LOGINWatching Thomas's understanding act, Julliard felt like his lungs might burst from anger.Sharon's expression had eased considerably. Right, Preston had said before that Julliard had some serious psychological issues. Maybe the condition just hadn't healed yet.Her tone softened. "Julliard, no matter what, laying hands on someone is wrong. Thomas hasn't even recovered yet. You were far too rash."Julliard drew a deep breath and slowly unclenched his fists. He knew that no amount of excuses would hold up now. Better to just admit it."I'm sorry," he said, his voice rough. "I lost control of my temper."Sharon poured him a glass of water. "Julliard, calm down first."He took the glass, glancing up at her, a tangle of emotion churning in his eyes.Thomas stood a few steps away, quiet as a shadow.Sharon turned her gaze back to him. "Are you all right?"Thomas lifted his head, the light catching the sharp lines of his face."I'm fine. He didn't actually hurt me."He paused awhil
The moment Sharon walked back into the room, she saw Julliard furiously gripping Thomas by the collar.Watching him in the middle of his rage, Sharon's brow knit, an odd feeling stirring in her chest. As far as she knew him, Julliard had always been even-tempered, not the type to raise his hands against anyone.Taking in the fierce look on his face, she spoke up. "What's going on here?"Julliard's expression froze.The corner of Thomas's thin lips curved, barely perceptibly.Julliard turned and saw Sharon watching him, brow furrowed."Sharon..."Sharon glanced at Thomas. He stood in the dim shadow, head bowed slightly, his expression unreadable.She looked away and turned to Julliard instead, whose anger hadn't fully faded yet.She walked over. "Did something happen?"It was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over Julliard's head, snuffing out his rage instantly. He let go, shoving Thomas back coldly.Whether from too much force or not, Thomas staggered back a few
"Why don't you order a couple of dishes you like too, Thomas?" Julliard suggested.Thomas glanced over the menu and casually ordered two dishes.Sharon's long lashes flickered, but she said nothing.A cold, dark flicker crossed Julliard's eyes. He knew Sharon well enough to recognize instantly that the two dishes Thomas had ordered were both things she liked.Once the food arrived, Julliard kept the conversation light, bringing up memories from when he'd first met Sharon. After a while, Sharon changed the subject and asked, "Julliard, how did your follow-up checkup go after you were discharged?""I've been seeing the therapist on schedule. I'm recovering well," Julliard said, his tone softening. "You're the one who should be careful, though. Make sure you rest and don't push yourself too hard.""I'm fine," Sharon said."How could you be fine?" His voice was low and gentle. "Between your performances and working with Dr. Sandler, you must be exhausted."Thomas seemed not to ca
Thomas stood in the doorway, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, his stance easy."Julliard, you wouldn't refuse to welcome me, would you?"Julliard's smile stiffened for an instant before smoothing back out."Of course you're welcome. Though, aren't you still in treatment? Are you really up for an occasion like this?"Thomas's voice came out unhurried. "Thanks for the concern. With Sharon personally treating me, I've recovered a great deal."Julliard despised Thomas down to his bones. Just the sight of him felt like bad luck. Running into someone like that on his own birthday put Julliard thoroughly on edge. But in front of Sharon, he always kept up the image of a warm, courteous gentleman.He forced down the chill in his chest and said with a smile, "Well, if you feel up to it, I'll have my assistant send over an invitation shortly.""Much obliged," Thomas said."It's just an invitation," Julliard said. "Any friend of Sharon's is a friend of mine."With that, he tur
It gave off the sense of two people carefully avoiding suspicion.Dr. Sandler stole a glance at Thomas, unsure what had happened between the two of them.He went to the next room and called Sharon out. She emerged quickly, her gaze skimming over Thomas's face before calmly sliding away."It's getting late. You should head home and rest."Dr. Sandler had driven over on his own and wasn't headed the same way as Thomas, so he said a quick goodbye to the two of them and left.Sharon turned to Thomas. "Get in. I'll drive you back."Thomas glanced at her, then pulled open the passenger door.Neither of them spoke the whole ride. The car was dead silent.Thomas's gaze dimmed slightly. It hadn't used to be like this.In the past, after every session, Sharon would sit beside him and wait for him to wake, then hand him a cup of warm water. She'd ask about his sleep, how he was feeling. On the drive back, she'd bring up some amusing thing that had happened recently.But this time, she h
Once Thomas was settled in, Wendy and John got ready to leave.Wendy said to Thomas, "Thomas, I've put everything away for you. I checked the fridge myself, so if anything's missing, just let me know.""Mm. Thanks," Thomas said."Sharon says she wants you at the clinic tomorrow night at eight for your treatment," Wendy added."Fine."Wendy and John didn't linger. They left soon after.Once the door closed, the apartment fell completely silent.Thomas stood in the middle of the living room for a few seconds, then walked slowly to the refrigerator and pulled the door open.Everything inside was arranged in neat rows, each shelf holding a few ingredients, with cream-colored labels in Sharon's neat handwriting stuck beside them.Milk, eggs, vegetables, and a few ready-to-heat staples.The labels noted things to watch for and use-by dates in black ink.Thomas looked for a moment, then shut the fridge and walked back to the living room.The apartment wasn't large—three bedrooms a
The more flawless someone appeared, the more suspicious they became. But without solid evidence, Uriah wouldn't make reckless accusations.Still, the likelihood was high that the guy had probably taken a liking to Sharon and deliberately approached her.Given how far Uriah had gone in laying thing
Noticing Kelly's impolite stare at Victoria, Carter spoke up, "Kelly?"Startled, Kelly snapped out of her daze. She quickly suppressed the shock in her heart and forced a polite smile."Victoria, hello."Victoria, unfazed by her earlier lapse in manners, returned the greeting with a gracious smil
Hearing Carter's words, Sharon realized—with a quiet jolt—that he was choosing her.It caught her off guard, but only just. In truth, it made a strange kind of sense. This was who Carter had always been: cool-headed, rational to a fault.Even now, she could feel a toxic stare boring into her.She
When he heard Kelly's words, Thomas raised his eyebrows slightly."Kelly, didn't you once say no when I offered to deal with her for you?"Kelly froze.He was right. He had suggested it before, and she had refused.All she wanted then was to win over Carter. She wasn't some cold-blooded monster







