LOGINSharon was reaching for one of the bags when Thomas beat her to it, picking up both at once.She blinked in surprise. "I can carry one.""They're light," Thomas said flatly. "You don't need to bother."Before Sharon could say anything more, a heated argument broke out at another checkout counter."I worked overtime all last night; I was exhausted, and you had to come to the supermarket. Fine, we came — but you bought all this stuff and won't carry a single bag; you're forcing it all on me. You're the one who wanted to buy so much; why can't you carry your own?"The one talking was a man in his thirties, wearing glasses, his face full of irritation and impatience.The woman beside him snapped back, "So what if a grown man carries a few things? Does splitting it exactly in half make it fair? "And besides, do you think I bought all this just for myself? Is there anything in here you don't eat or use? What do you mean, why did I have to come today — we're out of rice at home. If we
Before she'd taken cooking seriously, Sharon hadn't lifted a finger in a kitchen — she'd had no idea there was so much involved in picking out vegetables. She'd always assumed cooking was simple. It wasn't until she'd actually studied it that she learned how much freshness, which part of a vegetable you used, and even the order you added seasonings all affected a dish's color and flavor. Becoming a decent cook wasn't any easier than becoming a violinist.Once at the supermarket, remembering Thomas's empty fridge, Sharon picked out some milk, yogurt, canned goods, and other things that would keep well.At the fruit section, she asked Thomas, "What kind of fruit do you usually like? I'll pick some out for you.""Sorry, I don't remember," Thomas said. "You can just recommend whatever you like."Sharon paused for a moment, then chose some fruits high in vitamin C — good for his recovery while he was still sick.Once she'd finished with the fruit, she moved on to the vegetable sect
"Thomas," Sharon asked, "what do you usually eat at home?""Instant noodles," Thomas said.Sharon's brow furrowed slightly. "Every day?""Pretty much."Sharon realized once again just how much she'd been neglecting him. She'd gotten him settled here and then left him entirely to fend for himself, never checking on anything.She turned to Wendy. "Wendy, find Thomas a housekeeper who can cook."Wendy was about to agree when Thomas spoke up."No need. I'm not fond of having strangers in the house. Besides, instant noodles are convenient, and they taste fine."He gestured toward the stack of instant noodles piled in the kitchen. "I bought a bunch of different flavors. I can switch it up every day."Sharon let out a silent sigh. "You shouldn't be eating too much instant food to begin with, and you definitely shouldn't be eating it while you're still recovering."With lunchtime approaching, she said, "Wendy, come with me to the market across the street to pick up some vegetables. I
Sharon held on for a while, but eventually couldn't fight it anymore, and drifted off to sleep slumped against the edge of the bed.Not long after she'd fallen asleep, Thomas — who had been lying there with his eyes closed — slowly opened them.Seeing Sharon asleep at his bedside, a faint trace of confusion crossed his eyes.The reason he'd turned Meredith's scheme against her had been simple enough — he'd sensed Sharon's guard was still up around him. As long as she stayed wary of him, she'd never devote herself fully to his treatment. She'd kept every promise she'd made him so far, sure, but the moment something more important came up, his treatment would likely get pushed aside. And Julliard — willing to rig a car's brakes and stage an explosion just to win Sharon's favor — was clearly reckless enough to be dangerous. If Julliard could use Meredith to frame him once, there would surely be even nastier tricks down the line to drive him away. Better, then, to settle the matter
Thomas continued, "It took you a full year of knowing Sharon to earn her trust, Julliard. It only took me one month. From now on, unless she sees proof of my betrayal with her own eyes, no one else is going to convince her to doubt me again. "Thank you for stepping in and helping smooth the way, more than once. I have to say, you really are my lucky charm. If I hadn't lost my memory, I might start to wonder if I'd saved your life at some point in the past — otherwise why would you keep giving me such perfectly timed assistance, every single time I needed it?"Julliard was so furious he nearly choked on his own breath. Two schemes now, and he'd gained nothing from either — while handing Thomas a divine assist both times!Remembering how Sharon had just personally fed Thomas, worrying the porridge might not suit his taste and going out to buy fresh porridge herself, Julliard felt a jealousy so intense it bordered on madness. If Thomas hadn't come along to wreck everything, all of tha
Julliard had been hospitalized before too, from saving Sharon — but aside from visiting him often, she'd never once stayed to actually take care of him. In all the time he'd known her, he'd never seen her personally nurse anyone like this.Julliard's handsome face nearly twisted out of his control.Hearing the commotion, Sharon turned toward the door."Julliard?" She looked a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"Julliard drew a quiet breath, forcing his emotions steady. He managed a faint smile. "I heard Thomas was hospitalized, so I came to check on him — and to get my arm looked at again while I'm at it."He was deliberately reminding Sharon that his arm still hadn't healed from saving them.Sharon glanced at his arm. "It's been this long, and your arm still hasn't healed?" She thought it over. "Should I bring in a specialist to take a look? It'd be a shame if it scarred."A flicker of satisfaction rose in Julliard, seeing Sharon's attention finally shift back to him.
Sharon looked at Thomas, her brow slightly furrowed. "What's happening upstairs?"Thomas shook his head. "Not entirely sure. Want to go check? Maybe Xavier and Julliard are up there watching the commotion too."With Thomas beside her, Sharon didn't worry about her safety. She nodded, and together
"Sharon, that was a brilliant move. But tell me, how did you find that person?"Sharon replied, "He was someone who appeared in the information Lesley sent me."John froze for a moment.He'd seen that same report before—Sharon had forwarded it to him—but he had no memory of the man at all.John'
As Xavier drove, they passed a small restaurant. Sharon suddenly said, "Xavier, could you wait a moment? I want to get a takeout meal."He pulled over without a word.Inside, Sharon placed her order, then told the waiter, "No chili, no onions, no cilantro. And please, pack the rice and dishes sepa
Carter arrived to find only Julliard standing there, holding Theo in his arms. Sharon was nowhere to be seen.He hurried forward. "Julliard, Theo's out of the fire now. Where's Sharon?"Julliard pressed his lips into a thin line, his expression tight. "Sharon said Thomas is here. She insisted on f







