Ch. 3421..3430

Chapter 3421 There Are Things That Have To Be Done Once Percy was dead, everything would belong to Karen and Pierre.

That thought alone made Karen stop her outburst. Instead, a twisted smile spread across her face as she stared at him.

"Percy, you're lying to me," Karen murmured under her breath.

Her words made Percy pause his work. He looked at her calmly and said, "Aside from that share transfer agreement, I've never lied to you about anything.

"As your son, I believe I've done nothing wrong. If you think I've deceived you, that's just your perception. In reality, I've lived up to my role. But you... You've used me as an excuse to harm the person I love. Who told you to do it?" Percy only came here for the answers.

Was it Old Master Mallory's tacit approval that gave Karen the confidence to act, or was it Pierre who pushed her to this point?

Karen let out a cold sneer, "Harm her? Yes, I won't deny it. That cheap tramp, Nina, has no right to set foot in the Mallory family! I'll see to it that she's dead before that happens, and Old Master Mallory will applaud me for it."

Percy narrowed his eyes as a dangerous glint flashed across them.

"Old Master Mallory?" Percy murmured softly, refusing to be led astray by her words.

"Yes, Old Master Mallory. Everything I've done, he's known and approved. Besides, even if it didn't work this time, I'll make sure it happens next time. I'll see to it that she's dead. Percy, since you lied to me, I'll make sure you never get another chance!"

At this point, Karen no longer saw him as her son. He was her enemy-hers and Pierre's mutual enemy.

As long as Percy was alive, she and Pierre would never have peace.

The hatred, the killing intent, and the madness in Karen's eyes intensified as these thoughts consumed her.

Percy heaved a sigh. He never wanted to compete with his family-his mother or his brother, but they had forced his hand. They had crossed the line by threatening Nina's life. Hence, there were things that had to be done...

With that thought, Percy stood up and walked to the door. Just as he reached it, he stopped and said, "I understand now."

His words startled Karen. She instinctively asked, "Understand what?"

"That you and Pierre won't stop until you've destroyed my and Nina's happiness," replied Percy.

"What do you mean, me and Pierre?" Panic flickered in Karen's eyes. Pierre was isolated at the moment. His leg was injured, and he had little power to defend himself.

If Percy turned his focus on him, Pierre would not stand a chance.

Karen's maternal instincts flared, and she quickly tried to shoulder all the blame.

"This has nothing to do with him! It's me! I'm the one behind everything!"

"You mentioned Old Master Mallory, but I know this was orchestrated by you and Pierre. Since neither of you will let Nina and me live in peace, then..." Percy paused for a moment.

Karen felt a chill crawl up her spine, a sense of foreboding gripping her.

"... Why not have him join you here?" questioned Percy.

He was truly tired of this endless infighting within the family.

The children of Daryl's mistress had not even returned to join the fray, and here he was already locked in a feud with his own brother, Pierre. Honestly, it was almost laughable. "You wouldn't dare!" shrieked Karen. Fear crept up from the depths of her heart as she realized he truly had the ability to follow through.

If Percy could send her to a mental hospital, he could just as easily come up with a reason to send Pierre here too.

If both of them were locked away, everything would be over!

"Percy, if you dare do anything to your brother, I will never forgive you!" Karen's voice was shrill, sharp enough to pierce his eardrums.

Percy turned back with an indifferent look. "Now, you're afraid?"

Karen opened her mouth, wanting to deny it, but she swallowed her words, worried she might provoke him further.

"But it's too late," added Percy. His eyes narrowed in disgust as he continued, "Do you know when it became too late? The moment you brought all those toys that used to belong to Pierre to Nina. That was when everything changed."

Perhaps it was the danger Nina faced that had pushed him over the edge or maybe it was those toys...

Those toys made Percy realize that Karen's so-called care for him was nothing but a facade. Back when his future looked bright and he was destined to inherit the Mallory family legacy, she had to be kind to him. It was because as long as her son became the heir, she would reap the benefits.

Even though she did not like him, she pretended to care.

When interests took precedence, maintaining genuine emotions naturally became impossible.

Karen had poured all her maternal love into Pierre, leaving Percy in the cold. The fallout between them was inevitable.

"Those were your toys!" Karen's guilt flashed in her eyes.

"They were bought under the pretense of being mine. But they were always given to Pierre. I never touched them. Whenever I wanted to play, you'd tell me that a future heir of the Mallory family shouldn't waste time on toys. You told me to read, to study, to train, and to prepare myself.

"While Pierre played with my toys, I was out with Grandpa learning how to run the company. While you took Pierre amusement parks, bought him treats, and let him enjoy life, I was buried in studies and extracurricular classes, trying to stay at the top of my game. "You supposedly bought those toys for me, but did I ever touch them? Did they have my name engraved on them?"

Karen did not back down. Instead, she tried to justify her actions. "I did it all for you-" "For my own good. I know." Percy nodded. He had not intended to open old wounds like this, but now that it was out in the open, he decided that it was time to end it all.

"If it weren't for how tough you were on me, I wouldn't have gotten this far. I've been putting up with you and even brought you here so that you wouldn't cause trouble in front of Grandpa and lose your title as Madam Mallory.

"But hurting Nina? That's something I can't stand. If you're really gonna listen to Pierre and go after her, then you're gonna be stuck here for the rest of your life. And I'll send him in to keep you company. If he doesn't want that, well, he'll end up somewhere else."

"What do you mean, other places? He's your brother! What are you planning to do to him?" Karen panicked. She scrambled for her phone, but this time the hospital staff had confiscated it. They did not want her making any outside contact to plan another escape.

She could not find her phone, and as she thought about keeping Percy here, a dark thought crossed her mind-she wanted to kill him!

However, the entire hospital ward had no tools for murder!

As Karen watched Pierre leave from behind, she threw the pillow at the door. "I won't let you get away with this! If you dare lay a finger on my son, I'll never let you off!"

Her voice echoed through the ward, growing faint as the door clicked shut behind Percy.

He could still hear her faint muttering through the door.

Her son?

Never let him off?

He was never truly her son in Karen's heart.

Perhaps once, long ago, she did.

Now...

Percy let out a cold laugh. Any shred of motherly affection they might have had was long gone.

"Mr. Mallory, are you alright?" asked the nurse after making sure the door was securely locked.

"I'm fine," Percy replied calmly. Karen had no suitable weapon on her now, so harming him was out of the question.

He had long grown used to her verbal attacks, impervious to her words. They no longer had the power to affect him.

The nurse let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, right. Madam Mallory's attending physician would like to speak with you about her treatment plan."

Chapter 3422 Can't Go In Without His Permission "Alright." Percy turned and walked toward the physician's office.

When he stepped out of the psychiatric hospital again, his gaze fell on a black car parked by the side of the road.

It was a special vehicle for the disabled.

Apart from the hospital's own vehicles, no other cars were allowed inside the psychiatric hospital's grounds. This was to prevent patients from using vehicles to escape or harm others.

Therefore, cars visiting family members were generally parked along the road on either side of the hospital.

Hence, seeing a car parked by the side of the road was perfectly normal.

Percy smirked slightly and stared at the car for a while before getting into his own car and leaving.

Inside the black car, the driver let out a long sigh of relief.

"Mr. Pierre, we almost got spotted by Mr. Percy just now," said the driver after watching Percy get into the car and drive away.

Percy's eyes darkened. "What's the big deal? Even if he finds out, so what? I'm here visiting my mom. I'm not doing anything bad. Even if he catches me, what's he gonna do? Look at you, all scared. Just push me out of the car."

"Yes, sir!" the driver replied immediately. Earlier, he had noticed from the rear-view mirror that Pierre looked tense. Now that Percy had left, he was acting like he was not scared at all. His stubbornness was almost scary.

The driver got out of the car and pushed Percy out from the back.

Once Percy was out of the car, he watched the direction Percy had left in. His eyes were filled with cold malice.

They were both from the Mallory family.

Percy drove around in a luxury car, admired by everyone, living a life of glory.

As for him, he could only sit in a special disabled vehicle, one that cost less than a fraction of Percy's car.

He had become the sinner of the Mallory family because of his failed business.

No one wanted to associate with him. In fact, people thought that just by being friendly with him, bad luck would fall upon them.

Hence, the company's old shareholders kept their distance from him like he was poison. It was just one failure, yet they treated him like this at every turn!

Pierre thought that Percy was to blame for all of this.

It had to be because Percy had said something to those old men, otherwise they would not be treating him this way!

Percy clenched his fists at the thought of this. One day, he would make Percy and the others pay!

He instructed the driver, "Take me over there."

"Yes." The driver nodded.

After learning that Pierre had gone to the mental hospital, Percy had waited for over an hour and had not heard that he had come out. That was why he had decided to come here.

He wanted to find out exactly what Pierre had done to Karen.

Percy had done everything in a perfectly reasonable way to get Karen committed.

To the point where Pierre could not find anything to use against the other person.

Now, Pierre felt he had the chance to get a hold of something that could expose Percy, and he was not going to miss it.

The driver pushed Percy to the entrance of the psychiatric hospital.

The security guard stopped them and asked, "Are you here to be admitted?"

Clearly, he mistook Pierre for someone checking in as a patient.

In an instant, Pierre's expression darkened.

The driver realized the security guard had misspoken. He immediately gave him a kick and angrily shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about?! Have you ever seen someone as normal as him coming to be admitted? We're here to visit a patient!"

The security guard realized his mistake, rubbed his nose, and replied, "Visitors need to register and provide the patient's information."

Since the patients in this psychiatric hospital were all from influential families and the staff managed them according to the families' wishes, the registration process was very strict. "Karen Ruiz," said Pierre.

"And the ID number?" asked the guard.

"I don't remember." Pierre frowned. Who would remember something like that?

The guard gave him a suspicious look. "Who are you to the patient?"

"I'm her son," answered Pierre.

The guard was even more puzzled. "How can a son not remember his mother's ID number? This is really something."

It was not that sons were expected to know their mother's ID number by heart, but patients in the mental hospital had serious mental conditions, which led them to be admitted.

As a family member, one should know all the patient's information to avoid being caught off guard in an emergency.

The driver noticed that Percy's face had grown even darker and impatiently said, "Who said a son must remember his mother's ID number? Can you remember your mother's?"

"Of course, I can!" retorted the guard. However, he did not want to continue that topic. He asked again, "What's your mother's patient number?"

Pierre looked at the driver.

The driver looked at the security guard.

The security guard stared at them both.

"You've got to be kidding me. Are you really her son? You don't remember her ID number, and you don't even know her patient number?"

The guard typed the name into the computer, but it only came up with the surname Ruiz.

However, he still needed to verify the details.

"Get your director out here!" Pierre was really losing patience.

He was afraid he might end up punching the security guard.

Even though his leg was injured, he was not completely crippled!

"Our director's too busy to handle these low-level issues. If you don't give me the patient'snoveldrama number, I can't let you in," the security guard said firmly.

"Call the director." Pierre could not be bothered to argue with someone like this.

"Yes, sir." The driver quickly dialed the director's number.

The director quickly made his way out when he heard that Percy had arrived.

When he arrived, he glanced at the photo that Percy had provided.

After he saw Pierre, he confirmed his identity. With a smile, the director asked, "Mr. Pierre, what brings you here today?"

"I'm here to visit my mother, Madam Mallory, Karen Ruiz." Pierre's expression was dark. It looked like a storm was brewing on his face.

When had he ever been stopped like this?

Only a lowly security guard would have the nerve to act so boldly.

"You're here to visit Madam Mallory..." The director put on a look of sudden realization." I'm sorry, but Madam Mallory's condition isn't suitable for visitors right now. How about you come back another day?"

"What do you mean?" Percy frowned deeply as he looked up at the director.

His leg was useless, so he could only look up at others like this.

It always frustrated him. He felt that looking at people this way did not have any real power to intimidate or threaten them.

"I mean exactly what I said. Madam Mallory's condition is very poor right now, and it's not suitable for visits. Furthermore, Mr. Percy, your brother, specifically asked that no one visit her at this time, so she can rest and recover. Once her mental state improves, we can arrange for a visitation," the director relayed Percy's wishes.

Percy was the one who paid for Karen's hospitalization.

He had brought her in, so all the arrangements were made according to his wishes.

"So, what you're saying is, I can't go in without his permission?" Pierre asked in a dark tone. "I'm Karen's son, and I'm not allowed?"

"We're following the hospital's rules as well as the wishes of the primary contact of the patient." The director was still smiling.

"Following hospital rules, huh?" Pierre snorted coldly. "I suspect you're fabricating false medical records and colluding with Percy to keep her locked up in here. I'm calling the police!"

Chapter 3423 Look Even More Like Luke The director let Pierre stir up trouble, calmly watching as the chaos unfolded until it got so out of hand that the police showed up.

The police checked Karen's medical records, confirmed that her mental state was problematic, and then reviewed the hospital's policies. They verified that the person who admitted Karen was an immediate family member. Later, they told Pierre that this was a family matter they needed to resolve themselves as the hospital had not done anything wrong.

Then, the police left.

Pierre had no choice but to leave as well.

While the commotion unfolded at the hospital, things were not exactly peaceful on the Crawford family's side either.

Allison had been staying at Luke's villa.

However, Luke had not been home for several days. She tried asking Jason for information, but he just told her that Luke was away on a last-minute business trip abroad. At first, Allison believed him. After all, T Corporation had projects all over the world.

However, after waiting for over a month with no sign of him, she grew suspicious.

What kind of business trip lasted over a month?

Luke was not just an employee. He was the leader of the company! That was when Allison started to doubt the story.

She suspected that Luke had not gone on a business trip at all but was deliberately avoiding her and had moved somewhere else.

Nevertheless, she had no way to prove it since she could not leave the villa during the day. As for Sophian, there was no way she could trust her to investigate Luke's whereabouts. Through her interactions with Sophian, Allison had come to realize that aside from being good at beauty treatments, she was clueless about everything else. Cooking? Cleaning? Forget it. She could barely handle those basics.

Now, the villa still looked somewhat presentable, but behind the scenes, it was a mess. It was far worse than when Allison first moved in.

If Sophian could not even handle housework, how could Allison expect her to go to T Corporation and find out where Luke was staying?

Sophian was simply that kind of person-low-level. Asking her to handle anything beyond her ability would only lead to embarrassment or even backfire.

Frustrated and out of options, Allison decided to wait until nightfall to visit Crawford Manor to see if Luke had taken Luca back there.

She brought Sophian along.

When the car arrived at Crawford Manor's parking lot, Allison put on a scarf, hat, sunglasses, and mask before stepping out.

Sophian followed her, and as soon as she saw the grand building in front of them, she could not help but exclaim, "Wow, this place is so luxurious!"

A trace of disdain flashed across Allison's eyes.

She was growing more and more annoyed by Sophian's lack of sophistication.

This kind of person was not presentable at all, and bringing her anywhere was downright embarrassing.

Even though she was easy to manipulate, the thought of making her Luke's companion was simply out of the question. She was far from presentable.

"What did I tell you before?" Allison reminded her sharply.

Sophian belatedly realized she had once again shown the narrow-mindedness Allison often criticized her for. She forced an awkward smile and said in an ingratiating tone, "I'll pay attention, Madam Allison."

"If you want to become my son's companion, you must have a broader perspective. If just this place alone leaves you in awe, how are you going to handle accompanying him to high- end events in the future? You'll only embarrass my son and the Crawford family," lectured Allison.

Ever since Luke left the villa, Luca had not returned either. Allison, still clinging to her role as the Crawford family's matriarch, directed all her authority toward Sophian instead. Fortunately, Sophian tolerated her condescension and obediently accepted her guidance. "Yes, I understand." As Sophian listened to Allison's grand vision, she began to let her imagination run wild.

Sophian pictured herself dressed in custom-made designer gowns, with flawless makeup and dazzling jewelry, gracefully holding Luke's arm at high-society events.

She imagined mingling with the elite, exchanging witty remarks, and charming everyone with her poise.

Her fantasy extended even further to marrying Luke, giving him a son and daughter, and growing old together.

She imagined herself becoming the respected and envied Mrs. Crawford...

The thought of it all made Sophian's heart race with excitement.

Without realizing it, she straightened her back, trying to mimic the elegant posture of someone from the upper class.

Lately, she had been imitating Allison's walking style, gestures, and demeanor, as Allison was the only member of high society she had any access to.

Allison looked at her and smirked with a trace of mockery in her eyes. How gullible she was. Just a couple of casual words, and she believed them entirely.

It was rare to see someone so gullible these days.

Allison found Sophian's fantasies laughable, but she did not let it show. Some people had to be flattered and coaxed if she wanted them to serve her well.

Allison understood this perfectly, so even if she found Sophian's actions ridiculous, she did not say a word.

She kept her mockery to herself.

With that, Allison stepped into Crawford Manor's living room.

Instead of seeing Old Master Crawford, she came across her three grandchildren.

A small smile appeared on Allison's face. "Lanie, Rainie, Tommy."

The three kids were engrossed in their books and had not noticed anyone entering. They froze for a moment when they heard Allison's voice. Then, they turned toward the doorway.

It was Allison, with Sophian following behind her.

When Rainie first heard Allison's voice, she felt a wave of nervousness, but seeing her bundled up so thoroughly brought a sense of relief. As long as she could not see her face, she would not feel afraid.

"Grandma," the three children greeted her in unison.

A trace of warmth flickered in Allison's heart when she saw them.

Although she disliked their mother, she could not deny that these three kids all bore some resemblance to Luke.

Especially Lanie. His face was practically a carbon copy of Luke's.

Moreover, the three kids had clearly inherited Luke's excellent genes, making them stand out among their peers in the Crawford family.

Not only were they exceptional among the Old Master Crawford's side of the family, but even compared to the other relatives' children, these three were undeniably the best.

Allison admired outstanding children. They gave her a sense of pride and added to her vanity.

She approached the children and asked, "What are you all up to? Reading? What books are you reading?"

As she spoke, she sat down beside them.

Rainie was stunned for a moment. Among the three of them, she was the one who feared Allison the most.

Seeing Allison about to remove her scarf, Rainie's body stiffened, and she quickly said, "I've finished my book. I'll go upstairs and grab a new one."

Tommy, though not as afraid as Rainie, was still uneasy about seeing his grandmother's face. Worried he might get so scared that he would start shaking, he added, "Wait for me, Rainie! I'll go too. This book isn't very interesting!"

As Allison watched the two kids leave one after the other, she paused for a moment, realizing her appearance might frighten them.

Her hand stopped mid-motion as she was about to remove her mask. She turned her gaze to Lanie.

Unlike his siblings, Lanie was not afraid of Allison. Even though her face was disfigured and frightening, his personality, much like Luke's, was composed and fearless.

Lanie said calmly, "Grandma, if you're feeling hot, go ahead and take off your scarf."

Allison gave an awkward smile. After hesitating for a moment, she removed the scarf and handed it to Sophian.

Sophian, meanwhile, could not help but stare at Lanie in a daze.

She had not seen the child in months, and he looked even more like Luke now. She wondered if Luke doted on him.

Still, it did not matter. Once she and Luke were together, she was sure she would have kids who were even smarter and more exceptional than Lanie!

Chapter 3424 Slip In A Bit Of Praise For Herself Too "What are you spacing out for?" Allison waited a few seconds, but when she saw that Sophian still had not taken the scarf, she turned to look at her, only to find her staring blankly at Lanie. She was clearly displeased.

Of course, she knew Lanie looked like Luke, but did she really have to stare at him like that?

Sophian came back to her senses and quickly took the scarf, fumbling to explain, "I just think Young Master Blanche looks a lot like Mr. Crawford."

Allison rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. They're father and son. How could they not look alike?"

Sophian let out an awkward chuckle and said nothing more.

Turning back, Allison softened her expression as she looked at Lanie. "Lanie, dear, tell me— what are you reading?"

Lanie held up his book and replied, "Grandma, I'm reading a medical book."

Allison froze for a moment. A medical book?

A bad feeling crept up on her. "Why are you reading medical books?"

"I think they're interesting," answered Lanie, a little confused by her reaction. Why could he not read medical books?

It was just reading. Besides, his father never said anything about it.

Allison frowned and pondered for a moment before asking, "How did you do on your final exams this semester?"

"Rainie, Tommy, and I all got perfect scores," answered Lanie.

"Perfect scores?" Allison's face lit up with a broad smile.

However, Sophian, who was beside them, was completely stunned. "Perfect scores? That's amazing!"

Allison rolled her eyes at her. "Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

Sophian awkwardly explained, "No, I just think Young Master Blanche is really impressive. I have a nephew who's the same age as him, but he only got around 90 this semester."

Allison was beaming with pride and reached out to pat Lanie's head. However, he dodged before she could touch him.

Allison paused for a moment, then brushed it off. She knew Lanie took after Luke. They both disliked physical affection.

"My grandkids have excellent genes. How can you compare them to other kids? Just look at Luke. His intelligence comes from me. He's always been great at academics." While showering the child with compliments, she made sure to slip in a bit of praise for herself too. Lanie was rendered speechless.

He had no idea how Allison did in school. That was way too long ago to verify. However, if she really was as smart as she claimed, then why had she been deceived so easily?

Now that she had made a complete mess of herself, she looked neither human nor ghost. Was that what she called being smart?

Lanie was not the only one skeptical. Sophian had her doubts too.

If Allison was so capable, then why did she need an interpreter when she went to Seoul?

In her generation, a proper upbringing in a prestigious family would have included learning other languages. Allison could not even get a few simple words right.

Was this what she called being educated?

Sophian kept her thoughts to herself, not daring to voice them. She kept her gaze fixed on Lanie.

Lanie could feel her gaze, and it made him uncomfortable. Still, he endured it.

He knew this woman had feelings for his father, which was why she kept staring at him like that.

As for Allison's constant praise, he had long since become numb to it. After all, everyone he met always had something nice to say about him. Whether they were sincere or just pretending, he could not be bothered to tell the difference.

According to his father, there was no need to overthink it. As long as he knew he was good, that was enough.

With that thought in mind, Lanie asked, "Grandma, did you come here for something?"

Allison had originally wanted to ask about Luke.

However, she remembered that the kids had been living with him all this time. Of course, they would cover for him. Therefore, she replied, "I'm waiting for your dad to come home."

Lanie looked confused. "But Daddy isn't in A City."

"He's not in A City? That's impossible!" Allison thought the child was lying, and she was not happy about it. Still, she kept her expression kind. "Lanie, good kids don't lie. How could your father not be in A City? I heard he's been back from his business trip for a while now. That's why I came looking for him."

"Grandma, who told you that? They must have lied to you. Daddy's not in A City. You won't find him here." Lanie shook his head. His big, dark eyes practically screamed that he was not lying.

Allison frowned. She doubted that Lanie was lying. Kids were not good at hiding things, and if he were making it up, she would have noticed. If he was not lying, then there was only one possibility.

Luke had tricked even his own kids just so he could spend time alone with Luca. Perhaps he had even fooled Old Master Crawford.

Allison chuckled and habitually reached out to pat Lanie's head.

However, remembering how much he disliked it, she quickly turned the motion into a casual scratch on her neck.

"So, do you know where your father went on his business trip?" Allison asked offhandedly. "He went abroad," Lanie answered without hesitation.

He knew exactly where his parents had gone. They had all agreed on their story.

If anyone asked, he would tell them that their father was on an overseas business trip.

"Abroad? For this long?" Allison was getting anxious. She quickly followed up, "Then do you know where his girlfriend went?"

Lanie immediately shook his head to show that he had no idea about it. “Grandma, we don't know."

"Why not?" Allison pressed.

"That lady only acts nice to us when Daddy is around. When he's not there, she doesn't treat us well, so we don't know much about her," Lanie said while silently apologizing to Luca in his heart.

'Mommy, I didn't mean it.' If Allison was not pushing so hard, he would not have had to lie.

Since Lanie knew he had to lie, he might as well tell one that would stop Allison from asking any more questions. At least this way, he would not have to deal with more trouble.

"Oh... Is that so?" Allison was genuinely surprised.

She had always thought Luca was good to the kids. It turned out that it was all just an act. Then again, she had never actually seen how Luca treated them in private. Hence, she believed what Lanie said.

Sophian could not help but feel a surge of excitement when she heard this.

If Luca treated Lanie poorly, then Sophian had the perfect opportunity. If she started treating him well, she could raise her standing in the kids' hearts. With that in mind, she secretly made up her mind to be extra nice to the kids.

That way, she could push Luca out of Luke's life even faster.

"Yes!" Lanie knew that Allison was trying to find out where Luca was so that she could figure out where Luke was.

He asked, "Grandma, you want to know if we know where that lady is, right? Honestly, we have no idea. After Daddy left us here, we've only had one meal with him and that lady. He hasn't been back since."

Allison was disappointed, but there was not much she could do. If the kids didn't know, who else could she ask?

"So, none of you know anything..." Allison's voice carried a hint of frustration.

"Yeah, we don't know. Plus, Daddy went on a business trip, and that lady doesn't really like interacting with us. She wouldn't come to see us on her own," added Lanie.

Allison's curiosity piqued when she heard this, and she leaned in, her voice dropping as she asked, "What does your great-grandpa think of this woman?"

Chapter 3425 What Business Does Sophian Thinks She Has Here "Wouldn't it be better to ask me directly if you want to know about these things?" Old Master Crawford's voice echoed from the staircase.

Allison froze for a moment. Her face turned pale before she quickly turned around and forced a smile. "Father."

"What are you doing here?" asked Old Master Crawford as he walked over, leaning on his cane with Mr. Griffin supporting him.

"I came to visit you," Allison replied sweetly, stepping forward to help support his arm.

Old Master Crawford shook his head, signaling her to stop. "Let Mr. Griffin handle that." Left with no choice, Allison could only follow beside him, still wearing her forced smile. Mr. Griffin helped Old Master Crawford settle onto the couch.

His sharp gaze flicked between Allison and Sophian. He had already heard from Luke that this woman had returned with Allison, and now, seeing her in person...

Old Master Crawford studied Sophian carefully. They said a person's face reflected their inner self, and he had taken a keen interest in such things since retiring. To him, Sophian's face had changed, and not for the better.

Even as an old man, he could not help but dislike the look of her.

Her demeanor and appearance screamed of someone calculating...

While calculating could sometimes describe someone thrifty and practical, in Old Master Crawford's eyes, Sophian's calculation was pure scheming.

Having spent decades reading people, he trusted his instincts. His instincts told him she was not someone he could like.

Under Old Master Crawford's sharp gaze, Sophian straightened her posture as much as she could.

She knew the old master disliked timid and hesitant youngsters. Even though his piercing eyes made her uneasy, she forced herself to maintain a proper stance, hoping not to displease him further.

"Lanie." Old Master Crawford suddenly called out.

"Yes, Great-Grandpa?" Lanie looked up at him, puzzled.

"We need to have a talk. Go upstairs for now," Old Master Crawford said firmly.

"Okay, Great-Grandpa." Lanie had been wanting to leave anyway. If it were not for keeping his younger siblings company, he would not have stayed in the room, letting Allison's presence interrupt his reading.

He quickly headed upstairs.

Once Lanie was out of sight, Old Master Crawford's expression darkened. His voice was stern as he scolded, "If you have something to ask, ask me directly! Why bring it up in front of the children?"

Allison flinched at his sudden anger, caught off guard. It was just a simple question. Did he really need to react so harshly?

She forced another smile. "Father, I was just curious. I didn't mean any harm."

"Lanie takes after Luke. Even though he's young, he's steady and mature for his age. Do you know how it looks when you start asking questions about my opinions of others in front of him? What do you think he'll make of that?" This was one of the things Old Master Crawford despised most about Allison.

If she had a question, she could just ask it directly.

Instead, she would involve the kids.

She would probe the kids for information and stir unnecessary drama.

She had done the same when Luke was young. She was always fishing for information from him.

Now that Luke was all grown up and refused to answer her questions, she stooped to interrogating his kids instead?

How shameless!

Allison felt indignant at his harsh words, but she forced herself to stay calm. "I didn't mean anything by it. The kids just happened to mention that Luca wasn't treating them well, so I wanted to ask your opinion about her."

Old Master Crawford raised an eyebrow, silently urging her to continue.

Taking it as permission, Allison pressed on, "You know, Bianca is still abroad and doesn't care about the Crawford family anymore. Given the situation, no matter how deep Luke's feelings for her once were, they're bound to fade over time. Eventually, he'll divorce her. "When that happens, what then? He's still young, and the family needs a proper lady. I was just wondering about your opinion on Luca.

"She's not treating the kids right, and if you're not happy with her either, maybe we should start looking for someone new for Luke."

"Someone new?" Old Master Crawford's lips curled in what could only be described as a sarcastic smile, as though Allison had just told a ridiculous joke. At the same time, he could not help but heave a sigh. Allison only managed to get into the Crawford family by seducing Zachary.

Now? Did she think she could make Luke follow in Zachary's footsteps?

"You know what I mean. Luke is still young, and there are three kids to consider. A home needs a lady. You've retired, Father, and while you have the time to help with the kids now, you can't be expected to do it forever.

"I'm just thinking it'd be better to find someone suitable now. Let her build a relationship with Luke, and when the time comes for him to divorce Bianca, they can get married right away. Someone like that could also take good care of the kids. Isn't that a good plan?" explained Allison.

Sophian, standing nearby, nodded enthusiastically as though Allison's words made perfect sense.

At the same time, she could not help but think that Allison was hinting at her as the perfect candidate.

Sophian unconsciously took a step forward.

Old Master Crawford caught the small movement and almost laughed out loud.

He replied to Allison, "Luke's wife will always be Bianca. I'll never allow any other woman to enter the Crawford family's genealogy. As for Luca, I think quite highly of her. Anything else you'd like to ask?"

Luca's true identity was Bianca. Old Master Crawford felt there was nothing wrong with what he said.

Once the younger generation resolved their issues, Luca could reclaim her rightful identity and return to being Bianca.

Sophian's mouth fell open slightly. What did the old master mean?

Did he plan to let Bianca remain as Luke's legal wife forever while having someone else run the household?

She looked at Allison for answers.

Allison seemed to be nothing more than Luke's father's mistress, who became the second wife of the Crawford family after having Luke.

Even though this kind of relationship was not legally recognized, nor protected by law, and even crossed moral boundaries.

Allison still seemed to be living comfortably.

Even though Sophian wanted to marry Luke and become Mrs. Crawford, she could accept the idea of this situation if things did not work out.

Allison, however, felt an immediate pang of disbelief. "Father, are you saying that Luke won't divorce Bianca but will still keep Luca as his woman?"

"If that's how you want to interpret it, then yes." Old Master Crawford nodded firmly, entirely confident in his stance. After all, Luca's true identity was Bianca.

Luke was not cheating, nor was he being unfaithful.

There was no infidelity or betrayal even during Bianca's three years of absence. When a fake Bianca had been planted beside Luke, Luke had not laid a finger on the imposter.

That loyalty was something Old Master Crawford admired deeply.

The sense of fate between Luke and Bianca was truly remarkable, making one believe that soulmates do exist. Two souls irresistibly drawn to each other, perfectly aligned.

Allison was shocked. "But she treats the kids badly!"

"No one's perfect," Old Master Crawford replied calmly, already guessing that this accusation came from Lanie.

That boy was clever, deliberately saying this to divert Allison from probing into Luca's whereabouts.

Allison's expression shifted, a mix of frustration and confusion. "But still, you can't keep looking after the kids like this forever!"

Old Master Crawford stared at her in disbelief. Was she truly this clueless, or was she just pretending?

The kids were not here at Crawford manor because Luke was away on business, nor because Luca was unkind to them.

It was because Allison looked too frightening and might scare the children. That was why they had been sent to Crawford manor for a while.

At this point, Sophian could not hold back anymore.

Despite the kids' indifference toward Luca, both Luke and Old Master Crawford clearly favored her.

She knew she had to act. If she did not fight for her place now, Old Master Crawford's support would completely tilt toward Luca.

With that thought, Sophian stepped forward and said, "Old Master Crawford, I'd like to say something."

Old Master Crawford frowned with disgust. What business did Sophian think she had here?

Chapter 3426 Let Bianca Come Back To Take Care Of The Kids Allison caught the disapproval in Old Master Crawford's gaze and could not help but snap at Sophian, "What are you talking about? What does this have to do with you?"

Sophian met her gaze and suddenly realized that the best thing to do now was to stay quiet and lower her presence. In an instant, she regretted her impulsive words.

She was so eager to leave a good impression on Old Master Crawford, but instead, she had made things worse. Now, all she could do was apologize. She pressed her lips together and bowed sincerely to Old Master Crawford, saying, "Sorry, Old Master Crawford, I couldn't hold back"

Old Master Crawford, with his strong mental fortitude, did not get angry at the gesture.

"You really..." Allison was speechless. What was she even doing? Why was everything Sophian did so laughable?!

She turned to Old Master Crawford and said, "Father, this woman hasn't seen much of the world. Please don't blame her."

Old Master Crawford ignored Allison's comment and stared at Sophian before asking, "What were you going to say?"

Sophian, initially surprised, then felt a surge of joy. "Old Master Crawford, you want me to speak?"

Just as Allison was about to scold her, Old Master Crawford replied, "Yes. What's on your mind?"

Sophian cleared her throat. Her voice trembled with excitement as she said, "I believe the role of a mother is crucial to a child's growth. The three kids may seem fine at the moment, but as time passes, they'll surely long for a mother's love. I think the kids still need a complete family.

"Besides, it's not good to keep bothering you with the kids. You've worked hard all your life, and you should enjoy your retirement. You shouldn't have to worry about the kids all the time. Don't you think I'm right?"

Allison placed her hand over her forehead.

What nonsense was Sophian even saying?

The old master told her to speak, and she actually did!

She had no sense of timing at all!

Old Master Crawford's smile faded as he nodded. "Yes, what you said makes sense."

Sophian was even more thrilled, taking a small step forward, eager to recommend herself for the role of the kids' guardian. Just then, Old Master Crawford murmured, "It's about time Bianca's study abroad is over. After all this time, it's time for her to come back and take on the responsibility of raising the kids."

Allison was stunned.

Have Bianca come back.

Remembering all her past conflicts with Bianca, Allison would definitely oppose it!!

Bianca was a real pain.

She had taken her son and her place in the Crawford family. If she returned now, who knew what trouble she would cause?

Allison heard that Bianca was previously sold to someplace, and her mental state deteriorated after being kidnapped.

Having her live with a mentally unstable daughter-in-law? It would be better if they just killed her! "Father, I don't think that's a good idea," Allison said to Old Master Crawford, glaring at Sophian at the same time.

Even though Sophian could not feel her piercing glare behind the sunglasses, she shivered.

She had no idea that her words would make Old Master Crawford seriously consider bringing Bianca, the original wife, back into the family!

Had she known this would happen, Sophian would not have said a word.

"What's so bad about it? I think what Ms. Thomas said makes sense. The kids really need their biological mother's care. Otherwise, when something happens, nannies definitely won't take proper care of them.

"Neither I nor Luke can do it with the same attention to detail. We're both men. So, Mr. Griffin, when it's daytime on that side, please talk to Bianca about this matter," Old Master Crawford said in a serious tone.

Mr. Griffin did not know that Bianca and Luca were the same person, but he still went along with Old Master Crawford's plan.

"Understood, Old Master Crawford. I'll contact her when it's daylight over there."

Allison asked with surprise, "Didn't you say we can't get in touch with Bianca anymore? How can you still contact her?"

"Those who can't contact her are the others. Who am I?" Old Master Crawford raised the cup next to him and handed it to Mr. Griffin.

Mr. Griffin immediately understood and began to prepare the tea.

Allison hated Sophian even more after seeing how determined Old Master Crawford was to bring Bianca back. Bianca's absence had been a good thing.

If Bianca came back, with one Bianca on the left and one Luca on the right, Allison would have even less of a place in Luke's heart than she already did.

"Father, but Bianca's not right in the head right now. I'm worried she might harm the kids, just like how Susan was harsh on the kids. It made Thea need therapy at such a young age. Luke's kids can't go through that." Allison tried to argue from a different angle.

Old Master Crawford took a sip of tea and replied calmly, "You're wrong here. Bianca lost her memories, which is why she's like this. In the end, she's still the kids' mother. How could she harm them? Don't overthink it. This matter is decided."

"Father..." Allison's hatred for Sophian deepened.

If it were not for her, Old Master Crawford would not have even considered bringing Bianca back.

"Alright, it's decided. There's no point in discussing it further." Old Master Crawford lifted the cup that Mr. Griffin filled with tea and took a sip.

"I could take care of the kids for Luke. Just let Bianca stay abroad a bit longer and relax. Maybe she'll regain her memories soon." Allison still tried to argue.

She hated the Rayne family, and even more so, she hated Jack and Queenie. Bianca was not just a Rayne. She was their daughter!

Every time Allison saw Bianca, it reminded her of her painful past.

She had barely escaped that past, so how could she let it come up now?

Old Master Crawford slammed the lid of the cup down with force when he heard that. The sharp sound echoed in the room, causing both Allison and Sophian to flinch.

Sophian took a small step back, afraid that Old Master Crawford's actions would accidentally hit her.

She thought the small movement would go unnoticed, but both Old Master Crawford and Mr. Griffin saw it clearly. Old Master Crawford's eyes turned sharp. The patience he had shown while dealing with Allison seemed to have reached its limit.

"Do you really not know why the kids are at Crawford Manor?" asked Old Master Crawford.

Allison froze for a moment before answering, "Isn't it because that woman, Luca, doesn't like the three children? She's been whispering things to Luke, and that's why he sent them back to Crawford Manor."

As she spoke, Allison felt like she needed to say more, so she took a shot at Luca again.

"Father, I'm not trying to throw shade, but Luca's a mess. The three kids are the heart and soul of the Crawford family. Yet she's two-faced, acting all sweet in front of others but treating the kids like garbage. That's just gonna mess with their mindsets.

"You gotta get Luke to kick her to the curb and bring in a woman who actually cares about the kids."

Old Master Crawford was so amused by Allison's words that he slammed the cup down on the table.

Fortunately, he had seen many storms in his time, especially with the constant power struggles between women after Zachary and Allison got together.

After more than 30 years, he had become numb to it. Otherwise, he would have been so enraged by Allison's words that he might have had a stroke.

Chapter 3427 Pay More Attention To His Issuesnoveldrama "It looks like you're completely clueless," scoffed Old Master Crawford. "If it weren't for your return, do you really think Luke would've sent the kids to Crawford Manor?"

Allison was not convinced and was about to argue that it was not because of her.

However, before she could speak, Old Master Crawford cut her off with a blunt remark that left her speechless.

"Have you looked in the mirror? With the way you look right now, just walking around at night would be enough to scare the kids. And you still think you can help take care of them? If my precious great-grandchildren see you like this, they'll have nightmares. If it weren't for the kids' well-being, Luke wouldn't have sent them here in the first place."

Allison felt a deep sense of humiliation. Being criticized like this in front of Sophian and Mr. Griffin, she felt as if her dignity had been completely shattered.

Yet the worst part was that Old Master Crawford was absolutely right.

Her face really was terrifying.

"I can wear a mask and a hat. I won't scare the kids that way," insisted Allison. She was eager to fulfill her role as a grandmother.

Still, it was not out of sudden love for the kids. She just wanted to use them as a way to get on Luke's good side. "Forget it. Doesn't your face need to breathe or something? Don't overthink it. It's getting late, so if there's nothing else, you should head back." Old Master Crawford waved her off.

"Father!" Allison was in disbelief. "I rarely come by, and I wanted to have dinner with you!"

Sophian's cooking skills were mediocre at best, and Allison had not had a decent meal in a long time. She had come to pry into Luke's whereabouts and figured she might as well get a meal out of it.

"Crawford Manor serves dinner early. We've already eaten," replied Old Master Crawford as he took a leisurely sip of his tea. He was quietly relieved.

Good thing they had dinner early. Otherwise, having to eat while looking at Allison's face would have completely ruined his appetite.

It was not that he was judging her by her looks, but Allison's face was genuinely unsettling. On top of that, her personality was awful. Hence, there really was not a single redeeming quality about her.

As Old Master Crawford pondered, he realized there was one thing she was not completely lacking. At the very least, she had given birth to Luke, an outstanding heir. That was, without a doubt, her only contribution to the Crawford family.

"This early?" Allison glanced at her watch. It was only 7:20 pm.

"Madam Allison, unless there are special circumstances, dinner at Crawford Manor always starts at 6:30 pm, answered Mr. Griffin. He shook his head at the same time. This schedule had been the same for ten years. It never changed unless absolutely necessary.

Allison had been the Crawford family's daughter-in-law for so many years, but she had gone through some unpleasant moments and had not spent much time at Crawford Manor.

Even so, she should not have forgotten the schedule.

Allison pressed her lips together. The sun had been too harsh earlier, and she did not want to go out in broad daylight...

"Never mind, Dad. I actually came here for something else." After all that back-and-forth, Allison finally got to the point. "It's about Luke. Do you know where he went on his business trip? He hasn't been back for a while." "He's overseas," replied Old Master Crawford.

"Which country? And why has he been gone for so long?" Allison pressed for details.

"I only know he's on a business trip abroad. As for where exactly and what he's handling, I'm not sure. But you don't need to worry. Luke is an adult. He can take care of himself. You, on the other hand, should stay home and behave. Try not to cause any trouble," replied Old Master Crawford.

Allison was unconvinced. Since she was wearing a mask, she simply pursed her lips and said, "I'm not causing any trouble. Isn't it normal for a mother to care about where her son is?

"Besides, Luke has been completely bewitched by that woman. He doesn't even think about me anymore. He never tells me anything, and he won't even answer my calls. I had no choice but to come ask you."

Old Master Crawford shot her a sharp glance. "If he's ignoring you, he has his reasons. Stop blaming everyone else and take a good look at yourself instead! Maybe if you spent less time pointing fingers and more time reflecting, things would be different.

"Plus, Luke's work is important. Instead of bothering him all the time, why don't you let him focus?" "Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore, alright? Besides, you really should start paying more attention to Lanie. Luke is so busy, and since he's staying here, you need to take his issues seriously." Allison felt a dryness in her throat and turned to look at Mr. Griffin. "I've been sitting here for so long. Why haven't you offered me any drinks yet?"

Mr. Griffin was startled for a moment.

To be fair, he had completely overlooked Allison. When he served Old Master Crawford tea, it had not even occurred to him to bring her anything.

"My apologies, Madam Allison. I'll get it right away. What would you like to drink?"

"A glass of juice-freshly squeezed." Allison knew that all the fruits in Crawford Manor were high-quality imports. They were always fresh and juicy, and the freshly squeezed juice here was good.

"Of course, Madam Allison. Please wait a moment." Mr. Griffin headed to the kitchen.

Sophian wanted to say she would like some too.

However, she did not even have the right to sit on this couch now. How could she possibly ask for a glass of juice?

The thought made her feel dejected, so she stayed quiet and listened to the conversation between Old Master Crawford and Allison.

Old Master Crawford took a sip of his tea before speaking leisurely, "Lanie is doing just fine. He studies on his own without needing to be pushed. He doesn't waste time playing games. He just loves reading. He's physically healthy too. What exactly is the problem?"

"There's a huge problem!" Allison deliberately made it sound serious, hoping to grab his attention. "He was reading medical books!"

Old Master Crawford knew that Lanie read all kinds of books on a wide range of topics. "What's wrong with that?" Allison frowned, frustrated that the old master did not seem concerned at all.

"Father, Lanie is supposed to take over the Crawford family's business one day. He can't be interested in medicine! What if he decides to become a doctor and abandons the family business? Then what?"

Allison tried to reason with him. "He's still young, but this is the time to guide his interests properly. Some hobbies should be encouraged, but others need to be nipped in the bud. Don't you agree?"

Old Master Crawford chuckled. "He's just a kid. Let him read whatever he wants. Do you really think you can control that? Besides, learning about medicine isn't a bad thing. It'll give him useful knowledge."

He genuinely did not see an issue. Even if Lanie did want to go into medicine, there was still Tommy. Plus, Louis might have another child in the future.

As long as the Crawford family's business stayed within the family, it did not really matter who took over.

If Lanie did not want to run the business, Luke would just have to hold down the fort for a few more years. Still, at least the next generation had come early, so Luke would not have to wait as long as he had. Old Master Crawford had spent decades working before he could finally retire.

In the grand scheme of things, he saw no problem at all.

He even thought that if he lived long enough to see Lanie go to university, he would not mind at all if the boy chose to attend medical school.

"What? Are you saying you actually support him studying medicine?" Allison panicked.

Chapter 3428 She's Not In A City "As long as what Lanie wants to do isn't illegal, I'll support him." Old Master Crawford rose to his feet with the help of his cane after saying that.

He had known all along Allison would not have come here for anything important.

This conversation was so dull.

If it were not for her pestering Lanie with questions, Old Master Crawford would have pretended he did not know she was here and let her do whatever she wanted.

The three kids had overheard the whole conversation between their great grandfather and grandmother around the corner of the stairs.

Once they sensed that the discussion was wrapping up, Lanie made a hand gesture to his younger siblings.

Rainie and Tommy understood the gesture and nodded, following their brother upstairs.

Lanie waited until he was sure no one downstairs could hear them before asking, "Why were you two eavesdropping?"

"You were listening in, so why couldn't we?" Tommy grinned. He understood most of what they had talked about. What interested him more was what was coming next. "Lanie, do you want to study medicine?"

"No," Lanie quickly denied it. "I just wanted to learn some basic medical knowledge, that's all. Plus, those children's books are boring."

"Lanie has never liked children's books. He's usually either reading business books or medical books. That's totally normal," added Rainie. She knew exactly what Lanie meant since they were twins and often thought alike.

"Oh, I thought from what Grandma said that you really wanted to study medicine!" muttered Tommy. "Adults are so complicated. They never express themselves, so it's easy to get confused. And that Ms. Thomas, she actually wants to be Daddy's woman? How shameless!"

Lanie and Rainie exchanged glances and saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

Tommy was still so young, yet he could see through the adults' issues so clearly.

"How do you know all this?" asked Lanie.

"Is it that hard to figure out? She's someone who has nothing to do with our family, yet she said stuff like that. Plus, didn't she try to climb into Dad's bed during New Year's? But Dad doesn't like her at all," mumbled Tommy.

"I'm not dumb. I know what's going on with the adults, but since Dad didn't show any interest in her, I didn't say anything. Otherwise, I would've gone and told you."

Rainie let out a chuckle. "I didn't know our little Tommy was such a clever one. With you watching, that woman won't be able to stir up any trouble."

"Of course! I'm awesome!" Tommy puffed out his chest proudly, waiting for his brother's and sister's praise. "Yeah, you're really something!" Rainie ruffled Tommy's hair.

"Hey, let's get on a video call with Dad so that he knows what's going on here," suggested Tommy.

"Okay," Lanie agreed.

Even though Old Master Crawford would definitely tell Luke about this after Allison left, they missed him and wanted to use this as an excuse to call him.

The call was quickly answered, and Luke's face appeared in the center of the screen.

The three kids excitedly chattered and recounted everything that had happened today.

Luke raised an eyebrow as he listened to the kids.

He knew Allison would be looking for trouble, and he had already been informed by Jason that she had been actively searching for reasons to confront him. Hence, what the kids said did not come as much of a surprise.

However, his gaze darkened when he heard about Allison attempting to get Old Master Crawford to force him to break up with Luca and have Sophian replace her. It seemed Allison was getting a little too comfortable since she even dared to try something like this.

"Oh, by the way, Daddy, how's everything over there?" Tommy asked again.

From the hallway, Allison and Sophian exchanged a glance when they heard the children's words.

Daddy?

Without a second thought, Allison walked straight into the bedroom.

"Tommy, are you talking to your dad?" asked Allison. She noticed Lanie holding a phone.

Without missing a beat, she walked over and snatched it away from him.

Tommy's face turned pale.

Luke had not been paying much attention to Allison's matters, but now, they had taken it upon themselves to contact him, only for Allison to catch them.

Luke frowned when he saw Allison's face appear on the screen.

"What's with that expression? I'm your mother. Why do you look at me like I'm your enemy?" Allison snapped, clearly irritated.

"Is there something you need?" Luke's tone was cold and indifferent.

Allison was infuriated by his tone and felt like smashing something just to feel better.

"What kind of tone is that?" questioned Allison.

A trace of impatience flashed in Luke's eyes, and it was clear he had reached his limit.

Allison realized that if she did not speak now, she would never get the chance, so she quickly added, "Where did you go on business? Why haven't you come home for so long?"

Luke responded flatly with one word, "I'm busy."

The words sounded so indifferent he might as well have said nothing.

Allison got even more furious. After enduring the old master's criticism and now Luke's coldness, she was ready to lose it!

On the other hand, Sophian was utterly smitten.

Just hearing Luke's voice was the best thing that could happen to her. She had been missing him for days. Now that she could hear his voice, she was over the moon. She would be having a sweet dream tonight.

"Where's Luca, then?" Allison knew if she kept arguing with Luke, he would probably hang up. Then, no matter what number she used to call him, he would not answer.

"What do you need her for?" Luke only spoke a bit more when it came to Luca.

Allison's tone turned cold. "What else would I want? My skincare products are running low. Of course, I'm asking her for more."

Recently, she discovered that Luca's personal set of skincare products worked better than any high-end brands. Naturally, she had been using them often, which led to faster consumption.

Seeing that her bottles were almost empty and Luca had not returned yet, Allison was getting anxious.

"She's not in A City." Luke recalled that Luca had mentioned there were backups in the small fridge in the study, but he did not tell Allison about it.

Before leaving A City, Luke locked all the rooms except for the guest bedroom and the maid's room. He left the keys at the office.

He did this to prevent Allison from rummaging through things and causing a mess. Moreover, Allison had a history of theft, so Luke could not trust her at all.

"Not in A City? What about my face?" Allison was agitated when she heard this and immediately pulled off her mask.

Her face, which was full of wrinkles, was exposed to the air.

Rainie had been watching Allison, and she gasped in shock when she suddenly saw Allison's bare face.

Lanie immediately realized what had happened and quickly covered Rainie's eyes, pulling her hand to lead her out of the room.

Allison, seeing this, felt even more embarrassed. Not only did her son reject her, but even her grandchildren were disgusted by her. However, she could not care less about that now.

"Tell her to hurry and send me two more bottles to store, or my face will be ruined," added Allison. What she did not know was that the reason her skincare products were running out so quickly was that Sophian had also realized how effective they were, and she would secretly use them whenever Allison was not around.

Chapter 3429 Show No Respect To Her "She's busy, so use something else. I've got stuff to do. I'm hanging up now." Luke did not want to hear her rambling.

Allison quickly added, "Wait, there's one more thing."

Luke frowned in annoyance.

"I don't have any money left. Send me some," continued Allison. She was worried he might refuse. "It's been over a month, and you still haven't sent me my living expenses."

"Don't worry, Jason will transfer it to you in a bit," replied Luke. It had indeed been a month. However, he had been too busy to remember.

"Alright." Allison was about to say more when Sophian called out sweetly, "Mr. Crawford..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Luke hung up the phone.

Allison stared at Sophian. "What did you say that for?"

Sophian was confused. She had only said a word, and the call was already disconnected. Was it her fault?

"I just wanted to talk to him..." replied Sophian.

"You didn't have to say anything. I wasn't done talking yet, and you made him hang up." Allison was furious. She knew that if she tried to call back now, Luke would not answer the call. Even so, she dialed again.

As expected, he did not answer.

"This is all your fault!" Allison blamed Sophian.

Sophian felt a bit helpless. She did not think she could be blamed for this.

She bit her lip, at a loss for what to do.

Allison turned her attention to Tommy. She smiled, trying to make her terrifying face look a little more pleasant." Good boy, come help me give your daddy a video call, or at least send him a voice message saying you still have something to discuss."

Tommy's dark eyes twinkled as he shook his head. "Grandma, I don't have anything to say to Daddy."

"Can't you just pretend you do?" Allison asked helplessly.

"But I really don't have anything to tell Daddy." Tommy was confused. "Grandma, why do you want me to lie?" Allison was rendered speechless for a moment. Was that really lying? To her, that was not even close to lying. "Just help me out. It doesn't count as a lie," Allison said patiently as she sat on the chair.

Tommy shook his head. "If Daddy finds out I lied, he'll definitely spank me."

Seeing he would not budge, Allison gave up. This grandson of hers had never been close to her.

In the past, when she wanted to hold him, he would cry his eyes out. Years had passed, but there was no real affection between them.

Allison sighed and said, "Alright then. Just give me the phone."

"No way. This is mine! I need it to contact Daddy and Great-Grandpa!" Tommy shook his head and tried to take the phone back. However, being a child, he did not have the strength to fight an adult.

Allison furrowed her brows and tried to bargain. "I'll buy you a new one-something just as good, okay?" "No, this one's special. Daddy gave it to me, and it's one of a kind. It even has my name engraved on the back!" explained Tommy.

Allison glanced at the back of the phone and, sure enough, she saw his name engraved there. "I'll buy you one that's also one of a kind, and I'll have your name engraved on it too, alright?"

was planning to take Tommy's phone and try to contact Luke again tomorrow. She also return to work.

unted Aunt le to She did not want to leave things to Sophian. Allison was getting fed up with it.

"No, Grandma, you can't take it!" Tommy saw Allison getting up to take the phone and quickly say, "This was given to me by Daddy. You can't take it."

"You little rascal, why are you so stingy? Just let me borrow it for a little while. Once I get in touch with your dad, I'll give it back to you." Allison tried to reason with him.

"I'm going to tell Great-Grandpa." Tommy heard what she said and immediately ran out of the room.

Allison stamped her foot in frustration. "This child was definitely raised by that wretched woman, Bianca. She's always going against me at every turn!"

"Madam Allison, maybe you should just give the phone back to him?" suggested Sophian. Although they could reach Luke with this phone, it was not worth being scolded by Old Master Crawford over such a trivial matter.

Allison snorted coldly. "Let's go. Hurry up. That little brat! Let's see how he'll try to get his phone back when I've already left."

As Allison said so, she was ready to storm off.

However, just as she was about to leave the living room, she was stopped by Old Master Crawford's voice," Allison!"

Allison's steps faltered as she turned. She saw the seething anger in Old Master Crawford's eyes and instinctively put on an awkward smile. "Father, I was just about to leave."

"You took your grandson's things and still call yourself an elder?" Old Master Crawford hobbled closer with his cane and stretched out his hand. "Give it to me."

"Give what?" Allison pretended not to know while Sophian stood by, feeling helpless.

What is she pretending for now?

"Tommy's phone. You took it. Hand it over." Old Master Crawford was displeased.

Allison still refused to give it up. "Father, I'm just borrowing it. I'll return it tomorrow."

"No way. It's not yours!" Old Master Crawford's voice was sharp. Without warning, he swung his cane, smacking her with it. "You're even taking your grandson's things now. Are you still his grandmother?"

The sharp sting made Allison flinch. Her expression faltered as she met his gloomy expression. She could only begrudgingly hand the phone back.

Old Master Crawford snatched it and let out a cold snort. "Don't come here again if you've got nothing important to say. You'll just ruin the moods of the people here."

Allison shot Tommy a death glare, causing him to shrink back slightly. She then spun around and left in a huff. Old Master Crawford put away his serious expression and smiled warmly at his great-grandson. "Here, take it." "Thank you, Great-Grandpa!" Tommy accepted the phone. He added sweetly, "Great-Grandpa, you're amazing. You handled Grandma so easily."

"Where did you learn to talk like that?" Old Master Crawford chuckled, clearly amused by Tommy's words.

"From the TV." Tommy cheekily stuck out his tongue. "If it weren't for you, Grandma wouldn't have given the phone back to me."

"If she tries to take anything from you again, just let me know. I'll handle her!" Old Master Crawford did not hold back, showing no mercy to Allison.

Allison heard the old master's words, and her face turned ashen. He was closer to the children, even more so than to her.

They had a bigger age gap, but the old master was closer to them than he was to her.

Allison's expression darkened with jealousy.

Besides, Old Master Crawford showed no respect to her in front of the younger generation.

"You old bastard, I'll make sure to deal with you the next time I get the chance," Allison muttered under her breath.

sohpian, who was standing nearby, was startled. She did not doubt for a second that Allison meant every word she said.

"Madam Allison..." Sophian's lips trembled.

Allison shot her a look. "What are you scared of? I'm not going after you. And it's not the right time anyway."

Now, the situation with the T Corporation was still unclear. She needed to ensure she could get Louis out of the way before taking any action against Old Master Crawford. If the old master died first, the Crawford family would fall into chaos.

Luke would not be able to control all of the Crawford family's wealth, and that would be her loss.

Allison was walking toward the parking lot when her phone rang out with a ding. She glanced at it and saw that Jason had transferred her some pocket money.

However, when she saw the amount, she picked up the phone and called Jason back.

Chapter 3430 Both Lanie And I Will Protect You "Good evening, Madam Allison." Jason quickly answered the phone.

Allison wasted no time and demanded, "Why did you only send me such a small amount of money?"

"It's Mr. Crawford's decision," replied Jason, "If you suspect I'm withholding anything, you may ask him directly He reckoned that Allison might not be able to get in touch with Luke, so he added, "Or I could show you the chat records."

By now, Allison could not really doubt him anymore.

However, with frustration in her voice, Allison asked, "Why is it so little? How am I supposed to live in A City on this?"

"Mr. Crawford said that you have no extra expenses. You're not shopping, so a hundred thousand dollars should be enough," Jason relayed Luke's words.

A hundred thousand dollars was an amount that the average working family could not even earn in a month. Allison could not go out shopping right now, and she was not making any other extra purchases while staying at home every day. Why would it not be enough?

Sophian, who overheard the conversation, could not help but shake her head.

A hundred thousand dollars?

Before hearing the actual amount, she thought it was only five thousand dollars based on Allison's reaction! Even though A City was an international metropolis, the cost of living was not as high as people might imagine. Aside from being a little picky about food, Allison did not really have any other expenses. It should be enough. "It's not enough. Send me another hundred thousand dollars. My skin is in bad shape, and I need a lot of skincare products. That's a big expense. Tell him I need 200 thousand dollars for pocket money." Allison actually thought even 200 thousand dollars would not be enough.

Since Luke only gave her a hundred thousand, she calculated that she could reasonably ask for another hundred thousand dollars.

If it was more than that, he might refuse.

Allison expected Jason to contact Luke on her behalf, but to her surprise, he insisted, "Madam Allison, Mr. Crawford said a hundred thousand dollars is the maximum. He also asked that you try to make it last. He might have to stay abroad for months handling work matters. While he's not in A City, you'll have to figure it out yourself if you run out of money. Also, he asked me to pass on a message,"

Jason relayed Luke's message, "If you keep calling him, he'll block your number and ask you not to disturb his work."

Allison was so enraged by Jason's words that her blood nearly boiled over!

Yet this was exactly what Luke had asked him to say.

"Fine, then you can tell him that if something happens on my end and he doesn't care about me, don't blame me for not holding back and exposing him to others!" Fuming with anger, Allison felt a twisted urge to drag Luke down with her in destruction.

Sophian's heart skipped a beat in fear.

Allison had long struggled with skin issues, so her mental state was likely worse than most people's.

She was afraid that Allison might do something to damage Luke's reputation.

Jason's tone immediately turned dark when he heard this. "Madam Allison, if you insist on doing this, the consequences might not be something you can handle."

"Is this a threat?" Allison narrowed her eyes, her face full of displeasure. "The one thing I hate most in life is being threatened. If you're really trying to threaten me, then think carefully about how this will end."

Jason was not intimidated by her words. Instead, he calmly replied, "You can try, but just think about the consequences of trying to shake up the interests of so many people, including the Crawford family's interests. You can figure it out for yourself."

Then, Jason hung up the phone.

Allison was on the brink of losing her mind. Luke had hung up on her, and now, Jason had hung up on her as well. "How dare he hang up on me?! Who gave him the courage? He's just some damn employee!" Allison did not care whether she was still in Crawford Manor. She started throwing a tantrum right then and there.

Sophian stepped back in fear, then tried to comfort her in a gentle voice, "Madam Allison, please don't be angry. You can tell him to punish that person when Mr. Crawford comes back."

Allison took off her sunglasses. Her wrinkled eyes, under the dim light of the garden, looked particularly eerie and frightening.

Sophian almost thought she saw a ghost!

Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest.

"Punish him? Those were Luke's words. How should I punish him?" Allison's voice became sharp. Just as she finished speaking, her phone buzzed with a message notification.

Jason had sent a screenshot of his chat with Luke. She held the phone screen up to Sophian's face. "See this? This is what he allowed! Who am I supposed to turn to for help? Why am I so miserable? It's like having a useless son. I'm being bullied by everyone!"

As Allison spoke, her eyes grew red.

Sophian's heart raced even faster.

The dim garden lights, combined with the stark white glow of the phone screen, cast eerie shadows across Allison's face, making her look like a vengeful ghost.

Sophian steeled herself to keep from screaming or running away. She comforted Allison, saying, "Madam Allison, please don't think too much. When Mr. Crawford comes back, you can talk to him. And you shouldn't cry. Tears are salty, and that's bad for your skin."

At the mention of her skin, Allison tilted her head back to force the tears back. Her skin could not handle even the slightest irritation right now.

Sophian watched her and glanced briefly at her chest. If Allison had not been disfigured, this movement would have seemed like pure melancholy. However, given that she was disfigured, it only intensified the horror.

Allison forced herself not to cry. It took her a long moment to suppress the urge to cry before she reluctantly left with Sophian. She was unwilling and resentful.

Inside Crawford Manor, Rainie heard the scream from the garden. Remembering Allison's face, she could not help but shudder.

"Don't be scared." Lanie, who had been watching the situation in the garden, turned to his younger sister after he saw Allison leave in her car. "Grandma's gone. Don't be afraid."

"Lanie, am I too cowardly?" Rainie's eyes glistened with unshed tears, looking pitiful.

If Luca had seen her like this, she would have been heartbroken.

"No, you're not. Grandma is just too terrifying, and that's why you're scared. But she's gone now, and she won't be back for a long time. Don't worry. We won't see her again." Lanie's cool demeanor softened as he comforted Rainie. He turned into a warm and caring older brother.

Tommy walked in and added, "Lanie's right. Don't worry, Rainie. Both Lanie and I will protect you! And Grandma's gone. She didn't get the upper hand this time, and she won't be coming back for a while. Even if she does, she won't gain anything from coming here anyway."

Lanie listened to Tommy. Smiling, he reached up to lightly flick his forehead. "That's not how you say it. And where did you learn that from?"

"Great-Grandpa has been really into martial arts novels lately, so I read a few too." Tommy rubbed his head and asked, "Lanie, then when should I use that phrase?"

"That phrase isn't something kids should say!" Lanie, acting like a little adult, lectured his younger brother." From now on, don't say things like that. If Daddy or Great-Grandpa hears it, they'll definitely scold you!"