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.
"Manager Sullivan, I need to talk to you," Sarah said, her voice steady.Manager Sullivan forced a smile as he opened the door. "Come in."Sarah sat down across from him and dropped her handbag on the floor. "Let's get straight to the point. I know exactly who you're working for, and what your boss is trying to do."Sullivan clenched his fists, forcing a bitter smile. "Miss Sanders, I don't know what you're talking about. What boss? I only work for the Sanders family. You hold the largest share of Sanders stock, so naturally, I work for you.""Isn't that a bit self-righteous?" Sarah asked coolly. "Your daughter went abroad last year, didn't she? I heard she's attending a prestigious university. How did you afford that kind of education?"Manager Sullivan grew agitated. "I saved for years. It's completely normal to send my daughter abroad. Besides, even if my salary wasn't enough, there's my wife's income."Sarah tossed a brown paper bag on the desk. "From what I know, your wife w
As Charlie played, he remembered the man who had helped him when he was beaten. Could he really win tens of thousands like that man had?The thought intrigued him. If that man could help him, these few thousand might multiply many times over.Some bystanders, seeing his desperate situation, tried to intervene. "Stop, you're about to lose everything. Do you really want to go broke?"Charlie's eyes remained fixed on the cards. "No, I'm going to win! This round is mine!"Focused on the money pile on the table, he gripped his last five hundred dollars and placed one hundred on the small bet. "Small!"People around him goaded him. "The Wesler family is so rich, why bet just a hundred? You bet a thousand at the other table!"Zachary, watching from the sidelines, exchanged a subtle glance with the dealer and added, "At least bet two hundred."Charlie hesitated, then threw down another two hundred. "Fine, two hundred it is!"Unsurprisingly, he lost again.He stared at the remaining th
Sarah didn't respond to Zachary's earlier words—she simply moved with even more care as she cleaned and bandaged his wound. Her eyes stayed fixed on the task at hand, but her expression was unreadable.Zachary, watching her in silence, gave a soft laugh. "You do care about me, Sasa. No matter what you say, you're not as heartless as you pretend to be."Sarah shook her head, her voice calm but cool. "You're overthinking it. We're both from East Coast—I just don't want to see you die. Besides, you're getting engaged to Miss Wilson in just over half a month. I’m clear of our positions. So please, don't say things like that again."Zachary's face changed instantly. He knew she was right—his engagement to Vivian was a chasm between them, one that he couldn't just leap across. Not while the truth remained buried.That engagement wasn't just a label. It was a shield. A smokescreen. A compromise he'd made to protect Sarah. But knowing she believed it, that it stood between them, only deepe
Charlie felt a chill run down his spine from that single glance. Considering her status, he dared not push any further. "That's all I have to say. The rest is up to you to figure out."He fled the scene, leaving Sarah alone in the room.After washing up, she lay on the bed and checked her emails. Her cousin had sent her updates on the construction progress at Pine Mist Island.Once she finished handling her affairs, Sarah tucked herself under the covers and closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but rest eluded her.Her mind was filled with what Charlie had said about Zachary being injured. He was hurt, and she had no idea how serious the wound was.If it was severe, he would need hospital treatment, which would certainly leave a record and expose his location.If he didn't want his whereabouts known, he would have to treat the injury himself at home.But that wound...Sarah couldn't calm her thoughts. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.Under the bright moonlight, a figu
After the doctor left, Charlie yanked out his IV and clambered off the bed, urging Zachary, "Let's get out of here. This place just drains you dry."Zachary, indifferent since his injuries were feigned, asked, "Your injuries alright?"Charlie, ever so casual about his resilience, boasted, "Ah, I've been roughed up worse before. Just give me a couple of days to rest at home, and I'll be as good as new."With unresolved matters and a longing to see Sarah, Zachary reluctantly set aside his desires. "Then you head back. Call me if you need anything."Charlie, sensing something off, gently tugged at Zachary's suit and noticed his white shirt stained with fresh blood. "Zach, you're hurt!"Zachary's lips were pale, his voice dry. "Yeah.""I'll get the doctor to bandage you up," Charlie said, moving to leave."No need," Zachary stopped him quickly, not wanting to expose his whereabouts by registering at the hospital."What about your wound?""I have a first aid kit at home. It's just
Zachary dragged the unconscious Charlie to the clinic, exacerbating Charlie's injuries as his back scraped against the small stones on the road.When Charlie woke up in the clinic, his howls filled the room. "It's killing me! Where's the doctor? Give me some anesthesia. I'd rather be out cold!"The nurse, irritated by his constant demands, was about to lose her patience when Zachary entered the room. Seeing him, Charlie momentarily forgot his pain and burst into tears. "Bro, did you save me? From now on, you're like a brother to me."Zachary responded indifferently, "Just focus on healing."As the nurse changed Charlie's bandages, she couldn't help but blush at Zachary's rugged, yet undeniably handsome appearance, even slightly disheveled from the fight."Damn it, get out! Are you doing this on purpose, you wretch? Trying to kill me?" Charlie slapped her, swelling her face, as he misunderstood her distracted clumsiness for malice.Zachary frowned, saying nothing. Although he disl
With an agile flip through the air, Zachary caught sight of Charlie sneaking a peek from behind a haystack, his sleazy demeanor perfectly deserving of a beating. The thought of what this scoundrel had done to Sarah intensified Zachary's fury, already heightened by the fierce combat.On the other side, the casino manager watched in rage as his men were effortlessly knocked down by Zachary. Cursing loudly, he shouted, "Damn it, what's the story with this kid?"Seeing some of his underlings still looking for an opportunity to strike, his anger boiled over. "Are you all brainless? Attack him all at once; I refuse to believe he can fight off everyone!"Those still standing and those who had managed to get back up exchanged glances and charged at Zachary with renewed ferocity.Zachary's sharp eyes flashed with disdain. Without moving, his fist met an attacker's face at an extraordinarily tricky angle.The attacker's pained expression froze mid-air, and when he hit the ground, dust flew
Charlie's voice cut off abruptly as he stared in horror behind Zachary, his body beginning to tremble. Before he could speak, the casino manager had already set up a blockade on the road and rushed over with his men, ambushing them from both sides."Charlie, you think you're pretty clever, conniving with outsiders to cheat me out of my money?" the casino manager sneered, twirling an iron rod menacingly.Charlie's legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, stuttering, "Bro, what are you talking about? How could I dare cheat you? I don't have the guts.""Stop lying to me," the manager bellowed, pointing the iron rod toward a visibly unmoved Zachary. "This pretty boy, you've been colluding with him to cheat on my turf. Sick of living, are you?""No, it's all a misunderstanding! We were gambling fair and square, no cheating!" Charlie was terrified, fearing a brutal beating was imminent.The manager scoffed, "You think I'm blind?"Sweat poured down Charlie's forehead as he desperately l
”Come on… Come on…” Charlie leaned over the long table, his eyes crazed as he watched the dealer's movements. The dealer placed his hand over the dice cup, his voice stirring the gamblers, "Any more bets? The odds are thirty to one now." As soon as he finished speaking, a burly man with a scruffy beard shoved most of his chips forward. "Damn it, I'm all in. Worst comes to worst, I'll con some more out of my old lady's funeral fund." Others, eyes reddened, quickly followed suit.Charlie clenched his yellowed teeth, tempted to go all in too. He glanced at Zachary, who had remained calm throughout, and rubbed his hands together with a sycophantic smile. "Bro, should we make a big play too?"Zachary gave him a brief glance. "What's the rush." Charlie had no choice but to curb his eagerness."Here it goes!" The dealer shouted, and the outcome was revealed, triggering moans of despair around them."Did we win? Did we actually win?" Charlie rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his smile wideni
Charlie pulled her close. "When have I not thought about you? Anyway, I've got things to do tomorrow. I'll come see you again later." He got dressed as the woman watched him reluctantly. Just as he opened the door to leave, another woman suddenly appeared in front of him."Molly, I've come—Oh? What are you doing here? Isn't this Mr. Wesley? What are you doing at Molly's house in the middle of the night instead of sleeping at home?"She saw Charlie adjusting his clothes and knew exactly what had been going on."Cut the crap, I'm leaving now. If anyone finds out about today, you're done for," Charlie snapped.The woman wasn't intimidated. She dramatically fell to her knees, crying out loud, "Oh dear! Everyone come and see how this man is threatening me, saying he'll kill me! He's not sleeping at his home in the middle of the night but is here at Molly's—who knows what they were up to? Now that I've caught him, he's not retreating but threatening me instead! Everyone come over and jud
Back at the Wesley place, Charlie shut the front door with a meaningful smirk as his parents had already gone to bed. He cleared the dining table and retreated to his room. Alone, his thoughts turned to what he imagined would happen between Zachary and Sarah, and he couldn't help but snicker to himself. This time, he felt he had finally done Zachary a favor by orchestrating the situation. After this, he was sure Zachary would owe him one, especially in his gambling endeavors.Once something happened between Sarah and Zachary, Charlie thought he would have significant leverage over Sarah—she wouldn't dare cross him, not even in front of the factory manager. Yet, the thought of their imminent encounter left him feeling an unexplained emptiness, especially since the woman he usually pushed around had defiantly returned to her mother's house after yesterday's beating. How dare she act differently when every other woman in the town bore their circumstances silently?Why was it acceptable