LOGINAlthough Sharon knew the password to Thomas's villa, she couldn't simply barge in now that he was home.The two of them could only ring the doorbell.After nearly half an hour, the villa door finally opened.Thomas stood at the entrance in casual clothes. His hair was still slightly damp, clearly just out of the shower.Seeing Sharon and Jamie, he raised a brow."Sharon, I don't think we're that close. Bringing people to my house so many times—don't you think that's inappropriate?"Not that close…For a moment, Sharon thought of Marina again, and a faint tightness rose in her chest.But now was not the time for sentimentality. She quickly composed herself."Thomas, we've lost a cat. The surveillance shows you were the one who took it. That's why we came uninvited—to ask whether you've brought the tabby cat back?"Thomas stood at the doorway without any intention of letting them in."A tabby cat did scratch me," he said lazily.Sharon's gaze shifted—and sure enough, there we
After hearing this, Sharon joined in the search for Little Tabby.Jamie, meanwhile, pulled up the café's surveillance footage to determine when it had slipped out. After reviewing it, he discovered that Little Tabby had escaped more than ten minutes earlier. He immediately switched to the exterior cameras.The tabby had chased a butterfly to a street corner and then vanished completely from view.Jamie's expression darkened. He immediately called his assistant and instructed him to pull footage from surrounding streets.A few minutes later, he stared at the screen, his face turning colder by the second. A familiar figure appeared—carrying the tabby by the scruff of its neck and getting into a car. Then both disappeared from the camera's view.The tabby had been taken by Thomas.At the sight, Jamie's entire expression soured.Back then, Thomas had nearly strangled the little cat to death.And now that it had literally walked right into his hands—what would he do to it?Sharon h
Marina's voice seemed to drift through layers of dense fog before reaching Sharon's ears."Thomas, I packed some pastries for you. When you're hungry, you can eat them so your stomach won't act up again."I also packed more floral tea—specially blended for your stomach. And some warming tea too… if you get caught in the rain, just drink a cup and it'll drive out the cold."Last time you were so sick and didn't even tell me. I only found out from Liam and Doug—you actually had a fever for three days and ended up in the hospital."It seemed she wanted to give Thomas everything she considered the best in the world.Just then, Jamie suddenly stood up."It's getting late. We should head back."Only then did Marina shift her attention away from Thomas. She didn't seem particularly fond of Jamie."Alright. Feel free to leave first."She then looked at Sharon. "Sharon, you can stay a little longer if you'd like."Sharon lowered her lashes, concealing the thoughts in her eyes."It's
Marina looked at Jamie with a hint of surprise. "You seem to know quite a lot about this… Don't tell me you used to be a hacker too?""No," Jamie replied flatly. "But I know a little about the field."His gaze settled on her. "Marina, could you be Q?"Marina's eyes widened. "How do you know?! Did you investigate me?"Jamie's tone remained indifferent. "You spend generously at my café every day. It would be strange if I didn't look into you."Marina frowned. "Just because I go there every day, you investigated me? Don't you think that's a pretty unreasonable excuse?"Jamie glanced at Thomas, who had been silent all this time. "You can ask your friend here whether my caution is reasonable or not."At that, Marina really did turn to Thomas."Thomas, what does he mean?"Thomas leaned back casually, speaking in a light tone. "Jamie is the head of the Walton family. It's only natural he wouldn't feel at ease about a stranger who suddenly appears with unclear intentions."Marina loo
There was no deliberate avoidance or coldness—just the natural distance of people who knew of each other, but were not truly familiar. A simple acquaintance, nothing more.Seeing that Thomas had finished a piece of dessert, Marina asked a little nervously, yet with clear anticipation, "Thomas, how is it? Is it good?"Thomas replied, "Mm. Very good."At his answer, a bright smile bloomed on Marina's face, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as well. It was the kind of expression only seen when someone received praise from the person they liked.Seeing this, Sharon suddenly felt a faint sense of suffocation. She lowered her eyes slightly and took a sip of tea to conceal it.Jamie's low, husky voice came from beside her. "Marina and Thomas, you guys seem quite close."Marina turned toward him. "Mm yeah, we're friends."Jamie's tone carried something unreadable. "Thomas certainly has quite a few female friends."Marina looked surprised. "Does he? As far as I know, besides Carmen, Tho
The shop assistant girl was clearly excited—so excited that she repeated "very handsome" three times in a row.It was obvious she had never seen a man that good-looking before.Marina's eyes lit up.She didn't even spare a glance for Sharon or Jamie as she quickly walked into the flower shop and pushed open the door to the lounge."Thomas, I invited you here so many times before, and you're finally here today!"Inside the room, a young and strikingly handsome man sat on the sofa, flipping through a floral catalog, quietly reading the descriptions of different flowers.At the sound of Marina's voice, he looked up and smiled faintly."I was handling some business nearby. I remembered you opened a flower shop here, so I came to take a look."He closed the catalog in his hands and asked, "Have you been going to that café you mentioned last time?"Marina smiled. "Yes. The cats there are adorable. I go every day to play with them for a while. My shop is close to that café. Do you wa
A subtle change flickered in Kelly's expression as her gaze remained fixed on Victoria's earrings."Victoria, would you mind taking them off so I can have a closer look?"It was a rude request—blatantly so—but Kelly no longer cared about propriety.Victoria glanced at Carter. Seeing that he made
Once the car started, Carter asked, "Home or the studio?""Studio," Sharon replied.He nodded and turned the steering wheel.Catching a glimpse of her through the rearview mirror, he said, "You don't seem to be in a good mood."Sharon's voice was cold, laced with sarcasm. "That's none of your bu
Everything unfolding before Cole's eyes felt utterly absurd.If it weren't for the fact that the two men speaking were his own grandfather and Kenneth—both people he knew well—Cole might have suspected that Sharon had hired actors to put on a show.But when he heard the astonishing offer from Kenn
Sharon cast Carter a quiet glance, then lowered her eyes. Without a word, she climbed into the Jeep.Simon had secured a massive Jeep. Its trunk was packed with nineteen full-sized suitcases stacked like bricks. The space inside was generous.Just as Sharon reached for the ignition, Thomas, who ha







