Sarah nodded, "He wanted Pine Mist Island."That had been his target from the beginning. She didn't know how Mr. Anderson had obtained such confidential documents, but she understood they couldn't have been easy to get."But Pine Mist Island was bought by a stranger," Melvin said with regret.Sarah shook her head, "Don't feel bad about it."The auction was over, and most people had left the hall.As Sarah and Melvin were about to leave, the mysterious woman who had won Pine Mist Island approached Sarah and removed her mask and sunglasses.Melvin froze - it was Scarlett!"Sasa, how was my performance? You gave me a budget of eight billion, but I only used seven. You owe me dinner," she said playfully."Of course," Sarah replied with a gentle smile.Behind them, Vivian stood up in shock, never having expected this turn of events.Mr. Anderson also witnessed this scene, his eyes turning cold with anger.James and Charlotte were equally stunned - they couldn't believe Sarah had
As Mr. Anderson left, Vivian and Charlotte stared intently at Sarah's retreating figure, unable to believe how thoroughly they'd been played."Stop right there!"Just as Sarah and Melvin were about to leave, Vivian called out loudly, "Sarah!""What else does Miss Wilson want to say? The auction is over.""I don't need you to remind me that the auction is over. What surprises me is how calculating you are. I'm impressed by how well you played me. But I want to know who told you about Pine Mist Island. Was it Zachary?" She glanced briefly at Zachary beside her.In all of East Coast, only Zachary could have accessed such confidential documents. She didn't know how Mr. Anderson had obtained them, but she was certain Sarah's information had come from Zachary.Sarah gave a self-mocking laugh. "Miss Wilson, are you asking me or interrogating me? Besides, why should I tell you anything?"She looked through the crowd at Charlotte and said meaningfully, "Miss Garnett, it was a pleasure wo
Vivian snorted coldly, “The perpetrator who hurts others should pay the price, don't you agree?""You want me to take the blame?" Cold sweat covered Charlotte's forehead.She had forgotten that she not only told Vivian what Sarah had said, but also about all the evidence Sarah had shown her.Vivian must have known Sarah was moving against her. At this critical moment, the only way for her to escape was to pin it on someone else, just like when they rescued Lucy.Vivian laughed softly, "Charlotte, have you lost your memory? What do you mean 'take the blame'? You were the one breaking the law from the start. You planned everything - I knew nothing about it.""You-!""Charlotte, be a good scapegoat." Vivian left the hall gracefully, her elegant smile still in place.When Charlotte reached the parking lot, James's expression was grim. He waited until she got in the car before speaking, "Did you know about Pine Mist Island?"Her heart sank - even the person she relied on most didn't
James's mother quickly shook her head, "She's not home. Please leave.""Mrs. Chancer, we've already checked the security cameras along all routes. Miss Garnett and Mr. Chancer came straight home from the auction. Please cooperate with our investigation.""Why are you looking for her?""She's suspected of conspiracy to commit a crime. We need to take her in for questioning," the officer said sternly.Mrs. Chancer replied calmly, "That's impossible. She’s innocent. Someone must be framing her.""Mrs. Chancer, we wouldn't be here without evidence and an arrest warrant. Please cooperate."Before Mrs. Chancer could make more excuses, James opened the basement entrance. "Charlotte is down here."The officers exchanged glances before rushing down to make the arrest.When Charlotte was brought out, she looked terrible, her shoulders trembling. She tried to grab onto James, "James, save me!"But James watched coldly throughout. "Tell them everything you know."Realizing James wouldn't
Scarlett looked down to see it was her favourite mushroom soup."I won't drink it," she mumbled.Steven pushed the bowl closer to her. "You must finish it."As they went back and forth, Sarah watched knowingly, hiding her smile behind her hand.Melvin had also noticed something and spoke up, ”Why don't you join us for dinner once you've finished cooking?""No!" Steven and Scarlett shouted at Melvin in unison.After all the dishes were served, Steven glanced at Scarlett. "Come with me for a moment. I have something to give you."Scarlett was confused but obediently stood up and followed him.In Steven's break room, which was as well-appointed as a hotel suite befitting a top chef, Scarlett stood at the doorway, reluctant to enter. "What do you want to give me?""How can I give it to you if you don't come in?"Scarlett finally stepped inside. As soon as she did, Steven slammed the door shut and pinned her against the wall."Why did you run away that day?"Steven was breathing
As Melvin and Sarah were talking, Steven and Scarlett returned, both with flushed faces. Sarah looked at them meaningfully, "So, what's going on here?"Steven made no attempt to hide it. He took Scarlett's hand and announced, "Miss Sanders, Scarlett and I are together now.""Together? That was quick!" Sarah teased.They'd been gone for less than half an hour - how had they become a couple so quickly?Sarah looked at Scarlett with some concern. She worried about Scarlett getting hurt.After all, Scarlett was so innocent, and though Sarah had interacted with Steven, she didn't know him well enough to be certain about his character.Scarlett shyly moved to Sarah's side and obediently picked up the bowl of soup to drink, but Steven stopped her. "It's cold now. I'll make you a fresh bowl."Steven took the bowl away. Scarlett turned to Sarah with an embarrassed smile, "Just now..."Half an hour earlier, Steven had cornered her."Why are you afraid of that?"She shook her head vigor
Seeing her crying so pitifully, James felt his heart soften. There she was, lying in the pristine hospital bed, her face pale, hands protectively cradling her stomach, yet still apologizing to him with guilt.He quickly sat by the bed, his voice gentling, "Charlotte, don't cry. I could never hate you. I'm the one who was wrong."Hearing his tender words, Charlotte immediately buried herself in his chest, holding him tightly, trying to absorb every last bit of warmth.She was afraid - terrified that once she went to prison as a convicted criminal, James might stop loving her.Just then, a commotion erupted outside the hospital room. James helped her sit up as she quickly wiped away her tears.Charlotte's parents entered with grim expressions. Her mother pushed James aside, "Oh Charlotte, my poor daughter! Here you are pregnant, and your husband can't wait to send you to prison!"She glared fiercely at James. Charlotte's father looked at Mrs. Chancer with an angry expression, "Mrs.
Now she was watched by countless eyes every day. It was terrifying.Her mother's words still echoed in her mind. She desperately wanted to forget, but those words kept buzzing in her ears, relentlessly drilling into her thoughts."Can't you contribute something to this family?""After all, Charlotte is carrying your brother's child - the only grandchild of the Chancer family."...The Chancer this, the grandchild that!She was sick of hearing it. Since her argument with her mother, no one had visited - not her mother, not James.Perhaps her mother had already forgotten she had a daughter.Her brother was no brother, her mother no mother.Her lips curved into a slight smile. It was useless - no matter how hard they tried, it was all pointless.Sarah had already found all the evidence and submitted it.It wouldn't be long before Charlotte was arrested.After the auction ended, Sarah had experienced a period of peace, which surprised her. She had expected Vivian to seek reveng
The scenery here had a unique charm. The entire villa complex was surrounded by lush greenery that blended naturally with the surroundings. The designer's bold vision was enough to make anyone feel a sense of wonder.The driver turned off the engine and said dutifully through the rearview mirror, "Miss, we've arrived. Would you like to get out?"Vivian stared silently at these homes that even a fortune couldn't buy, then nodded.The driver got out and opened the rear door for her.Stepping onto the ground in her high heels, Vivian noticed the uneven cobblestones covering the entrance to the villa and immediately thought the designer must have been out of their mind.She tried taking a few steps and nearly twisted her ankle.With no choice left, Vivian had to take off her shoes and carry them, continuing forward carefully.She couldn't help wondering if she had made a mistake. How could Zachary possibly live in such an odd place?However, halfway there, she saw a black Range Rove
The vineyard manager frowned when he heard this, walking over to ask, "What did they say?"Seeing his manager, the worker quickly embellished the conversation, raising his fist indignantly. "Sir, don't worry. If they dare cause trouble, we won't back down. We'll make sure they regret coming here."The vineyard manager, "..." What a jumbled mess—he could barely understand what the worker was saying.Still, Vivian had a point. Even if they chose not to continue the partnership, there was no need to burn bridges completely. That wouldn't benefit him either.With this in mind, the vineyard manager calmed down his overly excited worker. "That's enough. Send them a message and tell them five o'clock this afternoon, River Café. Don't be late."Finally meeting the vineyard manager, Vivian got straight to the point, "Mr. Mendeson, I won't play games with you. Before deciding to work with you, the Wilson Group researched your public information. I have some understanding of your character. B
At the front desk, Sarah watched seven or eight people standing in line, all holding identical discount vouchers. This was likely a company team-building activity.She listened to their chatty discussions, which included some crude language as they made no effort to hide their rough backgrounds."This place is so luxurious! The company really splurged to send us somewhere this fancy. I've never stayed in such a nice hotel in my life.""Me neither, but let's not forget why we're actually here and pretend we're just on vacation!""Oh, come on, who's going to forget?"Sarah's ears perked up. These people's conversation seemed suspicious, almost as if they wanted others to notice them.After about fifteen minutes, when everyone ahead had finally checked in, Sarah presented her VIP custom invitation and completed her member registration. She lay on the spacious bed in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered views of the beach and ocean.It was noon, and sunlight spilled onto
"Mr. Sanders, I believe I was very clear in my email. With the current uncertain situation, cooperating with me is the most rational choice," Zachary said seriously.Melvin burst out laughing. "I might have believed you if you'd said this a few years ago, but times have changed. Zachary, do you remember what you promised me before? Have you kept any of those promises? Neither three years ago nor now have you delivered."When Melvin mentioned three years ago, Zachary's eyes filled with gravity and shame. No one understood better than they did what had happened—that horrific scene was too painful to even think about.He moved his lips. "People can't always live in the past."Even he couldn't believe his own words.Melvin said with self-mockery, "Listen to yourself. How absurd that sounds. People indeed can't live in the past forever, but Sarah has been trapped in that darkness for three years. Do you dare to face it? To uncover it?"After being wounded, a bleeding injury slowly form
Vivian exhaled deeply and said anxiously, "Grandfather, what happened last time upset Zachary, and he won't see me now. But I'll handle it properly."Old Mr. Wilson gave Vivian a meaningful look. "Good. I certainly trust your abilities."After seeing Old Mr. Wilson into his car, Vivian returned to her office and made a mysterious phone call, giving some instructions.After hanging up, her face broke into a satisfied smile, as if she was already enjoying the sweet taste of victory.At the Sanders Group."Smack." Sarah hit Melvin hard on the head.Melvin winced in pain. "Are you doing this on purpose? Taking personal revenge? I haven't even bothered you lately."Sarah shrugged, looking innocent. "Didn't you say your right eyelid keeps twitching? The left means money coming, the right means trouble. I'm just using an old folk remedy to ward off the bad luck."Melvin couldn't help rolling his eyes. "I don't know if the bad luck is gone, but I almost got a concussion from your 'remed
"Don't any of you have something to say?" Old Mr. Wilson sat in the chairman's exclusive seat, leaning back with an expressionless face as he surveyed the room.Some shareholders had come just out of respect for Old Mr. Wilson. They exchanged glances for a moment before Mr. Jefferson finally broke the silence, "What if we lower our prices or add more package deals?"As soon as he finished speaking, several members of the company's management team eagerly agreed. "Mr. Jefferson makes a good point."Old Mr. Wilson twirled the dragon-headed cane in his right hand, his expression revealing neither approval nor disapproval.Vivian, who had remained silent since the start of the meeting, finally spoke up, "I don't think that's appropriate."She looked at everyone present, her tone serious, "First, the Sanders Group's revenue has already exceeded the projected line by over a billion. If we lower our prices, even if we attract more customers, the overall result will be the same."By this
Vivian never expected that despite her orders to keep the detained shipment a secret, the board of directors would somehow catch wind of it.As soon as the meeting began, the middle-aged man sitting in the first seat on the right frowned and questioned her, "Ms. Wilson, are you hiding something from us?"Mr. Jefferson had the largest shareholding in the Wilson Group after Vivian and her grandfather. Compared to others, his words carried more authority.Naturally, Vivian had to show him some respect, given that she was the younger generation."Mr. Jefferson, by seniority, I should call you Uncle. You've watched me grow up. Do you think I would hide anything from you?" Vivian decided to play dumb first. She was certain these people had only heard rumors and hadn't yet gathered evidence.This was indeed the case. Mr. Jefferson narrowed his eyes, his expression unchanged, speaking in a tone that was half-joking, half-threatening, "Ms. Wilson, please don't say that. When it comes to bus
Charlotte ignored her, still peering behind the caretaker.The caretaker patted her chest and smiled as she approached. "Are you looking for Mr. Chancer? He went back to work. He asked me to take care of you. I thought you might wake up soon, so I went out to buy some nutritious soup for you.""You're saying he left? He left before I even woke up?" Charlotte struggled to open her dry lips, her voice raspier than ever before.Hearing this, the caretaker quickly set down the thermos and handed her the cup of tea from the table. "Please drink some water to soothe your throat, but don't drink too much. You've just given birth, so try to stay in bed and rest as much as possible."Charlotte found the water being offered to her ironically bitter.She had endured excruciating pain to give birth to James's child, yet he couldn't even spare a simple "thank you" for her efforts. Was this the marriage she had schemed so hard to get?Did she regret it? If someone asked, she might answer yes, b
"Answer me. Do you most hope it's heads or tails?" Sarah's voice carried an undeniable authority.The woman finally spoke. "Tails."Before Sarah's hand moved, the woman hurriedly corrected herself, "No, no, no—heads."Her indecisiveness reminded Sarah of her former self. Choosing between reason and emotion was often the hardest decision. It had once taken her several days to make up her mind.Sarah opened her palm. The woman's eyes widened, staring as if trying to burn a hole through Sarah's hand. But quickly, she discovered that Sarah's palm was completely empty. There was no coin at all.No heads or tails—there wasn't even a coin to begin with.Seeing the woman's confused expression, Sarah smiled and said, "In the moment I opened my hand, your heart already had the answer. I can't tell you how to solve your problem, nor can I make the decision for you. But you should know that you only have one life, while love can be found more than once. The fact that you're troubled by this s