No matter how many people tried to clarify the truth, public opinion remained overwhelmingly against Sarah. The case had caused such a massive stir that the police intervened that very night. After questioning Sarah and reviewing the surveillance footage from the counseling session, they officially announced that there was no direct connection between Sarah and Tina’s suicide. However, instead of calming the public, the police statement had the opposite effect. Zachary entered his office, leaning on a cane. The company was in the middle of a major collaboration with Vista International, and he couldn’t afford to step away for too long. His assistant placed a tablet in front of him. "Mr. Reynolds, there’s been a new development." Zachary took the tablet and glanced at the screen. Under the police statement, the comments were flooded with a storm of accusations. "The cover-up begins. I knew this was going to happen!" "Today, it was Tina. Tomorrow, it could be me…"
Vivian spoke softly. "Do you want to help her?" "Of course!" Mia nodded enthusiastically. No one wanted to help Sarah more than she did. Vivian chuckled lightly. "The reason the clarifications so far haven’t worked is because the people speaking out are either less influential than Sarah or haven’t personally received treatment from her. But if someone credible—someone who has actually been treated by her—were to step forward, it would be much more convincing." Mia’s eyes lit up as she suddenly realized something. "That’s me! I’ve been treated by Sarah! If I come forward, people will believe me!" Vivian nodded. "You can give it a try." Mia didn’t hesitate. She immediately grabbed Vivian’s laptop and started typing a long post on social media. After making sure her words were clear, she hit send. To make her statement even more convincing, she decided to record a video. "Hello, I’m Mia. You might not recognize my name, but I’m Zachary Reynolds’s younger sister. And
The voice on the other end of the phone was unusually calm. "Mia, you didn’t do anything wrong. The problem lies with the way people think." "I know, but I don’t want this to continue gaining attention," Mia said hesitantly. Vivian sighed. "Alright, I’ll pull the post down now." "Thank you, Vivian," Mia said, though her face still showed nothing but worry. She had no idea how to help Sarah turn the situation around. Sitting in Vivian’s office, Mia absentmindedly twirled a pen between her fingers. More than anything, she wanted to see Sarah. "Vivian, I want to—" Before she could even finish her sentence, Vivian had already nodded. "Go ahead. I’ll handle things here." "Vivian, you’re the best." Mia immediately left and headed straight for Adams University. When she arrived at the entrance, she saw that Mrs. Mendes was still kneeling outside, her face full of despair as she clung to her daughter’s black-and-white photograph. The media were still there, wai
Mia nodded obediently. "Okay, but Sarah, how are you going to get to and from work?" Sarah shook her head. "I’ve been suspended." Mia’s eyes widened in shock. "Suspended? Why?" "This case involves me," Sarah said calmly. "Tina did write those things in my office. The media is relentless, and there are eyes everywhere. Even if Dean Larson believes in me, he still has to put on a show." She spoke about it so lightly, as if she were simply discussing what to have for dinner. Mia clenched her fists. "Sarah, I believe in you. If you need anything, please tell me. I’ll help however I can." She wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Zachary wanted to check on Sarah too, but his presence would only make the situation worse. Sarah had already packed up her things to head home. Before she left, she warned Mia, "Don’t leave with me. The moment I step outside, I’m going to be surrounded." Mia hesitated but nodded. "Alright." She knew Sarah was protecting her and didn’t w
Tina couldn’t understand Schrödinger’s cat. She couldn’t understand why people who wanted to die still worried about what came after death. In the suffocating stillness of the night, she picked up a sheet of paper and began writing a suicide note. But before she could finish, someone knocked on her door. Someone she trusted. That person took her to the rooftop. There must have been a conversation—one that turned into a conflict. And then… she was pushed. So who was it? What did they talk about that led to her being thrown off the building? Sarah’s expression darkened as she spoke aloud, "And another question—who wanted to bury this evidence? Why were all the crucial findings erased from the final report?" Melvin shook his head. "Whoever they are, they have a powerful background." Sarah suddenly stood up. "There’s another possibility." "What possibility?" "The real target has been me all along. Someone is using Tina’s death to take me down." "Would
Mia tried to dodge, but the man’s sharp gaze locked onto her like a predator. “Don’t run,” he sneered. “Let me take good care of you.” Her heartbeat pounded violently, her breath hitching in terror. Before she could react, another figure appeared behind her. A cloth was pressed tightly over her nose and mouth. A sickly sweet, chemical scent flooded her senses—ether. Within seconds, darkness consumed her. --- The Grand Lyric Theater – Back EntranceThe heavy wooden doors creaked open as a man carried a large burlap sack over his shoulder and loaded it into a van. Inside, the sounds of the opera continued uninterrupted. The actress’s haunting voice rang out again, her song rising above the frantic percussion, filling the grand hall with tragic beauty. The van cut through the bustling streets, passing by the towering Reynolds Corporation headquarters before heading straight toward Adams University. But instead of stopping at the university gates, the v
Mia's mouth fell open in disbelief, her body wracked with uncontrollable tremors. The woman's screams had not stopped. She sobbed until she was gasping for air, but the men had no intention of letting her go. The torture continued. Mia's entire body convulsed, the sounds of crackling flesh from the fire filling the room with an eerie, sickening noise. The grotesque popping and hissing made her wish she could lose consciousness on the spot. But the more she wanted to faint, the clearer her mind became. Her vision was swallowed by red. Everything— her entire world—was drenched in red. She could no longer see any other color. "Help me! Help me! They're monsters! Monsters!" she shrieked, her voice breaking into hysterical screams. The man watched her reaction with satisfaction. With a casual wave of his hand, the two men behind him dragged the blood-soaked woman’s lifeless body away, leaving only him and Mia in the room. But Mia was no longer herself. Her ey
Whether Mia’s condition had anything to do with Sarah or not, one fact was undeniable—despite undergoing treatment for so long, she was still not cured. Mia had suffered multiple episodes in the past, though the exact reasons remained unknown. However, most people believed that a patient undergoing treatment shouldn’t be having frequent relapses—especially not one as severe as this, and definitely not in front of a crowd. Mia’s terrified screams echoed through the air, her expression one of pure horror. Even some of the most seasoned reporters, used to witnessing intense and dramatic scenes, felt a chill run down their spines as they watched her. Mrs. Mendes desperately tried to calm Mia down, speaking softly and attempting to console her, but nothing worked. Meanwhile, at Reynolds Corporation, Zachary was in the middle of an important meeting, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding outside Adams University. His assistant, clearly flustered, burst into the conferen
"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
Hearing Charlie’s threats, Manager Sullivan only laughed harder.“You really think someone like you could take me down?” he sneered. “I told you before—I’ve got people backing me. Did you really think I’d go into this without covering my own ass? Even if Sarah knows, so what? I’ll just laugh at your stupidity. You don’t even know who’s behind me, and you still dared to snitch? Don’t worry—you’ll find out soon enough. Some people aren’t to be messed with.”Charlie’s grin disappeared. “We’ll see.”Manager Sullivan gave him one last cold glance. “Here’s a piece of advice—watch your back. If you’d kept your mouth shut, you’d only have Sarah and Mr. Lambert gunning for you. But now? You’ve pissed me off too. Tell me—how do you expect to survive in West Ridge after this?”With that, he turned and strode back toward the factory, leaving Charlie standing there in the dust, rattled by what he’d just heard.Because the truth was… Charlie had no idea who Manager Sullivan’s backers were. And
“Did you tell them about me or not?!” Manager Sullivan’s voice dropped, sharp and cold.But Charlie didn’t answer the question. He just clung to him desperately. “Boss, you said you'd protect me! You promised! You have to help me! Sarah and Mr. Lambert are making me pay six million for the damages—six million! I can’t pay that! You have to save me!”“Six million?” Manager Sullivan’s face tightened. Even he had never touched that kind of money. His entire net worth wasn’t even half of that. Where the hell was he supposed to get six million for Charlie?Charlie’s eyes were pleading, frantic. His lips were dry and cracked from the panic, already bleeding slightly, and tears shimmered at the corners of his eyes. “Please, Boss. If I go to jail, it’ll be for ten years. I can’t survive that. Please…”He gripped Manager Sullivan’s arm like his life depended on it, fingers white from the force of it. But Sullivan pulled away coldly, avoiding eye contact.“I don’t have that kind of money,”
Charlie's hands were shaking uncontrollably. He couldn’t go to jail—he wouldn't go to jail.No. No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go.Manager Sullivan had promised he’d protect him. He’d said everything would be fine.But Sarah and Mr. Lambert weren’t bluffing. Everything they’d said had sounded terrifyingly real. What if Sullivan couldn’t actually help him?“I’m not going to jail,” Charlie muttered, more to himself than anyone else, cold sweat running down his back.Sarah let out a cold snort. “Oh? And who told you that? Let me guess—you wouldn’t have dared pull a stunt like this on your own. So why don’t you just tell me who put you up to it? Unless you really believe they’ve got the power to save you. Don’t forget—everything that person has came from the Sanders family.”Charlie froze. The way she said it made it clear—she already knew who was behind it.“So… if I tell you, does that mean you’ll drop the charges?” Charlie asked, eyes wide with desperation.Sarah walked
Charlie shook his head, his face pale, still refusing to admit it. “It wasn’t me! I don’t know what you’re talking about. Even if that video shows me, so what? How can you be sure I was doing anything wrong? I came in at 2 a.m. to check if the machines could still be fixed. I did it for the good of the factory!”Sarah let out a cold laugh. “Wow. That’s the best you could come up with? You really expect me to believe you were being noble at two in the morning? Don’t forget, we’ve got more than just one camera. You think we only set up one? Every step you took was recorded—and more than that, someone saw you. We’ve got video and a witness. You’re not getting out of this.”Charlie’s face twisted in disbelief. “No way! There was no one there last night—I checked! You could’ve bribed someone just to frame me!”Sarah’s expression didn’t budge. “If you’re that desperate to keep lying, feel free to tell it to the cops. I’m done listening to your nonsense. Mr. Lambert, call the police.
Holding onto the cash, Charlie couldn't stop thinking: if he brought this to the gambling den with Zachary by his side, they could easily multiply it. All he had to do tonight was take one more risk.Before long, it was past midnight—2 a.m. to be exact—when Charlie crept into the factory. Everyone was asleep by then, including the guard out front, slumped over in exhaustion.The workshop was dark and quiet. Spotting the three machines almost immediately, Charlie felt a wave of relief wash over him. He quickly got to work, removing the last screw and prying open the outer shell. With a wrench in hand, he began fiddling inside—until something felt off.He paused.A couple nights ago, he'd gone out of his way to destroy these machines. He'd been shocked when the technician said they could still be repaired, but he brushed it off. Maybe the guy was just good. Maybe tech was just that advanced now.But now he realized—these machines had never been broken.They hadn't been repaired. Th
Upon hearing this, Manager Sullivan's face changed, and he glanced at Charlie, standing among the crowd, with a severe look of malice. Charlie, for his part, was clueless about what was happening. He was sure he had sabotaged the machinery effectively, given his years of experience in the factory and his knowledge of the equipment.But why hadn't it worked this time?He looked towards the technician with a puzzled expression, but the technician's confident gaze only increased his panic.After the meeting, Manager Sullivan called Charlie into his office and immediately started berating him as soon as the door was shut. "What happened? Weren't you supposed to have completely destroyed the equipment? Why does the technician say it can still be fixed? What did you do?"Charlie was even more baffled. He reflected on how he had damaged the equipment, unable to figure out what went wrong. "Manager, I was sure I had completely wrecked it. I even checked again after damaging it to ensure it