The Infirmary.“Keep the ice on a little longer.”Just as the ice packs were being removed, the door to the infirmary burst open.James walked in with his mother, followed by Charlotte and the Garnett family.“You wretched woman! Give me back my daughter!” Mrs. Chancer yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Sarah. “The police took my daughter away, and you’re going to march down to that station right now and have her released!”James, slightly more composed, glanced at Sarah’s burns with a flicker of surprise. But when he saw Zachary standing nearby, his expression immediately soured.“Sarah, I apologize on behalf of my sister,” James began, trying to sound reasonable. “But don’t you think you went too far? Calling the police was unnecessary. You were just acting on impulse, weren’t you? Let’s put this behind us. If you can have her released, I’ll make sure you’re compensated for everything.”“James,” Sarah’s voice was sharp, “you think I went too far? Have you looked at what
“You’re lying! How could the dean act without the board’s approval? Don’t forget, we’re members of the board!” Mrs. Chancer scolded, her tone sharp.Sarah didn’t even glance at her, replying flatly, “Have you forgotten? There’s another board member here.”The mention of Zachary immediately silenced Mrs. Chancer. She didn’t dare speak further.Charlotte stepped forward again, her tone soft and persuasive. “Ms. Sanders, this situation can be resolved easily. There’s no need to escalate it this far. The Chancer family won’t give up on Lucy. Why not take the high road and forgive them?”“Shut up!” Sarah snapped, her voice low but cutting. “What does this have to do with you? You’re not even part of the Chancer family, so stop telling me what to do. And by the way, you took my phone, didn’t you?”Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“Stop playing dumb. I knew it was you the moment it went missing. I suggest you return my phone quickly—or throw it
Zachary gently placed Sarah into the car, settling her in the back seat before climbing into the driver’s seat himself.As the car started moving, Sarah took a closer look at her leg. After the ice pack treatment, the swelling had worsened, and her leg was now painfully puffy and red.Zachary gripped the steering wheel, his expression filled with guilt.The thermos had been his idea—he’d brought it to Sarah, filled with steaming hot water. If he hadn’t, perhaps none of this would have happened.The atmosphere inside the car was heavy, the air thick with tension. Sarah, sitting quietly in the back, could feel the weight of Zachary’s mood pressing down on her.“Zachary, what are you thinking about?” she asked, breaking the silence.Until now, he hadn’t shown this kind of expression, not even in the infirmary. Was it because of the Chancers?“I was thinking,” he said quietly, “if only I hadn’t brought that thermos today.”Sarah blinked, surprised. She hadn’t expected him to blame
Crash!The sound of a glass shattering on the floor broke the silence, startling both Sarah and Zachary.Sarah’s head snapped up, only to see Mia standing frozen, her eyes wide and mouth agape as she stared at Sarah’s swollen, injured leg.“Mia?” Sarah called softly.“Ah!” Mia let out a terrified scream, covering her ears as though shielding herself from something unbearable. She staggered backward in horror.“Help! Help!” she shrieked, her cries frantic and filled with pain. Then, in a bizarre twist, she began laughing hysterically. “Go away! Stay away! Leave me alone! Help! Sarah, don’t!”Her words were wild and scattered, as if she were seeing monsters no one else could see.Zachary’s brows furrowed deeply with worry. He quickly stepped forward to steady her. “Mia, it’s me.”But the sound of his voice seemed to trigger something far worse. Mia’s panic escalated into madness. Tears and snot ran freely down her face as she screamed.“Don’t come near me! Stay away! Help me!”
Lucy threw herself into James’s arms, sobbing hysterically. “James! Get me out of here! I can’t stand it! There’s no one to talk to in this awful place!”Mrs. Chancer’s heart ached as she looked at her daughter. “Lucy, your brother and I were so worried about you. The moment we heard you were in trouble, we went straight to that woman, but she refused to let you go no matter what! And that Zachary Reynolds, he’s clearly determined to protect Sarah. But what were you thinking, Lucy? How could you be so reckless? You dare provoke the Reynolds family!”“Mom! I know I was wrong, I really do! Please, get me out of here! If this news gets out tomorrow, everyone will know I was taken away by the police! How humiliating will that be? I can’t let that happen!” Lucy’s cries turned desperate. She clung to her mother’s clothes and James’s sleeve, sobbing uncontrollably.But no matter how much she pleaded, James’s face remained cold and unyielding as he looked at her.Panic flashed across Lucy’
Zachary thought for a moment. “No.”“Zachary, if Mia has another episode when she wakes up, I’ll call the hospital right away. I’ll also continue helping with her treatment,” Sarah said seriously.Zachary nodded. He trusted her completely.After everything that had happened, Sarah was utterly drained. She slumped back into the sofa, her breathing heavy.On top of the pain from her burns, a dull, twisting ache began forming in her lower stomach, like a sharp blade digging into her insides.She curled up slightly, clutching her abdomen tightly. Zachary noticed immediately.“Sarah, what’s wrong?”“My stomach…” she muttered weakly, sweat breaking out across her forehead. She didn’t have the energy to explain further.“Did you take your painkillers today?”“Not yet,” she managed.Zachary didn’t hesitate. He headed straight to the kitchen, pulling a bottle of prescribed pain medication from the cabinet. He poured a glass of warm water and set it on the counter before turning back t
Half an hour earlier, Sarah had tried to get up and make herself some noodles in the kitchen, but the pain in her leg was unbearable. That’s when she called Scarlett for help.Now, sitting comfortably on the couch, Sarah recounted everything to Scarlett—how Lucy had thrown the boiling water at her during the competition, and how James later barged into the infirmary to question her.Scarlett was fuming. “Those people are unbelievable! I’ve never liked that Lucy! Even when you were married to James, she treated you like her personal maid. Now that you’re divorced from that loser, she still won’t leave you alone. She’s rotten to the core!”“She probably wanted to use this competition to prove she’s better than me,” Sarah replied calmly. “But stealing the test papers? That’s crossing the line. It’s illegal.”Scarlett scoffed angrily. “Her brain must be missing a few screws! She spends all her time scheming instead of doing anything worthwhile. Honestly, her mother and that jerk James
“It’s not up to me,” Sarah said, her mouth still full of food. “Even if you came to me, it wouldn’t help. The dean already spoke to the Reynolds family, and they won’t let this go.”“I’m just worried…” Scarlett started to ramble, clearly lost in thought, when a knock at the door interrupted them. She looked at Sarah with confusion, only to see the same puzzled expression on her face.Scarlett opened the door cautiously. The moment she saw who it was, she slammed it shut again.“Who was it?” Sarah asked, still chewing.“That jerk!” Scarlett snapped irritably.“What does he want?” Sarah’s patience wore thin immediately.The knocking resumed, louder this time. Scarlett yanked the door open again, glaring at the man standing there. “What are you doing here? You’re not welcome! Leave!”“I need to talk to Sarah,” James said urgently, pushing the door open with force.“You’re out of your mind, James!” Scarlett shouted angrily, stumbling back from the shove.“James, this is my house!”
Outside the Sanders factory, several trucks were parked at the entrance. Sarah followed Manager Sullivan and Mr. Lambert, watching the unloading process. "Manager Sullivan, all this new equipment has arrived today, right from the headquarters' stock, and it's too late to ship from Germany now," Sarah observed, her voice serious.Mr. Lambert smiled, "I didn't expect you to handle this so quickly, Miss Sanders. It's only been a few days since you went to headquarters to file a complaint, and you've already got the equipment here.""It's all for the good of the factory," Sarah replied, her face still stern. "So, Manager Sullivan, the factory can operate normally now, right? Getting the production line back up is inevitable."Manager Sullivan's expression wasn't much happier; he hadn't expected Sarah to pull this off so quickly. He forced a smile, "Of course."As the equipment was moved into the factory, Manager Sullivan returned to his office, wiping sweat from his brow with his handk
Sarah was puzzled. "An explosion at such a critical moment would make anyone suspicious, wouldn't it? It looks like someone's trying to cover something up."Zachary nodded, his face showing disdain. "You're not the only one who thought so. But Old Mr. Wilson presented the last batch of drugs from their factory, which were supposed to be delivered to hospitals. The tests came back clean, and they claimed the explosion was due to a mishandling of ingredients."Sarah raised an eyebrow. "And everyone just bought that?""Yes, everyone did.""So, you want to prove the explosion wasn't an accident and use that to bring down the Wilson family?" Sarah asked softly.Zachary's face paled; he shook his head slightly. "It's not just that. I want to do more, but..."Sarah shrugged, as if she was used to this kind of talk. "Let me guess, the timing isn't right yet?"Zachary looked at her sincerely. "Sarah, I'm really glad you came to help me with my wounds. When the time is right, I'll come to
Sarah didn't respond to Zachary's earlier words—she simply moved with even more care as she cleaned and bandaged his wound. Her eyes stayed fixed on the task at hand, but her expression was unreadable.Zachary, watching her in silence, gave a soft laugh. "You do care about me, Sasa. No matter what you say, you're not as heartless as you pretend to be."Sarah shook her head, her voice calm but cool. "You're overthinking it. We're both from East Coast—I just don't want to see you die. Besides, you're getting engaged to Miss Wilson in just over half a month. I’m clear of our positions. So please, don't say things like that again."Zachary's face changed instantly. He knew she was right—his engagement to Vivian was a chasm between them, one that he couldn't just leap across. Not while the truth remained buried.That engagement wasn't just a label. It was a shield. A smokescreen. A compromise he'd made to protect Sarah. But knowing she believed it, that it stood between them, only deepe
Charlie felt a chill run down his spine from that single glance. Considering her status, he dared not push any further. "That's all I have to say. The rest is up to you to figure out."He fled the scene, leaving Sarah alone in the room.After washing up, she lay on the bed and checked her emails. Her cousin had sent her updates on the construction progress at Pine Mist Island.Once she finished handling her affairs, Sarah tucked herself under the covers and closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but rest eluded her.Her mind was filled with what Charlie had said about Zachary being injured. He was hurt, and she had no idea how serious the wound was.If it was severe, he would need hospital treatment, which would certainly leave a record and expose his location.If he didn't want his whereabouts known, he would have to treat the injury himself at home.But that wound...Sarah couldn't calm her thoughts. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.Under the bright moonlight, a figu
After the doctor left, Charlie yanked out his IV and clambered off the bed, urging Zachary, "Let's get out of here. This place just drains you dry."Zachary, indifferent since his injuries were feigned, asked, "Your injuries alright?"Charlie, ever so casual about his resilience, boasted, "Ah, I've been roughed up worse before. Just give me a couple of days to rest at home, and I'll be as good as new."With unresolved matters and a longing to see Sarah, Zachary reluctantly set aside his desires. "Then you head back. Call me if you need anything."Charlie, sensing something off, gently tugged at Zachary's suit and noticed his white shirt stained with fresh blood. "Zach, you're hurt!"Zachary's lips were pale, his voice dry. "Yeah.""I'll get the doctor to bandage you up," Charlie said, moving to leave."No need," Zachary stopped him quickly, not wanting to expose his whereabouts by registering at the hospital."What about your wound?""I have a first aid kit at home. It's just
Zachary dragged the unconscious Charlie to the clinic, exacerbating Charlie's injuries as his back scraped against the small stones on the road.When Charlie woke up in the clinic, his howls filled the room. "It's killing me! Where's the doctor? Give me some anesthesia. I'd rather be out cold!"The nurse, irritated by his constant demands, was about to lose her patience when Zachary entered the room. Seeing him, Charlie momentarily forgot his pain and burst into tears. "Bro, did you save me? From now on, you're like a brother to me."Zachary responded indifferently, "Just focus on healing."As the nurse changed Charlie's bandages, she couldn't help but blush at Zachary's rugged, yet undeniably handsome appearance, even slightly disheveled from the fight."Damn it, get out! Are you doing this on purpose, you wretch? Trying to kill me?" Charlie slapped her, swelling her face, as he misunderstood her distracted clumsiness for malice.Zachary frowned, saying nothing. Although he disl
With an agile flip through the air, Zachary caught sight of Charlie sneaking a peek from behind a haystack, his sleazy demeanor perfectly deserving of a beating. The thought of what this scoundrel had done to Sarah intensified Zachary's fury, already heightened by the fierce combat.On the other side, the casino manager watched in rage as his men were effortlessly knocked down by Zachary. Cursing loudly, he shouted, "Damn it, what's the story with this kid?"Seeing some of his underlings still looking for an opportunity to strike, his anger boiled over. "Are you all brainless? Attack him all at once; I refuse to believe he can fight off everyone!"Those still standing and those who had managed to get back up exchanged glances and charged at Zachary with renewed ferocity.Zachary's sharp eyes flashed with disdain. Without moving, his fist met an attacker's face at an extraordinarily tricky angle.The attacker's pained expression froze mid-air, and when he hit the ground, dust flew
Charlie's voice cut off abruptly as he stared in horror behind Zachary, his body beginning to tremble. Before he could speak, the casino manager had already set up a blockade on the road and rushed over with his men, ambushing them from both sides."Charlie, you think you're pretty clever, conniving with outsiders to cheat me out of my money?" the casino manager sneered, twirling an iron rod menacingly.Charlie's legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, stuttering, "Bro, what are you talking about? How could I dare cheat you? I don't have the guts.""Stop lying to me," the manager bellowed, pointing the iron rod toward a visibly unmoved Zachary. "This pretty boy, you've been colluding with him to cheat on my turf. Sick of living, are you?""No, it's all a misunderstanding! We were gambling fair and square, no cheating!" Charlie was terrified, fearing a brutal beating was imminent.The manager scoffed, "You think I'm blind?"Sweat poured down Charlie's forehead as he desperately l
”Come on… Come on…” Charlie leaned over the long table, his eyes crazed as he watched the dealer's movements. The dealer placed his hand over the dice cup, his voice stirring the gamblers, "Any more bets? The odds are thirty to one now." As soon as he finished speaking, a burly man with a scruffy beard shoved most of his chips forward. "Damn it, I'm all in. Worst comes to worst, I'll con some more out of my old lady's funeral fund." Others, eyes reddened, quickly followed suit.Charlie clenched his yellowed teeth, tempted to go all in too. He glanced at Zachary, who had remained calm throughout, and rubbed his hands together with a sycophantic smile. "Bro, should we make a big play too?"Zachary gave him a brief glance. "What's the rush." Charlie had no choice but to curb his eagerness."Here it goes!" The dealer shouted, and the outcome was revealed, triggering moans of despair around them."Did we win? Did we actually win?" Charlie rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his smile wideni