"Well, I can't wait."...At the Chancer house.After James sent Sarah the ten million, she had indeed sent him the memory card as promised.When he opened the files in his study, he was shocked. On a large hotel bed, his sister was entangled with a man.His face dark with anger, he closed the video, grabbed the memory card, and stormed into Lucy's room. "From now on, you stay at home. Otherwise, I'm sending you to Grandfather's."Lucy nervously eyed the memory card in her hand, relieved that at least the video was back in her possession.After crushing the card under her foot and throwing it in the trash, she lay down on her bed to relax. Just then, her phone rang.Seeing the unknown number, she felt a sudden surge of anxiety. When she answered and heard the voice, she trembled.It was him! Tom Davis!"Well, well, Lucy! So you had your brother send people to track me down. What, looking for revenge? I won't give you the chance. You're really naive if you think there was only
James nodded and told his secretary, "Go with him to get it."Back home, Lucy nervously approached James.“James, how did it go?""It's handled." James headed upstairs irritably. He couldn't stand to look at Lucy right now.In his room, he massaged his temples, exhausted.Charlotte walked into the study and placed her hands on his shoulders, gently massaging them. "What's wrong, James?""Keep a closer eye on Lucy from now on. Don't let her cause any more trouble," James said, his voice hoarse.Charlotte nodded. "I will."When Zachary returned to East Coast, Vivian stayed behind.She remained to continue negotiations with Vista International, but more importantly, to keep watch over Sarah.On the twentieth day, Sarah became the first person to submit her thesis. When Linda heard about this, she felt distinctly uncomfortable."Sarah, you're really something, being the first to submit your thesis."There was an unwritten rule in the Decker Competition: the first submitted thes
This was something she'd planned to do for a long time, and she finally got the chance."Sarah, I'm really afraid I won't make it to the next round," Linda said anxiously."Don't worry, you will." There wasn't much else she could say.While the competition rules required isolation, they weren't overly strict - casual conversations like this were still allowed.Five days after the thirty-day period ended, all participants gathered in the auditorium, waiting for their results.The top twenty would advance to the final round of oral defense, while the rest would be eliminated.Linda was clearly popular among the contestants, with almost everyone stopping to greet her.Sarah noticed Linda becoming shy when looking at a particular man, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed contestant."That's Eric. He's quite the gentleman," Linda explained to Sarah.Sarah noticed him glancing in their direction too.Everyone sat up straight as the panel of judges entered.Linda was especially tense. She'd
From outside the bathroom stall, she heard foreign voices. "That foreign woman is incredible, getting first place...""All those judges were so nice to her. They obviously favor her. I wouldn't believe these high scores if I hadn't read her thesis myself - I'd think she bribed the judges.""Is her thesis really that good?""Yes, it's excellent. The concept is profound."Listening to these scattered conversations, Linda felt even more confused. She tore her scorecard into pieces and threw them in the trash.She couldn't stop thinking about Sarah receiving first place, all the applause and praise, and the way Eric had looked at her.Eric had placed second. Knowing his competitive nature, Sarah's first-place finish must have caught his interest.After composing herself, she returned to the auditorium.Sarah was surrounded by people, all wanting to see her scorecard.Linda noticed Eric standing at the edge of the crowd, staring intently at Sarah with deep interest.Suddenly anxio
"Love isn't about grades or ability," Sarah said seriously."I know," Linda replied.The oral defense was scheduled for seven days later. During this time, all qualifying contestants could prepare for their presentations.Those who didn't make it would move out of the hotel within two days. The Decker Competition staff had already booked their flights.Even though they hadn't advanced, just participating in such a prestigious competition was something to be proud of.A few days before the defense, Linda suddenly asked Sarah if she wanted to go to a bar.Only after arriving did Sarah realize it wasn't just the two of them - all the finalists were there.Several people gave Sarah meaningful looks, while Eric sat quietly reading in a corner.Sarah noticed Linda's eyes hadn't left Eric since she arrived.But Linda wasn't the only one interested in Eric. Within half an hour, three different girls had already approached him for drinks.She noticed Linda's eyes flash with jealousy e
"Sarah, enough about the thesis. Let's have some fun," Linda said in a controlled voice.Sarah nodded, raising her glass to clink with Linda's.The party ended at midnight, and they headed back to the hotel together.When the elevator reached Sarah's floor, Eric called out to her as she was stepping out."Sarah."She turned back curiously. "What is it, Eric?""See you tomorrow," he said with a smile.Sarah was puzzled but nodded anyway.Linda clenched her fists, her face growing paler.Shortly after, Eric got off too, leaving Linda in the elevator.The others started gossiping again."Eric must really like Sarah, right?""Probably. Sarah's pretty, and I heard the judges were falling over themselves praising her thesis.""Really? That much?"...On the day of the defense, Sarah and Linda arrived early at Saint Nock Hall.The presentations were divided into groups of five, assigned by lottery. She and Linda were placed in the same group.While waiting, she received a str
Sarah searched frantically until she found a rickety ladder, propping it against the wall and slowly climbing up.“Eric?”The window was high up. When she finally reached it, she saw Eric waiting anxiously.While she had been searching for the ladder, Eric had already piled hay beneath the window."Quick! Jump down!"With no time to hesitate, Sarah took a deep breath and leaped.Pain shot through her body, and she felt small cuts on her elbows, but there was no time to check them.She struggled to her feet as Eric's warm hand grabbed hers, pulling her into a run.The wind whipped against her face as they sprinted. "Thank you."Her words scattered in the wind, but Eric still heard them.At the defense presentation.Linda watched the clock - 8:55.Sarah hadn't arrived yet. She probably wouldn't make it.She kept staring at the door nervously, feeling both anxious and afraid.Among the defense panel, Jane noticed Sarah's absence and tried calling her, but the phone was out o
Sarah froze, staring at Linda."It was you?" Sarah looked at Linda in disbelief, not wanting to believe it but unable to deny it.Linda glared at her angrily. "You're quite something. Eric's only known you for days, yet he risked missing his own defense to save you. I really underestimated you."Sarah gave a bitter laugh. "I guess I trusted the wrong person. When I thought you were in trouble, I rushed to help without a second thought. Linda, all this because he talked to me a few times?"Linda sneered. "A few times? Is that what you call it? You knew I liked him, yet you still flirted with him right in front of me. You have no idea how much I hate you!""We only discussed our thesis work, nothing else," Sarah frowned."Who would believe that? I saw you two laughing together, and you claim it was just about the thesis?""You can ask him if you don't believe me. But this isn't just about him, is it?" Sarah stared into her eyes.Linda didn't flinch. "Your thesis was brilliant, ev
“When are you leaving?” Zachary asked.“Once everything’s settled. Maybe in a few days,” Sarah replied.After the police took Mr. Sullivan away, Mrs. Sanders tried to pull some strings to save him — but Melvin stepped in and stopped her.Mr. Lambert immediately started making changes at the factory. He came up with new rules and methods. One of the first things he did was drag out all the sheets from the factory manager’s office — the very sheets that had been haunting everyone like some kind of curse.Right in front of everyone, he set them on fire.In just moments, all the shadows and bad memories that had plagued the factory for so long were burned away — completely gone.Meanwhile, in the heart of the bustling city, the Wilson Group’s skyscraper towered like a giant, casting its long shadow over the people below. Sometimes, passersby would look up, their imaginations running wild, dreaming of wealth and power far beyond their reach.Just then, a white Porsche pulled up smoot
“But I already gave you the evidence yesterday! If you go to East Coast now and never come back, what am I supposed to do?” Charlie asked anxiously.Of course, what he was really worried about wasn’t Sarah — what terrified him was the people behind that factory. If any of those people were still alive, and they found out he was the one who spilled the truth, there was no telling what they might do to him.“You’ve got risk it to get it,” Zachary said calmly. “I already told you I’d pay you. I’m not the type to go back on my word. Did you forget how I took you to the gambling and helped you win money? And you’re still worried I’ll cheat you?”“Zac, it’s not that I don’t trust you — you’re the one person I trust most in this world. It’s just that things are getting dangerous. If I can’t get the money soon and get out of here, I might be the next dead man,” Charlie said, his voice trembling.But just then, a cold female voice cut in.“Charlie, after everything you’ve done, where exact
“Zachary?”Sarah didn’t push him away. She just found his behavior today strangely out of character.She had never seen Zachary like this before. Even when she thought back to everything that had happened between them, the only time she had ever seen him truly broken was at the cemetery. He had stood there, dressed in a black suit, in front of his mother’s tombstone. The black-and-white photo on the grave was somber and still, while the sorrow hidden in Zachary’s eyes felt endless.Mr. Lambert had mentioned to her earlier that he’d seen Zachary and Charlie together today. Could it be... Zachary already knew the truth?What kind of terrible, heartbreaking truth could possibly leave a man like him looking this devastated?“Did you… find out something?” Sarah asked him softly.Zachary buried his head against her shoulder, giving a low, muffled reply. When he had been at the factory, listening to the things Charlie said, he had forced himself to stay calm, keeping up the image of a r
He tried with all his might to hide the concern in his voice. Showing it would lead to endless consequences.Charlie thought for a long time before answering, "I'm not entirely sure. On the day of the explosion, that woman from the Reynolds apparently had a car accident. But you know, in a place like West Ridge, the chance of having a car accident is maybe one in a thousand. This isn't a big city with busy traffic. You can barely see any cars on most roads, let alone one hitting someone. Yet strangely, she really did have an accident."Zachary lowered his eyes. He didn't want to hear any more.This was the very reason he never even got to see her one last time."Bro, now that we've found the truth, when can I get my share of the money?" Charlie looked at Zachary excitedly, already silently fantasizing about what he would do with the money.But to his surprise, when Zachary looked up again, his eyes were ice-cold. "You're lying."The calm tone with which he spoke these words mad
"I have no choice. Why are you two acting so high and mighty? Before things went wrong, you were all making money hand over fist. Now you're pointing fingers. Every factory in Westridge operates this way. If the authorities hadn't started investigating, would anyone want to stop?" The supervisor's voice was sharp with frustration.The senior pharmacist replied coolly, "We can stop now. The final batch has already been sold. We won't lose much on the remaining stock. Even if they investigate, they won't find anything."The supervisor's voice quivered. "That's nonsense. If only it were that simple. That woman from the Reynolds family is relentless. Have you forgotten how many investigators she's sent here? But soon, she'll be out of our way.""Enough about that. The factory cannot close! I absolutely refuse to agree!"Hearing footsteps approaching, Charlie bolted. When he reached the director's office, he found it empty.Back at his workstation, something felt wrong. Glancing outsid
Zachary had reviewed the official investigation report from that year.The report stated that explosive materials were found in the materials room on the third floor, brought in accidentally by a supervisor. Large amounts of helium were also discovered in that room, several times more than in other areas.Yet Charlie hadn't mentioned the third floor at all. Instead, he had brought Zachary to the second floor. Either this was the true explosion site, or Charlie was deliberately hiding something.This room had significantly more burn damage than other areas. The workshop was almost completely destroyed, with debris and remnants everywhere. It was impossible to tell what had once been here—just an empty workspace surrounded by areas that still smelled of burning.Zachary's flashlight illuminated the entire room. Charlie had already tried to turn on the power, but without success."The factory's wiring has really deteriorated. Nothing works," Charlie complained.Zachary shook his hea
This factory, sealed for nearly ten years, finally revealed its former glory to the people of the East Coast. Charlie confidently led Zachary through the valley. When they reached the innermost part of the mountain range, Zachary followed Charlie's lead and stopped.Weeds had completely covered the area. Charlie efficiently tore away the ivy that had grown over everything, revealing a rust-covered iron door.Time had left its mark on the iron door; the rust flaked off at the slightest touch. In the middle was a chain with a padlock. Charlie casually picked up a stone and smashed it hard against the lock. With a dull thud, the lock fell to the ground.The factory from ten years ago differed greatly from modern ones. It lacked sophisticated security measures, since all the equipment inside was too heavy to steal anyway.They stood before the massive iron door. Zachary reached out to touch the cold metal. "How do you know about this place?"Charlie looked solemnly at the valley befor
When Charlie heard the words "Wilson Factory explosion," he froze, his face showing a complex mix of emotions."Who are you?" he asked warily.Zachary displayed a hunger for money. "Don't be nervous. I'm just a private investigator. By coincidence, I got this big job—find the truth and get paid.""Who's the client?" Charlie's face was full of suspicion.Zachary suddenly gave him a cold look, his tone full of warning. "Charlie, in this business, many things are confidential when it comes to clients. We take the money and do the job, never asking too many questions."Seeing how serious Zachary was, Charlie began to accept that he might really be a private detective."Charlie, this is a genuine two million. Aren't you tempted? If I didn't think you knew a lot about what happened back then, I wouldn't even consider sharing this with you. If we succeed, that's two million—one million each."Charlie's heart trembled at these words. One million! How could he not be tempted?With that
"I-I'm telling you, this is in the town, not up in the remote hills. If you try to beat me up, bystanders definitely won't just stand by and watch," he stammered, trying to intimidate Zachary while his hand secretly reached for the door bolt."Relax. I didn't come to beat you today. I'm just curious—why are you so fixated on her?" Zachary asked calmly, fishing for information.He had already made up his mind before coming. If Charlie truly had a grievance with Sarah, he would find a way to send her away. Even if she ended up hating him, that would be better than leaving her in danger.When Charlie heard that Zachary wasn't there to beat him, he immediately relaxed, though his body language remained wary as he kept his eyes fixed on Zachary.Zachary had already figured out Charlie's personality. He knew that unless he revealed some information first, Charlie would never willingly explain his motives for kidnapping Sarah."Sarah is my ex-girlfriend. Our breakup wasn't what I wanted,