She nearly facepalmed.Which staff member bought those apples? Dock their pay.Zachary finally looked up. “You’re the only one who’s ever given me an apple.”Sarah blinked. “Seriously? You’ve never celebrated Christmas before?”“Every Christmas, tons of people try to send me gifts. I always have my assistant return them—unopened. I’ve never accepted a single one.”“That’s… kind of sad.”If Mia were standing here, she’d probably roll her eyes and say, “Sad? My Christmas apples probably ended up in some dog’s food bowl.”Zachary looked at her. “Sasa, I’m really happy today.”“You’ve only been here for five minutes,” Sarah replied, wary. “Wait! Don’t say some cheesy pickup line!”Steven wandered over just in time. “Zachary, tell her the ones I wrote for you! Way better than any cringey sweet talk.”Scarlett jumped in too, hyping him up. “Yeah! Steven is the king of romantic lines.”Sarah rubbed her forehead. There’s no saving her.“I wasn’t going to say anything cheesy,” Zacha
“Steven,” Zachary said calmly, “go back to Scarlett now. Don’t mention what just happened to anyone. And I mean anyone. Forget it, too. As for that man… I’ll look into him. Leave everything to me, alright? Acting on impulse is reckless. If you tip him off before we know the full picture, you’ll ruin everything. You don’t want him to get suspicious, do you?”Hearing Zachary’s words, Steven slowly calmed down. “Zachary… do you really think you can find him?”“I can,” Zachary replied without hesitation. “When I say I want to find someone, I never fail. And the fact that he dared come back to East Coast? That just makes it easier. He’s walked right into the trap. Don’t you want to know who’s the mastermind?”Steven nodded firmly. “I trust you, Zachary.”“Good. Then act like nothing happened. Eat, drink, have fun—just like before. Leave the rest to me.”—The banquet was going smoothly. As night fell, the weather turned chilly, so everyone moved into the hotel’s grand hall. Sarah had
The woman lowered her gaze, bit her lip, then looked up with a sultry smile. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, “Good evening, Mr. Spencer.”“Evening,” Leon replied.As soon as he heard her voice, Leon realized she wasn’t the real thing—but God, she looked almost exactly like her.Those eyes, that delicate mouth, the pale, porcelain skin… Her features were nearly identical to Sarah’s.But the moment she spoke, the excitement in Leon’s eyes faded. No matter how alike she looked, she wasn’t her.Vivian noticed his disappointment and said lightly, “If you can’t have the real thing, isn’t a perfect copy the next best option? Besides, she’ll be very useful to us.”Leon didn’t respond. Instead, he slipped an arm around the woman’s waist and used his other hand to lift her chin, his voice low and smooth. “What’s your name?”“I’ll be whoever you want me to be,” she answered shyly, her eyes fixed on the tip of his nose.“Then your name is Sasa.”The moment the
Charlotte stepped back into James’s study. The cup from earlier was still tipped over, and the computer screen remained lit. She had to check—was there a second invitation?She reopened the Pine Mist Island Resort website—only to be met with a live broadcast screen.She forgot about crying. Wiping her tears away quickly, she clicked into the stream.The resort's site was airing the Christmas gala live from multiple camera angles. She could even switch between them.Charlotte felt like a detective, scanning each feed one by one—until finally, in the lower right corner of the main feed, she spotted a familiar figure.James.He really had gone to the party.Even after she’d torn that damn invitation apart, he’d still managed to get in.Fury surged through her. She grabbed the nearby cup and hurled it at the floor.The shattering porcelain rang out like a scream.So that was it? He liked her that much? Liked her so much that even just seeing her from afar, without a word, was eno
James had remained silent through all of Charlotte’s yelling—but the moment she insulted Sarah, he finally reacted.“Charlotte, that’s enough. You’ve gone too far,” he said coldly.“I’m the one who’s gone too far?” Charlotte shouted, clutching at her clothes and yanking them aside to reveal a faint scar across her abdomen. Her voice shook with rage. “Look at me, James! I’m your wife. I was the one who risked everything to give birth to your child. And I’m the one who loves you the most!”That last sentence tore out of her with everything she had left. Her voice cracked, nearly breaking into sobs.The tattered fabric hung loosely from her body as the cold night air cut through her. Her skin turned pale from the chill, but even that pitiful sight didn’t stir a trace of sympathy in James.Without a word, he turned and got into his car.The sharp slam of the door was the final blow.Charlotte’s legs gave out. Overwhelmed in both body and spirit, she collapsed to the ground, kneeling
When she looked closer, she realized it was the booking page for Pine Mist Island Resort. He had booked an entire month—enough to hit the VIP spending tier and receive an exclusive invitation to the Christmas gala. The page showed the invitation had already been claimed.Charlotte immediately opened her phone’s tracking app—the one she had secretly installed before.Without another thought, she jumped in the car and sped off.At the entrance to Pine Mist Island, she finally spotted James’s car. Her steps slowed as she approached.James was leaning against the car door, a cigarette in hand.She moved slightly—he didn’t notice. Quietly, she crept closer.From behind, she couldn’t see his expression, but she could see what he was staring at intently.Charlotte pressed her lips together and leaned forward. Finally, she saw what it was.A gold-trimmed invitation—understated but luxurious.But the distinctive seal on the back made her blood run cold.Her mind went blank. In a blur,