Sydney’s eyes flicked back to the diamond brooch with a mixture of greed and resentment. She sighed, her voice soft and pitiful. “Melvin treats you so well. I wish I had a big brother like him.” Sarah gave her a sweet, almost innocent smile. “Well… you might as well keep dreaming. Your mom can’t just pop out a brother for you. Unless… maybe your dad…” She paused dramatically, then widened her eyes as if she’d just said something scandalous. “Kidding! Just joking!” Sydney’s temples throbbed with anger. How dare she say that about my father? Sarah had never talked like this before. But that was fine. Sydney told herself that Sarah would get what was coming to her soon enough. While Sydney was still fuming, Sarah ducked into the fitting room to check the gown she was wearing. The stitching along the waistline had been tampered with. It looked fine now, but in about thirty minutes, the seam would burst wide open—humiliating her in front of everyone. Sarah’s eyes dar
"Ah!" Sydney let out a shriek, immediately crossing her arms over her chest to cover herself. She shot Sarah a furious glare, her face burning with humiliation. Then, she turned to Benjamin, looking utterly flustered. "I-I need to go to the restroom." She had barely taken two steps before twisting her ankle, nearly collapsing to the floor. Benjamin reacted quickly, grabbing her just in time. "Here, wear this." He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Sydney practically melted into his arms, sneaking a glance at Sarah as if embarrassed. But beneath her expression, there was a glint of something cold and calculating. "Benji, I'll go fix myself up. You stay here and keep Sarah company, alright?" Her voice was delicate, laced with hidden meaning. Benjamin’s gaze flickered darkly. “Alright, go on then.” The moment the door clicked shut, Sarah calmly took a sip of tea. Benjamin wasted no time. He moved closer, his fingers deliberately brushin
Sarah tilted her head slightly, her smile laced with mockery. “All I know is that he somehow tripped and knocked himself out. You weren’t even here, yet you immediately assumed I did it. Why is that, Sydney?” “You—!” Sydney’s face turned red with anger. She scoffed. “So, you’re saying he harassed you, failed, and then somehow managed to knock himself unconscious?” Sarah beamed. “That’s exactly what happened.” Sydney opened her mouth to argue, but then—her eyes darted to a shadow in the corner. Someone was there. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” The moment Zachary stepped into the light, Sydney’s breath hitched. Of course she recognized him. “Mr. Reynolds…? Why are you here?” Zachary ignored her, his expression unreadable. “I have things to do. I’ll be leaving now.” Sydney's eyes flashed, and she quickly stepped forward. “Mr. Reynolds, can you help me take my cousin to the hospital?” Her voice was soft, almost pleading. A face like hers—pale as sno
The boutique owner instructed an attendant to bring out several dresses. Sarah examined them one by one before selecting one and stepping into the fitting room. The fitting room was small and dimly lit, with heavy curtains blocking the window. These dresses all looked similar on the hanger; she needed to see how they fit on her. Layer after layer, the process was tedious. By the time she peeled off her original outfit, sweat dotted her forehead. She slipped into the dress, the silky fabric cool against her skin. Just as she reached for the ties— The curtain behind her was yanked open. Sarah gasped. “Who’s there?!” She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, stepping back until her hand found the door handle. “Don’t move.” The voice came from behind her. Her heart raced. She turned her head just enough to see a man standing there. He wore a mask and gripped a knife, the blade glinting faintly in the dim light. “Who are you?” she demanded, tryin
“Miss, this isn’t a cheap watch. If you want it repaired, it’ll cost quite a bit. Do you want me to just fix the strap and the glass, or should I work on the case too?” The case only had a few minor scratches—nothing obvious unless you looked closely. Sarah’s index finger still throbbed faintly. “Fix everything,” she said. “How long will it take?” The shop owner hesitated before replying, “This is a German Lange watch. Some parts need to be ordered from Germany. Even here in East Coast, you won’t find replacements easily. Best case, a few weeks. Worst case… it might take a few months.” Sarah nodded. “Money isn’t an issue.” She pulled a check from her handbag, placed it on the counter, then turned to leave. She wasn’t entirely sure why she cared enough to fix the watch. But today, she’d finally figured out one thing. Those eyes… They looked just like Steven’s. And Steven was Scarlett’s boyfriend. ---As soon as Sarah stepped out of the car back home,
“Benjamin harassed me in public. I did what anyone should’ve done. What exactly did I do wrong?” Crash! Old Lady White slammed her teacup onto the floor, shattering porcelain across the polished surface. “You’ve certainly got a way with words!” she spat. Mrs. Blanco hesitated, then quickly chimed in, “Maybe Sarah just never liked Benjamin and decided to hit him. Now she’s turning the whole thing around, accusing him of harassment.” “That must be it!” Sydney echoed, eyes gleaming with malice. Sarah let out a cold laugh. “He’s already in custody. If you really believe he’s innocent, then go find the evidence. I won’t stop you.” “Enough with this nonsense!” Mrs. Blanco snapped, face twisted with fury. “You’re going to go down to the station right now and tell them to release him! Or do you want to turn this whole situation into a public scandal? You shameless, ungrateful thing!” “You’ve got it all wrong,” Sarah said, voice low and sharp. She met Mrs. Blanco’s glare
With reddened eyes, she clutched Old Lady White's arm. "Mother, how could Sarah be so vicious at such a young age? Sydney's grown up by your side, always such a good girl. You must stand up for her!""Hmph!" Old Lady White glared at Sarah. "Nonsense! Get Benji released immediately and apologize to your cousin!"A cold glint flashed in Sarah's eyes. "Releasing Benjamin? Not happening. And I won't apologize. If Sydney won't admit it, Benjamin will - there are ways to make him talk."Mrs. Blanco jumped up in outrage. "You'd force a false confession? Touch one hair on Benji's head and the whole White family will come after you!""Is that a threat?" Sarah's eyes narrowed.The tension froze as a strong voice cut through, "What's going on here?"Sarah’s uncle, Shawn, walked in frowning, taking in the scene - Sarah surrounded, Old Lady White's blazing eyes, Sydney's theatrical tears, and Sarah standing her ground."What happened?"Amanda quickly pulled her husband aside to explain.He
Amanda seemed satisfied. Now that Shawn had promised to handle it, she could relax.At Sanders Group headquarters, a woman in a dress walked into the elevator. Oddly, no one stopped her.The elevator went straight to the 35th floor. She used her fingerprint to open an office door and walked in. “Melvin.”Melvin turned to face Sarah. "Sasa, what brings you here?""Can't I visit my dearest cousin?” Sarah glanced at the Sanders Group stock prices on his screen."Sasa, I heard about yesterday," he said worriedly. "Did Grandmother and Aunt make a scene at home today? Don't worry about them. Benjamin had no right to touch you - and when he gets out, he'll have me to deal with!""I'm fine, really."Sarah told him everything that happened. "But I need your help with something.""Name it."Sarah stood on tiptoe, whispering in his ear.Melvin smiled. "Look at my clever sister!""I'm counting on you!" Sarah beamed."Don't worry." A cold glint passed through Melvin's eyes. "I won't go
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'