LOGINHer sense of danger wasn't wrong. Women like Sharon drew men's attention far too easily.To protect what she had, what she'd done in Neldene hadn't been wrong at all. Kelly told herself as much.She'd wondered, more than once, whether it was her own repeated scheming against Sharon back then that had actually drawn Carter's attention in the first place. But Kelly refused to admit that his growing interest in Sharon had anything to do with her own actions. No, it wasn't her fault. It was everyone else's.Telling herself that only deepened the resentment she felt toward Sharon.She was determined to ruin Sharon at this party tonight, to make Carter see with his own eyes what a shameless woman Sharon really was.Kelly lowered her head slightly, hiding the malice in her expression.The moment Sharon stepped into the party, Julliard came straight over to her."Sharon, you made it."Ever since the clash with Thomas, Julliard had genuinely worried she might not come. Thankfully, she
Julliard's birthday party arrived quickly. He'd gone all out this time, inviting no shortage of guests. Even Carter and Nate, both based in Amstern City, made the trip to Marcentine.Nate had heard that Julliard planned to settle permanently in Marcentine for the woman he loved, and he wanted to see for himself just what kind of woman could captivate someone as famously detached as Julliard.Carter and Kelly were currently on the outs, so he hadn't brought her along. But Kelly had begged Nate to bring her to the party anyway, hoping to use the occasion to patch things up with Carter, so Nate ended up escorting her in.The real point of hosting a party like this was usually networking, and Julliard was no exception. Since he wanted to build a future in Marcentine, he needed to make connections with the city's elite to lay the groundwork. Fortunately, the previous generation of the Macaron family had left behind solid connections in Marcentine, and with Carter's help, Julliard had m
Sharon's hands paused on the wheel.She didn't answer right away.Her mind went to what Carmen had told her. After Carmen left, Sharon had someone look into the Ferrero family. The only Ferrero family that matched what Carmen had described was the world's richest family, a family said to be cursed.The Ferrero family rarely had contact with outsiders, so what little information existed was mostly rumor. All she currently knew was that the previous head of the family had died in an accident, leaving the family without a clear successor.She'd also had someone look into Thomas specifically, but almost nothing came up. Everything about him was a mystery. In fact, information on every member of the Ferrero family was scarce. The whole family was simply too secretive.Sharon had even wondered whether the Ferrero family Carmen meant wasn't this one at all. But Thomas's head condition matched the rumors surrounding the Ferreros too closely to dismiss.It wasn't as if she hadn't though
While the two of them were talking, not far away, Samantha spotted Sharon and Thomas and turned to Damien beside her."See, I told you Sharon is no good. Not only did she steal someone else's boyfriend, she's keeping a boy toy on the side too. Parading him around in public like that, she really has no shame."Damien looked at her. "She stole someone's boyfriend? How do you know that?"Samantha pursed her lips. "A few days ago, someone named Kelly Walt came to me, saying her boyfriend had been seduced by Sharon and was now trying to break up with her. She'd heard Sharon and I don't get along, so she came looking to team up with me.""Kelly Walt?" Damien said. "I've never heard that name before.""She's not part of our circle, and she doesn't even live in Marcentine," Samantha said. "She's just an ordinary person."Damien scoffed. "An ordinary person, trying to get in good with the Malcolm family. She really doesn't know her place.""Ordinary background or not, she is no simple ca
Watching 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
"Mommy," Theo's voice called out, pulling Sharon's attention back.She turned and saw Theo dressed like a little gentleman in a crisp, formal suit.It had been some time since she last saw him.In the past, she had cherished Theo more than her own life. Even the slightest sign of discomfort from
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







