Zachary opened the latest post - an audio file. When he played it, he heard a conversation between a woman and Sarah.Mia was surprised too. Besides their voices, she heard Dean Larson's voice. "Ha! Let's see what those trolls say now! That professor stole Sarah's paper!"She recognized Professor Wells's voice too - they must be in a meeting.She happily posted several comments under the recording. "Zac, Sarah's okay now."Zachary's expression darkened. "Let me take you home first.""We're not waiting for Sarah?""I'll come back after dropping you off."Mia's eyes widened with excitement. "Zac, hurry then! When are you going to make Sarah my sister-in-law?"Zachary patted her head, amused by her persistence. He smiled, "Soon."Back in her office, Sarah reviewed everything carefully, even checking the security footage, but found no clues. Who had stolen her paper?Could Grace really have stolen it herself?She packed up and left the building, surprised to find Zachary waiting
She remembered Zachary making soup in her kitchen before giving her medicine. Setting up a pot, she made herself a simple chicken soup.The plagiarism incident was resolved swiftly. Within two days, Grace's paper was retracted and a formal announcement made. The university promptly terminated her employment.Sarah had just finished reading the notice when she received a call from the Academic Journal.They were direct. “Miss Sanders, your research is groundbreaking. Once you publish, we'd like to discuss featuring it in our journal."Sarah stayed professional. "I'll reach out after publication."Meanwhile, the Psychology Journal's editor emailed, apologizing for their previous harsh treatment."We deeply regret our hasty judgment. Your paper is exceptional, and we were dismayed to see Harrison’s publication. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared - could we discuss publication?""Certainly," Sarah replied.Both prestigious journals wanted her work, though she could only choos
"She's fine! Someone's watching her. She won't die," Grace said coldly.Sarah was deeply worried. Mia's psychological trauma made her sensitive to stress - being kidnapped could trigger another episode."Mia has mental health issues. She can't handle shock. Take me to her - once I see she's safe, I'll write whatever you want!"Sarah kept her voice gentle, noticing Grace seemed on the verge of breakdown.Perhaps the paper incident had pushed her over the edge. Sarah spoke even more softly. "Professor Harrison, remember that before your dismissal, you were a teacher. You taught at Adams for many years, and Mia was your student. Teachers should protect their students. I believe this isn't what you really want, and we can still resolve this before it gets worse. I'll help write your paper, but think about it - you were caught last time. What if you're discovered again? As a psychology professor yourself, you must understand your current state. Don't do something you'll regret!"Grace
Zachary's face was tense as he asked urgently, "Are you okay?""I'm fine, Zac. I was just taking photos. What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.Zachary took a deep breath. "It's Sarah. She went to rescue you.""Rescue me? What do you mean?" Mia's eyes widened.Zachary quickly opened the car door. "No time to explain. Get in!"Once inside, he explained everything to her."What?! That's impossible! My phone died - I couldn't have answered any calls!" Mia pulled out her phone in shock.His assistant sat in the passenger seat, frantically tracking the license plate.Zachary gripped the wheel tightly. He'd received Sarah's call during his meeting. She hadn't spoken when he answered, despite his repeated questions. He'd almost hung up, but thankfully stayed on the line long enough to hear crucial details.He'd immediately ordered a search on Grace's background and the license plate number.After checking security footage and seeing Mia safe, he realized Sarah had been tricked!In the
Sarah leaped onto the fire escape between the second floor and ground level.She jumped down and bolted through the main gate.Grace quickly pursued in her car, but Sarah darted through narrow alleys where cars couldn't follow, eventually losing her.She avoided main streets, fearing she'd be spotted.She sprinted through back alleys for nearly an hour without seeing a soul. Her feet were blistered and bleeding in her heels, and without her phone, she felt completely lost.Thunder cracked overhead. Sarah had no idea where she was, surrounded only by empty lots with no shelter in sight.She kept running as rain began falling, soaking through her blouse and skirt.A chill crept up from her feet as her drenched clothes clung to her skin, the wind cutting right through them.Hugging herself for warmth, she followed street signs. After what felt like forever, she spotted headlights through the downpour and raised her hand weakly. "Help..."The car stopped, and someone rushed toward
Watching Sarah sip her soup in the hospital bed, Zachary couldn't shake the image of her collapsing in the rain.When she'd fainted in that downpour, he'd felt his world stop.Zachary walked quietly to the window, watching spring buds emerging on the hospital's manicured lawn.A patient crept across the grass and snapped off one of the fresh blooms.His heart jumped, his expression darkening.A vision flashed through his mind: a girl lying in a pool of blood, another screaming hysterically before fainting.The memory made him unsteady. He braced one hand against the wall, pressing the other to his temple."Are you alright?" Sarah asked.Zachary forced a smile, gradually relaxing his frown. "Just tired. Have you finished?""Yes." Sarah dabbed her mouth with a napkin.She tried removing her IV, but Zachary stopped her."Let's wait for the doctor. Your fever hasn't broken yet."At the abandoned warehouse, a black Porsche Cayenne pulled up. Sarah stepped out in her hospital gow
Tears welled in Grace's eyes, her lips trembling. "But you won't let this go. Even without today, I still broke the law.""Actually, I was planning to let it go. The university fired you, and I'm republishing the paper - both journals are eager to work with me. I had no reason to destroy you completely."She looked at Grace sincerely, clearly not lying.Grace stared at Sarah in disbelief. "Impossible! Impossible!" She thrashed about, shouting, "She told me you were going to blacklist me everywhere! After I was fired, I thought about opening my own practice, but she said you wouldn't let me. I was desperate - that's why I tried to force you to write for me."Sarah challenged her. "Even if I wrote something, how could you publish it?""She said she'd help! Her family is powerful, they could definitely help me."Sarah sighed. "Did you really think I had that kind of power to completely blacklist you?"Grace glanced at Zachary. "Not you, but he does. She told me you two had somethin
Sarah laughed coldly. "Lucy's hatred for me isn't new. You should know her reputation at the university better than me - you taught her. She loves playing these games. Even if you got my paper, she would never help you. She just wanted to get at me. Once that was done, why would she care about you?"Grace burst into tears, biting her lip. "It's my fault. I listened to her and kidnapped you. It's all my fault.""What about that photo?" Sarah remembered how that picture had convinced her.Grace paused, pressing her lips together. "Lucy arranged it. She had someone befriend Mia and take her for photos. The picture was staged."Grace finished speaking, her face pale, head hanging low.Sarah and Zachary exchanged glances. They knew Mia's personality made her easy to approach.Her friendly nature meant she could make friends in hours. But if she learned she'd inadvertently caused Sarah harm, she'd be devastated. Sarah studied Grace intently - Lucy couldn't get away with this anymore.
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