Sarah glanced secretly at Zachary and saw that he looked almost as uncomfortable with Charlie as she felt. This confirmed her suspicion that Charlie must have something Zachary wanted.After dinner, Charlie glared at his wife and Sarah. "Meal's over. Women, clear out now! We men have business to discuss!"Mrs. Wesler hurried away with the dishes, not daring to delay.Sarah gave Zachary a long look before turning to leave.Zachary watched her go, lost in thought. When he turned back, Charlie was leering at him."Bro, what do you think? Like that woman? Need your brother's help? We could knock her out, have your way with her, and she'd be yours for good." Before he could finish, he caught Zachary's ice-cold stare and instinctively fell silent.Charlie quickly laughed it off. "Look at my big mouth! Let's talk business. Bro, could you come with me to the den again? Strange thing about that place - after winning a few thousand my first time, I never won again until you showed up. How
He nudged Zachary's arm. "Bro, honestly, are you from the big city too? I can tell by your manner - you're definitely not from West Ridge."Zachary replied coolly, "I'm from East Coast. My family wanted me to go into business, but I didn't like it, so I ran away.""Bro, consider this your home! Come whenever you want - there's always a hot meal waiting." Charlie said enthusiastically, inwardly excited. This was perfect - if he treated Zachary well, Zachary would help him win money gambling.In East Coast.Vivian strode into the Reynolds Corp building and pushed open Zachary's office door."Why aren't you answering my calls? Why won't you see me?" she demanded, only to find Steven sitting in Zachary's chair.Her face shifted to a light smile. "Isn't this Mr. Miller, the famous chef from St. Ritz? What are you doing in Zachary's office?"Steven spun lazily in the chair, twirling a pen between his fingers. "Miss Wilson, the boss isn't here. I'm handling company affairs for now."
Sarah went to West Ridge? Vivian's face gradually darkened. She thought she now knew where Zachary had gone.At the West Ridge factory, Charlie was called into Manager Sullivan’s office the next morning."Useless! You said she was dead, but she's completely fine! She made me look like a fool, and you had the nerve to disappear? Where were you yesterday?" Manager Sullivan’s eyes narrowed.Charlie cowered. "Yesterday, I... I went to the gambling den.”"Where's the money? You didn't complete the job, and you dare not return my money? Five thousand dollars - I want every cent back!""Manager, I..."Manager Sullivan was so furious he nearly threw his cup to the floor. "Don't tell me you lost it all?"Charlie quickly pulled out the remaining money from his pocket. "Manager, I didn't lose everything! There's still a thousand!"Manager Sullivan took the money and pulled out a knife, tapping Charlie's face with the blade. "People make thoughtless decisions in the heat of the moment. Whi
Mr. Lambert suddenly asked, "Do you notice anything?""The workers are predominantly older," she observed, noting most had gray hair.In most factories, workers were typically young. Rarely did you see older employees.These weren't just in their fifties - most appeared to be in their sixties. The production line also moved considerably slower than standard ones."Over the years, many factory policies have been discontinued, but one remains: this production line dedicated to the elderly. It's still running today. Your father established this rule to ensure they had income," Mr. Lambert explained.He paused before continuing, "I've fought to keep this line operational. I'm telling you this because, while you needn't trust me completely, we can work together. I just want to preserve this line, which Manager Sullivan wants to shut down.""Mr. Lambert, even without cooperation, I would protect this production line. My father was right - if the factory uses West Ridge's land, it shoul
”I can’t leave yet, Melvin," Sarah insisted. "Let me handle this one more time." She wasn't even sure about Zachary's involvement, but seeing him in West Ridge had sent her emotions spiraling.Melvin sighed, well aware of his cousin's stubbornness. "Just keep yourself safe.""I will," Sarah promised before hanging up.By six that evening, as Sarah was leaving work, the Wesler household had erupted into chaos."Give me the money, you useless woman! Didn't you learn anything from last time? Hand it over!" Charlie shouted.Mrs. Wesler collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. "You've gambled away everything! There's nothing left! Search the house yourself if you don't believe me. Kill me if you want – it would be a mercy at this point!"Her voice trembled with tears, but she spoke the truth. Early in their marriage, they'd had enough, but Charlie's gambling addiction had drained them completely. She'd even borrowed from her parents, who now refused to lend more and wouldn't take repayment
"Miss Sanders, this is a family matter. Mind your own business!" Charlie snapped. "She's my wife - I'll do whatever I want with her. If you want to stay here, go lock yourself in your room and don't look or listen. Or I'll beat you too!"Sarah approached him slowly, completely unfazed. "If you dare, do it now. I want to see if you have the guts to hit me."Charlie stepped back, humiliated and furious. Of course he wouldn't dare! Sarah was Melvin Sanders' cousin, and the whole factory belonged to her family.He fell silent as Sarah turned to the battered woman on the ground. "How long are you going to lie there?" she asked, her voice cold. "Are you waiting to be beaten to death? Do you want to spend whatever's left of your life under this man's fists, barely surviving? Or would you rather just die now?"Something flickered in Mrs. Wesler's eyes - a spark replacing the despair. She looked at Charlie, her gaze complex and searching.Charlie sensed the shift and grew uneasy. "What are
Sarah's expression turned serious. Though she didn't fully understand their conversation, she suspected it might be connected to Zachary's investigation.Charlie knew he wouldn't get any money from Sarah, but with Manager Sun's deadline looming tomorrow, he had to find four thousand dollars tonight. He stubbornly retreated to his room to continue his desperate search.Before leaving, he couldn't resist one final threat: "Watch your mouth."Mrs. Wesler wiped blood from her lip. Her face was swollen and marked with slap prints. She tried to push herself up from the floor, but her body trembled from the beating. Unable to rise, she collapsed back down, weakly tapping the ground.Sarah approached and extended her hand. "Let me help you."Mrs. Wesler looked up with a complex expression but finally placed her hand in Sarah's. "Thank you."Sarah helped her to her room, then retrieved a medical kit from her suitcase.Mrs. Wesler stared curiously at the contents—iodine, disinfectant, ant
Sarah barely noticed the sting of alcohol on her wounds, her mind distracted by the conversation. She had almost forgotten the pain of disinfecting, too focused on the words just spoken.As Mrs. Wesley sat lost in thought, Sarah asked casually, "You mentioned earlier that Charlie had caused many deaths. What exactly did he do? Did he really kill people?"Mrs. Wesley snapped back to reality, her face filled with regret. She looked at Sarah apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's something from many years ago. He wasn't working at the Sanders factory then, he was..." she hesitated, her voice trailing off before offering Sarah a sheepish look. "Apologies, I don't remember all the details. Miss Sanders, are you particularly interested in this?"Sarah smiled faintly. "I just overheard and thought it sounded serious, so I couldn't help but ask."Seeing the defensive look in Mrs. Wesley's eyes, Sarah smoothly changed the subject. "What do you plan to do now?"Mrs. Wesley sighed heavily. "I have
The next morning, Charlie handed over the last two thousand dollars he had managed to scrounge from his house to Manager Sullivan. After groveling and pleading, it took quite a while before Sullivan finally decided to let him off the hook.Sarah sat in her office, her eyes fixed on the computer screen displaying an email reply from headquarters. The report about the equipment malfunction had been approved, and the request for new devices granted. The board of directors hadn't opposed it, which came as a surprise.Outside the office, Charlie passed by the door, his mind still reeling from Sullivan's earlier warning."You've got one more chance. Sarah Sanders is sharp. If you fail again, pack your bags and leave!"He clenched his fist, determined not to fail this time.At six in the evening, Sarah was about to leave for the day when, to her surprise, Charlie was waiting outside, calling her over. "Hurry up and eat! My mom made dishes specially for you. I know I messed up last time,
Mrs. Chancer handed the gift box to Mrs. Sanders. "Take this with you. These are items I purchased overseas—things you can't find here. As for the matter you mentioned, I'll give it serious consideration. Don't worry, our goals align."Mrs. Chancer escorted Mrs. Sanders to the door, and just as she was about to close it, she bumped into her son, James.Mrs. Sanders gave James a complicated look, nodding slightly in acknowledgment."James, this is Mrs. Sanders visiting today," Mrs. Chancer explained gently.James smiled warmly. "Hello, Mrs. Sanders."Mrs. Sanders, with a hint of suggestion in her voice, said, "Mr. Chancer is truly impressive. Our Sarah doesn't have that kind of luck."Mrs. Chancer quickly interjected, "What good is saying that now? James is already married. Besides, our children's affairs shouldn't involve us. We should maintain our relationships as usual. After all, East Coast is quite small.""Of course," Mrs. Sanders replied with a smile. "I'll take my leave n
Sarah barely noticed the sting of alcohol on her wounds, her mind distracted by the conversation. She had almost forgotten the pain of disinfecting, too focused on the words just spoken.As Mrs. Wesley sat lost in thought, Sarah asked casually, "You mentioned earlier that Charlie had caused many deaths. What exactly did he do? Did he really kill people?"Mrs. Wesley snapped back to reality, her face filled with regret. She looked at Sarah apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's something from many years ago. He wasn't working at the Sanders factory then, he was..." she hesitated, her voice trailing off before offering Sarah a sheepish look. "Apologies, I don't remember all the details. Miss Sanders, are you particularly interested in this?"Sarah smiled faintly. "I just overheard and thought it sounded serious, so I couldn't help but ask."Seeing the defensive look in Mrs. Wesley's eyes, Sarah smoothly changed the subject. "What do you plan to do now?"Mrs. Wesley sighed heavily. "I have
Sarah's expression turned serious. Though she didn't fully understand their conversation, she suspected it might be connected to Zachary's investigation.Charlie knew he wouldn't get any money from Sarah, but with Manager Sun's deadline looming tomorrow, he had to find four thousand dollars tonight. He stubbornly retreated to his room to continue his desperate search.Before leaving, he couldn't resist one final threat: "Watch your mouth."Mrs. Wesler wiped blood from her lip. Her face was swollen and marked with slap prints. She tried to push herself up from the floor, but her body trembled from the beating. Unable to rise, she collapsed back down, weakly tapping the ground.Sarah approached and extended her hand. "Let me help you."Mrs. Wesler looked up with a complex expression but finally placed her hand in Sarah's. "Thank you."Sarah helped her to her room, then retrieved a medical kit from her suitcase.Mrs. Wesler stared curiously at the contents—iodine, disinfectant, ant
"Miss Sanders, this is a family matter. Mind your own business!" Charlie snapped. "She's my wife - I'll do whatever I want with her. If you want to stay here, go lock yourself in your room and don't look or listen. Or I'll beat you too!"Sarah approached him slowly, completely unfazed. "If you dare, do it now. I want to see if you have the guts to hit me."Charlie stepped back, humiliated and furious. Of course he wouldn't dare! Sarah was Melvin Sanders' cousin, and the whole factory belonged to her family.He fell silent as Sarah turned to the battered woman on the ground. "How long are you going to lie there?" she asked, her voice cold. "Are you waiting to be beaten to death? Do you want to spend whatever's left of your life under this man's fists, barely surviving? Or would you rather just die now?"Something flickered in Mrs. Wesler's eyes - a spark replacing the despair. She looked at Charlie, her gaze complex and searching.Charlie sensed the shift and grew uneasy. "What are
”I can’t leave yet, Melvin," Sarah insisted. "Let me handle this one more time." She wasn't even sure about Zachary's involvement, but seeing him in West Ridge had sent her emotions spiraling.Melvin sighed, well aware of his cousin's stubbornness. "Just keep yourself safe.""I will," Sarah promised before hanging up.By six that evening, as Sarah was leaving work, the Wesler household had erupted into chaos."Give me the money, you useless woman! Didn't you learn anything from last time? Hand it over!" Charlie shouted.Mrs. Wesler collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. "You've gambled away everything! There's nothing left! Search the house yourself if you don't believe me. Kill me if you want – it would be a mercy at this point!"Her voice trembled with tears, but she spoke the truth. Early in their marriage, they'd had enough, but Charlie's gambling addiction had drained them completely. She'd even borrowed from her parents, who now refused to lend more and wouldn't take repayment
Mr. Lambert suddenly asked, "Do you notice anything?""The workers are predominantly older," she observed, noting most had gray hair.In most factories, workers were typically young. Rarely did you see older employees.These weren't just in their fifties - most appeared to be in their sixties. The production line also moved considerably slower than standard ones."Over the years, many factory policies have been discontinued, but one remains: this production line dedicated to the elderly. It's still running today. Your father established this rule to ensure they had income," Mr. Lambert explained.He paused before continuing, "I've fought to keep this line operational. I'm telling you this because, while you needn't trust me completely, we can work together. I just want to preserve this line, which Manager Sullivan wants to shut down.""Mr. Lambert, even without cooperation, I would protect this production line. My father was right - if the factory uses West Ridge's land, it shoul
Sarah went to West Ridge? Vivian's face gradually darkened. She thought she now knew where Zachary had gone.At the West Ridge factory, Charlie was called into Manager Sullivan’s office the next morning."Useless! You said she was dead, but she's completely fine! She made me look like a fool, and you had the nerve to disappear? Where were you yesterday?" Manager Sullivan’s eyes narrowed.Charlie cowered. "Yesterday, I... I went to the gambling den.”"Where's the money? You didn't complete the job, and you dare not return my money? Five thousand dollars - I want every cent back!""Manager, I..."Manager Sullivan was so furious he nearly threw his cup to the floor. "Don't tell me you lost it all?"Charlie quickly pulled out the remaining money from his pocket. "Manager, I didn't lose everything! There's still a thousand!"Manager Sullivan took the money and pulled out a knife, tapping Charlie's face with the blade. "People make thoughtless decisions in the heat of the moment. Whi
He nudged Zachary's arm. "Bro, honestly, are you from the big city too? I can tell by your manner - you're definitely not from West Ridge."Zachary replied coolly, "I'm from East Coast. My family wanted me to go into business, but I didn't like it, so I ran away.""Bro, consider this your home! Come whenever you want - there's always a hot meal waiting." Charlie said enthusiastically, inwardly excited. This was perfect - if he treated Zachary well, Zachary would help him win money gambling.In East Coast.Vivian strode into the Reynolds Corp building and pushed open Zachary's office door."Why aren't you answering my calls? Why won't you see me?" she demanded, only to find Steven sitting in Zachary's chair.Her face shifted to a light smile. "Isn't this Mr. Miller, the famous chef from St. Ritz? What are you doing in Zachary's office?"Steven spun lazily in the chair, twirling a pen between his fingers. "Miss Wilson, the boss isn't here. I'm handling company affairs for now."