Melvin finally calmed down. "How's the situation now?" he asked gravely.Sarah's tone grew serious too. “The factory situation is complicated. Even Manager Sullivan…”She paused, then asked, “Melvin, is Mr. Lambert trustworthy?”Melvin thought for a moment. "In the current factory situation, even I don't know who's trustworthy anymore. Mr. Lambert has been with your father for twenty years. Since your father's passing, he's maintained contact with Sanders Group, though not as closely as before.""What about Manager Sullivan?”“He’s…”Sarah glanced toward the doorway and froze. A man in a suit was helping a bloodied man walk by.She couldn't mistake that face. Why was Zachary here? And who was the injured man he was supporting?"Sasa? Hello, are you listening?" Melvin's concerned voice came through the phone.Sarah snapped back to reality. “Melvin, something's come up. I'll call you back."She pulled out her IV, put on her shoes, and quietly followed the two figures.In the p
Though angry when they met at West Ridge, Charlie was still thinking about Zachary's money. He wanted to take the medicine and catch up, but the pharmacist haven’t called out his name yet.In the hospital corridor, Sarah hurried away, desperate to avoid Zachary.But why was Zachary with Charlie? That guy was always hanging out in gambling dens.Why was Zachary even in West Ridge? When Charlie had called her name earlier, Sarah had jumped. There were no footsteps behind her now, so she leaned against the wall, catching her breath. She held her chest, her heart pounding."What's wrong?" Zachary asked.Sarah's pupils dilated in shock. He had caught up to her. She couldn’t look at him. "I’m fine," she said softly."Sasa, you’re pale. You should lie back down on your bed," he insisted.Sarah took a few steps to the side. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Reynolds. I’ll head back now.""Sasa, I…" His words trailed off, but Sarah was already walking away.After her fever broke and
Sarah's eyes narrowed as she pieced it together. The roof - Charlie must have tampered with it. He was the one who hated her most.Rainwater flooded the bed, the hole now larger than yesterday. Sarah clutched her abdomen as the pain intensified.The blanket was soaked through, and the rain pounded harder by the minute.The damp air worsened her condition. She stared ahead, her vision slowly blurring.Why did it hurt so much?A bone-chilling cold spread through Sarah's entire body. She flashed back to being drenched in the mountains, coughing uncontrollably.What was happening to her?Sarah couldn't make sense of it. It was as if she'd been transported back to that night - the piercing cold rain and those malicious eyes watching her suffer.Her thoughts snapped back to the present. The water was rising around her; she could almost see herself submerged in it.The pain in her abdomen persisted as her mind drifted between past and present, both equally brutal in their coldness.
The next morning after the storm, the yard was flooded with water reaching up to mid-calf.Sarah had slept through the night, but now awake, her head throbbed and her eyes were swollen like balloons."It hurts..." she murmured, touching her eyes gingerly.As she rubbed her aching head, memories of the previous night flooded back.She recalled the roof that Charlie had supposedly fixed still leaking badly - deliberately, she realized. Even in her half-conscious state, she clearly remembered someone carrying her away.Wait...Where was she?Looking around, she found herself in a bright, clean room - nothing like the village accommodations.Before she could figure it out, the door opened and Zachary entered carrying a bowl.It hit her then - the soaked clothes, the faint cedar scent - it was Zachary who had rescued her last night."You're awake? Drink this," he said, setting the bowl before her, his voice gentle.Sarah accepted it. It was warm ginger tea.After drinking half,
Zachary's face darkened as he blocked her path. "You're in no condition to go anywhere."Sarah gently pushed him aside. "When I was tied up in the rain for hours on that mountain, you weren't there telling me my condition wouldn't allow it. Come to think of it, whenever something happens to me, you always seem to miss it, don't you?"Her words hit Zachary like a physical blow. He realized he'd never considered things from her perspective before. He had no right to stop her.By 8 AM, the Wesler family was awake. When they opened their door, the sight in the yard was horrifying. Everything was underwater.Mrs. Wesler immediately thought about repair costs, while Mr. Wesler worried about the ruined crops. His first concern, though, was checking on the pigs - but the water was too deep to cross.The dilapidated building where Sarah had been staying stood isolated from the main house. Now it had completely collapsed.A gleam of satisfaction appeared in Charlie's eyes. The girl had die
Manager Sullivan’s face lit up with excitement, but he had to ask, "Did you see her body?""Manager, last night I made sure to poke more holes in that already leaky roof. Just as expected, the house collapsed during the night. The thunder was so loud nobody heard a thing. By now, she's definitely buried under the rubble. Enough time has passed - she's already dead," Charlie said confidently.Still looking concerned, Manager Sullivan asked, "Did Mr. Lambert know it too?”"Mr. Lambert? He doesn't know anything yet. But by the time he finds out, it'll be too late," Charlie replied with a smirk.Manager Sullivan patted his shoulder, then pointed at the injuries on his face. "What happened there?"Charlie was forthcoming. In fact, he hoped Manager Sullivan might help him."Manager, I went to the gambling den a few days ago and lost some money. My wife wouldn't give me more - she hid it so well I couldn't find it. So I went back yesterday, and before I could even reach the table, I..."
Manager Sullivan stood frozen, unable to process what was happening. The person who should be dead was standing right in front of him, completely unharmed.So she hadn't returned to the Wesler house last night?"Who said I died?" Sarah asked with a graceful smile. "Manager Sullivan, if I had actually died, my cousin would have driven straight to this factory within a day to deal with it. You probably don't know, but it was originally my cousin who was supposed to come to West Ridge. I decided to come at the last minute."Her smile remained calm as she continued, "Manager Sullivan, I've been at this factory for two days but haven't met all the workers. I asked you several times to call a meeting, but you always refused with some excuse. Now suddenly everyone's gathered!"Manager Sullivan's face paled with anger. He shot a glare at Charlie, who was hiding in the crowd.Charlie hadn't expected this either. He dared not look at the manager or Sarah.Sarah addressed the workers direct
Before Sarah could continue, Manager Sullivan cut in again. "Besides, the entire Sanders organization is now under Melvin Sanders’s control, not old Mr. Sanders' son. I'm curious - why didn't you, as Mr. Sanders' daughter, take charge of the family business? Why leave everything to Melvin? If you claim he has no selfish motives, I won't believe it.""So you've orchestrated all of this to break free from headquarters' control?" Sarah's eyes were cold as ice.Manager Sullivan, thinking his reasoning had convinced her, grew more passionate. "Of course! Miss Sanders, if you take Sanders Corp back from Melvin, I'll cooperate fully with your work."Sarah sneered. "Manager Sullivan, I'm embarrassed for you just hearing that. I know exactly why you want to escape oversight from headquarters. You're the one who spread all those superstitions around the factory, aren't you?"The workers exchanged confused glances. Recently, some equipment had malfunctioned, while other machines worked fine.
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'