James rubbed his temples. "Charlotte, there are things I need to handle at work. I'll come back another day."Charlotte's eyes turned red. "James, I miss you so much. When I wake up from nightmares at night and you're not there, I cry."Her words were pitiful, and James felt moved. He knew Charlotte was having a tough pregnancy, with no one around when she had morning sickness.He sat back down. "Charlotte, I'm sorry. I haven't been taking good care of you."...That afternoon, Sarah took Mia to school, leaving Sydney alone in the house.While Annette was cleaning in the back garden, Sydney crept out of her room and stood at Mia's doorway. After checking that no one was around, she carefully took out a key and unlocked Sarah's door.This room was probably the largest after the master bedroom. She clenched her fists. Why did Sarah get everything without having to work for it?None of Melvin's doting affection had ever been directed at her.She silently searched Sarah's room
A week later, Vivian looked with satisfaction at the renderings from the tech department. They perfectly captured what she felt had been missing."Send it out."Soon, a 3D rendering was circulating throughout East Coast.Melvin was in a meeting when he heard about it. His assistant burst in, panicked. "Mr. Sanders, there's trouble."The assistant looked distraught, his face pale.Melvin knew his assistant wouldn't interrupt a meeting for something trivial - this had to be serious."What is it?" he asked.The assistant quickly handed him the tablet. "Sir, look at this."On the tablet was a 3D rendering, but what shocked him more was that it was identical to the proposal their planning department had submitted - the one they'd spent two weeks finalizing with the famous designer for Pine Mist Island.The proposal was exactly the same as their planning department's submission, except it was for Harbour Crescent Island, and the rendering had been released by Wilson Industries just
Sarah's face went pale. "It was her!""Who do you think it is?" Melvin asked urgently.Sarah nodded. "Sydney. It couldn't be anyone else. I forgot to take the files with me that day after bringing them home. She must have snuck into my room."Melvin's expression darkened. "There are no cameras in the bedrooms, and the hallway cameras only catch movement on the stairs. There's no evidence of anyone at your door."He suspected the culprit had planned this carefully.But how did Sydney know Vivian?Melvin's face turned cold - they'd let a wolf into their home.“Melvin, Sydney must be working with Vivian."Though she wasn't sure what kind of deal they'd made, she knew it wouldn't be good for her."Sasa, I won't let anyone hurt you," Melvin's eyes shone with determination.Sarah returned home troubled, noting that Sydney hadn't left her room. She walked over with a dark expression.After knocking, she found Sydney sitting nervously on her bed."What... what do you want?" Sydney
The voice on the other end paused before asking, "What happened?"“Zach, the woman from the Blanco family came..." Mia told him everything that had happened recently. "I think this must be connected to Vivian. Sydney must have stolen Sarah's files because of what Vivian said.""Why is someone from the Blancos staying at the Sanders' house?" Zachary's tone was grim."I don't know, just that Mrs. Sanders brought Sydney over that day, saying she'd be working at Sanders Group but hadn't found a place to live yet, so she's staying here. This Sydney is clearly up to no good. She's always clinging to Melvin, just like those women in the clubs." Mia finally found a comparison after thinking for a while.Zachary chuckled softly. "You've seen nightclub women?""On TV. Zach, you have to help Sarah. That woman seems dangerous."Mia said all this without considering that Sarah could be just as formidable herself.After talking about their grandfather for a while, Mia suddenly asked, “Zach, y
He left the meeting room without another word.But he knew those people wouldn't give up just because they'd failed this time.Melvin hadn't been home for the past two days, which made Sydney incredibly anxious. She'd come here to get close to Melvin, but now she couldn't even see him.Plus, the job Melvin had arranged for her wasn't at headquarters but at a branch office, so she had no chance of running into him.When Mia and Sarah got home from school, they caught Sydney staring at them."What are you looking at?" Mia said with disgust."Melvin's so good to you. That necklace he just got at the auction - he had it delivered to you right away," Sydney's voice dripped with jealousy.Sarah caught her meaning and picked up the necklace from the table. "Yes, it is quite beautiful."Sydney barely contained her envy, her words dripping with sarcasm. "Who knows what shady tactics you used to get Melvin to treat you so well. People might think you're a couple!""Think before you spea
"These files need to be archived. Some of the classic cases I found are from overseas.""Alright." Professor Letito rubbed his temples and stood up to collect the files from his desk.He was always such an honest, serious person that Sarah couldn't help asking again, "Professor, is something wrong?""Really, I'm fine."Sarah left the office with doubts, having other matters to attend to.After classes ended, a crowd had gathered at the school entrance. When Sarah and Mia went to look, they saw Professor Letito was one of two people at the center.Opposite him stood a woman holding a child.Professor Letito's face was ashen with anger, while the woman was crying out, "How did someone like you become a university professor? You don't even care about your own child! Tell me who this mistress is that you're having an affair with!"As Sarah watched in confusion, a hand touched her shoulder. She turned to find Professor Wells."Poor Henry’s gotten himself into quite a mess," Profess
The man spoke softly, but his words were cruel. "It's fine if this attempt failed. We'll try something more drastic next time. If all else fails, we'll use the child."The woman didn't even get angry. "Aren't you worried about hurting your own child?""Once we get the money, we can leave. If we're seen, it's all over."Sarah watched them walk away, feeling furious on Professor Letito's behalf.She knew they wouldn't give up until they got what they wanted.Early the next morning, Sarah released the recording she'd made.Vivian was holding a press conference at Wilson Headquarter, with many media reporters present, drawn by the Wilson name.Vivian sat at the head of the table, speaking confidently. "The inspiration came from overseas resort islands. I incorporated some interesting concepts..."A reporter stood up. "Miss Wilson, there are rumors that Wilson Industries stole Sanders Group’s designs. How do you respond?""That's false. Wise people don't believe rumors. Wilson Indu
At six in the evening, Sydney was heading to her car in the parking lot when she spotted a familiar Ferrari. Before she could place whose it was, the door opened.A woman stepped out, her face cold and emotionless, her eyes staring at Sydney as if she were looking at a corpse.After a long moment, Sydney finally came to her senses and asked uneasily, "Miss Wilson, what brings you here?""What? Am I not allowed to see you?" Vivian looked at her with contempt.She suddenly moved closer to Sydney and said coldly, "Tell me, what's the deal with that recording?"Recording?Sydney hadn't processed what she meant. She'd been busy with work all day and hadn't seen any news.She had no idea what had happened at Wilson Industries, let alone about any recording. Vivian's eyes held pure malice as she took out her phone and played the recording.Hearing the familiar voice, Sydney's eyes widened. That voice... it was hers.She stared at Vivian in shock. "This... this recording...""Did you
Sarah's lips curved into a slight smile. "Oh right, I almost forgot to tell you. I'm moving to the dormitory near the factory today, so you won't have to worry about me anymore.""You're moving out?" Charlie's eyes widened in surprise."No way." After processing what she said, he rushed over and forcefully grabbed the suitcase from her hands."What are you doing?" Sarah glared at him angrily. "Give me back my suitcase."Charlie laughed coldly. "I can give it back, but nothing in this world is free. You've lived here for so long—you should at least pay some rent."Hearing this, Sarah calmed down. "How much do you want?"Charlie thought Sarah had agreed, so he quickly held up five fingers. "At least this much."Sarah asked, "Five thousand?"Charlie shook his head. "At least fifty thousand."Sarah covered her mouth and laughed."What's so funny?" Charlie threw the suitcase to the floor, angry and impatient. "I'm telling you, don't think I'm joking. Today, if you don't pay up, yo
Zachary smirked as he watched Charlie, amused by his outlandish claims. The poor fool was so wrapped up in his fantasies of wealth that he completely missed the mockery in Zachary's eyes.But as they say, no plan survives contact with reality.Charlie never imagined his schemes would collapse before they even got off the ground."How could I lose?" Charlie stared blankly at the dice on the gambling table, unable to believe what was happening.The noisy sounds of the gambling den faded away as his mind blocked them out. His ears heard nothing, and everything around him became a blur."Hey, are you playing or not? If not, get out of the way. You're blocking the table," someone shoved him aside.Charlie was like a mad dog now, ready to snap at anyone.He turned around angrily, about to lash out, when he saw Zachary standing calmly in the crowd as if nothing had happened.That made sense—after all, it was his money that was lost.Realizing this, Charlie couldn't contain the anger
"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.