Although Mia still couldn’t fully open up, constantly keeping her guard up against the world, Sarah found she could at least communicate with her in simple ways—like asking her to draw. Patients with psychological disorders often struggle to engage in normal conversations during an episode, but they can express their emotions and needs through alternative means. One common therapeutic method is to have them draw, allowing them to convey subconscious feelings and emotions in the most direct way possible. Every psychologist learns this technique, and Sarah had excelled in this subject, earning a perfect score in her coursework. Mia hesitated for a moment before glancing at Sarah with a hint of uncertainty. Slowly, she reached for the pen on the table and began sketching on the blank sheet of paper. The most intense moment…? She struggled to recall such a moment in her life. But then—just recently—her brother had found the person he loved the most. That person was… he
Before James could finish reading, his mother entered the room, her face clouded with worry. "James, I’m really worried about Charlotte. Why is it that even though she hasn’t been sent to prison, I still can’t take care of her? If anything happens to my grandson, I won’t let them off!" she said angrily, her frustration spilling over into a fit of coughing. James remained calm. "Mom, even if she isn’t in prison, she’s still under house arrest. That means that while she may be at home, it’s no different from being in jail. You can’t just visit her whenever you want." His mother glanced at his computer screen and immediately spotted Sarah’s name displayed in bold letters. With a cold snort, she scoffed, "That wretched woman has finally revealed her true colors for everyone to see. She’s nothing but a curse! First, she ruined Lucy, then Charlotte and my grandson. And now, she’s finally killed someone. Let’s see how she gets away this time!" James’s expression darkened slightly.
After Tina’s case faded from the spotlight, a new storm erupted—Mia’s video spread like wildfire. The Reynolds’ eldest daughter had publicly defended Sarah just a day earlier, only to suffer a breakdown at the gates of Adams University. It was as if reality had delivered a brutal slap—straight across Mia’s face, and by extension, Sarah’s as well. People began questioning Sarah’s competence. While no one denied the prestige of the Decker Competition, many now speculated that Sarah was merely an academic—strong in theory but lacking real-world experience, nothing more than an armchair expert. From the beginning of the controversy until now, Sarah had yet to make any public response. Just then, Zachary’s assistant entered the office once again, this time with a fresh update. "Mr. Reynolds, this afternoon, Mr. Robinson privately met with Miss Wilson. We don’t know yet if it’s related to the contract." The Reynolds and Wilsons had always been evenly matched in the stock ma
Mrs. Mendes hesitated before continuing. "After Tina jumped, I was terrified—I didn’t know what to do except cry. Then she appeared. She said she would help me get justice. She planned everything—what to say, what to do. She was clearly helping me… Are you saying she’s the one who killed my daughter?" Sarah could see right through Mrs. Mendes’s thoughts—all she cared about was the money. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Sarah spoke again. "Mrs. Mendes, your daughter might have been killed by her. Worse, she might have been pushed off that rooftop while she was still alive. Do you still think she was helping you?" "That’s impossible!" The words pushed off the rooftop were too horrifying. She didn’t even dare to imagine it. She had never been a loving mother to Tina, but that was still her child. A living, breathing person. The thought of Tina standing on that rooftop, terrified and helpless, made her stomach twist. Even if she had yelled at Tina that day, she didn’
Toddler Tina wobbled toward her, her tiny voice asking if she could have a piece of candy. The teenage Tina was forced to accept hand-me-down clothes from distant relatives. Even when she accompanied her mother to the market, her gaze would linger longingly on the dresses in the store window. The price wasn’t high, but she never once asked for one. She had learned to be obedient. As an adult, Tina had grown into a graceful young woman, but she became quieter, more withdrawn. She buried all her thoughts deep inside. Yet, when she was alone, she would still glance at herself in the mirror, as if searching for something. All these memories had always been there—she had just chosen to ignore them. Each fragment had been locked away in the deepest corners of her mind, things she never wanted to bring to the surface. Because if she did, she would have to face the truth: she could have easily bought her daughter that candy. She could have bought her that dress. But she never did.
She placed a hand over her chest, feeling the steady but heavy rhythm of her heartbeat. Then, reaching for her phone, she made the call. "Miss Sanders, I’m ready to tell you everything." Mrs. Mendes sat in the dimly lit living room, the night sky outside shimmering with stars, the moon hanging high and distant. Across from her, Sarah and Melvin sat in silence, listening intently. "The day my daughter died, after I left the police station, I met her at my doorstep. She told me she would help me get justice. She taught me what to say and do. "Actually, I saw her that day. On the twentieth floor, in the stairwell. But I didn’t say anything… After you two came to see me, she showed up not long after. I don’t know who she is, but I could tell she was someone rich. Her clothes, the way she carried herself—any one piece of her outfit could probably pay for years of our living expenses." A bitter laugh escaped her lips before she continued. "I couldn’t hold back. I asked h
As long as they could unlock the phone, they would find the key to everything. In the early hours of the morning, Melvin finally finished work and arrived with the now-unlocked device. The two of them huddled together, turning on Tina’s phone. Late at night, the girl had opened messaging app. "Did you go?" Tina, feeling anxious, hesitated before typing a reply. "Not yet." "You only have two days left. If you don’t go, you’ll regret it." Her fingers trembled as she typed her response. "Please… I’ll go. Tomorrow, I’ll go." "I’ll be waiting for your update." The next day, Tina had gone to Sarah’s counseling session. As expected, when she got home, another message was waiting for her. "Good. I know you went today. Now… when are you going to die?" "I don’t want to die anymore. There are still so many things I want to do. And HIV isn’t an immediate death sentence, right? I heard the government provides free treatment… there’s still hope, isn’t there?
On the television screen, Zachary’s face was sharp and cold, his voice carrying a weight that was hard to describe. "When I chose Sarah as my sister’s psychologist, I did so after careful consideration of her professional credentials and expertise. Throughout the course of treatment, she has consistently maintained the highest level of professionalism. The incident at the university gates was not caused by her. The truth is, three hours before that episode, my sister had been kidnapped and suffered severe psychological distress…" Sarah turned off the TV. She knew exactly why Zachary had chosen to respond—to shield her from public backlash. His interview had the immediate effect of calming the storm online. The anger aimed at Sarah gradually faded. After all, in Tina’s case, the only real evidence against her was that single blank sheet of paper. The police and university officials had already released everything they could. There was nothing left to accuse her of. Af
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
Before Sarah could speak, Manager Sullivan blurted out, "Miss Sanders, if I catch whoever did this, they won't get away with it!"Mr. Lambert sarcastically interjected, "What if it's a case of the thief crying catch the thief?"Manager Sullivan became defensive, "Mr. Lambert, you should think before you speak! I'm the manager of this factory. Every day the factory is down, I'm the most anxious of all! Are you really accusing me now? Miss Sanders, if you're going to suspect me as well, you might as well have headquarters fire me."Sarah quickly tried to defuse the situation, "Manager Sullivan, what are you talking about? You're the manager of this factory; of course, I trust your commitment to it. It’s just that this situation is serious. The old equipment that was destroyed in the last batch was due for an upgrade anyway, so that wasn’t a loss. But this time, it’s different."She paused before continuing, "This equipment was ordered from Germany by our headquarters half a year ago.
Fresh from the gambling den, Charlie was ecstatic, clutching a bundle of cash and laughing wildly. "Zach, we won thirty thousand! Can you believe they just let us walk out?"He found it unbelievable, but Zach seemed unfazed. They hadn't just taken the house; they'd also won a considerable amount from other gamblers, and even helped the house make a profit. It was no wonder they weren't stopped.Holding the money, Charlie mused, "Zach, you wouldn’t believe it. The rich just keep getting richer. Today, our factory received a shipment of equipment, and I heard just one machine costs millions. Compared to them, this thirty thousand really isn't much."Zach casually mentioned, "It seems like the Sanders factory is the only big one left around here."Charlie quickly retorted with a smirk, "Actually, in West Ridge, Sanders isn’t the biggest."Zach raised an eyebrow, "Really? I thought I knew West Ridge pretty well. Apart from Sanders, I haven’t seen any factory bigger than theirs."Char
Charlie finally got it—Manager Sullivan was forcing him to take on this task. He gritted his teeth and determinedly agreed, "Manager, I'll do it."Manager Sullivan smiled approvingly, "That's the spirit! Good employees like you are what this factory needs. Don't worry, the higher-ups won't let your efforts go unrewarded. If you pull this off, you could be looking at a bonus of several thousand."Charlie nodded, "Tonight, then?"Manager Sullivan's expression grew serious as he nodded back, "Yes, tonight."That afternoon, Charlie clocked out and went straight to find Zachary. He couldn’t go back to the old gambling den—they had made a mess last time and were probably blacklisted. As for the money he owed, Charlie didn’t care anymore. After all, they had won a lot last time only to have it stolen, which he figured squared things. Still, that didn't stop him from wanting to gamble again.Just a few days later, he found Zachary and even brought what he considered a fine cigar.As for
Outside the Sanders factory, several trucks were parked at the entrance. Sarah followed Manager Sullivan and Mr. Lambert, watching the unloading process. "Manager Sullivan, all this new equipment has arrived today, right from the headquarters' stock, and it's too late to ship from Germany now," Sarah observed, her voice serious.Mr. Lambert smiled, "I didn't expect you to handle this so quickly, Miss Sanders. It's only been a few days since you went to headquarters to file a complaint, and you've already got the equipment here.""It's all for the good of the factory," Sarah replied, her face still stern. "So, Manager Sullivan, the factory can operate normally now, right? Getting the production line back up is inevitable."Manager Sullivan's expression wasn't much happier; he hadn't expected Sarah to pull this off so quickly. He forced a smile, "Of course."As the equipment was moved into the factory, Manager Sullivan returned to his office, wiping sweat from his brow with his handk
Sarah was puzzled. "An explosion at such a critical moment would make anyone suspicious, wouldn't it? It looks like someone's trying to cover something up."Zachary nodded, his face showing disdain. "You're not the only one who thought so. But Old Mr. Wilson presented the last batch of drugs from their factory, which were supposed to be delivered to hospitals. The tests came back clean, and they claimed the explosion was due to a mishandling of ingredients."Sarah raised an eyebrow. "And everyone just bought that?""Yes, everyone did.""So, you want to prove the explosion wasn't an accident and use that to bring down the Wilson family?" Sarah asked softly.Zachary's face paled; he shook his head slightly. "It's not just that. I want to do more, but..."Sarah shrugged, as if she was used to this kind of talk. "Let me guess, the timing isn't right yet?"Zachary looked at her sincerely. "Sarah, I'm really glad you came to help me with my wounds. When the time is right, I'll come to
Sarah didn't respond to Zachary's earlier words—she simply moved with even more care as she cleaned and bandaged his wound. Her eyes stayed fixed on the task at hand, but her expression was unreadable.Zachary, watching her in silence, gave a soft laugh. "You do care about me, Sasa. No matter what you say, you're not as heartless as you pretend to be."Sarah shook her head, her voice calm but cool. "You're overthinking it. We're both from East Coast—I just don't want to see you die. Besides, you're getting engaged to Miss Wilson in just over half a month. I’m clear of our positions. So please, don't say things like that again."Zachary's face changed instantly. He knew she was right—his engagement to Vivian was a chasm between them, one that he couldn't just leap across. Not while the truth remained buried.That engagement wasn't just a label. It was a shield. A smokescreen. A compromise he'd made to protect Sarah. But knowing she believed it, that it stood between them, only deepe