Luca's gaze slightly lowered, and suddenly she remembered the words Susan said to her while she was drunk at the time Luke
brought her back to Crawford Manor.
She thought they were heartfelt, but in reality, they were quite awkward.
Now, here she was in yet another awkward situation. Even though Susan had changed her tone, Luca could not help but recall
the past and found it as awkward as before.
Susan noticed that Luca did not say anything. She thought her words had struck a chord. Therefore, she changed her approach,
putting on the expression of a wise elder. She said with sincerity, "You're beautiful, talented, and young. What kind of man can't
you find?"
Luca blinked her eyes. Was she actually complimenting her?
If Susan was truly complimenting her, it was as likely as seeing pigs fly.
Luca lifted her head and put on a pitiful expression on her face. She did not understand why Luke had not come down yet. Since
she let Susan in, it was up to her to resolve this issue now. "Madam Crawford, you're absolutely right. I know I'm exceptional, but
I've realized that with someone as outstanding as me, I must find a man better than me. That's why I decided to be with Luke."
Susan was rendered speechless for a moment. What nonsense was she talking about?
After praising her a couple of times for being outstanding, did she actually consider herself an outstanding person? Did she have
no shame?
Suppressing her urge to mock, Susan continued persuading, "There are plenty of good men in the world. I heard you're from
Russia. Aren't there many successful businessmen in Russia?
"You can easily leave Luke and become someone's legitimate wife instead of a mistress. Besides, Luke truly loves Bianca.
Perhaps his lapse in judgment is due to his loneliness while Bianca is away. When Bianca returns, you... Sigh."
Luca sat up straight while listening to her, pretending to hesitate for a moment. However, her tone carried a sense of
determination.
"But the more I'm with Luke, the more I sink into it. Madam Crawford, I truly love him. I can stand behind him for a lifetime, even
if I'm not acknowledged or known. It doesn't matter as long as I'm by his side, because I love him." Luca intentionally said these
to provoke Susan.
However, what she said was the truth as well.
She loved Luke Crawford.
She would love him for the rest of her life.
No matter what she went through, nothing could change her feelings.
As Susan watched Luca confess her love for Luke passionately, she could not help but feel annoyed.
She had come here to create a rift between Luca and Luke today.
The way things were headed, it was like she was doing them a favor!
Susan stopped putting on a show and became blunt. "You shameless mistress. Love? Do you even understand love? Are you
worthy of it? You're only after Luke's money, aren't you? I won't allow you to be together with Luke!"
"Mother, what right do you have to disapprove of me being with Luca?" Luke's voice echoed from upstairs.
He had not even arrived yet, but his voice had already reached them.
Luca turned around to glance at the staircase corner where Luke was.
It turned out he had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Susan behind the stairs!
Luca recalled the affectionate words she had just spoken and could not help but blush. She had never said something like that
back when she was just Bianca.
Surprisingly, the honest words she had told Susan to provoke her had all been overheard.
Luca felt embarrassed...
Susan saw Luke make his way down the stairs and raised an eyebrow.
She assumed he was working late at T Corporation...
After all, when she left Crawford Manor, she had asked if Luke had returned home.
Old Master Crawford told her that Luke had gone to work.
Work? Should he not be at the company? Why was he working here?
Susan glanced at the wall clock. It was not too late yet. According to Luke's working habits, he would not be back before
midnight!
"Luke, you're here." Susan changed the subject and softened her tone.
"Yes, I was upstairs handling some work," replied Luke without mentioning that he had overheard their conversation. He went
down the stairs and took a seat next to Luca.
As soon as he sat down, his large hand gently held Luca's delicate hand.
Luca was startled for a moment, but then she held his strong hand in return.
As Susan watched their hands entwined like they were deliberately showing off, she felt disgusted. She did not expect that her
carefully crafted words would fail to achieve her intended outcome. Luke had also heard everything.
Moreover, Luca's insincere confession might actually make Luke fall deeper for her.
She must have known that Luke was listening from behind the stairs. That was why she said that!
Susan secretly cursed Luca in her heart. Then, she straightened her posture, adopting the demeanor of an elder. "Luke, you've
been too careless about this matter. Even though I knew about your relationship with Luca, the situation is different now.
"With everything out in the open, I don't want the Crawford family's reputation to be tarnished. I don't want others to say that all
the men in the Crawford family are the same.
"That's why I've come to talk to Luca. I hope you understand that this is my sincere concern as your mother." “Mother, I refuse to
accept it." Luke's gaze darkened. He treated everyone the same, except when it came to Luca and the kids. That was when his
tender side came out.
"You..." Susan had already expected him to say something like that. She knew her plan had failed. Now that Luke had come
downstairs, there was no way she could continue trying to create divisions.
She had no choice but to shake her head helplessly and say, "Never mind. You've never really treated me as your mother
anyway. Since you refuse to accept what I said, just pretend I never came. I might as well have thrown my efforts down the
drain."
Luca frowned. What was she saying?
Efforts?
In vain?
These words did not sound well-intentioned, and it was likely that even Tommy would not fall for them.
Luca pondered for a moment and thought it was wrong to get Tommy involved in this. The child could not wait to run and hide
from Susan when he saw her.
After all, the child often met Susan when he was at Crawford Manor.
When Susan was at Crawford Manor, she was not pleasant to anyone. The kids did not like her, and some were even afraid of
her. That was perfectly normal.
"Mother, save it for Louis and Thea," replied Luke, repeating the words he said to her when they were at Crawford Manor. "I'll
take responsibility for my choices, and I have the capability to handle this matter. You don't have to worry about it."
Susan took a deep breath to maintain her composure. She did not want to let him get under her skin.
"Fine. You can pretend I never came today. But, Ms. Craw, what I said was the truth. And Luke, Bianca has some influential
supporters on her side. If you insist on choosing Luca, be prepared for potential challenges from the Norman family.
"When have businessmen ever defeated politicians? I'm saying all this because I care about your wellbeing. Choosing Bianca
will make your path smoother. But if you choose Luca..."
Susan cast a disdainful glance at Luca, brimming with contempt. "Apart from acquiring a few formulas, what else can the
company gain? Anyone can develop those formulas. What can she bring to the table? You're part of the Crawford family. You
should learn how to make the right choices."a