Mag-log inGiven how short a time Sharon had been with the company, the fact that Scott had put her on a project herself said a lot about how much confidence he had in her ability. The shareholders were surely watching her closely too, at least from a distance. She couldn't afford to embarrass her mother, and she couldn't afford to embarrass her brothers either. This project had to succeed.Once Wendy found out, she came by to help."I don't know anything about business," Wendy said, "but I can definitely print documents, make coffee, and run paperwork between departments for you.""Thank you, Wendy," Sharon said.Wendy laughed. "Don't mention it. I've lost count of how many meals I've mooched off you since we met. Least I can do is help out when you actually need it."Sharon, as a wealthy heiress, could drop a fortune on a meal without a second thought, but Wendy couldn't keep up with that. She could only take Sharon out for more modest fare in return. Fortunately, Sharon never looked dow
Sharon had been busy lately, having started learning the business side of things.As part of the Kalen family, she was free to pursue her dreams, but she couldn't afford to ignore everything else in the process. Her mother and brothers had all told her they'd always have her back financially, but she refused to become someone who leaned entirely on her family without contributing anything herself.So beyond her regular practice hours, Sharon spent her time studying at Kalen Group. Rick had even set up a dedicated office for her, and Silas and Scott had started bringing her along to project meetings so she could learn firsthand.She didn't have to work at the company if she didn't want to, but there were certain things she couldn't afford not to understand.That day, as she was reviewing documents, there was a knock at her office door.Scott walked in, grinning. "Sharon, your last few proposals have been excellent. Rick and Silas were both singing your praises after reading them. Y
Stepping out of the doctor's office, Sharon told Julliard, "I know you've got a packed schedule, so it's easy to forget when to change your dressing. Starting today, I'll remind you when it's time."Given where things currently stood between them, reminding him to apply the medication was about as far as Sharon was willing to go. Actually doing it for him herself was completely out of the question.Still, Julliard felt satisfied enough with just that.What he wasn't happy about was how quickly Sharon had corrected the doctor. He'd been hoping to use the doctor's assumption as a way to test how she really felt about him. Instead, she'd shut it down without a moment's hesitation, drawing a clean, unmistakable line between them.Once they were outside the hospital, Julliard spotted Wendy, Thomas, and Meredith chatting casually nearby. His gaze drifted, just briefly, over Meredith's face.She glanced back at him too, then looked away almost too fast to notice.Seeing them approach, W
"What's it about? Can you give me the rundown?" Wendy asked, curious."It's about a man who pulls out every trick in the book to win over a woman he's chasing," Thomas said. "Even the whole get-hurt-on-purpose routine."Wendy's eyes went wide. "Sounds like a romance. Is it good? Do they end up together in the end?""Haven't finished it yet," Thomas said. "Not sure. I'll let you know once I do.""Sure thing," Wendy said with a grin. "I love this kind of sappy, brainless romantic stuff. Just give me the sweetness and I'm happy.""Sappy romance, huh." Thomas let out a soft laugh. "Let's just hope it doesn't turn into a horror movie by the end."...Sharon insisted on going straight to Julliard's attending physician to check on his condition. Unable to talk her out of it, he had no choice but to follow along.In the doctor's office, Julliard's physician was staring at the chart and imaging results in front of him with a heavy sigh.Sharon knocked lightly on the door. "Doctor, I'd
The woman trailing behind Sharon was fairly attractive, and carried herself as the quiet, reserved type who didn't say much.Noticing Thomas's gaze, Sharon made introductions. "This is my bodyguard, Meredith Payne. She'll be handling my security going forward."Along with Meredith, Sharon had another bodyguard named Vera Nash. The two of them alternated days, so Sharon always had someone at their best watching over her.Thomas simply nodded at the introduction, showing no particular interest in getting to know Meredith any further. As far as he was concerned, staying by Sharon's side was purely a means to try treating his condition. He had no patience to bother with anyone else.Wendy finished up Thomas's discharge paperwork while Meredith silently carried his bags, trailing behind the group."Sharon. Fancy running into you here." A low, warm voice cut through the moment.Julliard stepped out of the elevator.Sharon looked surprised. "Julliard, what are you doing here?""I came
When Sharon arrived at Thomas's hospital room, she found him playing a game on his phone."Thomas, how are you feeling today?" she asked. "Have you remembered anything?"He paused awhile, then looked up with a faint, unreadable smile. "If you're worried about Julliard misreading things after yesterday, you could always hand me a lump sum and send me on my way. That way no one has to keep assuming I'm angling to get close to you.""Julliard and I are just ordinary friends," Sharon said. "I wasn't worried about him misunderstanding anything. I asked how you were feeling because I actually care. Nothing more to it."The corner of Thomas's mouth curved into a knowing smile, though it was hard to tell if he believed her."I see.""Before you lost your memory, you told me you have trouble sleeping, and that hearing me play violin helps calm you down," Sharon said. "I promised you that once things with the kidnapping settled down, I'd play for you. The doctor told me your insomnia is
Wendy wept as she screamed, "Sharon, don't! Let them take me instead! I don't need you to sacrifice yourself for me!"Jamie frowned. "Too noisy."At once, one of his bodyguards stepped forward and slapped Wendy across the face. She crumpled to the ground but refused to give in. In that instant, he
When Victoria saw Johanna again, she could hardly believe her eyes."Johanna… you look really different!"Johanna wore an elegant, ladylike dress. Her long hair cascaded smoothly down her back, so different from the image she had always shown the world.Johanna gently adjusted a strand of hair an
Casey said softly, "I was ready for an emergency, but in the end… nothing happened."It wasn't an unreasonable thought. The higher the tree, the more it catches the wind; the brighter the star, the more shadows it attracts.With so many predators lurking around Sharon, it would have been perfectly
Though Rick's expression remained dark, he couldn't deny that Carter's reasoning held some truth.Was the identity of the Kalen family's heiress really less respectable than that of Carter's ex-wife?And the company's plummeting stock—what benefit would that bring to Sharon?Sooner or later, she







