LOGINCarmen realized she couldn't find any concrete information about Marina, and she immediately understood what that meant.Just like when all traces of Sharon had once been deliberately erased, the harder someone's background was to investigate, the more likely it was that they came from a powerful family—families that valued reputation above all else.Carmen had briefly considered whether she should conceal what Doug had said, to spare Sharon from feeling hurt.But in the end, she still told her the truth.Marina had already appeared, and had even shown herself in front of Sharon. Some things would inevitably be revealed sooner or later.Rather than everyone else knowing while keeping her in the dark, it was better for Sharon to be prepared in advance, so she wouldn't be completely defenseless when the truth finally came out.After listening, Sharon murmured, "So… she's the one who stayed by his side for three whole years…"Carmen knew that Sharon didn't feel good about this. She
Jamie's gaze narrowed slightly. "Forget-me-nots?"The shop assistant nodded. "Yes, that's right. The flower is called forget-me-not."A shadow deepened in Jamie's eyes. He took the bouquet from her and glanced at the baby's breath in his own hand again, a thoughtful expression settling over his face.…To confirm whether Thomas had been telling the truth, Jamie still had Ryder investigate whether Little Tabby had actually escaped.But Ryder's reply was, "No. The roadside surveillance shows no sign of any cat at all. In fact, the area where Thomas lives is a private road—security footage is managed by the property owners. We can't access it."Jamie's expression turned cold after hearing this.Thomas had lied. Little Tabby was definitely still in Thomas's hands.At first, Jamie intended to resolve it himself.But what he received instead was news that Thomas had temporarily returned to Leistre on urgent business.His contacts further confirmed that Thomas had seemingly taken a
"Thomas isn't the kind of person who clings to others," Sharon said. "Jamie, I hope you won't keep being biased against him."By the time she finished speaking, her voice had already cooled.Jamie said nothing. Because he knew no matter how much he said, she wouldn't believe him.In her heart, Thomas would always be the best.Jamie drove Sharon home first.After she got out of the car, she said, "About Little Tabby, I will—"Before she could finish, Jamie cut her off."No need. I'll handle it myself."Sharon frowned. "Thomas is pretty hostile against you. Unless you let him toy with you enough, he won't hand the cat back. Don't you want Little Tabby back sooner?"Jamie said in a low voice, "If getting Little Tabby back means it comes at your expense, then I'd rather it stay with Thomas forever. Sharon, I'll take care of this myself."As a man, how could he not see through Thomas's intentions?It was just that Sharon always saw Thomas through a filter—always choosing to belie
Sharon was startled. She hadn't expected Jamie to draw a gun so abruptly.Almost instinctively, she stepped in front of Thomas. "Jamie, calm down first. We can talk this through."Jamie looked at her unconscious protective gesture, and it only felt as though his anger had been doused with a bucket of ice water. The heat drained away instantly, leaving something cold and bone-deep.At the same time, he saw the faint, half-smiling curve at the corner of Thomas's lips.It was smugness. It was provocation. It was contempt—Thomas simply didn't take him seriously at all.Everything Thomas had done today had been deliberate, meant to provoke him.When Sharon was with him, she could act as though nothing was wrong. But the moment a choice appeared, she would choose Thomas without hesitation—even when she clearly knew Thomas was being unreasonable and deliberately difficult.In her heart, right and wrong were never that important.The anger in Jamie's eyes slowly faded, replaced by a de
After running around at the hospital the entire day, night had already begun to fall outside.Sharon asked, "It's getting late. Should we go eat something first?"Thomas didn't refuse. "Sure."Jamie followed the two of them in silence to a restaurant.During the meal, Sharon recommended several of the restaurant's specialties to Thomas with an unusually good attitude, even politely asking if he had any dietary restrictions.When the dishes arrived, she even took the initiative to cut his steak for him.Jamie found it utterly irritating.Thinking that Little Tabby was still in Thomas's hands—and that he could use it to manipulate both him and Sharon, with no telling what tricks he might pull next—his gaze grew colder by the second.Thomas, who was in the middle of eating, seemed to notice that hostile stare. He lifted his eyes and met Jamie's gaze directly."Jamie, you're not eating and just staring at me. What is it?"Jamie replied flatly, "I was thinking… since you're so bad
Thomas's few piercing question directly cornered Jamie, leaving him unable to refute a single word.Jamie let out a cold laugh. "Earlier, in front of Marina, you didn't say a word. Now that she's gone, you're finally showing your true colors."Thomas smiled faintly. "Unlike you, I do care about my image in front of friends. First impressions matter. Once they're bad, no matter how hard you try to fix them later, it's very difficult to salvage them."Jamie's gaze darkened.Sharon stepped in at just the right moment. "Let's go to the hospital first. If we're late, it might delay treatment."As she spoke, she also glanced at the scratch marks on Thomas's hand. They already looked like they had started to scab over. She quickly looked away, expression unchanged. "Let's go. I'll drive."Since Sharon had spoken, Jamie naturally wouldn't contradict her in front of Thomas.He stopped engaging with Thomas, turned, and walked toward the car.He pulled open the front passenger door—but be
Theo saw the solemn expression on Sharon's face and felt a flicker of unease.Beside him, Carter's face darkened, sensing something off."Sharon, what are you trying to do?"She didn't answer him. Her gaze stayed fixed on Theo."I haven't been home lately. You must've noticed. I've already packe
Time passed in silence until Carter spoke again."Whatever the case, whatever happened between me and Kelly is in the past now. She doesn't have much time left. There's no point in talking about this anymore. Don't you want Theo to have a complete family?"He didn't deny it—that was admission enou
Sharon didn’t so much as flinch under Nate’s glare.“So, Nate,” she said calmly, “have you made up your mind?”In the crowd, quite a few people had business ties with Nate’s family—and just as many came from rival families.Nate had never been known for watching his mouth. He’d offended more peop
"What's with all the noise?"The low, cool voice halted mid-sentence the moment he saw Kelly, scalded and in tears. Carter strode forward, instinctively pushing Sharon aside."Kelly, are you okay?"Sharon hadn't slept all night. She hadn't eaten a bite, her mind tied in knots over Theo. She was w







