groaned in pain. "Let... Let go..."

Luca twisted her foot, pressing against a weak point. "How does that feel?"

The man, barely able to speak through the pain, choked out, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It hurts!"

Luca did not release him. Instead, she stared coldly at the other men. "Anyone else wants to try your luck? Come on. Let's see who can take me down today."

The men looked at their downed companion in disbelief.

One of them shouted, "Get up, you trash! You're letting a woman put you down. Are you kidding me?"

"Yeah, get up! Don't let this woman humiliate you like that!"

The man struggled to rise. Even though the weight on him was not heavy, he could not seem to get up. As he tried, he collapsed back to the ground, failing once again.

Luca's expression remained icy. "You want him to get up? As long as I don't take my foot off him, he won't be able to move. And it's going to hurt like hell. You want to save him?"

Her words made several of the men freeze.

They hesitated for a moment, unsure whether they should help their fallen comrade.

"Why are you scared? Let's all go at her. She's just a woman. How tough can she really be against all of us?" said one of them.

The group of men rushed toward her, ready to teach her a lesson.

"If we win, she'll be our collective property."

One of the men said so, and the others immediately made a move, treating Luca as though she were a prize to be claimed.

They all charged forward at once.

Gerald finally grew worried. "Ms. Craw, be careful!"

When Gerald was secretly debating whether to call Shanks for backup, several agonized cries filled the air.

Gerald's eyes widened in shock. All the men who had rushed toward Luca were now lying on the floor and clutching their injured bodies, unable to move.

"Ms. Craw, are you alright?" Gerald rushed forward. The scene before him was so intense that he almost wondered if he was dreaming. He pinched his cheek hard and felt the pain.

It was not a dream.

Luca had really taken care of the men who tried to take advantage of her all by herself.

Gerald shivered at the thought. He was lucky he had not made an enemy of her.

"I'm fine," replied Luca as she lifted her foot.

The man who had been pinned under her foot let out a sigh of relief.

"Why haven't they gotten up?" Gerald asked with curiosity.

"This is the power of medical skills," Luca explained. Even though they outnumbered her, she aimed for the most painful acupoints on each of their bodies when she hit them.

That was why all of the men were still on the ground, unable to get up.

After saying that, Luca did not pay attention to their cries of pain and walked into the kitchen.

Gerald looked at the mess around him, unsure how to handle the situation. Just then, Shanks came downstairs.

"What happened?" Shanks saw the group of men groaning in pain. He thought someone had come to challenge them.

"Luca did it," Gerald quickly explained. "These men were trying to make trouble with her, so she taught them all a lesson. Mr. Shanks, they look really hurt. Do we need to take care of them?"

All the men who had changed shifts were knocked down by Luca.

If anything happened, these men were as good as useless in a fight.

Gerald was worried that Luca might be blarned.

Shanks furrowed his brows and examined the nearest man. He then released his grip with anoveldrama look of disgust. "They won't die"

Gerald was rendered speechless again.

Sure, they would not die, but they were still seriously injured.

Before Gerald could respond, Shanks added, "Luca targeted their acupoints, which is why they're in so much pain. They'll be fine in about an hour. Consider it a lesson learned."

Then, Shanks turned and went back upstairs.

Gerald let out a sigh of relief. If they were not going to die and would recover soon, then everything would be okay.

He crouched down and looked at the man in front of him. "Listen, buddy. Now that you know what Ms. Craw is capable of, I'd advise you not to mess with her again."

Chapter 3396 What's Happening With Luke The men in the room were wincing in pain, but when they heard Gerald's words, they were so furious they almost wanted to lash out at him.

However, all their strength had been sapped by the excruciating pain, so they could only groan helplessly.

As Shanks made his way upstairs, he paused halfway up the staircase and asked, "Is Luca cooking?"

Gerald glanced at the kitchen and replied, "Yes, Mr. Shanks. It's their fault. Ms. Craw was delayed in making dinner because of them."

Shanks' expression remained unchanged as he simply said, "Let me know when it's ready."

"Yes," answered Gerald.

After Shanks went upstairs, Gerald hesitated for a moment but decided to help the men to their feet, placing them one by one on the couch or chairs.

As they slouched, groaning in pain, Gerald shook his head. "Do you guys now understand what happens when you mess with the wrong woman, especially Ms. Craw?"

One of the men winced and asked, "Why did she have to be so brutal when throwing down?"

"She knows medicine. She's also trained, so she can easily take down a hundred people if she wants. With her medical knowledge, she can make you suffer all the pain in the world without leaving a single fatal injury."

The men shrank back. They did not expect Luca to be so capable. At the same time, they were shocked and unnerved by Gerald's words.

They exchanged uncertain glances and, from that moment on, secretly promised not to mess with Luca again.

The risk of angering her seemed far too great.

Just then, Hera made her way down the stairs. She looked around the room and noticed the unfamiliar faces. All of the men were in pain. Her brows furrowed together as she said, "Gerald, come here."

"Yes, Ms. Sanchez." Gerald followed her as she walked out of the living room.

Once they reached the garden, Hera squinted at the harsh sunlight, clearly uncomfortable.

"Ms. Sanchez, what's the matter?" Gerald noticed the odd look on her face.

Hera came back to her senses, shook her head, and replied, "Nothing. I was going to ask you why all these men are here."

"Oh, they're part of the rotation system. Every so often, someone comes to replace the current team." Gerald already knew what she wanted to ask.

Hera's frown deepened. "So, you're telling me that Lucius has been replaced?"

"Yes, all those men from before have been reassigned. The new group arrived today." Gerald nodded.

"When will he be back?" Hera pressed on. Although Lucius had rejected her, she could not shake the feeling of attachment.

Even if she was rejected a thousand times, she would keep chasing after him. The feelings in her heart were something she just could not let go of Hera prided herself on not being the type of woman who would obsess over something she could not have.

She had many great men around her, yet she still could not understand why she could not shake her feelings for Lucius. He had an ordinary face, was not as rich as Abel, and was not even as handsome as the other guys.

Her hand lightly rested on her chest, where her heart still longed for him.

Gerald, sensing something was off, answered cautiously, "I haven't seen anyone return from rotation yet. Once they're replaced, it's usually a long time before they come back-if they even do."

Hera swayed slightly on her feet.

Gerald, feeling anxious, did not dare to step forward to support her. He stayed close, ready to help if it came down to it." Ms. Sanchez, the sun is really strong outside. Maybe you should go rest inside?"

Hera's face was pale, and she felt a strange sense of loss.

It was because of Lucius, was it not?

There was a pang of regret in her heart. Even now, she had not asked for his contact information.

She turned to Gerald. "Do you have his contact info?"

Gerald shook his head and replied, "No."

"You answered so quickly. Are you just unwilling to give it to me?" Hera narrowed her eyes, suspecting that Gerald was withholding it from her.

Gerald gave her a bitter smile and replied, "Ms. Sanchez, I really don't have it. Lucius is from Russia, and they don't use the same social media platform. I don't have any of those international messaging apps either. Plus, he's about to be reassigned, so I didn't ask for his contact."

Hera shook her head in disbelief. "What about his phone number? Do you have his number?"

Gerald shook his head again, bluntly saying, "No."

Hera scoffed. "Useless, all of you are useless!"

Gerald was left speechless by her outburst. He could not exactly argue with her, let alone fight back.

With a cold expression, Hera walked back into the house.

At that moment, the men sitting on the couch finally started to feel a little better. When they saw Hera enter, they all greeted her, "Hello, Ms. Sanchez."

Hera shot them a glare before turning and heading upstairs.

If it were not for them, Lucius would not have left.

If only they had not changed shifts...

The men, confused by her glare, waited until she disappeared up the stairs before starting to discuss. "The boss' girlfriend isn't easy to get along with."

"Tell me about it. I suggest you all avoid messing with the women in this house," Gerald warned as he entered, overhearing them.

"We won't, we won't. We're not stupid. We won't mess with the women here," one of the men quickly replied.

After Luca finished cooking, she asked Gerald to bring some food to Hera and then called Shanks downstairs for dinner. The men had finally recovered, and when they saw the delicious food on the table, they thought there might be some for them.

Gerald saw this and could not help but feel pleased with himself. Finally, he did not have to cook anymore!

"What are you guys standing around for? There's food in the kitchen. If you want to eat, go make it yourselves." Gerald's tone was unintentional, but it carried a note of pride. It felt good not having to cook for anyone.

"No food for us?" one of the men asked in disbelief.

"Did you have someone cooking for you at other bases?" questioned Gerald. Having been stationed at other bases, he knew there were no assigned cooks.

"No," replied the man while eyeing the food on the table. It smelled so good.

All of them really wanted to eat the food in front of them.

The man turned to look at Luca, hesitated for a moment, and then said earnestly, "Sorry, Ms. Craw. We apologize for what we said earlier. We don't know how to cook. Could you please make some food for us too?"

"No," Luca replied coldly. "I'm not your cook."

The men exchanged looks before walking away, dejected.

"Ms. Craw, you're impressive," remarked Gerald.

If it had been him, he would not have had the courage to reject them so decisively if they asked him to cook.

Luca was truly remarkable.

It was clear that capable people were always confident in their refusals.

Luca did not respond to Gerald's compliments.

Her mind was fully occupied with what was happening with Luke. Had he reached the next base yet? Had he swapped with anyone?

Luca was worried.

Chapter 3397 Overwhelming Longing As soon as Luca returned to her bedroom after dinner, she received a video call request from the kids.

It had been a long time since she last saw them. When she saw the call request, she locked the door, put on her headphones, and immediately answered.

"Ms. Luca!" As soon as the call connected, the faces of all three kids appeared on the phone screen.

"Sweethearts!" Luca blew them a kiss.

"Ms. Luca, we miss you so much!" Tommy was the first to express how much they missed Luca.

Luca's heart stirred with waves of longing when she heard them.

She had been so busy recently, hoping to finish everything here quickly so that she and Luke could reunite with the kids. That was why she had not contacted them much.

Plus, with Old Master Crawford taking care of them, she felt at ease.

Now that Luca saw the faces of the three kids, her longing for them instantly surged and overwhelmed her.

Her eyes reddened. "I miss you all so much too."

Rainie, always the thoughtful one, noticed her emotional shift and comforted her, "Ms. Luca, we're being really good at Crawford Manor. Don't worry. We're already on summer vacation. We're doing our homework like we're supposed to and practicing calligraphy every day.

"Tommy doesn't like it, but I'll help him. You and Daddy are busy, so we'll be good and wait for you to finish everything and come back."

They said daughters were the most thoughtful, and Luca felt her heart warm when she heard Rainie's words. She nodded and replied, "I know you all the best. Even though I'm not with you, I know you'll listen to us and make us proud."

"Yes, Ms. Luca. You don't need to worry about us," all three kids said together.

Luca's mood lightened as she listened to them. "Also, now that the weather is cooling down, remember to cover yourselves with a blanket when you sleep at night. Make sure you're covered, or you'll catch a cold and feel bad."

Even though they were being well taken care of, Luca still could not stop worrying.

"Got it, Ms. Luca. We're eating well and always cover up with our blankets at night. Mr. Griffin always checks on Tommy to make sure he's not kicking it off, so don't worry about us. We're doing great!" Rainie reassured her.

Even though they missed their parents, they knew that their parents were busy. Only when all the problems were solved could their family finally reunite.

Hence, they were quiet and patient, just expressing their longing for their parents. They were waiting for their parents to handle everything and bring them home.

"Alright," replied Luca. Her heart was eased by her daughter's thoughtfulness.

Yes, they were being well cared for. She and Luke just needed to focus on their own tasks.

Once all the worries were settled, they could have a good life together with the kids.

Luca felt more energized at the thought of this.

No matter what, she and Luke would solve the problems at hand and bring all the kids back to their side to live the peaceful and happy life they once had.

Luca put on a smile at the thought of this.

After she ended the video call with the kids, she received a message from Luke.

[I've arrived at the base here. Someone will replace me in a couple of days. Don't worry, everything is fine.] [Alright, stay safe.] Luca felt her worry finally ease when she read Luke's message.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Luca asked, "Who is it?"

"Ms. Craw, it's me, Gerald."

"What is it?" asked Luca.

"Ms. Sanchez isn't feeling well. She asked you to go over," answered Gerald.

Luca frowned, feeling like Hera was not actually unwell but was looking for trouble.

"Alright, I'll be right there." Luca pushed the door open.

Gerald stood there and quietly said, "Luca, I don't think Ms. Sanchez is actually unwell. She probably has something to discuss with you."

"What does she need to discuss with me?" Luca wondered.

"What else could it be? It's about Lucius. There were other people around during dinner, so I couldn't say much. But she actually called me out earlier and asked for Lucius' contact information. I didn't have it, so I couldn't help her. She was upset and had a sour look on her face for quite a while," explained Gerald.

Even when he delivered food to her, Hera still had a scowl. She was clearly displeased that he did not know anything "Alright, I got it." Luca felt helpless. She did not expect Hera to still be so attached after Luke had already been reassigned.

Hera had barely seen him, so why was she so obsessed?

This feeling came out of nowhere. Luke could hardly believe it, and it was the same for her.

It made her wonder if Hera was being used by Abel to test Luke.

"Ms. Craw, please don't be mad. After all, Lucius has never paid her any attention." Gerald tried to calm her downl He knew how dangerous it could be when two women started competing over a man. He was trying his best to soothe Luca, hoping to avoid any confrontation between the two.

"Why would I be angry?" Luca looked at him, perplexed.

Gerald gave an awkward smile. "As long as you're not angry, that's fine."

Luca found his reaction strange. Luke was an exceptional man, so it was understandable that someone would like him.

If she were to question him every time another woman liked him, she would be angry all the time, and that would not solve anything.

Luca walked over to Hera's room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Hera's voice came from inside, sounding displeased.

Luca replied indifferently, "It's me, Ms. Sanchez. I heard you're not feeling well, so I came to check on you. May I come in?"

"Come in." Hera's tone was haughty.

Luca pushed open the door.

Hera was sitting on the couch, her expression dark with frustration.

Luca walked over to her and asked indifferently, "Ms. Sanchez, where do you feel unwell?"

"My heart," replied Hera, taking a drag from her cigarette. She was clearly annoyed.

It was as though something had upset her.

Luca was rendered speechless. "If it's your heart, then only heart medicine can help. If you miss the boss, just call him."

Hera blew out a puff of smoke. "Who told you I miss him?"

After witnessing Abel's terrifying side, she had no desire to think about him at all.

Furthermore, she had just come into a large sum of money, so for now, she was not thinking about him at all. If she ran out of money one day, perhaps she would think about him then.

Luca did not say anything.

Hera noticed her silence and pressed on. "Do you have Lucius' contact information?"

"No," replied Luca.

"You can't possibly not have it. Aren't you two close? You two are so close, yet you don't have his contact info? Who are you trying to fool?" Hera refused to believe it.

Luca raised an eyebrow. "Who told you that Lucius and I are close?"

"Who else? Of course, it's Gerald!" Hera's tone was sharp. She was pushing Luca to give up Lucius contact details.

Luca turned her cold gaze toward the door, where Gerald stood.

Gerald immediately waved his hands frantically, signaling that he had nothing to do with it.

He had never told Hera anything! She was just making wild guesses!

Besides, Luca and Lucius were indeed close. If anyone were to pay attention, they would easily notice it.

Chapter 3398 Losing Her Appetite From Thoughts Of Luke As Gerald shook his head furiously, it was not difficult for Luca to figure out what was going on.

She glanced at Hera's irritation and figured it all stemmed from Luke being reassigned. Not being able to see him was clearly driving her to act like this.

Luca secretly let out a sigh. They said women were the cause of trouble, but honestly, men could just be the same.

Even with Luke disguised as an ordinary man, his cold and commanding air still captivated Hera.

She glanced at the bowl nearby. The food Gerald brought Hera was barely touched.

It seemed like she was so consumed with thoughts of Luke that she had lost her appetite...

Luca's expression remained unchanged. She was long accustomed to keeping her emotions in check around others.

"Ms. Sanchez, you've misunderstood. I'm not close with Mr. Lucius, so I don't have his contact information." Luca kept her face impassive.

"You're lying!" Hera narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You're so close to him. How could you not have it?"

Luca stayed silent. She thought to herself that she was not lying at all.

She had always communicated with Luke, not the person he pretended to be as Lucius. Hence, technically, she did not have Lucius' contact information.

"Are you going to give it to me or not?" demanded Hera.

Luca shrugged helplessly. "Ms. Sanchez, how can I give you something I don't have?"

"Are you worried that if I get his number, I'll win him over and steal him from you?" Hera's imagination was running wild.

Luca was left both amused and exasperated by her words. If Luke were that easily swayed, he would have ended up in Hera's bed days ago.

However, that never happened. Not only had her advances failed, but Luke was indifferent to her and even showed traces of disdain.

Where did Hera get this confidence that she could seduce him?

Standing outside the door, Gerald could not help but roll his eyes.

They said three women could create enough drama for a stage play. Now, with just two, it was already a full-blown production.

Gerald knew that Luca definitely had Luke's contact information, but her calm demeanor was so convincing that even he almost believed her.

As for Hera, the fact that she still clung to the delusion of Lucius being interested in her after repeated rejections was remarkable.

Hera threatened again, "If you don't give it to me, I'll go to your boss and report you. Luca, are you giving it to me or not?"

Luca could not help but laugh at her audacity. Was she seriously trying to use Abel to pressure her? What exactly was she planning to tell Abel?

Luca smirked. "What are you going to say to the boss? That I tricked you by not giving you Lucius' contact information even though I have it?"

Hera frowned. She had been so focused on the idea of using Abel to intimidate Luca that she had not thought through what she would actually say to him.

Before she could respond, Luca continued, "Ms. Sanchez, you really have feelings for Lucius, don't you? Even after he's been reassigned, you can't let him go. Honestly, I admire your persistence.

"But think about it. If the boss finds out you're romantically interested in one of his subordinates, you know what consequences you'll face."

"You!" Hera was at a loss for words.

However, the thought of not being able to get Lucius' contact information made her feel even more uncomfortable. "Just you wait!" Hera spat out this last line as a threat.

Luca raised her phone and said, "To avoid future troubles with you, Ms. Sanchez, I've recorded all your declarations of affection for Lucius just now."

Hera's eyes widened in shock. "You wouldn't dare!"

Luca replied calmly, "There's nothing I wouldn't dare."

Luca saved the recording in front of Hera and said, "It's saved. Ms. Sanchez, if you try to make trouble for me or whisper anything in the boss' ear, don't blame me for not holding back.

"The boss is notoriously intolerant. He absolutely won't allow you to have feelings for another man while working so closely with him. You know exactly what will happen if he hears this recording."

Then, Luca turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Gerald gave her a thumbs-up.

"That was brilliant!" exclaimed Gerald.

With the recording in Luca's possession, it was likely that Hera would not dare to cause her trouble for a while.

Just as Gerald was about to speak, the sound of something being smashed echoed from inside the room.

The noise was deafening even with the door closed.

Gerald muttered under his breath, "Only troublemakers and the manipulative are hard to deal with."

Luca corrected him, "That's not the proper context for that saying,"

Gerald scratched his head, puzzled. "It isn't? Well, I didn't study much, so I wouldn't know. But Ms. Craw, your move was genius. I doubt Ms. Sanchez will dare to mess with you again anytime soon."

Luca glanced back at Hera's tightly shut door. She could imagine Hera still inside, venting her frustration by throwing things. As if confirming her thoughts, another loud crash came from within.

Gerald shook his head. "Forget it. I'll deal with the cleanup tomorrow."

"You're responsible for cleaning up here too?" Luca was surprised.

Gerald shook his head. "To be precise, I'm responsible for cleaning up after Ms. Sanchez."

Luca was rendered speechless.

"Do you honestly think Ms. Sanchez is the type to clean up after herself?" asked Gerald.

Luca shook her head. Hera did not seem like the kind of person who would ever lift a finger to clean.

"It's getting late," said Luca as she headed toward her room. "Don't disturb me unless it's something urgent."

"Ms. Craw, will you even be able to sleep tonight?" Gerald's tone carried a hint of flirtation, laced with a touch of teasing.

Luca shot him a glare. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Gerald immediately straightened up and answered seriously, "Just kidding, Ms. Craw. Have a good rest."

Without sparing him another glance, Luca walked into her room, closed the door, and locked it securely. For the next few days, everything went smoothly without any further incidents.

Luca had established her authority on the very first day the men changed shifts, leaving them too intimidated to bother her again.

Meanwhile, holding Hera's recording as leverage ensured that Hera would behave herself.

As for Abel, he had not returned to check on their research progress.

Luca focused entirely on working with Shanks on their research.

On the day of the volunteer's surgery, Abel returned.

Just as Luca was about to board the medical vehicle to assist Shanks in the operation, Abel arrived with two others in tow.

"You're not needed for the surgery." Abel fixed his gaze on her.

"But without an assistant, how is Mr. Shanks supposed to manage?" Luca frowned.

"

"These two are ophthalmologists," replied Abel, "They'll assist Shanks as surgical aides."

Luca's frown deepened. She did not expect Abel to bring in two assistant ophthalmologists specifically for the operation.

Luca nodded. "Alright."

Abel glanced at the two doctors he had brought. Both had been hired at a high price and had signed confidentiality agreements. While they were not particularly renowned, they were competent enough to assist Shanks.

Soon, Shanks walked out of the villa. His gaze landed on Abel and the two unfamiliar men with him. They did not look like people from the Island of Despair, which made him frown.

"Who are they?" questioned Shanks.

Abel responded, "They're ophthalmologists I brought in. They're more professional than Ivana. She won't be assisting in today's surgery. These two will be your aides instead."

"Do you even know what kind of surgery I'm performing? You're bringing in two ophthalmologists as my assistants?" asked Shanks. The procedure he was about to perform was the world's first eye transplant.

Even in the most medically advanced countries, this surgery had never been successfully completed.

Chapter 3399 Those Eyes Will Soon Belong To Kassy For Shanks, no matter how skilled the two ophthalmologists were, they could not compare to Luca. The key was their smooth coordination. They were used to working together.

If it were other doctors, they would probably start asking questions once they entered the operating room, making it impossible for Shanks to focus and perform the surgery calmly.

Shanks believed this was a groundbreaking procedure, not just another teaching surgery for ophthalmologists.

Abel understood Shanks' concerns, but he still insisted, "They're not just any doctors. They've signed agreements, and they won't interrupt you with questions during the surgery. They'll cooperate fully."

As Luca listened to Abel, she realized what he was really worried about. Besides the risk of the surgery failing, he was not confident in her.

This surgery was important, and Abel was worried she might sabotage it in the operating room.

Shanks furrowed his brows and looked at Luca.

Luca gave him a faint smile. Whether or not she participated in the surgery did not matter much to her. She just felt a little regretful for not being able to witness such a miracle, but other than that, it was not a big issue.

"Mr. Shanks, I hope everything goes smoothly with the surgery." Luca stepped back to make her stance clear.

If Abel did not allow it, she would not board the medical vehicle.

Shanks' eyes grew colder as he turned his gaze to Abel.

Abel, feeling no regret for his decision, gestured toward the medical vehicle. "Go ahead. That person's waiting for you to perform the surgery."

Shanks lowered his voice in a warning. "If anything goes wrong with the surgery, you'll be the one to bear the consequences,"

Abel felt a twinge of doubt.

It would have been best if Luca performed the surgery. However, he was afraid of Luca potentially causing trouble during the procedure.

Abel had to ensure the surgery's success.

"I trust you can handle it." Abel expressed his confidence in him.

Abel did not trust anyone only Shanks. He was the best. If Shanks could not make this surgery work, no one else could.

With that thought in mind, Abel watched Luca as she pursed her lips, her gaze following Shanks as he entered the medical vehicle.

His expression darkened.

Once the two doctors followed Shanks inside and the vehicle doors closed, Luca was about to turn away to get to work when she saw Hera running toward them.

"Darling, you're finally back!" said Hera, her eyes filled with affection.

Luca furrowed her brows. Hera's performance seemed a bit too exaggerated.

She had seen how obsessive Hera could be just to get Luke's contact information, so she knew exactly how she acted when she had feelings for someone.

Luca could clearly see that Hera was just performing for Abel, trying to win him over with her act of love.

Luca did not speak, nor did she have any intention of leaving to get busy anymore. She was more interested in seeing how Hera would try to please Abel.

Abel, perhaps in a good mood that day, raised Hera's chin. In front of everyone, he playfully teased her, "Have you been behaving well these days?"

"Of course." Hera's eyes were full of affection as she deliberately showed her longing and attachment, almost as though she wanted to cling to him.

"Has anyone offended you during this time?" Abel asked, deliberately glancing at Luca.

Hera also glanced at Luca.

She had originally planned to complain about Luca, but remembering the recording in Luca's hands, she could not bring herself to do anything rash. Despite the resentment in her heart, she could only shake her head and answer, "I'm your woman. Who would dare to bully me?"

"You're right." Abel took the opportunity to pull her closer. His eyes were filled with deep affection and obsession when they met hers.

Those eyes would soon belong to Kassy.

His Kassy...

They would reunite soon.

Hera's gaze shifted subtly toward Luca, noticing that Luca was not even looking at her. This confirmed Hera's suspicion. Luca's mind was not on Abel.

Instead, it was on Lucius.

Hera had been preoccupied with one thing for the past few days. She was figuring out how to get Lucius' contact information from Luca.

However, knowing the recording Luca had, she dared not act recklessly.

Her attention shifted back to Abel. "Darling, they say you've been busy these days. What have you been up to? You left me here for so long that I was getting bored out of my mind."

Abel smiled but did not answer the question. His eyes remained fixed on the medical vehicle in the distance.

It was only then that Hera noticed everyone's gaze was on that vehicle.

It had been parked there since she arrived, but since it was not a luxury car, she had not thought much of it. Now, she was starting to get curious. "Darling?"

"Yes?" Abel's gaze did not stray from the vehicle.

"What kind of car is that? Why is everyone staring at it? Is there something special about it?" asked Hera. She had memorized all the luxury car brands to impress men and was certain this was not one of those high-end cars, but she did not know what it was.

"Of course," Abel tightened his hold on her.

Hera's curiosity grew. Unaware of the danger the car might bring her in the future, she asked, "What kind of car is it?"

"This car? It's a life-saving vehicle." Abel suddenly remarked.

"Huh? Is it really that incredible?" Hera's curiosity piqued.

"It's a medical vehicle, and inside, a great transplant surgery is being performed," added Abel.

Hera's face showed surprise and confusion. "Surgery? Can surgery really be done here?"

Although Hera did not understand medicine, she knew that surgery would typically take place in a hospital, where the environment was sterile to ensure the highest chance of survival and reduce postoperative infection risks.

"As long as there's a great doctor, nothing is impossible." Abel smiled. It was as though he had already foreseen the success of the surgery.

Luca remained silent as she listened to their conversation.

Hera asked with some confusion, "A great doctor? Are you referring to Shanks?"

"Of course, it's him. Who else could it be?" Abel gave her face a playful kiss.

In the near future, she, too, would be sent onto this vehicle for surgery to remove her eyes.

Hera was even more surprised. Everyone praised Shanks' medical skills, but for someone so capable, he could not even treat her own inflammation, which eventually had to be treated at a hospital.

Therefore, she had never believed Shanks was all that great of a doctor.

Hera did not know what to say. She could not question Shanks' medical skills in front of Abel, so she could only respond with a smile.

At the same time, she was curious. If Shanks was the one performing the surgery, who was the one receiving it?

Then, Hera remembered that there was someone staying in one of the rooms in the house.

She had asked Gerald about it before. Gerald told her that the person staying inside was recovering here. Could it be that person?

Hera looked around for Gerald but could not find him.

She felt puzzled. Most people were already here, so where could Gerald have gone?

"Who are you looking for?" Abel noticed her small movements.

"Nothing." Hera smiled as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Chapter 3400 Luke's Demeanor Is So Much Like Lucius' However, Abel was not fooled by her words.

He asked again, "Who are you looking for?"

"Oh, I'm looking for Gerald. I've noticed that most people are here, but Gerald is missing, so I was just curious," Hera replied honestly, knowing that Abel was naturally suspicious.

"I'm starting to feel like you've become quite close with Gerald recently," Abel asked suspiciously.

Hera froze for a moment, then laughed and explained, "I often ask him to help with little things. He might not have many qualities, but he's pretty diligent."

Abel did not respond right away, as though he was considering her words carefully.

Hera lowered her voice and teased, "What's the matter? Are you jealous?"

Before he could answer, she quickly added, "You're so outstanding. How could I ever be interested in some ordinary man?"

As soon as she said that, a flicker of unease crossed her mind.

Abel was far superior to Lucius in looks and wealth. However, she seemed to be more drawn to Lucius.

Despite her actions of trying to destroy what she could not have, she truly cared about Lucius.

Abel smiled, though it was not genuine.

Hera saw his expression and felt an inexplicable unease. It was as though something was about to happen.

Luca glanced at the time and started walking inside.

The sun outside had gotten hotter, and Hera, feeling uncomfortably warm, turned to Abel and said, "Darling, it's too hot out here. Let's go inside."

"You go in first. Don't get a heatstroke." Abel was not exactly someone who did not know how to treat women with tender care, especially when Hera's eyes bore such an uncanny resemblance to Kassy's. It made him all the more protective and indulgent.

Unable to bear the heat, Hera nodded at his words and walked into the living room.

She noticed Luca sitting on the couch and snorted. "What are you doing here?"

Luca countered, "Is there a rule that says I have to stay outside?"

Hera was rendered speechless for a moment. There did not seem to be any such rule.

"You're supposed to be some great doctor, right? Why aren't you up there helping Shanks with the surgery? Could it be that you're afraid of making a mistake and killing someone?" mocked Hera.

Luca remained silent. Instead, she was reading the financial news.

The news headline showed that T Corporation had secured another bidding project. The project was a development in the suburbs of A City.

Luca's heart raced with excitement. This was something that Luke had not told her yet, but she found out through the news.

The A City development project was huge, and many corporations across the country were watching it. It was so significant that even the financial news in X City was reporting on it.

Hera was also drawn in by the financial news.

TCorporation?

She saw that the news report even featured a photo of Luke.

As Hera stared at Luke's photo, a deep, almost obsessive affection flashed across her eyes, and she finally realized where her obsession with Lucius came from. Luke's demeanor was so much like Lucius's!

Was it because Lucius reminded her of Luke that she could not get him out of her mind?

"So similar," Hera murmured softly.

Luca suddenly grasped the meaning behind Hera's words. She had secretly been drawn to Luke all this time!

Still, Luca was not worried. To Hera, Lucius might share Luke's demeanor, but their appearances were entirely different.

It puzzled Luca, however. Back when Luke was in disguise, she could be close to him but still had to avoid looking directly at his face.

Even though she knew it was him beneath the unfamiliar features, it gave her a strange feeling she could not shake. Hera, however, was the opposite.

Even with someone else's face, she had been captivated by Luke's charisma. So, was she truly attracted to Luke himself or just to that particular air he exuded?

Luca had no interest in delving deeper. She spotted Gerald coming downstairs and gave him a small nod.

Gerald asked with surprise, "Ms. Craw, why aren't you on the medical van helping out?"

"Mr. Abel brought in two highly qualified doctors to assist, so they don't need me."

"Not needed? Sounds more like you're incompetent and got sidelined. Why dress it up so nicely?" Hera could not resist jabbing at her.

Luca did not respond. Whatever was in Hera's mind, it was none of her concern.

Gerald hesitated for a moment. He wanted to say something but decided against it.

While stretching her arms, Luca said to him, "I'm heading upstairs to rest. If anything urgent comes up, just knock on my door."

"Of course, Ms. Craw," Gerald replied with respect.

After Luca ascended the stairs, Hera glared at him. "Why are you so polite and respectful to that woman? Don't tell me she's got something on you too?"

"Of course not," Gerald replied quickly.

"Then why the attitude? Don't tell me you like her?" Hera shot him a disdainful look as though admiring someone like Luca was disdainful.

Gerald scratched the back of his head. Did he like her?

Who would not admire a woman like Luca?

He knew the answer deep down. It was not that he liked her; it was that he dared not to like her.

Luca was far too formidable, and the men in her life were equally so. He did not stand a chance.

Forcing a laugh, he said, "I just don't want to get hurt. Look, Ms. Sanchez, no one here dares to cross you because you're the boss' girlfriend. But no one dares to cross Ms. Craw either. Her fists are scary."

"Her fists? Isn't she just a doctor?" Hera refused to believe it.

Gerald thought about how to explain her strength but could not find the right words. Finally, he simply said, "Well, she's pretty formidable."

Hearing someone praise Luca, even from someone she did not care about, still irritated Hera.

She rose to her feet, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "How tough can a woman be? And you, letting a woman outshine you like that. How embarrassing!"

Gerald felt his male pride taking a hit, but the truth was, Luca was remarkable. Very few people could surpass her in this villa.

It was embarrassing, sure, but losing to someone like Luca did not feel that bad.

Gerald mulled it over. If he had Luca's intelligence and still could not measure up, then it would be embarrassing. However, without that kind of brainpower, losing to her was not shameful at all.

With this realization, he silently endured Hera's remarks. Even though her tone annoyed him, he was powerless to respond. After all, she was the boss' woman.

Hera noticed his silence and pressed further, "Why aren't you saying anything? Cat got your tongue?"

"No, I think you're absolutely right," Gerald conceded, resigning himself to being the weaker one in this exchange. At the same time, he could not help but wonder why Hera, a woman herself, was so keen on belittling other women. He could not wrap his head around it.

Hera let out a cold sneer and scolded him, "Coward."

Gerald could only clench his teeth and take it.

"If there's nothing else, Ms. Sanchez, I need to step out for a bit," said Gerald.

His delivery app had just notified him that the groceries he ordered were about to arrive.

Hera could not be bothered. She waved dismissively, signaling him to leave.

As she watched Gerald leave from behind, she muttered angrily under her breath, "Useless trash! A man getting pushed around by a woman what a disgrace!"