Sarah took another drag of the cigarette, eyes clouded as she murmured,"They say people smoke to ease their troubles… So why do I still feel like shit?"Leon had expected anger. Yelling, cursing, maybe even a slap. What he didn’t expect was this eerie calm, this measured tone—as if they were simply catching up over drinks.“Because of the memories coming back?” he asked.Sarah leaned closer. She exhaled a stream of smoke, right into his face, her lips curling into a mocking smile.“Vivian’s really told you everything, huh?”Leon didn’t deny it.“We’re partners, after all.”“Partners?” Sarah sneered. “What’s left in Wilson Corp that’s worth partnering for? Come on, tell me. You didn’t drag me here just to breathe the same air, did you?”Leon met her eyes.“What if I did?”She tilted her head, slipping the cigarette between two fingers with practiced ease.“Since when is Mr. Spencer the romantic type?”“And what makes you so sure I’m not?”Sarah narrowed her gaze.“All this… ju
Melvin could read it clearly from Mrs. Sanders’ expression—she was dead set on not saying a word.“Fine. Please leave my house, Mrs. Sanders.”“You want to cut ties with me?” Her voice rose sharply. “Let me tell you something, Melvin—that’s never going to happen! As long as you’re alive, my blood runs in your veins. I gave you this life! And now, you’re going to talk to me like this? All for an outsider? You’ve broken my heart!”She clutched her head and swayed on her feet.Melvin had intended to leave immediately. But seeing her like this, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away.“Are you alright?”“Take me to the hospital. My head… I’m so dizzy…” She collapsed against him.Melvin had no choice. He supported her and took her to the hospital.---Meanwhile, at Leon’s villa.Sarah sat, arms bound to a chair, her expression bleak and cold. She looked up at Leon without surprise.“So this was your doing?”Leon stood before her, a twisted satisfaction tugging at the corner of hi
“I need to go home. Now.” Melvin’s voice was sharp with urgency.Zachary narrowed his eyes slightly. “You remembered something?”Melvin didn’t answer directly. His face had gone pale. “If I find anything, I’ll call you.”“Alright.”Zachary watched as Melvin stumbled out of the hospital, clearly rattled. Maybe he had figured something out.---Back at the Sanders residence, Mrs. Sanders was still comfortably sipping tea, completely at ease. The entire house had already been tidied up, looking spotless.“You’re still here?” Melvin asked coldly.Mrs. Sanders scoffed, setting down her cup. “Look at you. No manners. I’m your mother—I carried you for ten months—and this is how you greet me? Trying to kick me out now?”Melvin was too anxious to waste time arguing.“Where’s Sarah?”She smiled faintly. “How would I know? Weren’t you the one looking for her?”He gritted his teeth. “You do know. Today was only the first step, wasn’t it? You threw her out—and the second step? What was
Mia paused just before they reached the hospital room. She glanced up at Zachary, eyes wary, voice cautious.“Zach… did you do something wrong that really hurt Sarah?”Zachary didn’t know what Mia defined as “doing something wrong,” but he knew without a doubt—he had hurt Sarah.“…Yeah. It was my fault.”They were steps from the door when Mia suddenly stopped in her tracks.“Then… maybe Sarah doesn’t even want to see me either, right?”She lowered her gaze, thinking silently. When she looked up again, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She glared at Zachary with quiet blame.“It’s your fault. Maybe she hates me now, too.”“She acted kind to me, but it felt… fake. Like she was forcing it. Maybe she really just wants me gone.”Zachary gently ruffled her hair.“Don’t overthink it. Go in—you still want to show her the charm you got, remember?”Mia opened her hand, revealing the small safety charm she had picked up from a temple on their way there. She gave a determined nod an
Melvin could see that his words still hadn’t lifted Sarah out of her despair. So he pressed on, his voice low but firm:“We’ve already obtained Tina’s autopsy report, haven’t we? And with Dr. Xavier’s testimony, that alone is enough to tie her death to Vivian Wilson.”Sarah’s gaze stayed fixed ahead, her voice quiet but pointed.“Are you sure Dr. Xavier will actually testify in court?”Melvin hesitated. He hadn’t considered that fully—not really. Dr. Xavier had handed over the real report only because he felt safe doing so. But appearing in court was an entirely different risk.Seeing his reaction, Sarah let out a breathless laugh that held no mirth.“You’re hesitating. You know it too, don’t you? That even now, we can’t count on that.”Melvin’s chest tightened. He couldn’t refute her. She was right. Vivian always made sure her hands looked clean. There was always someone else to take the fall.“I get it,” Sarah whispered, more to herself than to him. “Even with all this so-calle
Melvin rushed into the room, his breath caught in his throat as he took in Sarah’s pale face. Her delicate arm was hooked up to an IV, her skin ghostly, a cooling patch stuck to her forehead.He tried to stay calm. He really did. But no matter how many deep breaths he took, the storm inside him refused to settle.“Sasa, tell me—what did my mother say to you?”Only then did Sarah turn her head to look at him. She’d never once put up walls with Melvin—never met him with this kind of cold detachment. Her voice was soft, but distant. “She didn’t say anything.”Melvin’s brow furrowed. “That’s impossible. With her personality? You and I both know she must’ve said something. Don’t take any of it to heart.”Sarah bit her lip and shook her head. Her eyes shimmered, full of unshed tears. She didn’t want to listen to Mrs. Sanders. She hadn’t wanted to. But even so… some of her words had hit too close to home.She wasn’t sure she had it in her anymore to start over. And she couldn’t afford t