Karen's gaze deepened. She was slightly disappointed when she heard that Myra did not
pay attention to what the guy looked like.
However, Myra mentioned that he was just an average-looking guy. Karen picked up her
phone, scrolled through the photo taken by the private detective, and showed the photo of
Luca and Johann standing together. She asked, "Is this the man?"
Myra took a glance, shook her head, and answered, "No, this man's appearance doesn't go
unnoticed. He's completely different from the previous one."
Karen smirked and replied, "Perfect. Then I'll have the private detective keep an eye on
this."
Margaret picked up her cup. She was in a good mood at the thought of Luke and Luca
would be embarrassed soon enough. She suggested, "Shall we toast to our teamwork?"
Karen had no objections and raised her coffee cup.
Myra quickly followed suit and raised her coffee cup as well.
The moment their cups clinked, cunning smirks spread across their faces.
Karen elegantly took a sip of her coffee and said, "Since Luca is having an affair with
another man, we'll have to take it slow. Once the detective finds evidence, we can bring it
to the reporters together."
Combining two scandals was better than having just one.
Moreover, Karen was worried that Luke would stand out to defend Luca if she revealed this
matter. That way, there was no way for her to relieve her pent-up hatred.
However, if Luke found out he had been cheated on, he definitely would not defend Luca.
Then, she could easily crush Luca into pieces, could she not?
"More waiting." Margaret frowned. She had already understood Karen's intention earlier.
Still, when she thought how cunning Luca was, she was sure she would not spend too
much time with her lover. It might take some time to get the evidence.
"Waiting is necessary, of course." Myra did not mind waiting. They could wait as long as
needed. The Hudson family would surely be safe with her connection to the Mallory family.
"I saw it with my own eyes. Once we have evidence, Luca will be facing retaliation from
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtLuke. They'll both be embarrassed and end up being scorned by everyone. Thinking about
it makes me feel good."
Even before they took action, the thought of that scene alone eased a lot of the frustration
in her heart.
Karen added, "That bastard, Luke Crawford, thinks he's a big shot in romance. If these
matters get exposed before he gets tired of a woman, he might still stand out to defend
her. So, we'll have to seek revenge on Luca as well. It's not easy to take action, but if we
bring the evidence of Luca's affair out in
the open, won't we have her in the palm of our hands?"
Margaret harbored deep hatred for Luca. Their words easily convinced her. "Alright. Let's
do it this way."
The three of them reached an agreement. Karen looked at the address Myra had sent to
her and forwarded it to the detective, instructing him to investigate the area and capture
evidence of Luca's affair.
Passing up the chance to make money when one could was a foolish thing to do. The
detective readily agreed when he received Karen's message.
...
On the other hand, Luca walked into her home carrying several bags in her hand.
The kids had already been sent back home by Zander. Three of them rushed up to Luca
when they saw her return. "Ms. Luca, you're back!"
The three children practically spoke at the same time.
Luca's heart swelled with maternal love when she looked at the three kids. She nodded
and said, "Yes. I knew you'd be back today. So, I got you some gifts."
"Yay, there are gifts!" Tommy widened his eyes and exclaimed with excitement.
They were the kids from the Crawford family, so they were accustomed to people trying to
curry favor with the Crawford family by giving them gifts. Therefore, receiving presents
was something normal for them. It was nothing surprising.
However, these gifts were prepared by their mother. That was why it was not just the
same old story.
Luca sat on the couch, surrounded by the three children. She placed the bags on the
coffee table.
Before she could open them, Aunt Neile approached with a cup in hand. "Ms. Craw, would
you like to have some water?"
"Thank you, Aunt Neile." Luca took a hearty gulp, feeling a bit thirsty after her trip outside.
She set the cup aside and opened the bags, taking out the toys and books she had bought
for the kids.
"Wow, there are so many!" Tommy exclaimed in awe, taking the items Luca handed over
to him. Then, he glanced at the gifts his brother and sister held in their hands. He added,
"Lanie, Rainie, you've got a lot of gifts too."
"Thanks, Ms. Luca," Rainie looked at the toys and books and happily thanked Luca.
Storybooks were her current favorites. Luca had bought quite a few of them, and they
were the ones she had not read before.
Rainie was amazed. She had many books on her shelf, yet Luca managed to find ones she
did not have. It seemed like she really put some thought into it for them.
Luca knew what books they had read and what books they had not touched yet.
Luca gently patted Rainie's head. "I'm glad you like them."
She handed the last bag to Aunt Neile and said, "Aunt Neile, these are snacks for the kids.
Can you please help put them away?"
"Alright, Ms. Craw." Aunt Neile took the bag of snacks, knowing that the kids would be
thrilled.
Lanie held the books in his arms, treasuring it. He reminded Aunt Neile, "Aunt Neile,
please put the snacks on a higher shelf. Don't let Tommy get them."
Ever since they returned to Crawford Manor, Tommy had not been eating properly and
sneaking snacks on the side.
As the elder brother, Lanie had to remind him frequently. Even though the snacks were
carefully selected, constant consumption was not good for their health.
Moreover, Tommy's habit of sneaking snacks and not eating proper meals worried him.
Hence, when he saw the snacks, he felt the need to give a heads-up.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Lanie, I won't snack on the sly!" Tommy protested and pouted his mouth.
He was used to Luca's home cooked meals and found Crawford Manor's meals to be just
so-so. Comparatively, snacks tasted better. That was why he would occasionally have
more than he should.
It was especially when he did not eat well during meals, snacks became his go-to fillers
when hungry.
"Sure, sneaky little piggy," teased Lanie with his lips curling up playfully.
Now that everyone was back, Tommy probably would not sneak snacks anymore. Even if
he did, Lanie would not bother to intervene anymore.
Their parents were here, and he was just a kid. Why should he watch over his little
brother?
Tommy was still young. Cutting him some slack would make him favor his elder siblings
more, but policing him might not yield the same result.
Lanie did not want his little brother holding a grudge against him.
"I'm not a piggy!" Tommy swung his chubby little arms in protest. Then, he turned to Luca,
explaining with a hint of aggrievement in his voice, "Ms. Luca, the home cooked meals
that Mrs. Nancy prepared weren't as delicious as yours. I wasn't used to the food there.
That's why I've been eating more snacks."
When Luca saw how aggrieved the children looked and thought how Tommy had not been
eating well but snacking a lot when they were at Crawford Manor, Luca's heart went out
for them. She nodded and said, "Alright. Now that everyone's back, let's have proper
meals, okay?"
"Yeah!" Tommy nodded. Even though Luca did not often cook meals, Aunt Neile followed
Luca's recipes when she prepared them. Hence, the taste was better compared to what
Mrs. Nancy had prepared.
Luca understood that Mrs. Nancy was a good cook, but the kids had grown accustomed to
the taste here.
It was only natural they found it different when they went back.
Luca continued, "Alright. From now on, let's cut back on snacks and have more proper
meals. That's how you grow strong and tall."