Luke's decision proved right. Three hours after taking the videos, the analysts found footage of the incident location.Using technical enhancements, they could clearly see someone had gone to the rooftop around the time of the incident.Due to the drone's altitude, even after enhancement, only a blurry figure was visible.After receiving the video from Luke, I watched it repeatedly, seeing only a moving black shadow. I couldn't determine height, build, or gender.Luke knocked on the office door. Absorbed in the video, I replied without looking up, "Come in."Luke came behind me, and when he reached for the mouse, I quickly grabbed his hand."Stop watching. Your eyes will hurt."Luke's voice came from above. I looked up suddenly, my forehead bumping his chin.The skin contact startled me. I realized how this looked in the executive office - Luke with one hand on the desk, another on the computer, appearing to embrace me from behind. Not something Brian and Zac should s
About fifteen minutes later, a slim woman appeared in the footage.She had straight bangs, with long, thick hair covering most of her face.Head slightly bowed, only her prominent nose and bright red lips were visible.She wore a black sweater with matching wide-leg pants and a pink fur coat - a stylish, youthful outfit.From her clothing, she appeared young; it was hard to connect her to the small man from earlier.My eyes fixed on her large handbag.Could it contain the clothes he'd changed out of?Luke motioned me to pause."They're the same person."“Are you sure?”Luke's confident tone meant he'd spotted something.I looked up at him eagerly."They walk the same way, with the same habits."Luke placed screenshots of the thin man and young woman side by side.Both walked with hands in pockets, head down, neck slightly forward - not just similar, but identical."He planned this carefully, storing clothes at the store beforehand. This was a deliberate attack on my cous
"Jacob, be good, don't wander off. Mommy will be back soon."Jacob didn't respond."Jacob...""Penelope," Jacob mumbled.Mrs. Stewart sighed. "This child only cares about Penelope!"Mr. Stewart tried to comfort her. "He cares about you too. At the station, just tell the police the truth. They won't wrong innocent people.""I'm law-abiding and haven't done anything wrong. They'll release me soon."Mrs. Stewart glanced at Jacob once more before leaving with the police.With a search warrant, police found no trace of the clothes she'd worn during the crime.Had she disposed of them in the days since my cousin's death?Disappointed, I was about to drive away when I remembered Annette's habit of hoarding items in the cellar.Annette had once shown Penelope and me the cellar in the backyard. She'd kept it clean and tidy, like a secret hideout.The cellar was well-hidden, difficult for outsiders to find.Could Mrs. Stewart have hidden the clothes there?I contacted Luke.Office
"Being at the scene doesn't prove I killed him," Mrs. Stewart said defiantly."Just tell us the truth. Let us worry about the evidence."Drawing from years of experience and hundreds of interrogations, Officer Miller's stern presence gradually cracked Mrs. Stewart's facade. Confronted with concrete evidence, her story fell apart, and she confessed.Penelope sat in stunned silence when she heard about the confession.Finally, she asked, "What about Mr. Stewart? Was he involved?""Mrs. Stewart claims she acted alone." But I knew better - couples married that long can read each other like books. A mere glance speaks volumes. It seemed impossible that he knew nothing about such a heinous crime."What's the police's stance?""No evidence links Mr. Stewart yet, but keep your distance from him.""I won't be writing any character statements or showing mercy. Jacob has caretakers now. I have no reason to maintain contact." Penelope's firmness surprised me, showing maturity beyond her ye
That weekend, Wendy scored a rare three-hour break from her father to meet Penelope and me at our favorite steakhouse.She dipped her meat into the house-made aioli, sighing contentedly after a few bites. "I've been stuck eating kale smoothies with the board members lately. My taste buds are in revolt.""Can't you order something different?"Wendy was a spice fanatic. One bland meal was manageable, but every day? She was bound to crack.I shot her a sympathetic glance.“My father insists it's about 'corporate refinement.' Says dropping strong flavors is step one.""Sounds controlling.""Ha!" Wendy snorted. "He'd reprogram me if he could.""Fathers know their daughters best. He realizes this will make you snap eventually.""That's exactly why Sarah's still around! Let them fight while someone else takes the prize. Even when I'm ready to explode, I have to stay calm. He knows that's my weakness."Wendy stabbed another piece of steak as her frustration mounted.Penelope refille
"When someone you love is hurt, you should be by their side.""His schedule's packed. We have contracts to fulfill.""As his agent, you've warned him about the consequences. He's an adult who can make his own choices."Penelope kept her distance from Jethro's personal drama.Her cool detachment earned an approving look from Wendy."The entertainment industry moves fast - new faces appear daily. Jethro's popularity is already fading. You used his connections to break in. If he tanks his career by breaking contracts, your path won't be so smooth anymore.""We'll see about my acting career when we get there."I admired the quiet strength in Penelope's response."Please, I'm desperate here. He's being impossible - just sitting at the hospital all day. Help me get him back to work.""You know where we stand. It's not my place."“Penelope…”"I'll reach out to him.""That's all I ask."When Penelope ended the call, Wendy gave her a slow clap. "You've got them eating out of your ha
”Penelope, thank God you're here!""Don't put your hopes on me."Penelope's words hit him like ice water."Just... try your best."Having tried everything else, Jethro’s manager was grasping at straws."Where's Jethro?""Where else? In the room."Since his ex moved from ICU to a regular room, Jethro had barely left her side.The manager looked stressed."Get a doctor to discuss her treatment with him.""Aren't you here to convince Jethro?""He's not the real issue.""You want to see her?"Penelope nodded."She was a professional dancer. With her legs damaged, her dreams are shattered. She's fragile now, like porcelain. Be gentle when you talk to her. Jethro's protective - if you upset her and she breaks down, it'll be trouble.""I understand."While the manager went for a doctor, Penelope headed to the stairwell.She wanted to avoid Jethro for now.Five minutes later, the manager entered the room and left with Jethro.Once they were gone, Penelope knocked.No respons
"You think I'm with him because he's famous?" The ex felt insulted by Penelope's words. "If I cared about his celebrity status, would I have broken up with him?""Could you accept him losing his stardom, working nine-to-five for just enough to get by?" Money isn't everything, but life's hard without it. Though Penelope had never been married, she understood this reality. "We're past the age where love alone is enough.""I love him for who he is, nothing else." The ex lowered her head, fidgeting with the bedsheet. "Before we split, I had dreams, ambitions. I thought someday we'd meet at the top. After the accident, I lost my chance to chase those dreams. Now I'm scared - I feel unsafe when he's not around.""You shouldn't doubt his feelings for you."Jethro's love and devotion to her was obvious, even to an outsider like me.I found myself nodding at Penelope's words.The ex gave a bitter smile. "Maybe because I have nothing left, he's all I can hold onto.""You're still so
We both knew how we felt about each other, but neither of us made the first move to confess.“I gave birth to him in circumstances I couldn’t control,” Molly said, her hands tightly clutching her cup, fingers unconsciously tracing its edge. “I used to think about fighting back against the people who hurt me, but reality forced me to wake up. I couldn’t afford to lose everything.”She hesitated, her gaze dropping. “There are things from back then that I just can’t bring myself to tell him.”When I arranged for Luke and Molly to spend some time alone, the two of them mostly sat in silence.“Mrs. Walker couldn’t have children for years after her marriage. Luke was just a tool to help her secure her place in the family,” Molly explained.Mr. Walker was handsome, wealthy, and from a good family. After getting married, women constantly threw themselves at him. According to the information Wendy had dug up, Landon didn’t exactly push them away.In such a situation, Mrs. Walker, Ashleigh
Molly poured four glasses of juice and sat across from Luke.She looked like she wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start.I gave Ian a quick look.Ian took a sip of his juice and said, “Miss, the juice is sweet and sour—it’s so good!”“Drink it up, and I’ll pour you some more,” Molly offered.Luke interjected, “It’s almost time to rest. Don’t drink too much juice.”“I’m sorry, I don’t have experience taking care of kids,” Molly said, lowering her head. After a pause, she quietly repeated, “I’m sorry.”She was probably thinking of Luke as a baby.I clutched my stomach, pretending to wince. “Excuse me, Molly. My stomach hurts; I need to head back to my room.”As I stood, I grabbed Ian’s wrist.Ian caught on quickly. “Jen is a girl. She’ll get scared going back alone—I have to go with her.”Not giving Luke a chance to respond, I opened the door and said, “Mr. Walker, you stay and chat with Molly. Ian and I will be back in a bit.”In the hallway, Ian looked thoug
Molly wasn’t the type to make things difficult for others. She didn’t give the hotel manager a hard time.After the staff left, Molly turned to thank Luke and me. “Thank you for staying with me and helping me handle this.”Luke glanced at her but didn’t say anything.The silence grew awkward, so I quickly broke it. “You don’t have to thank us. We didn’t really do much.”“Would you like to come in and sit for a while?” Molly invited us into her room.Before either of us could respond, Ian, who’d been holding back his excitement, eagerly chimed in, “Yes, yes! Let’s go!”I sighed internally.Molly finally noticed the little one in Luke’s arms. “And who’s this?”“I’m Ian Lloyd,” he introduced himself cheerfully.But the moment he got a good look at Molly’s face, he let out a small “Huh?” and then turned to look at Luke.Luke frowned slightly, and their eyes met—a silent understanding passing between them. Ian immediately shut his mouth and swallowed whatever he’d been about to sa
Five hours later, we arrived in Sharonville.Before the trip, Luke had everything arranged. After landing, we took a car to the hotel he’d booked in advance.In the hotel lobby, we ran into Molly. She was walking with two middle-aged men in sharp suits, smiling as she chatted with them.When her eyes met Luke’s, her smile froze for a moment, then slowly softened as she stared at him without blinking.Luke didn’t acknowledge her. He walked right past, brushing by her shoulder as though she wasn’t there. From the corner of my eye, I saw her eyes redden.The two men exchanged glances but didn’t say anything. That night, however, they sent two young, handsome men to Molly’s room.Our room was on the same floor as Molly’s. After dinner out, we returned to the hotel and saw her standing at her door with the two young men.Their faces were powdered with heavy makeup, and they looked eager to please, practically glued to her.My thoughts immediately took a less innocent turn.Luke co
Amy messaging me at this hour was probably another complaint about other agencies trying to poach her, or how stressed she was about it all.The underlying message? She wanted me to contact Mr. Lloyd to secure better resources for her—a thinly veiled threat, essentially.Since several popular artists left One Entertainment, the company’s resources had started to dwindle.Mr. Lloyd’s return wasn’t just because of his love for acting. He also wanted to support the company’s artists, giving them more opportunities to shine.Amy had already begun to stand out. If she simply focused on honing her craft and stayed patient, she’d get her share of the spotlight.When Mr. Lloyd founded the company, his goal was to grow it into a powerhouse that protected its artists. Now, he had adopted a more laid-back approach: if an artist wanted to leave, they just needed to pay the penalty fee.Amy’s tactics wouldn’t change anything.I went back to reading my book.My phone buzzed again, and I ass
Mr. Lloyd's words carried a hint of reassurance for me.“Jen, Uncle asked me to create a travel itinerary!”Luke had been telling Ian lots of stories about Sharonville, and Ian had also looked up a ton of information online. He now knew every street in the city and how many shops were on each one.Carefully folding his sweaters, Ian placed them neatly into his suitcase, which was decorated with a cheerful Doraemon sticker.“I’m really looking forward to your travel guide, Ian!”“I’ve already finished most of it!” Ian was a serious little worker who never did things half-heartedly. If he said it was nearly done, he was probably putting on the finishing touches.I praised him warmly.“Jen, since the three of us are traveling together, we need to consider everyone’s preferences and suggestions.”“So, you want to get my input to finalize it?”“Exactly.”“Well, wherever you want to go is where I want to go. This trip, I’ll leave the planning to you.”Luke had work to handle in Shar
For the past few days, Luke has been picking me up and dropping me off at work.Reporters often linger outside One Entertainment, and it took a lot of effort for rumors about me and Luke to die down. I didn’t want them to resurface.Luke understood my concerns, so he always parked his car a block away from the company. Once he sent me a message, I’d grab Ian and head over.That evening, Luke prepared another full table of dishes for dinner.Ever since things thawed between us, I hadn’t said much during meals, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.“She’s already in Sharonville,” Luke said.“Hasn’t she been out of the country for years? Will she be safe there alone?”He was talking about Molly.The Walker family has been a prominent family in Sharonville for generations, with deep-rooted connections and influence. Mrs. Walker is a respected figure, and many people in Sharonville owe her favors. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone decided to teach Molly a lesson on
I watched the behind-the-scenes footage, and Mr. Lloyd looked great. After stepping out of the spotlight for a few years, his demeanor has become even more composed and sophisticated, perfectly matching the calm and collected surgeon he portrays in the show.“He’s as brilliant as ever,” Beatrice said, her eyes filled with admiration. “As long as the co-stars hold their ground, this show is bound to be a hit.”“He has an exceptional eye for picking scripts,” she added, her gaze glued to the screen.I didn’t interrupt her. Instead, I got up and went to the kitchen to check on Ian’s progress.For someone so young, Ian took everything seriously. Standing on a small stool to make up for his height, he carefully worked on brewing coffee, his movements precise and methodical.“Waiter Number One, Ian Lloyd, at your service. Your oat latte will be ready soon,” he announced cheekily.I laughed at his playful tone and played along. “Waiter Number Two will now deliver orange juice to Mr. Ian
While Beatrice chatted with Ian, I brought the gifts to the living room."You're too kind, Ms. Middleton.""Ian bought these with his pocket money."I winked at Ian.He caught on quickly, nodding.Beatrice warmly invited me to sit.Fresh fruit and two plates of nuts were on the coffee table.She placed a fruit bowl before me. "Yesterday's blueberries are fresh—crisp and sweet."The large blueberries were covered in bloom. I took one and made space for Beatrice."What would you like? Coffee or juice?""Fresh orange juice for me, and Jen likes oat milk latte," Ian said, playing with a doll, squishing its face into different shapes.Suddenly remembering our earlier conversation, he dropped the doll and ran to the kitchen. "I've learned lots from Jen. I can make juice and coffee!"Beatrice praised him: "How impressive!"She started toward the kitchen, concerned.I held her arm. "Ian's a quick learner. He does everything properly. We can trust him.""He gets along so well wit