MasukSarah didn’t bother acknowledging him. Her attention was fixed on Charlotte.“Give me the urn.”“Oh, sure,” Charlotte drawled, her smile twisting with madness. “Just beg me for it.”Sarah’s expression hardened. “Charlotte, you’re celebrating too early. Your father’s record is long enough that I could send him back inside anytime. And you? You’re hardly innocent. Maybe I should take this chance to throw you both in jail.”“You wouldn’t dare!” Charlotte clutched the urn tighter, panic flashing across her face.Her father stared at the white porcelain container in confusion. “Charlotte… what is that?”“Dad, it’s David Sanders’s remains,” Charlotte said quickly. Then she remembered Leon’s instructions and straightened. “You can have it but you need to agree to one condition.”Sarah’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Name it.”“You’re going to be Leon’s therapist.”Charlotte’s smile turned mocking as she pulled out a document from her bag, the contract outlining psychological treatment
Charlotte slowly lifted a white porcelain urn from her handbag, her smile stretching into something cruel.“This what you’ve been looking for?”For the first time today, she felt completely in control.As expected, Sarah’s hand—originally lifting her phone to call security—froze midair.Sarah’s expression went ice-cold. Her eyes narrowed. “So it was you. Give it back. Now.”That urn held her father’s ashes.Charlotte had no right to even touch it.Charlotte shook it smugly. “That’s what you get for always provoking me. You left me no choice. Your father’s ashes are in my hand. So you’re going to release my dad.”She raised the urn higher, pride dripping from every word.Sarah’s pupils tightened. A dangerous chill flickered through her eyes.“Charlotte Garnett,” she said, voice like winter steel, “do you have any idea what you’re doing?”Charlotte waved the urn again, emboldened. “You’d better watch your tone. This thing is fragile. One slip, and it’s gone.”Her bravado grew.
Leon’s voice carried a cold edge. “I honestly thought you’d grown a brain, but you’re still as foolish as before. You wiped the cameras near the grave, but you didn’t think to erase the footage at the main entrance? Sloppy work. Still…” His tone shifted. “You’re forgetting what you’re holding.”The reminder hit Charlotte like a slap and then a wave of relief washed over her.Right.She had Sarah’s most important thing in her hands.Her confidence returned. She straightened her posture, her lips curling into a controlled smile.---Charlotte stood outside the towering Sanders Corporation building. She knew Sarah had been here ever since returning from the cemetery, refusing to leave until she forced her out.She marched to the reception desk. “I’m Charlotte Garnett. The person she’s been looking for. Take me to a private room.”The receptionist blinked in surprise, then quickly recovered. She exchanged a discreet look with her colleague and led Charlotte to a quiet, concealed mee
Sarah slammed her hand on the table. “It has to be her! What is she after this time?!”She was done. Completely done with Charlotte haunting her life like a curse that wouldn’t lift.But after that burst of anger, Sarah forced herself to sit down. She waited in silence, letting the storm inside her settle.Half an hour later, Zachary’s men returned.“Mr. Reynolds, she’s not at her parent’s place and she’s not at the company. We checked the street cameras as well. No useful leads—just proof that she left her neighborhood.”Sarah clenched her fists, worry twisting her gut. Zachary tapped her hand gently, signaling her to breathe.“I have an idea,” he said, a faint, dangerous smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “If she wants to hide like a coward, then we’ll drag her out.”---Suburban houseThe moment Charlotte switched her phone back on, it lit up with her mother’s number. She answered immediately.“What? Your father was arrested? How—why? Who did this?” Charlotte stood
Charlotte’s smile twisted into something manic.Sarah, just you wait. With your father’s bones in my hands, let’s see how long you can keep that smug attitude.She could already picture Sarah’s fury, and the thought thrilled her.---The Next DaySarah stepped into the cemetery.The closer it got to the day she needed to leave for Horizon City, the heavier her heart felt.Her mother’s grave sat beside her father’s.But today, she wasn’t here to visit only them—she would soon be facing Mindy Hicks in Horizon City.Her emotions were tangled. That woman… might have been something more to her father.She set down a bouquet.“Dad, I’ll find the truth. No matter how hard it is, I’ll uncover everything.”A loud crack of thunder split the air, making her jump.The sky darkened so quickly it looked like it would collapse.Melvin had offered to accompany her, but Sarah refused. She couldn’t rely on others forever. She had to face some things on her own.A cold raindrop landed on her
After settling the online scandals, Charlotte went straight to find Leon.“Do you remember what you told me last time?” she asked, her tone low and urgent.Leon nodded. “Of course. Looks like you’re not completely useless after all.”“So what’s your plan?” Charlotte pressed. She didn’t want to wait one more second. She’d already forced herself to deal with Mr. Max for the sake of clearing her name online. If Leon didn’t act soon, all that disgust she endured would be for nothing.Leon’s expression darkened, he hated being rushed but he knew time really was running out. His original plan had already been delayed because of the holiday.“There’s something I need you to retrieve,” Leon said calmly. “Once you get it, take it to Sarah. Use it to get what I want.”Charlotte’s eyes lit up. “What is it?”Leon leaned back slightly, a faint curl on his lips. “Let me ask you this: what does Sarah value most right now?”Value most…?Charlotte repeated the words under her breath, brows kni







