As soon as James returned home, he saw his mother beaming. "Mom, what is it?""Charlotte's pregnancy test results are back. I specially asked your Uncle John to help - he's watched you grow up. Thank goodness the pregnancy check was mandatory, otherwise we couldn't get in. Those police watch Charlotte like she's a thief - I can't even bring her some supplements,” his mother complained.James quickly prompted, "Mom, what about the test results?""Oh, I almost forgot the important part - it's a boy! The Chacner family will finally have an heir. I won't have to worry about you constantly anymore."Yet she seemed more worried now. "Where Charlotte's staying now is like a fortress. I can't even get in to take care of her!"James didn't want to hear more of his mother's fretting and went straight to his room.Charlotte shared this room with him, and now with her gone, it felt empty.These feelings had intensified after seeing Sarah at the wine tasting. He couldn't forget how she looke
If only he had understood these things sooner.If only back then he had answered: "What's wrong? Can't sleep? I can keep you company."Perhaps everything would have been different.But "if only" was both the most abundant and scarcest thing in the world.He had to admit, when Sarah was playing the role of dutiful trad wife at home, he never noticed her radiance.Only after she shed that identity did he gradually discover how exceptional and charismatic she truly was.He stared at their wedding photo on the nightstand, remembering Sarah carefully wiping each crystal photo album.His fingers trembled slightly. Perhaps he really was sick - seriously sick.At the Ocean Mall, Sarah was shopping with Scarlett. Since the wine tasting, Scarlett had convinced herself that her tacos had played a crucial role in Mr. Sadberry giving the business to the Sanders. She used this as an excuse to insist on buying Sarah dresses."See how generous I am! That was a deal worth hundreds of millions.
Sarah listlessly finished the photoshoot, feeling down the entire afternoon. On the way back, she barely spoke, though Scarlett seemed to be in a good mood. "You know," Scarlett said, breaking the silence, "I’m actually glad to see you like this. Sasa, when you're feeling sad, just let yourself be sad for a while. No one expects you to keep holding it in forever. If you're down, let yourself sink into it. And if you really need to, cry it out. You’ve been carrying too much for too long. Stop pretending to be strong—at least not in front of me or Melvin. Just be yourself." Sarah let out a bitter smile. Her entanglement with Zachary had always been a cycle—back and forth, between fleeting happiness and deep sorrow. She’d soften every time he came to her, only to feel crushed the moment she saw him standing beside Vivian. Scarlett checked the time. It was only nine in the evening. "Stop the car!" she suddenly told the driver. "Turn around—head to St. Ritz." Sarah l
Under the kaleidoscopic, flickering lights that cast a dim and hazy glow, restless souls surrendered themselves to the rhythm of the dance floor, swaying in wild abandon. The music was deafening, drowning out any chance of conversation. Sarah noticed two people near the booths practically screaming at each other just to be heard. In this space, men and women lost themselves, venting their frustrations and emotions in tangled movements. Here, they could strip away everything—doubts, pain, burdens—if only for a little while. Ever since Steven had warned Scarlett against stepping foot in a bar after their two encounters, she had promised to stay away. But for the sake of her best friend? She would make an exception. "Sasa, want to dance? I hear this place can numb you for a while. If you're feeling awful, why not let go for a bit?" Sarah found a seat at the bar, idly ordering a glass of champagne. She took a sip before setting it back down. After indulging in so many exq
Just as Zachary finished handling his affairs and was driving home, his phone rang—it was Vivian calling.His hand hovered over the answer button, but he hesitated to press it."Zachary, Vivian likes you. You should see that by now. The reason she returned this time was for you." That was the voice of Mr. Wilson, his face ever so hypocritical."Zac, what exactly is your relationship with Miss Sanders?" That was a gentle, composed face, yet deep in her eyes lurked a suppressed madness—cold and merciless.Behind him was his grandfather’s voice, offering words of measured caution. "The matter with the Wilsons is something you’ll have to decide for yourself. If Wilson approaches me, I won’t turn him away. But how you handle it is up to you.""Bro, you can’t give up on Sarah! Didn’t you say you’d bring her back to be my sister-in-law? Brother?"Enough!He forced all those voices out of his mind, leaving only the persistent ringing of his phone echoing in the empty car."Zachary, rem
The men who had been hovering around quickly scattered, acting as if nothing had happened. They returned to their booths—some drinking, others dancing—blending back into the chaotic rhythm of the bar. "Zachary, you came to pick me up?" Vivian looked up at him with misty eyes. Zachary’s gaze swept across the table cluttered with empty glasses, his brows knitting together. "Why did you drink so much?" "Because I'm upset," Vivian murmured, resting her hand lightly on his arm. "They all say you love Sarah, not me. They say I ruined your happiness by suddenly returning to the country. Zachary, is that true?" "Come on, drink up!" "Stop just drinking—let’s go dance!" The deafening noise of the bar pounded against Sarah’s ears. She leaned against the wall near the restroom, a spot that conveniently kept her hidden while still allowing her to hear every word exchanged between Zachary and Vivian. Zachary hesitated for a long moment. Vivian clung to him, her voice laced wi
People around them watched like they were enjoying a show. Some were even placing bets on how long it would take the drunk to get the woman.Right then, Scarlett burst forward. “What the hell are you doing? Lay another hand on her, and I’m calling the cops!”The man scoffed. “Who comes to a bar and doesn’t look for a fling? I was just trying to talk to her—what’s the big deal?”“I said no, and that means no. Now get lost!” Scarlett shot him a glare, sharp as a knife.“Tch. If you’re not out to play, don’t come to a bar,” the man muttered as he stomped off.Scarlett stepped in front of Sarah protectively. “Sasa, weren’t you drinking at the bar just now? Why’d you suddenly come over here?”She glanced around suspiciously, but nothing seemed out of place.Sarah was still in a daze. “I was going to the restroom.”Her mood was already in the gutter. Then, she saw Zachary leaving the bar, supporting Vivian. That moment hit like a wave of ice, spreading cold through her entire chest
She didn’t even like this place. Yet, here she was—just trying to numb herself, even if only for a little while.Back at the booth, a glass of water slid toward her. She looked up. It was James.Her brows furrowed. “Why is it you?”James could sense her irritation. “Why shouldn’t it be me?”“You… you saw everything?”“If you mean the way you were dancing just now, yeah. I saw all of it.” He chuckled softly.Sarah pushed the water back toward him. “Drink it yourself, Mr. Chancer.”“You won’t even accept a glass of water from me?”She remained expressionless. “Of course not. What if someone sees it and twists it into me deliberately drinking your water? No thanks.”“That won’t happen.”“Still, I’d rather not. Mr. Chancer, please leave me alone. I just want some peace.” She had no interest in seeing James, let alone dealing with him.Something flickered in James’s eyes—hurt. “Sasa… do you really hate me that much?”Sarah glanced at him, her voice flat. “You’re just figuring th
She racked her brain trying to figure out where she'd gone wrong to end up in this situation.Before she could think of a solution, the company faced a thorny problem. Her assistant contacted her immediately."Miss Wilson, our shipment at the dock has been detained. By the time I received the news, it had already been held for three days. If we delay any longer, we'll lose a major deal," her assistant said urgently.Vivian had received an excellent education and was being groomed as the Wilson Group's successor, so she naturally wouldn't lose her composure.She calmly asked, "Have you looked into why the shipment was detained?"The assistant hesitated, "I heard that your fiancé, Mr. Reynolds, personally reported that shipment.""That's impossible!" Vivian's voice rose in pitch, her face filled with disbelief."Did you investigate thoroughly? If this turns out to be false, I won't let you off easily and will sue you for defamation." Vivian couldn't keep her cool, speaking with a h
In the office, Vivian looked with interest at the news on her phone about Harbour Crescent Island and Pine Mist Island. Everything was going exactly as she had expected.Except for one thing. When she first got the original project plan, she had been wondering about a small building near the main hotel. She couldn't figure out what it was for.Only after Pine Mist Island's promotional materials came out did she fully understand the purpose of that small building. In modern society, the exhausting work and complicated relationships of urban life caused people to develop various psychological issues. Many of these weren't even serious enough to be called disorders—they were just negative emotions bottled up inside that needed an outlet.In recent years, people had placed more emphasis on mental health education, with schools conducting various assessment activities.Many emotional release rooms had appeared in East Coast, but Sarah had only visited two or three, and their release meth
Before Zachary could react, tears streamed down Mia's face. "Brother, tell me, is everything I read true? The Wilson factory explosion, the fake medicine, the murders to silence people! How did Mom really die?"For the first time, Zachary looked at Mia helplessly. Since she was very young, he had always protected her well, making her feel like she lived in a fairy tale. But even the most innocent person must eventually face harsh reality.This time, he sighed and said, "It's exactly as you saw."Mia couldn't believe it. Her eyes widened, her nose reddened, as she looked at him in confusion. "It was the Wilson family? Grandpa Wilson was involved?"After saying this, endless hatred erupted in Mia's eyes. Her crimson gaze seemed to drip blood. "I'll kill him!"She turned to leave, but Zachary immediately lunged forward and grabbed her. "Mia! You can't go!"Mia's strength reached its peak in that moment. She desperately tried to break free from Zachary's grip. "Let me go! Why are you
Mia explained somewhat bashfully, "Sarah, ever since you and my brother broke up, I've never seen him smile again. Every night when I go downstairs for water, I see him standing on the balcony looking miserable. I always ask what's wrong, but he never tells me. Until one day when he came home drunk, muttering your name."She paused before continuing, "Sarah, I know you were disappointed when my brother got engaged to Vivian. I still don't know why that happened. From what I can tell, you're the only one he's ever loved. I know you're both hurting, so I came up with this idea to create a chance for you to be alone together. But I never thought things would turn out like this. I'm sorry, Sarah. This isn't my brother's fault—please don't blame him."Sarah thought for a moment before saying, "Mia, can you help me with something?"Mia nodded eagerly. "What do you want me to do, Sarah?"Sarah motioned her closer and whispered something in her ear. After listening, Mia nodded solemnly.In
Seeing him helped Sarah gradually calm down. She looked around, trying to figure out where she was, but quickly remembered the photo in the study, accompanied by another headache."Zachary, what's the story with that photo in your study?" Sarah rubbed her head while staring intently at the man whose face briefly showed panic. She wouldn't give him any chance to back away."What are you talking about? What photo?" Zachary reached for a teacup. "Are you thirsty? You just woke up—have some water to soothe your throat."Sarah frowned, looking straight at Zachary. "I'm not thirsty. Don't change the subject! What's the deal with that photo?"Right—the photo.Just then, Mia timidly approached, wringing her hands nervously."Mia, how are you feeling?" Sarah asked with concern, shifting her attention.Mia said guiltily, "Sarah, I'm so sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn't have tricked you."When Sarah showed concern for her despite just waking up, Mia's guilt peaked. She hadn't expected Sa
She stared hard at this single photo, trying to uncover something more, but the longer she looked, the more her head ached. The pain felt like something tearing apart inside her, making her want to punch the wall.Meanwhile, in Mia's room, Zachary held both of Mia's hands while his eyes anxiously watched the door. Half an hour had passed—why hadn't Sarah returned?Mia continued struggling, her eyes also darting toward the door, quickly lowering her gaze to hide her concern from him.Zachary took a deep breath, released his grip, and said flatly, “Cut the act.”Mia fell silent immediately. She wasn't sure how her brother had figured it out, but she could only close her mouth sheepishly. "Zach, I—""Say no more. I'm going to check on her." Zachary couldn't wait another moment. He stood up and left.Mia followed right behind him. "I'm coming with you."When Zachary pushed open the study door, he saw Sarah collapsed on the floor. He instantly panicked and ran to her. "Sasa! Sasa, are
Zachary couldn't quite identify what he was feeling. He calmly signaled the housekeeper to fetch the reports.Sarah carefully opened the door and peeked at Mia hiding in the corner. She also took in the mess on the floor.It seemed Mia was experiencing severe emotional swings. Sarah couldn't use an aggressive treatment approach.Mia spotted Sarah.She blinked, then suddenly burst into tears and started reaching for more breakable items in the room.Sarah rushed in without concern for her own safety. First, she called out firmly, "Mia, stop!"Zachary followed her inside, instinctively positioning himself to Sarah's right, ready to protect her if anything unexpected happened.Seeing this, Mia secretly smiled to herself, more determined than ever to play matchmaker.In her excitement, she set her sights on a waist-high vase.Sarah's attention was completely focused on her. Following Mia's gaze, her heart skipped a beat. She immediately spoke to her with gentle authority, "Mia, no.
Zachary was unhappy with her tone, as if his sister had some incurable disease.Due to his good upbringing and manners, Zachary didn't lose his temper. He simply asked the housekeeper to see the doctor out, his face showing clear displeasure.This was already the fourth psychologist today. All of them were professor-level professionals for whom writing books was a minor achievement.The nanny specifically assigned to care for Mia also had tears in her eyes as she stared at the closed door with endless worry. "Mr. Reynolds, Mia hasn't eaten a single bite since this morning. We can't go on like this."Zachary irritably pinched the bridge of his nose and coldly ordered, "Aren't there still some candidates on our list? Send people to bring all of them here."The nanny bit her lip and gathered her courage to suggest, "Mr. Reynolds, I don't think bringing more experts will help. Why not ask Miss Sanders to try?"Zachary turned to look at her, his expressionless face making the nanny los
Mrs. Chancer anxiously watched Charlotte lying unconscious on the bed, barely hearing anything the hospital director was saying.James had regained his composure after learning that Charlotte was currently stable. He politely responded to the director, "Thank you. Please don't let us keep you from your duties."After speaking, he glanced at the housekeeper.The housekeeper instinctively stepped forward and extended his right hand courteously. "Director, please, let me escort you back."Mrs. Chancer sat on the stool that James had pulled over, staring at Charlotte's pale face with lingering fear, unable to look away for a long time.It wasn't that she truly cared for Charlotte; she was simply afraid of losing her chance to hold her first grandchild.James placed his hand on her shoulder and gently urged, "Mom, you've had a shock. Charlotte is fine now. Why don't you go home and rest?"Mrs. Chancer was still somewhat angry with him. "I'm not leaving. What if you leave the moment I'