Leon brushed right past the butler and stormed upstairs. From the look on his face, he didn’t seem like someone coming to comfort a friend—he looked ready to confront her, fists clenched and fury in every step.He kicked the door open without hesitation. His mind was spinning, his temper gone—he just needed answers.The force of the door sent Vivian sprawling to the floor. Her silk nightgown rode up slightly, revealing pale, delicate skin. In the dim lighting, the scene carried a strangely provocative undertone.On any other day, Leon might have jumped onto the opportunity.But now, his eyes were cold, completely devoid of pity. He stepped right over her and crouched down, not even bothering to help her up.Instead, he pinched her chin between two fingers and forced her head up, studying her face like it was something poisonous. “Vivian. Tell me the truth. Was Sarah’s accident your doing?”Vivian glared back without flinching. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”Leon gav
But it wasn’t the Chancer family’s reputation that stopped James from leaving. It was the realization that he no longer had the right to be by her side.What gutted him most was knowing that Sarah probably didn’t want to see him anymore either.The thought made James let out a bitter laugh. In the blink of an eye, all the power and presence he carried disappeared. What remained was nothing but the quiet despair of a man who couldn’t have the woman he loved.Mrs. Chancer, meanwhile, was still going on, her voice sharp and full of venom. “Hmph. If you ask me, this is karma. She brought this on herself. Heaven’s just returning the favor.”Seeing James no longer seemed intent on leaving, Charlotte relaxed a little. She walked over to support Mrs. Chancer and added in a soft, soothing voice, “Mom, maybe Miss Sanders got herself into trouble with someone she shouldn’t have crossed. That’s probably why this happened.”James had no interest in watching them put on their performance. Witho
Lately, James had been swamped with work, leaving early and coming home late every day. But today, he had the rare luxury of sleeping in and was now sitting in the dining room, calmly eating breakfast.The housemaids, unaware of his presence or schedule, were busy chatting as they worked.“Wait, you’re saying the woman who got into that car accident—the Sanders heiress—was our sir’s ex-wife?”“That’s right. But shhh, don’t go around saying her name out loud. Miss Sanders is history now. Don’t ever bring up that name in this household.”“Don’t worry, I know better.” One of the maids, still mid-conversation, stepped through the threshold into the living room without looking up. She hadn’t noticed the man sitting on the couch. Her voice remained loud. “Still, it’s such a shame. Poor thing. She’s so young—I wonder if she’ll even make it.”Before she could hear her colleague’s reply, she noticed her expression shift in horror.“What’s wrong—”“What were you just talking about?”Both
When Melvin finally got home, he wearily pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. As he bent down to take off his shoes, he noticed a pair of pink women’s slippers quietly sitting by the doorway.His brows furrowed. After changing into his indoor slippers, he loosened his tie and walked briskly toward the master bedroom on the first floor.As soon as he opened the door, a wave of cool air rushed out.The air conditioning was off. She wasn’t there.Melvin closed the door and instinctively glanced at his watch. A sharp throb pulsed behind his temple again. He took a deep breath, then pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.The call connected. A low, slightly hoarse male voice came through, tinged with irritation—clearly just woken up. “What is it?”“Is Sarah with you?” Melvin asked without preamble.Zachary sat up instantly. His dark eyes gleamed coldly in the dim light. “I dropped her off around eleven. Isn’t she asleep?”Melvin gave a noncommittal hum, the pit in hi
Sarah bit down hard on her tongue.The sharp pain jolted her back to her senses, giving her just enough strength to keep going. Her legs, heavy as lead, managed a few more wide strides. To lighten the load, she flung her purse into the grass by the roadside. It landed in the dew-soaked blades with a soft thud.Then came the blare of a horn.Sarah whipped around instinctively, eyes wide with fear.Just before everything went black, the last thing she saw was the woman behind the wheel—wild eyes, twisted in a frenzy. That deranged expression burned itself into Sarah’s mind as consciousness slipped away.Silence returned to the night.The truck’s engine cut off. Its headlights died. The hulking vehicle now sat in the shadows like a beast drifting into sleep.A door opened.Under the dim streetlamp, the woman’s face finally came into view.Vivian’s limbs were shaking. Her hands trembled, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks. Yet her lips were curled in a chilling, alm
“Henry Fisher?”Sarah pressed her lips together, thinking for a moment. The name sounded familiar. If she remembered correctly, he was Melvin’s assistant.Still, something felt off—though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.She shook her head, brushing away the uneasy thoughts. Right now, picking him up was more important. Without hesitation, she grabbed her bag and slung it back over her arm. “Send me your location. I’m coming now.”As soon as she opened the map and searched the pinned address, her finger hovered above the ride-hailing app. Her expression shifted.The place was only a few hundred meters away.Sarah calmly exited the app and reopened it, just to be sure. Still the same distance.Now she was starting to wonder if Melvin had intentionally chosen a bar this close to her place.It was almost midnight. The wind outside howled against the windows, and the moon was hidden behind thick clouds. The night felt eerie.She let out a long breath, lips curving into a f