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.
"What are you talking about? Mia! This is campus property - you can't assault me!" Jenny sobbed."Playing dumb? Let me refresh your memory!" Mia grabbed her hair harder. "You powered off my phone and hid it yesterday! Just to block any incoming calls!"She snatched Jenny's designer bag and found her iPhone, forcing her to unlock it with Face ID. In the messages, she found Lucy's chat history. Her fury grew as she read - Lucy had orchestrated everything: befriending her, suggesting the photoshoot, arranging the phone theft.Because of Jenny's schemes, Sarah had been hurt! She wouldn't let this go unpunished!"The evidence is right here on your phone. How do you explain this?" Mia's voice was ice-cold.She turned to the watching students. "This girl stole my phone and conspired with Lucy Chancer to manipulate me! Anyone want to take her side?"The students backed away, shaking their heads.Humiliated, Jenny snapped. "Mia! This is a prestigious university! I'm reporting you to the
Jenny watched Lucy flee in panic, momentarily stunned. Her eyes widened with realization, and she quickly ran away too.Lucy didn't even stop to grab her designer bag or notify administration. She rushed straight through the campus gates, jumping into the first Uber she saw and heading home.Mrs. Chancer was surprised to see her. "Lucy, don't you have afternoon lectures? Why are you home? I've invited Katherine and Emma over for tea.”Lucy looked at her mother in panic. "Mom! What do I do? The police are coming for me!""What are you talking about? Why would the police arrest you?" her mother was bewildered.Seeing her daughter's frightened face, she realized. "What have you done now?!""Mom! It's that b*tch! Sarah must have called the police again!" Lucy's voice trembled.Her mother steadied her, asking several times before Lucy stammered out,” Mom! Remember that professor who plagiarized a paper and published it online? After she was fired, she kidnapped Sarah yesterday - some
She was his sister - of course he didn't want her in trouble.On the highway, a black Maybach shot forward like lightning, ignoring speed limits and radar zones. The driver floored the accelerator, struggling to keep control of the steering wheel.But Lucy felt they weren't moving fast enough. She'd booked a flight leaving in thirty minutes. If she could just make it in time, she'd be safe in Milan.Just as the airport came into view, a police motorcycle appeared beside them, sirens blaring. "Pull over! Stop the car!""Don't stop!" Lucy screamed. The driver, following orders, pressed the accelerator harder. The car lurched forward.Before she could catch her breath, police motorcycles emerged from both sides, patrol cars following behind. Sirens echoed across the highway.Lucy's heart pounded as she stared fearfully out the window.The driver was panicking. "What should we do, Miss?""What do you mean? Keep going! Faster!" Her eyes were wild, all reason gone.The police motorc
Fresh from the gambling den, Charlie was ecstatic, clutching a bundle of cash and laughing wildly. "Zach, we won thirty thousand! Can you believe they just let us walk out?"He found it unbelievable, but Zach seemed unfazed. They hadn't just taken the house; they'd also won a considerable amount from other gamblers, and even helped the house make a profit. It was no wonder they weren't stopped.Holding the money, Charlie mused, "Zach, you wouldn’t believe it. The rich just keep getting richer. Today, our factory received a shipment of equipment, and I heard just one machine costs millions. Compared to them, this thirty thousand really isn't much."Zach casually mentioned, "It seems like the Sanders factory is the only big one left around here."Charlie quickly retorted with a smirk, "Actually, in West Ridge, Sanders isn’t the biggest."Zach raised an eyebrow, "Really? I thought I knew West Ridge pretty well. Apart from Sanders, I haven’t seen any factory bigger than theirs."Char
Charlie finally got it—Manager Sullivan was forcing him to take on this task. He gritted his teeth and determinedly agreed, "Manager, I'll do it."Manager Sullivan smiled approvingly, "That's the spirit! Good employees like you are what this factory needs. Don't worry, the higher-ups won't let your efforts go unrewarded. If you pull this off, you could be looking at a bonus of several thousand."Charlie nodded, "Tonight, then?"Manager Sullivan's expression grew serious as he nodded back, "Yes, tonight."That afternoon, Charlie clocked out and went straight to find Zachary. He couldn’t go back to the old gambling den—they had made a mess last time and were probably blacklisted. As for the money he owed, Charlie didn’t care anymore. After all, they had won a lot last time only to have it stolen, which he figured squared things. Still, that didn't stop him from wanting to gamble again.Just a few days later, he found Zachary and even brought what he considered a fine cigar.As for
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