Just after talking with Melvin, Sarah saw the news on her phone.Since Vivian returned, the media had frequently reported on her and Zachary, speculating about their relationship. In addition to the rumors, reporters were also following their every move.#Is Zachary Reynolds proposing to Vivian Wilson with a diamond ring?#There were many headlines like this. Sarah’s fingers trembled as she clicked on one of the news articles.In this particular story, the reporter released a video showing Zachary and Vivian walking into a jewelry store. After about ten minutes, they walked out of the store, and Vivian had a gift box in her hand.The reporter then interviewed a store employee, and after confirming the details, it was clear that Zachary and Vivian had bought a diamond together, and that was the same gift box Vivian was holding when they left the store.Sarah silently turned off the screen. Even though she didn’t want to see it, she still noticed the smile on Zachary’s face.Befor
“No! Although the Reynolds family is now tied to the Wilson family, our family would never use the marriage of our descendants to secure the company. No matter what choice you make, I won’t interfere. But there’s one thing—don’t hurt Vivian. I truly treat her like a granddaughter,” William said with a serious expression.Zachary nodded solemnly. He never intended to hurt Vivian.At the Reynolds factory, Vivian and Zachary stood at the door waiting for the head of Vista International. They had just arrived not long ago.Vista International was a multinational group, and it was already a big deal that Zachary had shown up.A luxury car pulled up to the entrance, and a young man in a suit got out. He extended his hand toward Zachary and said politely, “Mr. Reynolds, Miss Wilson, I’m Matthew Robinson, the head of Vista for this visit.”“Mr. Robinson,” Zachary said, shaking his hand courteously.Vivian smiled, “Mr. Robinson, you look younger than both Mr. Reynolds and me.”“Miss Wils
Sarah had never encountered a situation like this before. When communicating with patients with psychological conditions, during subconscious conversations, she was always digging into their deepest, most truthful feelings. In other words, lying wasn’t an option. So why would Mia speak of things that didn’t exist? She continued asking, “There’s heavy snow falling in front of you, and everything around you is covered in white. You feel very cold, but then you hear Christmas songs playing, and you realize it’s Christmas. What do you see?” “The three of us… Zachary, me, and Sarah are sitting in front of the Christmas tree, singing Christmas songs together.” Sarah froze. Again, her? The images Mia described—the concert in the summer and singing Christmas songs—didn’t exist in Sarah’s memory. Then it hit her. Could someone else have been there with Zachary and Mia? Someone who might explain this? Could it have been Vivian? Was Mia’s memory mixed up due to her condition?
He turned to look at Sarah, wondering if she had figured out the truth about the kidnapping. Mia continued speaking, “Sarah, what’s going on with you and my brother?” Sarah shook her head. “Do you remember Vivian?” Mia’s expression turned cold as she thought for a long time before finally responding, “Vivian? I remember her.” Melvin couldn’t listen any longer and interrupted their conversation. “Mia, don’t mention your brother in front of Sarah.” “Why?” “Vivian is back. Now he’s only focused on being with Vivian. Sarah has decided to forget about him,” Melvin said, his face hardening. Mia looked shocked. “What? But Vivian has always been in East Coast, right?” Sarah’s eyes narrowed as she exchanged a glance with Melvin. Could it be that Mia’s memory was stuck before Vivian left for abroad? “Mia, how old are you now?” Mia paused for a moment. “I don’t remember. Why can’t I remember?” She clutched her head, the sharp pain making her want to bang her head
“This situation is something I haven’t encountered before, but it’s possible that it’s caused by memory confusion. If you’re sure that you didn’t know each other before, hypnosis could still be an option,” Scott said patiently.Sarah paused for a moment. She was sure she hadn’t known Mia before. The events of these past few years were clear in her mind, and there was absolutely no memory of Mia. She was certain that the memories Mia described didn’t belong to her. “I understand what you’re saying, Mr. Rogers. I can confirm we didn’t know each other before,” Sarah replied.Scott thought for a moment before continuing, “If possible, I recommend using Morita Therapy.” “Are you talking about the absolute bed rest method?” “Yes, but not the traditional absolute bed rest therapy. Mia’s current state shows that she lacks a sense of security. She gets scared easily, even with the slightest disturbance. We need to help her develop a sense of self-protection first,” Scott said serious
She said in terror, “How dare you? Do you know who I am?” “Of course I know. Aren’t you just the daughter of the Chancer family? Lucy Chancer, do you want this storage card?” The man said with a wicked grin. Lucy swallowed hard. She never imagined she’d been filmed. If this video gets released, her grandfather would definitely kill her. There’s no doubt about it! Even her brother wouldn’t help her this time—absolutely not! “I’ll buy it! What do you want?” she asked, keeping a wary eye on the man. “Money. Your family is so rich. Isn’t it fair for you to pay a little to buy back your video and photos?” “How much do you want?” Lucy’s voice trembled. The man sneered, “Five million! Give me five million, and I’ll give you the storage card.” Five million? Lucy’s pupils shrank. Where could she find five million? The man was growing impatient. “Well, Miss Chancer, five million. Are you buying it or not?” “I’ll buy it! I’ll buy it! Just don’t post it online.”
Her bank account still had some money in it, and with half a million Charlotte was willing to lend her, it seemed like a lot. But even with all this, five million still felt like an impossible amount to reach! In the Adams University conference hall, Sarah sat in her seat, facing the camera, waiting for the defense to begin. Dean Larson and Professor Wells had already come over to give her many instructions, and Jane had also given her several important pieces of advice. When the big screen lit up, Sarah saw another conference room on the screen. The only difference was that the room was filled with judges, and she immediately spotted Jane among them. Sarah, on the other hand, was sitting alone in her room, with her paper displayed on the computer in front of her. Before the defense started, she had asked Jane to print out copies of her paper and distribute them to the judges present. "You can start!" Sarah stood up and began her defense. Outside the conference
She desperately slammed the door, but there was no response. Sarah sat by the door, hearing Mia’s quiet sobs from inside. She fought the urge to open the door. “Mia, hang in there.” It was only the second day. If Mia couldn’t endure this, what about the remaining five days? Should she give up now? There was no sound from behind the door anymore. Sarah looked at the monitor on her phone and saw Mia sitting on the floor, tears streaming down her face. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the door handle, but then she remembered Scott’s advice and slowly pulled her hand back. If she couldn’t even hold on, how could Mia? At noon, Mia was lying in bed, asleep, so Sarah took the opportunity to open the door and bring her some food—her favorite dishes. Day Three.Today marked a turning point. Most patients undergoing Morita Therapy find the first two days the hardest. By the third day, they usually begin to shift from their initial breakdown to a search for themselves
As Zachary approached slowly, Sarah wanted to escape, but unfortunately, she had the will but not the ability.The hillside was damp, making the dirt path slippery.She had no strength to resist as he lifted her up in his arms. "Put me down, Zachary! Let me go!""You can't walk," he replied, carrying her with steady steps."Even if I can't walk, I don't need your help! Don't forget, you have a fiancée now!"Zachary's eyes darkened. She really knew how to bring up the most uncomfortable topics.The man had just been in a fight, and his clothes were somewhat disheveled, which only added to his wild nature. His entire presence radiated a dangerous charm.Sarah couldn't help stealing several glances at him. Though she kept telling herself not to fall for him, her heartbeat still involuntarily lost its rhythm.Back at the dormitory, Zachary carefully placed her on the bed and arranged the blankets for her.Sarah frowned, staring at him as she voiced her suspicion. "I never told you
Charlie was now recovering his senses. He pushed himself up from the ground, feeling a sour, aching pain in his stomach."Zach, why did you hit me?" Charlie asked, his eyes wide with disbelief."Hitting you is getting off easy," Zachary replied coldly.Charlie ignored him and lunged toward Sarah.In that split second, everything changed. Sarah fell to the ground, her foot slipping badly, twisting her ankle.She cried out in pain as she sat on the ground, gripping her ankle tightly. Beads of sweat broke out across her forehead."Sarah, what happened? Did you twist your ankle?" Zachary asked anxiously.He immediately rushed to Sarah, crouched down to examine her ankle, and reached out to touch it."Don't touch me!" Sarah jerked away instinctively, sitting on the ground clutching her ankle.Charlie gave the two of them a long, searching look. He had long suspected there was something unusual between them.Zachary's expression darkened, looking rather menacing in the gloomy weath
Her story seemed fine on the surface, but when examined closely, there were major holes. Sarah began to feel uneasy and was about to stop.The little girl immediately looked panicked and avoided Sarah's gaze. She clutched the edge of her shirt tightly and asked cautiously, "Are you not going to take me home anymore?"Those clear, innocent eyes were enough to make Sarah waver, and indeed, she felt her resolve weakening."Sweetie, tell me exactly where on the hillside your home is," she suddenly asked.The little girl's eyes darted around nervously. She lowered her gaze for a long time, thinking hard before looking up with tears in her eyes. “Missy, we're almost there. Look over there—where there's smoke rising, that's my home."Looking into the distance, Sarah could indeed see a wisp of smoke rising from partway up the hillside. Through the dense forest, she could only make out a faint white shadow.It wasn't too far from where they stood, but it wasn't particularly close either.
Even when mealtime arrived, not a single worker put down their tasks."Alright everyone, take a break. Today I'm treating you all to something special," Sarah called out, clapping her hands as she walked through the doorway. Several food carts loaded with sandwiches, pasta, and fresh salads followed behind her.The delicious aroma of hot food drifted through the air. Only then did the workers realize how hungry they were. They jumped up excitedly, shouting, "Thank you, Miss Sanders!"Seeing the joyful atmosphere in the factory, Sarah felt the tension she'd carried all day begin to ease.She wasn't very hungry, so she decided to step outside for some fresh air.While looking around aimlessly, she unexpectedly spotted a pair of timid eyes peering at her from behind a rock.Sarah walked over curiously.Behind the rock was a little girl with a dirty face and clothes that had been torn in several places by tree branches."Hello there, little one. What are you doing here?" Sarah crou
Sarah's lips curved into a slight smile. "Oh right, I almost forgot to tell you. I'm moving to the dormitory near the factory today, so you won't have to worry about me anymore.""You're moving out?" Charlie's eyes widened in surprise."No way." After processing what she said, he rushed over and forcefully grabbed the suitcase from her hands."What are you doing?" Sarah glared at him angrily. "Give me back my suitcase."Charlie laughed coldly. "I can give it back, but nothing in this world is free. You've lived here for so long—you should at least pay some rent."Hearing this, Sarah calmed down. "How much do you want?"Charlie thought Sarah had agreed, so he quickly held up five fingers. "At least this much."Sarah asked, "Five thousand?"Charlie shook his head. "At least fifty thousand."Sarah covered her mouth and laughed."What's so funny?" Charlie threw the suitcase to the floor, angry and impatient. "I'm telling you, don't think I'm joking. Today, if you don't pay up, yo
Zachary smirked as he watched Charlie, amused by his outlandish claims. The poor fool was so wrapped up in his fantasies of wealth that he completely missed the mockery in Zachary's eyes.But as they say, no plan survives contact with reality.Charlie never imagined his schemes would collapse before they even got off the ground."How could I lose?" Charlie stared blankly at the dice on the gambling table, unable to believe what was happening.The noisy sounds of the gambling den faded away as his mind blocked them out. His ears heard nothing, and everything around him became a blur."Hey, are you playing or not? If not, get out of the way. You're blocking the table," someone shoved him aside.Charlie was like a mad dog now, ready to snap at anyone.He turned around angrily, about to lash out, when he saw Zachary standing calmly in the crowd as if nothing had happened.That made sense—after all, it was his money that was lost.Realizing this, Charlie couldn't contain the anger
"Six million… Where the hell am I supposed to get six million?!"The factory’s demand had nearly scared Charlie senseless. But even faced with that staggering number, not once did it cross his mind to end it all. Guys like him—the ones who never took responsibility—were always the ones clinging to life the hardest, like their sole purpose was to drag others down with them.Suddenly, his bloodshot eyes lit up like he'd just grabbed hold of his last lifeline. He muttered to himself, voice shaky but growing in conviction, “Wait, no... there’s still one person. We’re brothers. He wouldn’t just leave me like this.”Zachary had seen this coming from a mile away—he just didn’t think it would take Charlie this long to show up.Now here he was, on his knees, groveling.Zachary leaned forward slightly, one brow raised, voice cold enough to cut glass. “Charlie. Give me one good reason I should help you.”Some people only learned when they were shoved to the edge. And with someone like Charl
After hanging up the phone, Manager Sullivan carelessly packed up a few of his things and left the factory.East Coast. Melvin sat in his office, staring at the email Mr. Lambert had just sent. The entire timeline was laid out—every detail, every suspicion, all the context. He read it twice, barely blinking.He never imagined his mother would go this far behind his back, meddling in the West Ridge factory like this.Then again, maybe he should’ve seen it coming.Three years ago, when Sarah handed him control of the Sanders Group, his mother had already started revealing her true intentions—dropping hints, making comments, all nudging him toward taking over. But there was no need to seize anything. Sarah never wanted power. From day one, she’d made it clear she had no interest in running the company. She wanted to be a psychologist. The company had been a burden she was more than ready to pass on.So what was the point? Did it really matter who held what shares?He’d fought bit
“Stop right there.” Manager Sullivan raised a hand, cutting Sarah off. “Miss Sanders, you can twist a story all you want, but you don’t get to throw around accusations like that. Damaging company property? That’s a serious charge—I won’t stand for it. I’ve worked at this factory for years, always by the book. You really think I’d sabotage the company’s equipment?”Sarah didn’t reply right away, but Mr. Lambert stepped forward, his tone sharp. “So you’re saying you had no idea this happened? That Charlie made it all up to frame you?”Manager Sullivan nodded eagerly, latching onto the narrative. “Exactly! Charlie’s got a long history in this factory. Always looking for shortcuts, always stirring up trouble. He’s hated me for years. I’ve been trying to fire him forever. It makes perfect sense that he’d want revenge. That man’s a mess—gambling, drinking, drugs—you name it. He’s up to his neck in debt. He begged me for money and I said no. So now he’s spinning lies to take me down? Please