LOGINCarter's eyes narrowed slightly.After Sharon finished speaking with Theo, she turned her gaze toward the two men.In that instant, the emotions in Thomas's eyes seemed to recede like the tide, settling into an unsettling calm—as if what he had just seen had been nothing but a trick of the mind.It was clear: no matter how intelligent Thomas was, hearing about these matters could never leave him indifferent.After a while, Theo tugged Thomas toward the amusement park's shooting range for a target competition.The sun was blazing hot, so Sharon slipped over to a nearby refreshment stand and bought four drinks.Carter accepted the specially made drinks Sharon handed him, his sharp eyebrows lifting slightly. "You remembered I liked this?"Specialty drinks were crafted according to personal preferences. Carter belonged to the high-maintenance type; someone with a poor memory would never recall all his countless specifications.Sharon watched Thomas and Theo at the shooting range an
Sharon dried her face and said lightly, "Thomas, this isn't a physical problem. It's a wound of the heart."Thomas fell silent.When she stepped out of the bathroom, Carter and Theo were waiting outside, their expressions full of concern."Sharon, are you okay?" Carter asked.Theo's face was tense. "Mom, if you're not feeling well today, just stay home. We don't have to go play."Sharon shook her head with a smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."Breakfast had been light. After eating, they all piled into the car and drove to the amusement park.Carter sat stiffly in the passenger seat, periodically glancing in the rearview mirror at the backseat. Sharon, Theo, and Thomas were seated there.Theo chatted happily with Thomas and whispered a few secrets to Sharon, laughing. For him, it seemed they were the real family of three, and he was just the driver.He suddenly understood why Sharon had asked him to help. Thomas was not someone she could easily walk away from.At the amu
Sharon's pupils constricted sharply.She had thought her words were cruel enough, sharp enough to wound Thomas. But she never expected that Thomas—someone who should have been proud and untouchable, like a favored son of heaven—could appear so… humble, so diminished.Her throat felt blocked, as if something had lodged there, and no words could escape.Thomas saw her pause and took a step forward, closing the distance between them.But Sharon snapped awake. She took several hurried steps back, putting space between them, then fled, her retreating figure disheveled and frantic.Thomas watched silently as she disappeared, making no move to follow.…Another sleepless night passed.While washing up, Sharon stared at her reflection, dazed. Just a few words, and she thought she could make Thomas give up—but it wouldn't be that easy. Time was slipping away; she couldn't afford to delay any longer.Perhaps from consecutive sleepless nights, her complexion looked pale and haggard.Aft
"If you bring up breaking up again, I'll get angry."When Thomas wasn't smiling, his face carried a cold edge, far from his usual warm, easygoing demeanor. The aura around him was sharp and unyielding.Sharon had known Thomas for a long time. Aside from that one incident when he discovered Jamie had been talking to her for half a year, Thomas had rarely shown her this level of coldness. He never argued with her, and whenever there was even a hint of conflict between them, he would be the first to apologize or compromise.But now, seeing him visibly tense at her repeated mentions of separation, Sharon felt her breath catch in her chest.This time, however, she didn't soften. She turned and started up the stairs.Thomas grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his embrace. His voice softened. "Sharon, there will be a way. Look at me—I'm fine, aren't I?"Sharon had made up her mind. She refused to prolong this any longer. Her voice was steady, devoid of emotion."Thomas, you've been thr
Beside Thomas, Theo's face lit up, and he said with a bright smile, "Yeah! I haven't gone out to play with Thomas in so long."Then he turned to Sharon, his eyes wide and pleading, filled with a hope so genuine it was impossible to refuse."Mom, you'll come with us tomorrow, right?"Sharon opened her mouth, intending to refuse, but no words came.Yet if she agreed, even silently, what would become of the plan she had so carefully set in motion?She said nothing.For a moment, the atmosphere grew quiet and heavy.Then Carter's voice cut through the silence."In that case… we'll all go together."Thomas glanced at him, smiling. "Carter, you're coming too?"Carter seemed not to notice the subtle rejection in Thomas's tone. "It's rare for the three of us to have time together. We can't let this chance slip by."He bent slightly, looking at Theo. "Isn't that right, Theo?"Theo, who had spent so much time with Thomas before, loved Thomas and wanted to be with both his parents. Fo
Thomas knew exactly how much Sharon had sacrificed for Theo.Then it seemed only natural that, to give Theo a complete family, she might consider to remarry Carter.Carter's voice was calm but firm. "It doesn't matter if anything happens to me. As long as you and Theo are safe, that's enough."Then, as if a thought had struck him, he hesitated and asked cautiously, "The Ferrero family… they can be extreme and unpredictable. Are you sure he won't do anything to hurt you?"Sharon lowered her gaze, smoothing away the thoughts in her eyes."He won't. Thomas would never hurt me."Watching her place such absolute trust in another man, Carter felt a pang of something he couldn't name."That's good," he said quietly.Sharon added, "I won't be going back tonight. Thomas will probably come looking for me. Lock the door, don't let him in."Carter froze for a moment. "Wait, am I… suddenly in the role of an accomplice?"It was strange—he had gone from being Sharon's ex-husband to… her sec
A flicker of unease passed over Joanne's face. "I heard those men talking… once we're moved, they're going to start letting customers in…"The term "letting customers in" made Victoria's skin crawl."Mm," Victoria murmured, her brow shifting slightly, but her expression remained calm. "Finally… we
Victoria said, "That's precisely why we'll let them fight among themselves. We'll just sit back and reap the rewards. As for being used…" She gave a careless smile. "With Silas gone—no longer charging into battle for them—they have no choice but to support me, to give me enough capital to stand ag
The girls around them all wore expressions of disgust, unable to bear the sight.Victoria's stomach churned violently. Watching that man pawing all over the woman, she nearly vomited.Victoria managed to hold it together, but the blonde mayor's daughter beside her couldn't—she doubled over and ret
Carmen said softly, "We were once the best of partners. What I've done for him is simply my duty. Whether he knows or not isn't important to me—what matters is that he's well. That's enough for me."Doug let out a silent sigh.What Carmen did for Thomas, he didn't know. What Thomas did for Sharon,







