LOGINThomas had spotted snipers in the vicinity and taken his men to deal with them. Meanwhile, Sharon had tracked Wendy's phone location and rushed over with her team to rescue her.Though Thomas was uneasy about letting Sharon go alone, he knew that if he didn't neutralize the hidden snipers, she'd be in even greater danger. And rescuing Wendy couldn't wait. Weighing the options, he left the relatively safer task of extraction to Sharon.Sharon turned to Loki. "Loki, take the helicopter and go. Get Wendy and Lesley to the hospital safely, then contact reinforcements."She then turned to Jordan. "We're going to find Jamie and Harley."The warehouse complex was enormous, stretching in a long row. Even with a sizable team, they couldn't locate everyone quickly. Sharon had come in a hurry and didn't have a full picture of the situation. But seeing how badly Wendy and Lesley had been hurt, her heart sank. What exactly was Harley holding in his hand?…The moon hung cold and pale. Not f
Seeing Lesley close his eyes, Wendy was thrown into utter panic.Her mind went completely blank, and she instinctively pressed her hand against the wound on Lesley's chest, still seeping blood."Lesley, you can't die—you absolutely cannot die!"Human nature was strange and complicated. A moment ago, she'd wanted him gone more than anything. But now that it came down to it, she didn't want him to die. Or maybe, she couldn't bear the thought of him dying to save her, right after she'd put a bullet in him.Wendy felt herself sinking into a daze. The memories she'd buried deep began surfacing like frames from a movie, playing back in her mind one by one.In an instant, a soul-crushing pain crashed over her like a tidal wave.Her body began trembling uncontrollably. She didn't even notice when the fire started spreading around them—not until the smoke made her cough, and she realized the entire warehouse was ablaze.She could have run. She could have left Lesley behind.Wendy had ne
Most of the time, Wendy would say something pitiful and heart-wrenching, but her facial expression would tell a completely different story. She'd even make gestures in front of him, pretending to throw a punch. To his surprise, he didn't find it annoying—instead, he found it amusing.She was the first woman like this he'd ever met. Vibrant. Radiant. Warm.Like a ray of light injecting life into his otherwise stagnant existence.At first, he'd only seen her as a way to kill time. So when Jamie started looking into her, he'd quietly stepped in and shielded her.Wendy was indeed the type of woman who loved and hated boldly. If someone did her a favor, she'd repay it tenfold. After he protected her and "fed" her some useful intel, she seemed genuinely grateful. Her attitude toward him shifted noticeably. She even started brewing medicinal meals for him herself—though they tasted so awful that for a while he was convinced she was trying to poison him.Still, he could tell her concern w
As Jamie had said, the end of the secret passage opened into another warehouse.At this moment, the warehouse was so quiet that Wendy could almost hear her own heartbeat.Then, a low, hoarse voice suddenly broke the silence."Why didn't you just leave me there alone? You wanted to remove the obstacle for Sharon, didn't you?"Wendy froze, a flicker of surprise lighting up her eyes."Lesley, you're awake?!"She quickly set him down and said, "Hold on a little longer. I'll stop the bleeding first."She stripped off her jacket, pulled out the knife she always carried for self-defense, and began tearing the fabric into strips.Lesley watched her movements, his tone flat. "Don't waste your energy. Since he showed up, he's not going to let us leave this place easily."As if on cue, another series of explosions rang out from somewhere nearby—so powerful that the entire room shook violently.Wendy's heart sank.She didn't know Harley well and had no idea what he was capable of. But j
Harley had stayed so deeply under the radar that even Jamie and Lesley had never detected him, let alone anyone outside the family.Jamie continued, "The fact that Harley dared to use his trump card means he must have a foolproof plan in place. He's inherited our father's ruthlessness to the letter—we can't underestimate him. Only by treating him with that kind of caution can we buy ourselves even a sliver of a chance."The Walton family produced one ruthless heir after another. Harley was no less than Jamie in that regard—if anything, he was worse. Having grown up under their father's wing, he'd absorbed every dirty trick and underhanded tactic the old man had to teach.Trapped here now, there was no guarantee any of them would make it out alive. Calling Sharon and Thomas for backup carried an enormous risk.Ryder glanced at Wendy, who looked dazed and unsteady. "But if something really happens to Wendy, Miss McKinzie will blame you for it…"Jamie said, "As long as Sharon is safe
Ryder and Wendy helped support Lesley as they made their way toward the secret passage.Wendy asked in a low voice, "Why did you save me?"Lesley's tone was flat. "No reason."Wendy opened her mouth, wanting to say thank you, but the words got stuck in her throat.They quickly reached the entrance to the passage that Jamie had mentioned. Jamie turned a switch on the wall, and with a low rumble, the wall slowly slid open.Jamie stepped in first and turned back to look at them. "Hurry—get inside."The moment the words left his mouth, a massive explosion ripped through the warehouse behind them.The terrifying shockwave spread outward—a violent blast of heat and force surging toward them.In the split second before the impact, Lesley shielded Wendy with his body—but the shock was still so intense that she lost consciousness almost instantly.Wendy was jolted awake by someone shaking her.Opening her eyes, she saw Jamie's grim face above her. A trickle of blood ran from the corne
The audience buzzed with speculation. Opinions flew from every corner. The more famous Sharon became, the fiercer the controversies around her flared.But none of it touched her.Soon, the day of the finals arrived.To prevent a clash between top contenders—where the unlucky would simply hand sec
Sharon stared in surprise at the anger burning in Julliard's expression. In a low voice, she said, "Julliard, thank you, but I've already taught him a lesson."Realizing his loss of composure, Julliard quickly tried to explain. "You're about to hold your concert, and you're still in the middle of a
Carter's voice turned icy. "Nonsense. How could I possibly have a girlfriend?"As he spoke, he lifted his gaze, catching Sharon's reflection in the rearview mirror. She was listening intently to Matty, completely oblivious to Xavier's provocative words.Xavier's expression held a teasing edge, his
"I can't compare to you when it comes to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting," Johanna said.As she spoke, her gaze swept the crowd, and in an instant, it landed on Thomas, who stood quietly beside Sharon. Her smile deepened.Riding her horse forward, she stopped before Sharon and Thomas."Sh







