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
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
”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'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
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
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
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
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
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'
She bit her lip hard, regaining some clarity, then shouted toward the stairway, "Help! Someone come quickly! Save my baby!"Before she lost consciousness, several panicked figures appeared in her vision, rushing toward her.The ambulance arrived quickly. Everyone carefully lifted Charlotte inside, where doctors and nurses immediately began emergency procedures.The housekeeper went along in the ambulance to the hospital.On the way, he called both James and Mrs. Chancer, briefly explaining what had happened and giving them the hospital's location.After receiving the call, James put aside his work and rushed to the hospital as quickly as possible.Even though he disliked Charlotte, the child in her womb was his undeniable responsibility.Mrs. Chancer reacted as if the world was ending. As soon as she arrived at the hospital, she frantically found a doctor and grabbed his hand, refusing to let go. "Where is my daughter-in-law? Where is she? Is the baby okay?"The doctor she corne
Perhaps due to her extreme emotional state, Charlotte quickly fell asleep.She had a dream.In her dream, she had just gotten off a plane and spotted James in the distance, elegantly leaning against his car waiting for her. In that moment, his eyes were fixed only on her.Charlotte ran toward him happily, wanting to throw herself into his arms and hold him tight.However, halfway there, she saw another woman appear from the side who ran straight into James's welcoming embrace.She could clearly see that James's eyes were filled with affection, without sparing even a glance in her direction."No, this can't be real. Who is she?" Charlotte shook her head in disbelief as she walked closer step by step. When she saw the woman's face, she instantly fell apart."Sarah Sanders, why is it you again? Why do you keep haunting me? James is mine. Don't you dare try to take him away." Charlotte lunged forward like a madwoman, trying to separate them.A mist enveloped the couple, and the scen