Sarah nearly lost her footing but forced herself back up off the ground.Leon’s patience snapped. He stormed forward and grabbed her wrist, hurling her onto the bed with violent force.“What the hell are you doing?” Sarah snapped, her voice like ice. “Leon, if you lay a hand on me, I swear I’ll hate you for the rest of my life!”There was a flash of something in Leon’s eyes—hesitation, maybe—but it vanished almost instantly.He leaned over her, his hand reaching to rip at her clothes.But Sarah was faster.Grinding her teeth, she pressed her hand to his throat. In it, she held a sharp shard of broken porcelain. The jagged edge pressed against his skin.“Get off me,” she said coldly.Leon froze. Blood began to trickle where the shard had already nicked him.That moment jolted him back to reality.He looked down at her—eyes red, hands trembling and covered in blood. The crimson had run down her arms and was smeared across her palms. It was a horrible sight.His clarity returne
No matter how she tried to change the dream, nothing shifted. In the vision, Sarah and Zachary still ended up together. Everything unfolded exactly the same way, like a story with an unchangeable ending. Only the person watching suffered, over and over.In the final scene, she once again met the blade with her own neck. Blood sprayed, the pain blooming through her like fire.At the seaside villa, Sarah slowly opened her eyes. Silent tears slid down her face.Outside, Leon staggered through the front door with Julian’s support. He reeked of alcohol.“Where am I?” Leon asked thickly.“You’re home, sir,” Julian said with a small smile.“Where’s Sarah?”“Do you want to go to her room?” A flicker of calculation passed through Julian’s eyes. He’d long since thought his boss should stop “winning her heart” and just take what he wanted. Back in their country, they’d always been used to getting their way by force, not by persuasion.Leon thought of Vivian’s words and nodded.Inside the
Steven snapped back to the present, his thoughts still lingering on the past. He looked over at Zachary, a trace of sorrow still clouding his expression.“Zachary… about Miss Sanders…” he hesitated, unsure if bringing her up would only make things worse.Zachary let out a quiet sigh. “She’s still with Leon.”“I could take some people and break her out,” Steven offered seriously. He meant it—he truly wanted to help Zachary put an end to this.But Zachary shook his head. “After what happened, Leon’s bound to tighten security. Getting her out won’t be that simple. And we can’t afford to trigger an international incident. That’s what Melvin and I have been worrying about from the start.”Steven nodded slowly. “Zachary, I think you’re overthinking it. You’re worried about too much… It’s starting to feel—”He didn’t finish the sentence. But Zachary understood.Steven knew exactly why Zachary was so cautious. It was because the person involved was Scarlett. If it had been someone else—
“She brought that woman here herself,” Sarah said flatly. “Vivian knocked me out and dragged me away—then left her behind. That woman looks exactly like me.”Just remembering it made Leon feel sick.He recalled the things he’d said that night. All those promises. The vows. The ring—custom-made, something he’d carefully chosen after days of deliberation.Even worse was how eager the woman had been. She’d leaned into his touch, acted like she was finally letting her guard down. He thought Sarah had finally begun to accept him.Turns out it had all been a lie. One big, disgusting setup—crafted entirely by Vivian.“I’m sorry,” Leon muttered. “I didn’t handle things properly. I should’ve caught it sooner.”He was never one to apologize, much less admit fault. But now, faced with Sarah’s cold stare, even his pride cracked a little.She didn’t seem surprised.Someone like him—ruthless, calculating—would do anything to get what he wanted. What was an apology compared to that?“Are you
Sarah sat on the sofa, gripping the mug in her hands. The heat was turned up high in the villa, but she still couldn’t shake the cold.After spending the past two days locked in that drafty, abandoned apartment building, the chill had sunk deep into her bones. It was as if Vivian had an obsession with making her feel cold—utterly, inescapably cold.Whether it was the kidnapping in the pouring rain months ago, or this recent winter night in that crumbling building, Sarah never wanted to feel that kind of bone-deep cold again.Leon knew she was still angry. After everything that had happened, it would be impossible for her to simply let it go. He also understood what she wanted from him—but when it came to actually dealing with Vivian, he found himself hesitating.Wilson Corp’s influence in South City wasn’t something he could ignore. If he could take control of it, he’d have the power to plant his roots here for good.But he was beginning to wonder… had he overestimated Vivian?
A flicker of fear crossed Vivian’s face. “What are you trying to do?”Leon leaned in slightly, his voice low and taunting. “After everything you’ve done to piss me off, I’ve been wondering… how should I punish you?”“Punish?” Her heart sank. “What do you mean?”He narrowed his eyes, amusement dancing coldly in them. “Why don’t you slap yourself a few times? Maybe once I’ve calmed down, I’ll go easier on Wilson Corp too.”Vivian stared at him in disbelief. He wanted her to slap herself?This was pure humiliation. And coming from him, it was deliberate.“You can’t be serious. Just because of Sarah?” she asked, voice shaking. “We were classmates, Leon. We studied abroad together. You know how complicated things were back then between us.”Leon gave a short laugh. “You’ve pulled this kind of stunt more than once. I let it slide last time, but what made you think I’d keep forgiving you?”He stepped closer. The glint in his eyes turned dangerous.Vivian flinched. She knew exactly wh