Mag-log inBut Mandy only sat on the cold wooden bench, her expression distant. She had no interest in anything Julian had to say.At that same moment, chaos was erupting inside the Chancer household.Mrs. Chancer and Lucy sat stiffly on the living-room sofa. Charlotte stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at them.“I will not divorce James,” Charlotte said firmly.Lucy let out a sharp laugh. “And what right do you think you have to say that? The fact that we didn’t go after you for what happened last time was already more mercy than you deserved. But you no longer have the qualifications to stay in this family.”Charlotte turned to Mrs. Chancer. No matter what had happened in the past, Mrs. Chancer had always taken her side. She expected the same now.But Mrs. Chancer wasn’t standing with her this time. She sat beside Lucy with a look of cold disdain. “Charlotte, while things are still civil, you’d better show some sense. If this gets out, how are you going to face anyone? And I dou
Mandy’s face was covered in bruises. The cracks on her lips had dried and split, making her look painfully fragile.Even so, she didn’t flinch. She simply stared at the thin beam of sunlight seeping through the corner of the wall.Someone delivered food every day, but never three meals. Only one. They would drop it off at noon. The dishes were always spoiled, but she still forced herself to eat every bite.She no longer dared to imagine living comfortably. She didn’t dare think about the naive dream she once held onto.Her only thought now was to stay alive long enough to leave this place and see her mother again.A cluster of footsteps sounded overhead. Mandy knew the meal delivery was coming.She braced herself and slowly leaned toward the slot where food was usually passed through. But when she looked up, the person standing there wasn’t the usual guard.It was Julian.“You should really give in,” Julian said quietly. “Otherwise Leon will drag out every member of your family
“Miss Sanders! Please help me! I’m begging you!”Dr. Xavier’s voice blasted through the phone, raw and frantic, edged with sobs.For a split second, Sarah didn’t understand what had happened.But she had a feeling it was connected to the “someone is moving again” warning he’d mentioned days ago.“Calm down first,” she said coldly, her voice steady enough to rein him in.“Tell me exactly what happened.”Dr. Xavier gulped down a breath, barely regaining control.“My son… My son was taken! The nanny went to pick him up today and said his ‘family’ came to get him during school hours. But we checked the surveillance footage, those people aren’t our family members at all! Miss Sanders, this all started because of your case. You can’t leave me to die here!”Ice pooled through Sarah’s veins.These people were getting bolder by the minute.Mrs. Mendes still hadn’t been safely secured and now this.Dr. Xavier’s voice wavered, then went silent for a moment. When he returned, he sounded even
Her heartbeat slammed wildly, completely out of control.“Sarah,” Zachary murmured, his voice low and hopeful, “you came down because you were worried about me, didn’t you?”The moment she heard that, reason instantly crushed whatever emotion had been pulling her toward him.Her expression hardened.She forcefully pushed out of his arms, ignoring the flash of hurt on his face.“Stop lying to yourself,” she said coldly. “Go home. If you don’t, I’ll call the police and report you for disturbing the neighborhood.”In truth, she simply couldn’t stand the idea of him standing outside all night, sleepless and alone.Zachary let out a bitter laugh and nodded.“All right. I’ll go. Just… head inside. It’s cold.”Sarah didn’t answer. She turned around and walked straight into the house without looking back.But after a few steps, she slipped into the shadow behind a wall and listened carefully.A moment later, she heard an engine start.Then fade.Zachary had left.Sarah stepped out
After lunch, Sarah headed straight upstairs without giving Zachary—who watched her hopefully—even a glance.Only when her figure disappeared around the landing did Zachary’s expression finally fall, a quiet loneliness flickering across his face.Melvin let out a sigh and patted his shoulder.“Take it slow.”Zachary said nothing. He simply gathered the dishes in silence, murmured a soft “I’m heading out,” and left.As a man, Melvin couldn’t fully feel the weight in Zachary’s heart, but he understood it well enough.He looked toward the empty staircase, his eyes darkening.---That night, Sarah shot awake from a nightmare.Cold sweat drenched her back. The lingering terror chased away any remaining sleep.She slowly sat up, tried to calm her breathing, and only when her pulse steadied did she get out of bed. She pulled open the curtains.A quick glance at the night view froze her in place.Under the streetlight, a man leaned against a sleek black Range Rover, unmoving.Only th
Sarah sat up slowly, still half-asleep. She rubbed her eyes and stared blankly into space for a few minutes, the way she always did after waking.The curtains opened automatically. Warm sunlight spilled into the room, and she couldn’t help but smile.She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, pushed open the small ventilation pane, and inhaled the cool morning air. Her whole body relaxed instantly.After a quick wash, she glanced at her watch.Eleven thirty—still half an hour until lunch.With that in mind, she wandered lazily down the staircase.Halfway down, she noticed something strange.A faint aroma drifted through the house—light, but unmistakable.Had the housekeeper come early today?Sarah stepped into the living room and saw Melvin sitting comfortably on the sofa, flipping through a newspaper.“Why are we eating so early today?” she asked.Melvin lifted his eyes briefly and jerked his chin toward the kitchen.“You can ask the person in there.”Sarah paused.Eve







