Mag-log inJulliard let out a low, cold laugh, sharp enough to cut.All of this had to be Thomas's doing. He must have known all along that Kelly and Sean were planning to make a move against Sharon, and he must have known Julliard was planning his own hero's rescue too, which was why he'd swapped the whole scheme out from under him and used it against him instead.Thomas had arranged for Grant to make his move against Sharon at the party, then deliberately beaten everyone else to the rescue while she was at her most vulnerable, and then let the culprit slip away, making sure every failure, every oversight, landed squarely on Julliard's shoulders. Once Grant vanished for good with no one left to testify, every ounce of blame tonight would fall on Julliard. It would be his failure to keep his guests safe, his failure to protect her, his fault that Sharon had suffered and been put in danger on his own turf. And Thomas would become the one man who'd arrived in time, who'd pulled her from dange
The moment Julliard returned to the party, his assistant, Preston, hurried over, his expression grim."Mr. Macaron, Grant and his guys are gone.""Gone?" Julliard couldn't believe it. "Didn't I tell you to secure them immediately?"Preston said quietly, "By the time you called me, it was too late, sir. By the time I got there with the team, the room was already empty.""You didn't send anyone after them?" Julliard asked."We did, but they moved fast, and they're skilled at losing a tail. They came prepared, with an escape and cover already arranged in advance. Most importantly, by the time you gave the order, they'd already been gone for a while. It was simply too late..."Julliard's face went ashen. Grant and his men had tried to assault Sharon at his party. They had beaten her, and in the end, had gotten away without a scratch. If she ever found out they'd escaped, how could she possibly think well of him?Something seemed to click in his mind, and his handsome face turned col
Julliard was so frustrated. Why, no matter how long he'd stood guard, was it always Thomas who ended up standing effortlessly closest to Sharon?Just then, the emergency room doors finally opened. The doctor pulled off his mask and stepped out, addressing the three of them."She's not in any real danger. It's the reaction to an aphrodisiac drug. We've given her a sedative, and she's on an IV to metabolize it. "Her injuries are all superficial and have already been treated. Once the drug and sedative wear off, she'll wake up.""Can we go in and see her?" Wendy asked."One person can go in to stay with her. Try to keep quiet so she can rest," the doctor said.The moment he finished, Julliard stepped toward the door."Julliard." Thomas stopped him. "Grant's probably already caught wind of what happened by now. Shouldn't you be out there cutting him off instead of standing around here?""I need to stay with Sharon. She needs someone with her right now." Julliard turned back, a stu
"Yes." Thomas's tone was flat. "I checked her pulse before we got in the car. It's fast, but still steady. As long as she's treated in time, this shouldn't be serious."Wendy blinked, then nodded. She hadn't expected him to stay this composed, even now.At the hospital, the lights above the emergency room lit up as Sharon was wheeled inside, Wendy and Thomas left standing outside the doors.Wendy stood in the hallway, her hands clenched tight, her eyes rimmed red.That was when hurried footsteps echoed from the stairwell. Julliard strode over, two buttons of his collar undone, his hair slightly mussed. At the sight of the red light above the emergency room doors, his steps faltered."How is she?" He went straight for Thomas, his voice tight with barely-contained anxiety, his eyes fixed on the emergency room door.Thomas leaned against the wall, his expression cool and indifferent."You got here fast. Didn't even bother handling things back at your party."Julliard's face darken
Julliard turned to Wendy. "Wendy, we absolutely cannot hand Sharon over to Thomas. He clearly knew where she was the whole time and deliberately said nothing, letting us waste all this time searching like fools. If we'd found her sooner, she wouldn't be in this state."He turned a cold glare on Thomas."You're unbelievably selfish, Thomas. For the sake of whatever agenda you're running, you didn't care one bit about her safety."Thomas didn't so much as glance at him, his gaze locked entirely on Sharon. Without waiting for Wendy's approval, he slid one arm beneath the crook of Sharon's knees and the other behind her back, lifting her into his arms with a single smooth motion.Her limp body sank into his chest, brushing unconsciously against the front of his shirt, her burning breath scorching through the thin fabric against his skin."Thomas!" Julliard's face darkened, and he stepped forward to grab her back. "Put her down!"Thomas glanced at him, blocking his path, his voice f
Seeing Sharon's expression change, Wendy asked anxiously at once, "Sharon, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick somewhere?"Caught up in the emergency earlier, adrenaline had kept Sharon's full attention on Grant and the others, so she hadn't noticed anything off about her own body. But now that she'd finally started to relax, a burning heat spread through her, and she felt a pang of dizziness.She wasn't familiar with this particular feeling, but she'd heard people describe something like it before. And she remembered clearly now, the strange, cloying scent she'd caught the moment she'd first stepped into that room."I think..." she said quietly, "I think I was drugged."She had no idea what exactly they'd given her, but as long as it hadn't kicked in, she'd felt nothing. Now that it was taking effect, her whole body felt like it was catching fire, her consciousness growing hazier by the moment."We need to get you to the hospital, now!" Wendy said, panicked. She stood. "I'll go ge
"Is it just me, or does Sharon's performance of First Love sound almost identical to the original composer's?""The composer? You mean Jenna from Bell University? I've heard she's a member of the school's Hall of Fame—mysterious to this day. No one has ever seen her face.""True. Many masters have
"Y-You bastard! Do you even know who I am?!" Oscar's eyes blazed red with fury. "I'll kill you!"Thomas's lips curved faintly, his mouth parting to release words as cold as ice. "Then let's see if you have the ability."The contempt in his voice pierced sharper than any blade, shredding Oscar's pr
Johanna glanced at the paintings on the wall. To her surprise, every piece was signed by the same name—MK.Two of them she even remembered seeing years ago in Jamie's study at the Walton family estate. They had hung there for as long as she could recall, though back then she had paid them little mi
"When the time comes, I'll step into the Kalen Group and take part in its decisions," Sharon said.Her bright eyes met Jamie's. "Jamie, you've taught me something important: power is a woman's truest ally. Once I get into the Kalen Group, I'll drive Victoria out. My mother single-handedly kept Ka







