LOGINUriah shot a furious glare at the tabby cat, then swept his sleeve and walked away.…After leaving Uriah, Sharon still invited Xavier to dinner. He didn't refuse.The three of them were old acquaintances, so the meal was surprisingly harmonious. Once they finished, Xavier followed his usual habit: he presented Sharon with souvenirs from his business trips abroad. Sharon accepted them graciously, as she always did, and returned the favor with her own gift.After thanking him, Sharon insisted on paying the bill. Xavier didn't protest.Just as Sharon was about to settle the check, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen—it was one of her managers, likely calling about work. Excusing herself politely, she stepped aside to a quiet corner to take the call.Once Sharon left, an inexplicable chill settled over the table between Xavier and Thomas.Thomas's expression remained calm and unreadable. "Xavier."Xavier asked, "Yes?"Thomas's gaze flicked to the gift boxes on the table. "I
Uriah cast a weary glance at Thomas, then at Cole, and let out a heavy sigh that seemed to age him several years in an instant.He waved a hand at his family. "If there's nothing more, you may leave. Stop shouting and quarrelling here. I'm old now—I don't have the energy for this."With that, he shook his head and walked away from the crowd. He didn't look back at his family, and he didn't spare Sharon a single glance.After the argument ended in deadlock, the Malcolm family departed in a long line of murmurs and discontent. Cole's resentment lingered, but Grant pulled him along. They needed to verify whether Cole had truly abducted Lex.Sharon watched Uriah's stooped figure recede into the distance, a knot of unease tightening in her chest. She knew that he would no longer pursue the matter—but from this day forward, the bond between them would never be the same.A twinge of sadness settled over her. Aside from her mother, the only elder who had ever truly cared for her was Uriah
Cole felt a chill run through him as he noticed the furrowed brows and thoughtful expressions of his uncles."Uncle Grant… Uncle Trey… you're not seriously believing his words, are you?" he asked, panic creeping into his voice.Grant Malcolm spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. "What he says isn't entirely without reason. If he really wanted revenge, why would he need to abduct Lex? There are countless ways to retaliate. This method carries the highest risk and offers the smallest reward."Cole roared in frustration, "Because he holds a grudge not just against me, but against Uncle Lex as well!"Grant looked puzzled. "You keep saying he has a grudge against Lex, but what exactly is the deep hatred between them?"Cole froze, and suddenly found himself stammering, unable to give a coherent answer.If at the start, Lex had only disliked Sharon because of Victoria, that would make sense. Later, the resentment stemmed purely from Sharon being favored by Uriah, intruding on Lex'
Cole'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
Kelly flinched slightly. She had only meant to injure her hand to draw Carter's pity. She had forgotten that Thomas's kindness stemmed from her ability to play the violin.He was truly cold and heartless. This was why Kelly chose Carter over Thomas. She knew that even if she asked Thomas to mar
From the way things were going, two million was clearly not going to be enough. Even three million might not cut it.This was, without a doubt, the most expensive painting Sharon had ever sold—originally fetching only about 20 thousand.She never imagined it could be driven up to such a staggering
After Sharon and Richard left, only four people remained in the living room: Rick, Victoria, Carter, and Theo.Suddenly, Rick spoke."Carter, when you asked Victoria to help invite Ginny as a special guest for a concert, was that for Kelly?"Carter nodded. "Yes."Rick's expression darkened."Yo
"Carter, wipe your face first," Kelly said.But Carter shook his head. "Give the towel to Sharon. I'm fine."The smile on Kelly's face stiffened for a brief second. Still, she quickly turned and handed the towel to Sharon."Sharon, dry off a little, or you'll catch a cold."Sharon didn't hesitat







