LOGINCole's face twisted with rage. "Thomas, you really know how to turn truth into lies! You abducted Uncle Lex, yet you insist on blaming me! Don't think I don't see through your plan—you want to pin this on me so the Malcolm family turns on itself, and you can reap the benefits from the chaos!"Thomas smiled calmly. "Cole, as far as I know, you hold no real power in the Malcolm family. If I truly wanted to frame someone, why would I choose you? Why not target someone with a better shot at becoming the next family head? What advantage would blaming you give me?"Cole, though not as composed as Lex, was far from foolish. He locked eyes with Thomas and said, "You're taking revenge for Sharon."Thomas's brow lifted in surprise. "Revenge? What revenge? Has she wronged you?"At that moment, Cole, desperate to pin Thomas down, abandoned any pretense. Pointing directly at Thomas, he recounted the events of years past."He hates me for tricking Sharon into trusting me, then engineering a sit
Thomas paused for a few seconds, then said thoughtfully, "Since a servant saw Lex return home, and all of his belongings were still in the study… the most likely scenario is that Lex disappeared while still inside the house."Uriah raised an eyebrow. "Our family's security is top-notch. Even if someone managed to infiltrate, it's no easy task to spirit a fully grown man out of the house without anyone noticing. Even if the surveillance had been sabotaged, with so many family members around, the intruder could never eliminate everyone without raising alarms. How, then, could Lex have been taken without anyone noticing?"Thomas lifted his gaze to meet Uriah's. "Uriah, your residence surely has secret rooms or hidden passages, doesn't it?"Uriah's eyes narrowed, already understanding where Thomas was going.Thomas continued, "A family like yours must have secret passages connecting the estate to the outside world, intended for emergencies or escape. If someone used these hidden routes
A flicker of subtle doubt passed through Sharon's mind.It was as if something had flashed across her thoughts, gone almost before she could grasp it. Yet she was far too tired, her mind heavy and sluggish, to dwell on the unease gnawing at her.Sensing her gaze, Thomas pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and gently tucked the blanket around her."Sleep now. I'll wake you this afternoon—I won't disturb your outing."Exhausted beyond measure, Sharon closed her eyes and sank into sleep.Thomas watched her, eyes deep and shadowed, a current of unreadable emotion rippling beneath the surface.…Sharon woke promptly at Thomas's call.Her appointment with Xavier was set for the evening, leaving her an entire afternoon to rest. She felt reasonably refreshed, not sluggish at all.Just as the two of them were about to leave, Sharon's phone rang—it was a call from Uriah."Sharon, can you and Thomas come by now? I have urgent matters to discuss."Sharon recalled what Xavier had told he
"Thomas?" Sharon called out."Mm." The figure answered softly, then began to move, slowly walking toward her. Light and shadow intertwined, the dim glow falling across Thomas's body and casting his tall silhouette in deeper darkness.Sharon's heart skipped a beat. That strange feeling from earlier rose again in her chest."Thomas, what were you doing just now?" she asked.Thomas handed her a glass of water. "I was worried you'd be thirsty when you woke up, so I went to pour you some water."Sharon accepted the glass and asked, "When did you get back? Why didn't you say anything? You suddenly appeared at the door just now and nearly scared me."Thomas looked at her with a faint, ambiguous smile. "I came back not long after you started your call. But you were so absorbed in the conversation that you didn't hear me knock."A faint flicker passed through Sharon's eyes.When Xavier had told her about Lex's disappearance earlier, her attention had indeed been completely drawn into th
After everything was over, Sharon fell into a deep sleep.When she woke up again, the sky outside had already turned completely dark.She picked up her phone and checked the time, only to realize it was already eleven at night.Rubbing her tired temples, Sharon sighed inwardly. She and Thomas had spent the entire afternoon in reckless indulgence.Glancing around the room, she realized Thomas wasn't there.Recently, Thomas seemed to have undergone some subtle, indescribable change. Although his attitude toward her remained the same as always, Sharon could clearly sense something unusual about him.The most obvious difference appeared in bed.He was no longer as gentle as he had been in the beginning. It was as if some kind of seal or restraint had been lifted, leaving her struggling to keep up with him.There were several missed calls and a few unread messages on Sharon's phone.She opened them one by one and saw that Xavier had called her a little after eight in the evening.
The long blade in Lex's hand seemed utterly insignificant before such a massive, ferocious beast. With a single swipe of its paw, the lion knocked the weapon flying.Lex rolled across the ground and quickly grabbed a long staff to defend himself.But the lion's claws were razor-sharp and immensely powerful. With a casual swipe, it tore away a large patch of flesh from Lex's face.Blood immediately poured down his face.The scent of blood only further stimulated the lion. Baring its fangs, it lunged forward, aiming straight for Lex's vulnerable neck.Thomas's cool voice sounded from outside the cage."Too weak. With so many weapons at your disposal, you can only last this long?"Liam stood quietly behind Thomas, his back already soaked with cold sweat.He had followed Thomas for many years, yet this was the first time he had ever heard him mention the events in Neldene.Even Carmen and Chris probably didn't know about these things.Those memories had clearly been sealed away t
Carter looked at Sharon, something unreadable flickering behind his gaze."Just make sure you're not the one who backs out last minute," he said. "In case something suddenly comes up."Sharon's lips curled faintly, but there was nothing warm in her eyes. "What worries me, is that you're the one wh
Wendy let the silence hang for a dramatic beat, a sly smile playing at her lips."Kelly, let me give you a word of advice. Don't always aim your suspicion at other women. Sometimes…" Her gaze flicked toward Carter. "Men can be just as dangerous."Then, deliberately, she added, "Carter has such a c
Sharon felt a quiet warmth bloom in her chest.Lately, Matty had been sticking to her like a shadow. Wherever she went, he wanted to follow.…The next morning, she tried calling Carter again. Still no answer.She stared at the messages she'd sent him.[Carter, when are we getting divorced?][
Sharon cast a glance at Kelly, then calmly picked up her phone and dialed a number.Before Kelly could react or figure out what she was doing, the line connected.Sharon spoke without emotion. "Kelly says she's preparing for a concert soon and is worried an injury might upset you. So, she's refusi







