The company's online forums were under constant attack, and their stock price kept falling. She couldn't let this continue any longer.After consulting with board members, they decided to hold a press conference to clarify that they would abandon the controversial project.The design returned to Melvin's control. The board had met twice to debate whether to use the plans, with Melvin ultimately deciding to move forward with them.Cold wind rattled the car windows as Sarah drove, making sure they were sealed tight against the autumn chill.Though she knew Zachary was safe at the hospital, she still needed to see him.Thirty minutes later, she stood in his hospital room.He lay there sleeping. The doctors said he was stable, but he still hadn't woken up."Zachary?" she whispered softly.The room remained silent.She sat beside his bed - these stolen moments were the only times she could really look at him.She reached out and gently touched his nose."What do you think you're
Vivian yanked them apart and said arrogantly, "You can leave now, Miss Sanders. I'll take care of Zachary."Sarah left without another word.Vivian took Sarah's place by the bed, holding Zachary's hand, her voice full of reproach. "I'm right here beside you, so why did you grab her hand? Why won't you look at me instead? Aren't we good together?"She lowered her eyes dejectedly. "I've always known you loved her! Zachary, you really aren't afraid of her getting her memories back, are you?"Vivian knew the man on the bed wouldn't respond, but she couldn't help laughing. She was truly looking forward to seeing Sarah's reaction when she recovered her memories.When Sarah returned home, Sydney was waiting for her angrily, just as Mia came out of her room."You witch, how dare you record what I said! Using such underhanded tactics." Sydney spewed insults.Sarah laughed coldly. "You said those things yourself. I just recorded them.""You're disgusting, deliberately tricking me. If you
In the meantime, she had another option.With this thought, Sydney's eyes grew determined. She gave Sarah one last look. "Better pray for yourself."In a cheap rental apartment in East Coast's slums, Amy carried her child into a room where her lover lived."I'll get the money soon. Then we can leave East Coast, okay?" Amy pleaded earnestly.The man nodded halfheartedly. "Sure, Amy. We'll have a good life, the three of us. Did they say when you'd get the money?"Amy hesitated. "They said after Sarah's reputation is ruined. Should be soon, I think."The man wrapped his arm around Amy's shoulders, speaking sweetly. "Honey, good thing you came up with this plan. Lucky your ex-husband's such an idiot."Amy felt uncomfortable at his words. "Don't talk about him like that. We're the ones who wronged him."But she had to look out for herself. She just wanted a better life for her child."Alright, I'll stop. But this place is so shabby. Can't I come stay with you? Henry's moved out a
Mia's words left the crowd silent.She was right - Sarah had made unforgettable contributions to both the school and its students.Some students left, while others quietly picked up the crumpled papers, as if trying to subtly help clean up for Sarah.After the crowd dispersed, only Sarah and Mia remained at the door."It's all because of Professor Letito's ex-wife," Mia fumed. "Without her, none of this would have happened! And these students, believing every rumor they hear. How could they think you would ever do something like that?"Sarah patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. This is just someone's scheme. If we let it get to us, they win."She knew Vivian was doing this to see her afraid, to break her down.But she'd show Vivian that none of this bothered her, that it couldn't break her.In the deep autumn weather, Zachary had been unconscious in the hospital for 24 hours. When his fever finally broke and he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Vivian
They stared at each other intently. Though they both knew the answer, she still wanted to hear it from his lips.Zachary's mouth moved slightly, but no words came out.The answer had always been in his heart. He'd thought countless times of telling Sarah, but never could."Zachary, why won't you answer?" Vivian's tone grew increasingly frantic. She'd never addressed him so coldly before.But this time, she couldn't hold back anymore.The long-term neglect, Zachary's special treatment of Sarah - each instance had pierced her heart like thorns, leaving her aching.She'd wanted to ask Zachary his true feelings more than once. Even though she knew what he would choose, she still clung to hope.But surprisingly, Zachary remained silent, giving no answer. Vivian laughed bitterly inside - at this point, what was left to hide?"Vivian, have you heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?" Zachary asked suddenly.Vivian was caught off guard by this random question. "Of course."Everyon
Zachary finished the soup. "If you're busy, you don't need to check on me.""I worry when I'm not watching over you," Vivian replied quickly before burying herself back in work.Zachary fell silent, staring out the window.Two days later, in a run-down slum, several men forced open a decrepit door. Inside, a man was playing on a battered computer, cursing furiously at his teammates. He pounded on the keyboard with its missing keys, as if trying to smash it in his rage.Too caught up in the game, he didn't hear them enter until someone roughly yanked off his headphones. Only then did he notice the room full of people.He looked at their leader in panic, trembling as he spoke. "Troy, you said one week! It's only been two days! After a week, I swear I'll have your money."Troy glared at him menacingly, motioning for his men to restrain him.The cigarette wasn't finished, but Troy pulled it from his mouth and pressed it against the man's arm.Before the man could react, he felt sea
At Troy's signal, his men immediately understood. They dragged Dan aside and gave him a brutal beating.After they left, Dan collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, his face and head bloody from the beating.The door was still open when a well-dressed man in a suit walked in, chuckling softly.Dan startled, thinking it was Troy. "Troy, please... Wait, who the hell are you? Get out!"The man smiled faintly. "After that beating, you still haven't learned? I'm here to offer you money. Interested?"Money?Dan sized up the visitor, his eyes fixed on the man's watch. He'd seen it on TV - worth millions, easily enough to clear his debt.His demeanor changed instantly, putting on a fawning smile. "Please, sit down, Sir!”Still covering his bleeding nose, he added, "Let me clean up first."The man found a relatively clean spot to sit, drumming his fingers on the table. "Do something for me. Payment is one million."Dan's eyes widened as he nodded frantically. "Anything, just name it
People began digging up previous incidents, using them to paint Sarah as a villain.While Amy cried on the outside, she was laughing inside. She was close to success! Close to getting that five million.With that money, she and Dan could run away, buy a small house somewhere remote, start a small business, and live peacefully for the rest of their lives.The more she thought about it, the harder she forced herself to cry.Meanwhile in the counseling office, Sarah had to hold Mia back from rushing out."Mia, calm down." Sarah had placed psychological exercises in front of her, prepared earlier to help ease her anxiety.Of course Sarah knew what was happening at the school entrance. Scarlett had already called several times, wanting to rush over and slap Amy, but Sarah had talked her down each time.Under Sarah's guidance, Mia reluctantly focused on her exercises. Sarah stroked her head. "I'll handle this."Mia nodded, not mentioning that she'd already begged her brother to deal
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'