LOGINZachary trailed off, leaving his thought unfinished.I had no intention of discussing my relationship with Isaac any further. "Mr. Holmes, I know you're busy. Why don't we begin the interview?""Sure." He seemed to realize that he had crossed a line and didn't press the topic again.We spent nearly an hour in the private room. His answers were structured, thoughtful, and grounded. Every detail reflected the kind of depth that earned someone the title of "legend".Traditional medicine and business were worlds apart, yet he had excelled in both.When we wrapped up, I packed my recording device and notebook and stood. "Mr. Holmes, this was incredibly insightful. Thank you for your time."Instead of responding right away, he reached beneath the table and took out a small rosewood box. From it, he extracted a smooth, milky white amulet with faint blue veining."Ms. York, one moment," he said.He held the amulet out to me, his tone formal and tinged with regret. "I only recently lear
"Okay. Send me the address," I said over the phone. I had agreed to Christine's request almost immediately.After hanging up, I grabbed my coat and headed to the entryway.Timothy heard the movement and emerged from the kitchen. "You're going out?""Yeah. Something came up at work. I have to go." My tone was flat, and I didn't offer any more details.Shannon looked up at me anxiously, as if afraid I might leave her behind.I took her hand and said to Timothy, "Take care of Daphne. I'm taking Shanny with me."The smile on his face faded slightly. "Do you have to go now? The cake is almost done. Daphne made it herself. Don't you want a taste?"I replied, "I'm just like you. I don't have a sweet tooth."After I said that, he fell silent.He probably remembered all those times I had eagerly handed him a spoonful of cake, asking him to try it, and how casually he had brushed me off.He had no ground to insist now.Still, when he saw me taking Shannon, he stepped forward and said,
Worry was plain on Shannon's face, her eyes dull and heavy.I knew what she was afraid of. She was scared of being left behind and sent back to Kaylin.I tightened my arms around her and firmly said, "No. I'm not going with Mr. Grant."However, Shannon didn't look convinced. She tilted her face up and said, "But Daphne said her dad is taking you home."I didn't need to guess. Timothy must have spoken to Daphne privately and filled her head with promises.Daphne was still a child, so she believed what Timothy told her.I smoothed Shannon's hair. "I promise you. I won't leave you behind. I'm not going back to his house. And I would never give up on you."Only then did the tightness in Shannon's small face slowly ease.Right at that moment, Daphne's bright voice rang out from outside. "Daddy's here!"My heart sank.She must have thought that Timothy and I had made up, because the resistance she once had toward him was gone.Beside me, Shannon stiffened again. Her small hand clu
I let out a quiet breath of relief.It seemed that I had guessed right. No matter what, Yasmin would always find a way back to Timothy.With her back in the picture, he wouldn't have the nerve to ask Daphne and me to move into the Grant residence again.Just as the thought settled, my phone rang. It was Victoria calling.I answered it.Her voice sounded tired and worried as she said, "Josie, tell me the truth. Did you really get back together with Timothy? Did you actually forgive him? A man like that won't ever change. I can't bear to see you hurt again."Her concern made my throat tighten. I said, "Mrs. Shore Senior, I should've talked to you first before letting him show up at the banquet. I thought I'd upset you. I was afraid you'd blame me.""Silly child." Victoria sighed, her voice full of affection. "At my age, do you think I couldn't see that you were protecting Isaac? If I had known about your plan, I would never have let you sacrifice yourself like that!"I swallowed
"No!" Yasmin exclaimed.Her head snapped up, and her voice shook as she said, "Tim, I told you before. I don't mind staying out of the spotlight. I won't interfere with Ms. York—""Let me finish," Timothy cut in, his tone sharper now. "Josie and I are going to rebuild our lives. If you remain in Seavale, it will complicate everything."Beside them, Harriett watched Yasmin sob and inwardly sneered at the performance.After seeing her true colors the night before, she finally understood what it meant to meet someone stronger than herself.Yet her secrets now rested in Yasmin's hands. Thus, she had no choice but to step in. She firmly questioned, "Timothy, have you forgotten about Josie and Isaac? Even if you bring her back, do you really think her heart is with you? Are you fooling yourself?""Josie and I grew up together," he replied without hesitation. "What we have isn't something outsiders understand. She made a mistake. If I'm sincere, she'll come back to me."Harriett's voic
Night deepened, yet the Grant residence remained brightly lit.Housekeepers moved quickly through every room with cleaning supplies in hand. Even the gaps between the crystal chandelier pieces were carefully wiped down.Timothy stood in the center of the living room, his brows slightly furrowed. "Laura, keep an eye on everything. I want the house restored to exactly how it looked before Josie moved out."He paused, his gaze landing on several decorative pieces Yasmin had bought at auctions and placed around the room. Then, he added, "And remove anything connected to Yasmin. Not a single item stays. Josie cannot see any trace of her."Laura froze for a second, then her face broke into a smile. "Got it, Mr. Grant. Does this mean that... Mrs. Grant is coming back?"After he had publicly declared his feelings for me at the banquet, everyone had seen it. Social media overflowed with congratulations. She had been waiting for this day for a long time.At the mention of me, his tone soft
I tucked Daphne in and soothed her gently. "Don't think about it anymore tonight. Go wash up and sleep. In a few days, I'll try to get in touch with Mr. Holmes and ask how Shannon is doing."Only then did Daphne nod, dragging her feet toward the bathroom....The next morning, not long after I ar
Yasmin seemed to have thought of something. She turned to Daphne and said, "Get in the car first. I need to talk to Ms. York."Daphne obediently climbed into the RV.Yasmin then walked up to me, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Ms. York, you saw that, didn't you? These past few years o
I smoothed out the sheets while responding absentmindedly, "How do you know that?"Shannon explained matter-of-factly, "Mr. Shore's company is huge. If he were just your boss, why wouldn't he cook for other employees or spend New Year's with them? So in his heart, you're definitely not just an empl
I was worried sick, but powerless to stop it.In the end, I wasn't Shannon's family. I didn't even have the right to keep her.As I stepped out of the police station, icy wind hit me head-on.A black SUV pulled up abruptly in front of me.Timothy got out first. Then Daphne jumped down from the c







