Allison did not like Bianca. She hated her ever since she knew that Bianca was a Rayne and was Kevin Rayne's daughter.
Any other woman could marry Luke and be her daughter-in-law, but absolutely not Bianca!
She had concealed her true sentiments about Bianca out of consideration of her son's feelings and the family's harmony. Instead, she plotted covertly to keep her away.
She felt a little guilty looking at how angry her son had become, but at the same time felt that she did not need to keep up with the act.
She would openly and brazenly keep that woman away from him!
Even if she would burn bridges with Luke, they were nevertheless mother and son. That was a relationship that no one could write off for the rest of their lives.
"You want an explanation? About what? About how I've gone with that scumbag Kevin Rayne after I was dumped by your father?" Allison confessed, considering her son's intelligent and relentless temperament.
As expected, Luke looked extremely shocked.
Allison scrunched up her face and started crying. "I didn't want anyone to know about that unmentionable past. When he was alive, your father was domineering and merciless. He won't forgive me if he knew that I went with that scumbag Kevin Rayne, and he won't accept you as his son either! I've hidden that secret from everyone for more than twenty years!
"Now, even though your father is gone, I still wished you hadn’t known about that contemptible episode. That's why I tried everything to stop you from being in contact with Bianca. I thought that you weren't serious with her, and if that were the case, you should have left her as soon as you can. I don't want you to end up like your mother, forced into a dead end by a Rayne…"
As she spoke, she went over to the vanity and opened a safe.
Inside was a stack of receipts. All the jewelry and other expensive things were gone.
"Look at these!' She handed the stack of receipts to her son.
Luke looked at them. They were receipts of jewelry sold for money.
Like most other women, Allison loved jewelry.
Over the years, Luke had attended many charity events with jewelry put on auction. However, there were no females in the household other than his mother and his very young daughter.
He would not hesitate to bid on the items and pass them to his mother since he knew that she loved jewelry.
He was surprised that all that jewelry had been turned into money.
Logically, his mother should not have been short on spending money. However, according to the Crawford family tradition, all expenditures were recorded and tracked.
It was a habit passed down from Old Master Crawford's father. Whenever someone in the family spent money, it would be recorded down, so that no one would use the family money for illicit means.
Now that the expensive jewelry had turned into money, where did the money go?
Allison sighed when her eyes met with her son's interrogative gaze. "Kevin Rayne is ill, and he needs a lot of money for treatment. It was the same time when I forced Bianca Rayne to leave you.
"She knows about my sordid past with her father, and she tries to give me trouble whenever she could…
"From then on, the father and daughter blackmailed me countless times.
Luke walked down the stairs. The caretakers cleaning downstairs paused their chores and greeted him "Sir" or "Young Master."
Luke's brows were raised dangerously. As he walked across the yard, he looked like a bad-tempered noble from a period drama.
"Luke, what's going on so early in the morning…"
Old Master Crawford noticed his grandson leaving the manor. He wanted to speak to him, but Luke did not even turn around. Instead, he got into his car, floored the gas pedal, and sped away.
Without her son's trust, Allison had to rely on other forces to stop Bianca from entering the Crawford household.
Now, only Old Master Crawford was the only one who could control her son!
"Shouldn't you do something about this, Father? It'll be a disaster!" Allison cried dejectedly as she walked down the stairs.
Old Master Crawford was surprised.
Allison told him about what happened earlier that morning. "If the Tanners know that Luke made out with their son's wife, I can't predict what they'll do! Indeed, Xavier has snatched Bianca away from Luke, but their marriage is legally protected. Father, are you going to allow your grandson to ruin the family's reputation?"
When Old Master Crawford heard that, his chest immediately tightened, and he could not breathe.
Allison quickly stepped up to steady Old Master Crawford while yelling at a caretaker near the door. "Quick, call Young Master Luke! Tell him that his grandfather is suffering a heart attack!"
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