Any clear-headed person would see through such an obvious lie, but blinded by love, Michael had lost all reason. He'd convinced himself that if Zachary and Sarah got together, Vivian would be his."Mr. Luther, I never thought you'd be so gullible." Sarah sneered."Well, that's the truth. After everything fell apart, she came to see me once, and I decided to cover for her. I succeeded - everyone believes Charlotte was the perpetrator, and I was just being manipulated." Michael's eyes grew colder.Sarah studied him carefully. "Mr. Luther, I want you to repeat this in court.""In court?"Michael silently shook his head. "I've told you the truth. The rest isn't my concern. I hope you understand - I can't personally send the woman I love to prison."After all, he still cherished the memories from high school. He stood to return to his cell, but Sarah called after him."Please think it over."Michael nodded and left quickly.Meanwhile, James was ransacking his house looking for s
"Since we're both here on the East Coast, we should see more of each other. After all, your son and my niece were married. Even though they're divorced, our families could still be close," Mrs. Sanders smiled.Mrs. Chancer felt puzzled but nodded. "Yes, of course."She was only tolerating this for Mrs. Watson's sake."Oh dear," Mrs. Sanders sighed."Is something wrong?" Mrs. Chancer asked."It's my niece - such a troublemaker. I'm sure you have your own concerns too, Sylvia. I'll be frank - I can't stand that girl. Divorcing your son wasn't enough, she had to get your daughter-in-law imprisoned even though she was pregnant at that time - how cruel."Finding a sympathetic ear, Mrs. Chancer opened up. "You don't know the half of it. That girl must have some vendetta against our family. She's had my daughter thrown in prison multiple times, and now she's managed to get her committed to a psychiatric facility. My Lucy is perfectly healthy, but now she's being treated like a mental pa
For a moment, he thought he saw the study light switch on, and Sarah walking in gently, placing a steaming cup of coffee on his desk. "What are you doing?"He blinked, about to show her the album, when he heard his past self speak, "Working. Haven't I told you not to disturb me when I'm working?"James wanted to protest, but Sarah was already stammering, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have disturbed you."The memory sent a sharp pain through his heart. For three years of marriage, this was how he'd spoken to her, every single day.Just remembering it once was unbearable now.How must Sarah have felt, enduring this for three years? Maybe he should give up - some wounds couldn't be healed.The scene shifted, the door opening again."James, my cousin sent some tea. I don't know much about tea, but I thought you might like them." She placed the box carefully on his desk, anxious not to anger him.He knew the tea's value, knew she'd brought it specially for him.He wanted to say, "Thank y
"Alright." Though Sarah didn't know what her aunt was planning, this was still Melvin’s mother.She'd seen plenty of her aunt growing up, but always felt their relationship was oddly warm yet distant.Something felt off - her aunt must be planning something big.At Wilson Industries, Vivian was eating when her assistant approached, whispering something in her ear. Her face immediately darkened. "Why am I only hearing about something this important now?"The assistant quickly explained, "They wouldn't talk until this morning."Vivian hurriedly finished eating and had her assistant drive her to the prison.In prison, as Michael was led to the visiting room, he couldn't guess who'd come to see him.When he saw who it was, all his former excitement and hope were gone, replaced by resignation. He didn't know how to face Vivian, whether to confront her about Summit Corp or ask if she really planned to marry Zachary.They sat facing each other, silent for a long while.Finally, Micha
But he still couldn't fully trust Vivian, despite his wavering heart."Michael, don't you believe me anymore?" Vivian asked, feigning disappointment.Michael, still thinking about what Zachary had said, asked again, "Just tell me honestly - did you do all this to marry Zachary? Your grandfather and his are discussing the engagement now, aren't they?"A cold glint passed through Vivian's eyes. She knew denying it was pointless - he'd find out when the engagement was announced anyway.Her patience exhausted, she said, "Yes, I already told you. Sarah was right - I love Zachary. So what will you do now? Tell the police the truth and send me to prison?"She burst out laughing. "Michael, you're so naive. Do you think the police would believe you? Do you have any proof?"Michael's face grew paler as Vivian continued, "Don't be foolish. You have no evidence, but I do. I have surveillance footage of you meeting Charlotte. When you two were planning everything, I made sure I wasn't involve
Sarah nodded but remained silent. She had no desire to acknowledge these people—people who had nothing to do with her. But for the sake of her aunt… After losing her parents, her aunt and uncle had treated her well. Even if Amanda subtly pushed her toward this group, though it made her uncomfortable, she didn’t let it show. Sydney stood in the center, surrounded by her younger cousins, clearly the beloved darling of the White family. Everyone fawned over her, treating her like a princess. “So, you’re Sarah?” Sydney said with a smug smile. “I’ve heard so much about you. Heard you got divorced and then started fooling around with Zachary? But now you’re broken up too. Don’t take it too hard. After all, we’re talking about Vivian here. Of course Zachary would pick her over you. I mean, a divorced woman? That’s just… embarrassing.” She covered her mouth, pretending to stifle a giggle. The people around her joined in, laughing, their eyes filled with ridicule. Sarah
Right in front of all these people, they dared to pull this stunt. Old Lady White shot Amanda a cold glare. “Or perhaps the Sanders never wanted us here in the first place? Let’s go.” Amanda rushed forward, trying to smooth things over. “No, this was our fault. Please don’t leave over such a small matter. It’s really nothing—if word gets out, people will only laugh at us.” Sydney cast Sarah a smug look before putting on a sweet, understanding smile and stepping toward Old Lady White. “Grandmother, Aunt, everyone is having such a lovely time. I don’t want this to ruin the mood. But she did hit me, and actions have consequences. How about this—she slaps me, so I get to slap her back. A small punishment, nothing more. Would that be fair?” Old Lady White pressed her lips together, then turned to Amanda. “Amanda, what do you think?” Amanda hesitated and looked at Sarah. “Sasa…” “I refuse.” Sarah’s voice was cold, sharp enough to slice through the tension in the room.
Sydney smiled innocently, as if none of yesterday’s events had ever happened. Sarah frowned. “Grandor Theatre?” Why there again? The last time Mia had an accident, it happened at Grandor Theatre, and they never found the real culprit. Sydney beamed. “That’s right! Mr. Ferguson’s performances are legendary. So, are you coming? Aunt insisted on getting these tickets for you—she really wanted you to join us.” Sarah had never been to Grandor Theatre before, but with everything going on with Tina, she had been meaning to check it out. Not just to review the surveillance footage. She wanted to see what kind of act Sydney was playing, too. Sydney’s eyes flashed with excitement. “The show starts at four. Farewell My Love—you’re in for a treat.” She clapped her hands, then pulled Sarah toward the closet. “Go get changed! Wear something nice. Or better yet, let me help you pick something out.” Like she owned the place, Sydney strode straight into Sarah’s walk-in clo
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'