LOGINThe side-room door opened and a little boy slipped out. He walked to Mrs. Mendes and quietly placed something in her hand.She looked surprised and opened her palm. It was a hair clip.Before Sarah could react, Mrs. Mendes burst into tears. “Tina…”She had forced herself for so long not to think of her daughter, calling her a burden just to numb the pain.But Tina had used her very first part-time paycheck to buy that hair clip for Mother’s Day.“Mrs. Mendes, Vivian wasn’t responsible for just your daughter’s death,” Sarah said coldly. “There were others. Once the families file jointly after we submit the application, the combined charges will bury her. She will probably spend the rest of her life in prison.”Mrs. Mendes wiped her face. “Can I think about it?”Sarah nodded. She understood.At East Coast’s Neuro-Rehabilitation Center, a caregiver pushed a cart down the hallway, delivering the day’s medications. A nurse followed behind, giving orders.As they moved from room to
When they got home, Melvin asked if Sarah wanted to take a trip somewhere. She turned him down.There was no time for a vacation. Not with that case hanging over her head.Meanwhile, the suffocating seaside villa showed no hint of the New Year. There was no warmth, no celebration. Only silence.Mandy was barely surviving inside the massive villa. Surveillance cameras covered every corner, and bodyguards were stationed everywhere.Leon and Julian had already returned to Country H. Under his father’s pressure, he had no choice but to put East Coast aside for the time being. Before leaving, he warned Mandy that if she dared to run, he would drag her back and let her starve to death in the basement.Mandy only scoffed. It wasn’t about whether she dared to run. Even if she did, where could she possibly go?Her television privileges had not been cut off, so she watched the recent news in East Coast. What delighted her most was that Vivian had been taken into police custody. Multiple c
Zachary’s voice came through the phone with a faint congestion. “Sarah… happy New Year.”“Did you even hear what I said? Go home. Now.” Sarah forced herself to stay calm.Snow had begun to drift from the sky, falling in soft, swirling sheets. With his black coat, Zachary’s shoulders and hair were quickly covered in white.His heavy breathing made Sarah uneasy. “What on earth are you thinking?”Zachary answered quietly, “I figured you wouldn’t be happy here tonight. And… I prepared a New Year’s gift for you. I was hoping I could give it to you in person.”There was a short silence, followed by a loud sneeze. Sarah looked down just in time to see Zachary’s body jolt with the force of it. She almost laughed.The snow was falling harder. Sarah urged, “Give it to me tomorrow. It’s snowing like crazy. If you don’t leave now, they’ll dig you out of a snowbank. I don’t want to see you on the morning news.”But Zachary insisted. “Then come downstairs and get it.”Sarah hesitated, then s
Of course, she did not mention the real priority. Handling invitations was one thing. The bigger part of her time was spent searching for the truth.Compared to the noisy warmth of the Sanders household, the Reynolds home felt empty.William Reynolds had opened his eyes, but he still could not leave the hospital. Zachary and Mia looked around the large house. The nanny had tried her best to make it feel festive, but the silence still crept in.When Mia saw Zachary step out of the study, she instantly threw herself into his arms. “Zach, can we go spend New Year’s with Sarah? I haven’t seen her in days.”Zachary thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “They are probably at the old estate. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”Mia puffed out her cheeks. “Then let’s spend it here together.”Suddenly, her eyes lit up as if she had remembered something. “Brother, let’s bring food to Grandpa’s hospital room and celebrate New Year’s Eve with him.”Zachary reached out and rubbed her h
“People fall into all kinds of self-doubt,” Sarah said calmly. “But once you step outside that circle, you realize how ridiculous those doubts really were.”She leaned forward a little. “If you still can’t get past this question, try changing the way you think about it. Imagine something happens to Melvin. The moment you hear about it, what would you do first?”Quincy thought for a moment, then looked straight at her. “I would tell you first.”Sarah smiled. “See? Then the problem is solved. Some things are not worth arguing about.”Quincy let out a breath she had been holding. “Honestly, the moment I saw you, I had already figured it out. I was sulking at home, going in circles about this, and I couldn’t understand why those three questions bothered me so much. The truth is, I already pushed back when Charlotte asked me the first one. But when Melvin answered, I still got nervous and hopeful. It means I was doubting myself.”Sarah handed her a glass of water. “That’s normal. You l
“I really don’t know,” Mrs. Sanders whispered. She edged closer to her husband, hoping to draw a little warmth from him.But Uncle Shawn shot her a cold look. “Every time someone mentions David’s death, you act strange. Did you do something?”Mrs. Sanders shook her head frantically. “No. What could I possibly have done? He was your brother. I might love money, but I’m not heartless. I would never do something that cruel.”Uncle Shawn stared at her for a long moment. At last, he smiled. “You’re right. You didn’t do anything.”Only then did she feel her heart drop back into place. She wrapped her arms around his waist, worry clouding her expression.By mid-afternoon, close to three, Mrs. Sanders went upstairs and shook Melvin awake. “Get up. We have guests.”Across the hall, Sarah peeked out of her room, but Mrs. Sanders spoke sharply. “You don’t need to come. You don’t know them anyway.”Melvin’s brows tightened. “Sarah is coming. She’s part of this family. If we have guests, she







