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
Sarah's eyes dimmed, perhaps because of Vivian."Sasa, I'm not better. How could I be when you haven't forgiven me?" he said with a bitter smile."So what brings you for consultation today? Heartbreak again?" Sarah studied her fingertips.Zachary leaned back relaxedly. "Heartbreak. The person I love doesn't want anything to do with me. What should I do?"Sarah blinked. "Thank you for helping with the land deal. Did Vivian blame you?"Zachary shook his head. "Even if she did, she wouldn't show it."Things weren't this awkward even when he first met Vivian at the airport. Now, though they could sit together and discuss business, it always felt like there was a wall between them.Whenever he faced Vivian, his mind would flash to everything she'd done to Sarah.Lately, he'd been having bloody nightmares - seeing Sarah lying in a pool of blood in an abandoned factory, himself helplessly trying to reach her but blocked by a cold transparent wall.In his ears echoed a woman's despera
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
This single subtle gesture revealed her inner feelings. Without needing to look further, Sarah immediately understood. Through the monitor, she could see that the photograph was a selfie of a man.Beyond heartbreak, she couldn't think of any other explanation.The emotion release room had been open for nearly a week. During this time, she had observed many clients. Those who came to release their emotions fell into several categories: heartbreak, work conflicts, friendship issues, personal disputes, or being stuck at a crossroads in life, unable to make the right choice.They came here to vent their emotions, and often only after destroying everything could they finally see what they truly wanted in their hearts.This was Sarah's original purpose in creating the emotion release room. But more importantly, this wasn't just a simple place to vent emotions—it offered clients more valuable services, such as guidance from top psychological counselors to help them quickly resolve their tr
"Enough. I've heard too many words like these. It's all for my own good, it's all to protect me—using these noble-sounding excuses to make me believe him, to understand him. Well then, why don't you who want me to believe him try to convince him to believe in me? Are you all underestimating me, or overestimating Vivian? I don't want to hear this kind of talk anymore. Everything he suffered today was his own choice."In this moment, Sarah's coldness fully erupted. She was no longer indifferent or dismissive, because she simply couldn't ignore the pain in her heart.Mia hadn't expected Sarah to say such things today. She held Sarah's hand sympathetically. "Sarah, I'm sorry. It's because I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have said those things that upset you."When emotions reach their breaking point, they tend to explode, but often calm down shortly after the outburst.Sarah had regained her composure. She shook her head with a bitter smile. "This isn't your fault. Since the doctor is he
They both looked at Zachary. Sarah frowned slightly and asked uncertainly, "Are you sure the two of us can lift him?"Mia paused for a moment, then pressed the drain button. In less than five minutes, all the cold water had drained from the tub.Zachary had a towel wrapped around his lower half, but it could easily fall off. Sarah first found a bathrobe in the closet, and together with Mia, they struggled to put it on him."Zachary, wake up!"Sarah didn't smell any alcohol on Zachary, so she determined he probably hadn't been drinking, but for some reason had passed out.She used all her strength to pull on Zachary's arm, trying to lift him up.Ten minutes later, when Steven arrived, Zachary was still in the bathtub."Miss Sanders, Miss Reynolds, let me handle this." He walked in with a man in a suit and lifted Zachary to the bed without much effort.He said to the suited man, "Doctor, please examine him."Only then did Sarah realize that Steven had brought a doctor. They waite
Sarah couldn't say much, since she hadn't seen either the truth or the evidence herself.But seeing how hurt Mia looked, she placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and said gently, "Though I don't know exactly what happened or what truth and evidence you're talking about, you should trust your brother. When we were in West Ridge, his reaction after learning the truth wasn't much better than yours. His eyes were filled with shock."She paused before continuing, "Now that you know the truth, you both clearly understand what you need to do. Isn't it better to see things clearly rather than remain in the dark?"At least they wouldn't need to keep guessing or lie awake night after night.Mia nodded gravely, then asked with confusion, "Sarah, my brother hasn't told you about it?"Sarah smiled faintly and shook her head. "If he wanted me to know, he would tell me himself.""Sarah, whatever decision my brother makes, I believe he would never hurt you. Just like you told me, we can trust h
When the call connected again, Sarah asked impatiently, "Zachary! What exactly do you want? You seem to have forgotten your position. Do I need to remind you?""Sasa, why do I see you everywhere but can't touch you?" he asked in confusion.Clearly, Sarah had no idea what Zachary was talking about. She thought he was playing games with her. "You're the marvellous Mr. Reynolds,Vivian's fiancé. Have you forgotten your engagement ceremony is just a week away?"Zachary frowned deeply. He knew that, but at this moment, he didn't want to think about any of it.He didn't respond. Sarah felt a moment of frustration. She was tired of being dragged into Vivian's schemes and tired of the things Zachary always refused to say.Beep, beep, beep! Zachary lowered the phone dejectedly. She had hung up again.He called back, but no one answered. Panicking, he dialed several more times. On the third attempt, she finally picked up."Zachary! If you call again, I'm going to block you on my phone." Z
He never imagined Vivian would dare do such a thing. Drugging someone's drink was despicable behavior. He never thought the normally proud Vivian would stoop to this level.He weakly held onto the car door, took a deep breath, and dug his right hand hard into his thigh. The intense pain brought him a moment of clarity.But this brief lucidity only allowed him to make the most rational decision. He could clearly feel the burning heat throughout his body, as if thousands of ants were crawling all over him.When they finally reached Void Bay, the driver looked at Zachary's condition with concern. "Mr. Reynolds, should I take you to the hospital instead?"Zachary refused with a cold stare. "Not necessary."He knew with certainty that if he appeared at a hospital tonight, tomorrow's trending news would definitely be about his hospital visit. At this stage, he couldn't afford to openly start fire with Vivian.He looked weakly at the driver. "Help me inside."If he couldn't stay calm no