Charlotte noticed James's expression darkening, setting off internal alarms, though she maintained a warm smile on her face."I never expected Sarah to know Mr. Reynolds. I was worried about how she'd manage after her divorce, but now with Mr. Reynolds looking after her, I'm sure she'll be fine here in East Coast.”James gazed at the gentle and kind-hearted Charlotte, the coldness in his eyes gradually fading.His Charlotte was always so kind and generous. She was truly the only one meant to spend a lifetime with him.His earlier irritation, he realized, was merely discomfort at seeing Sarah, who had always been so reserved around him, laughing and chatting freely with another man.It was just his possessiveness surfacing - after all, Sarah had once been his.James placed a gentle kiss on Charlotte's forehead, holding her hand. "Don't worry, you're the only one in my future."...Shortly after Sarah's group of three had settled in their private dining room at the prestigious St
”Mia can be quite mischievous. I hope she hasn't caused you any trouble," Zachary broke the silence, sensing the tension in the air.Before Sarah could respond, a red velvet box appeared before her.The gold-embossed Cartier logo caught her by surprise. "Mr. Reynolds, what's this?"Zachary carefully opened the box, revealing a rose gold diamond bracelet that caught the room's lighting, sparkling brilliantly."Mia rarely opens up to others like this. Since she's taken to you so well, I'd like to consider you a friend too." Zachary lowered his gaze briefly before looking up at her, his eyes reflecting her elegant features. "If you don't mind, may I call you Sasa?"Sasa...The nickname floated like a feather, creating ripples in Sarah's heart. She felt as if someone had called her that before, but couldn't quite remember who."I'm very fond of Mia too, and think of her as a sister, but..."Sarah knew she wasn't in the same league as Zachary, one of the youngest and most successful
Sarah's expression turned cold as she replied flatly, “Not really.”Charlotte clearly wasn’t going to let the conversation end there. "We just saw you dining with Mr. Reynolds. James and I thought we were seeing things. When did you get so close to him?"A strand of hair fell across her collarbone, adding to her image of gentle innocence."That's none of your business," Sarah tossed her paper towel in the bin. "Miss Garnett, we're not close enough for you to be asking about my personal life."Charlotte took a deep breath, a hint of hurt flickering in her eyes. "Aren't you being a bit defensive? We've known each other for some time, and I'm just making polite conversation. There's no ulterior motive."No ulterior motive? Really?Every time Charlotte spoke, it was with such measured politeness that no one could find fault with her words, yet it made Sarah deeply uncomfortable.Sarah gave a bitter smile. "If you're so concerned with proper etiquette, Miss Garnett, was it also prope
Sarah didn't care what Charlotte might say after leaving, but just thinking about her earlier performance made her agitated.In her sour mood, instead of returning to the private dining room, she decided to settle the bill at the front desk first to calm herself down.After paying, she turned around—only to come face-to-face with the leading lady of that earlier drama, Charlotte, and her fiancé, James.Sarah hesitated. Just her luck.She'd planned to walk past pretending not to see them, but James suddenly spoke up: "Sarah, we need to talk."He’d just learned that the extravagant meal Sarah had been treating them to at St. Ritz cost over four thousand. And it was all for the sake of impressing Zachary Reynolds?He suddenly realized Sarah wasn't putting on a show for him – she might actually be trying to climb the social ladder through Zachary.But how could she so easily throw herself into another man’s arms right after their divorce? Did their three years together mean nothing?
Recognizing who had arrived, James's eyes flashed with unease. "Mr. Reynolds, how long have you been here? I didn't know you had a habit of eavesdropping."Zachary remained composed, positioning himself beside Sarah without sparing James a glance. "In such a public space, how is it eavesdropping?""Besides, Mr. Chancer, Sasa’’s your ex-wife now, isn't she? You've lost the right to have any say in her life."Sasa?James's face darkened.Zachary was known for keeping his distance from women, and few people on the East Coast could even claim to be on speaking terms with him. Yet here he was, using such an intimate nickname for Sarah?His gaze shifted to Sarah, finding her completely unfazed. This inexplicably infuriated him.In the past, Sarah would have certainly offered him an explanation.But now she stood calmly beside another man, completely indifferent to his feelings.James stared intently at Sarah, as if trying to read something in her expression. "Clearly I'm meddling wh
James drove Charlotte back to the Chancer estate.As soon as they entered, Lucy rushed to greet them, excitedly waving her phone.“James! You won't believe what I saw today!"Lucy thrust her phone in James's face. "That whore Sarah must have been cheating during your marriage!"The screen showed a photo of Zachary gently helping Sarah into his car. Whether it was the camera angle or not, the scene appeared oddly intimate.The earlier irritation resurfaced as James's expression darkened.Lucy, completely oblivious to her brother's mood, continued excitedly, “James, it's only been days since your divorce. How could she possibly snag another man so quickly? She must have been cheating! How dare someone like her claim part of the Chancer fortune? You need to take back that house you gave her!"Noting James's silence, Mrs. Chancer stepped forward. "James, though we're wealthy, money doesn't grow on trees. I know you're kind-hearted and didn't want to leave her empty-handed after thes
Alone upstairs, James couldn't shake the image of Zachary and Sarah leaving together.His brow furrowed as he lit a cigarette.Had Sarah really betrayed him during their marriage?Remembering Sarah's cold detachment during their divorce, James realized it wasn't impossible.Taking a deep drag from his cigarette, he picked up his phone and found her number – one he rarely dialed.Driven by curiosity and suspicion, he felt compelled to confront Sarah.The call connected quickly, but a mechanical voice responded: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is not available. Please try again later."James frowned, hanging up and immediately redialing."Sorry, the number you have dialed is not..."He slammed the end call button, gripping his phone tightly, his face dark with anger.Damn Sarah!She'd actually blocked his number!...James's appearance hadn't particularly affected Sarah. With work the next day, she went to bed early.The following morning at school, her colleague immedia
That afternoon, after putting up the promotional posters, registration numbers surged even higher. While Sarah was busy coordinating with student volunteers, an unwelcome visitor appeared at the registration booth."Psychology Competition? They actually put that tramp Sarah in charge this year?" Lucy Chancer glared at Sarah's name on the poster, her eyes filled with venom.Her sidekick Lindsey nodded in agreement. "Exactly! How irresponsible of the university to hand over such an important annual event to a newbie like her. And she's so full of herself – why does her name need to be plastered all over the poster?"Sarah hadn't known about her name on the poster – that was Mia's doing. The young girl had specifically instructed the design team to make Sarah's name prominent.Lucy scoffed, ignoring Lindsey's comments. Looking at the poster, she suddenly smirked and beckoned to Lindsey. "Come on, let's sign up. This could be fun."At the registration booth, a haughty voice suddenly
Perhaps due to her extreme emotional state, Charlotte quickly fell asleep.She had a dream.In her dream, she had just gotten off a plane and spotted James in the distance, elegantly leaning against his car waiting for her. In that moment, his eyes were fixed only on her.Charlotte ran toward him happily, wanting to throw herself into his arms and hold him tight.However, halfway there, she saw another woman appear from the side who ran straight into James's welcoming embrace.She could clearly see that James's eyes were filled with affection, without sparing even a glance in her direction."No, this can't be real. Who is she?" Charlotte shook her head in disbelief as she walked closer step by step. When she saw the woman's face, she instantly fell apart."Sarah Sanders, why is it you again? Why do you keep haunting me? James is mine. Don't you dare try to take him away." Charlotte lunged forward like a madwoman, trying to separate them.A mist enveloped the couple, and the scen
The guard at the door was easy to convince. She made up a simple excuse about having a stomachache or needing to see a doctor.The police still sent someone to follow her to the building entrance. When they arrived, the officer blocked her path. "Ms. Garnett, please go back. Without approval, you can't see anyone except your doctor.""Not even my husband? My stomach hurts terribly. I need to see my husband to feel at ease," she pleaded.But the officer wouldn't budge. "Ms. Garnett, please return!"Just then, the officer received a phone call. After listening for a few moments, the officer stepped aside.Charlotte walked in confidently, wearing sunglasses with her head held high.The receptionist greeted her politely, "Miss, who are you here to see? Do you have an appointment?"Charlotte removed her sunglasses, frowning slightly with an annoyed tone, "I'm here to see your CEO, James Chancer. Do I really need an appointment?"The receptionist was new and didn't recognize Charlotte
As Mrs. Sanders kept talking, not only did Sarah stay silent — she actually started laughing.Mrs. Sanders frowned. “What are you laughing at?”Sarah’s gaze turned cold. Her voice was calm but sharp. “Shouldn’t matters between us younger people be handled by us directly? Wouldn’t it sound bad if word got out that you’re getting involved like this?”She paused for a second, then added with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Besides, no matter what, I’m still the biggest shareholder in Sanders Group. Firing an employee is well within my rights, don’t you think?”Right now, Sarah was actually glad Mrs. Sanders had finally dropped the act and shown her true colors. At least it saved Sarah the trouble of pretending to be polite.Mrs. Sanders still wore the kind, gentle smile of an elder, but her voice turned colder underneath. “So what, you’re using your position to pressure me now?”Sarah laughed softly. “You’re joking. How would I dare?”Without bothering to continue the
Later that night, Sarah went downstairs with her empty glass to get some water. But just as she passed by the living room, she overheard a conversation between Melvin and Mrs. Sanders.“You’re really impossible to talk to, you know that?” Mrs. Sanders sounded both angry and disappointed. “It’s not just me — everyone in the family has been trying to convince you. Sarah studied psychology, not business. She has no experience at all. The entire Sanders Group is depending on you.”Melvin’s voice, on the other hand, was clearly filled with impatience. “I’m pretty sure I told you a long time ago, stop bringing up anything about Sarah.”Mrs. Sanders snorted coldly. “How can I not bring it up? It’s just that you’re willing to work like a fool without asking for anything in return. If you’re just going to be a tool to manage Sanders Group for someone else, I really don’t understand why you’re doing all this.”She paused, then added, “By the way, your aunt hinted to me earlier — she wa
Melvin forced a small smile.He honestly didn’t know how his mother could scold him so viciously over the phone just a few days ago… only to turn around tonight and act like nothing had happened, praising him in front of everyone.Mrs. Sanders finally seemed to notice Sarah as well. She smiled politely and nodded. “Sarah, you’re here too? Come on in.”Many of the Sanders family elders were there tonight. When Uncle Shawn saw Sarah, his face lit up with joy. He quickly pulled her over to sit at the main table beside him.“Sasa, you must have had a rough time in West Ridge. Later, I’ll ask the kitchen to make all your favorite dishes, just for you.”Sarah’s heart warmed at his words. Uncle Shawn really did treat her like his own daughter.But when she glanced to the side, she noticed Mrs. Sanders looking at her coldly — like she was staring at an enemy.Tonight’s birthday banquet wasn’t just a family gathering. Even members of the White family were there.The moment Madam White
Zachary still didn’t respond.Vivian straightened up and slowly walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window. Her voice was calm, but every word was filled with accusation.“Zachary, let’s not pretend. We both know perfectly well — while you were gone, Sarah disappeared too. Are you really expecting me to believe that the two of you weren’t together?”She paused, her eyes fixed on the distant view outside.“I always thought that since you agreed to get engaged to me, you’d take responsibility. I believed you wouldn’t be out there tangled up with her. Was I wrong?”Zachary let out a soft, mocking laugh.“You believed.” His voice was low and cold. “But just because you believe something… does that automatically make it true?”Vivian froze — then suddenly let out a loud, crazed laugh, like she had completely lost control.She turned around, her eyes burning as she pointed at him. “Then tell me! Tell me whether it’s true or not! Where exactly did you go? Who were you with?”She to
Vivian smiled sweetly, though her words were sharp underneath.“Like you said, I’m Zachary’s fiancée. Of course, I wouldn’t say anything reckless. Out of responsibility, since this contract was signed by both of us, I have an obligation to make sure things are handled properly.”Her words sounded kind and reasonable on the surface, but everyone in the room could hear the meaning behind them.Mr. Robertson, who had been quietly watching this back-and-forth, already understood exactly what kind of person Vivian was. But between Zachary and Vivian, it was clear where his loyalties lay — with Vivian.“Mr. Steven, why don’t we call Mr. Reynolds over?” Mr. Robertson suggested calmly.Steven’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Zach…”But before he could finish, a deep, cold voice rang out from the doorway.“Mr. Robertson, have you ever thought about the possibility… that these parts aren’t from Reynolds Corporation at all?”The conference room door swung open.Zachary walked in slowly, calm
Melvin's expression grew unusually serious, a rare sight for him. It was clear he was holding back his anger.“Sasa,” he said, his voice low, “I don’t think you should go this time either. Even if you want to go back… I’m afraid there are people who don’t want you to.”Sarah’s face paled slightly. “Melvin, are you talking about…” She didn’t finish the sentence — she didn’t want to say that person’s name in front of him.But how could Melvin not know who she meant? His face became even more stern.“Sasa, honestly, neither of us needs to say the name out loud — we both know exactly who we’re talking about. I’ve told you before, I’ll always protect you. No matter who tries to hurt you, I’ll stand by you.”His eyes were sharp. His voice was calm but full of strength.“And you’ve done nothing wrong,” Melvin continued. “Some people are just too greedy. That’s why they keep setting traps, again and again, willing to do anything to get what they want. But I’m not that kind of person. I’l
James walked back home, looking completely defeated, only to find his mother in the middle of a phone call.Ever since he discovered that his mother had some kind of secret connection with Mrs. Sanders, he had been extra cautious about any of her phone conversations. And today, sure enough, he happened to overhear her mentioning Sarah.“This time, Sarah won’t be able to get away for sure. We’re allies, I wouldn’t lie to you.”“Don’t worry, just leave this matter to me. Mrs. Sanders, once your son gets control of Sanders Group, don’t forget…”Mrs. Chancer casually glanced toward the doorway — only to spot her son standing there. She immediately cut herself off, “I’ll talk to you later. James just got home.”After hanging up, James walked in, pretending like he hadn’t heard anything. “Mom, who were you just talking to on the phone?”Mrs. Chancer brushed him off lightly, “Don’t overthink it. Just a friend of mine… my card-playing buddy.”James obviously didn’t believe that excu