LOGINShe hadn't even started dating anyone, and already her heart felt broken.Thinking of Thomas, still stuck in the hospital, only stirred up more restlessness in Sharon.He already had a fiancée. Continuing to look after him didn't feel appropriate anymore.Now that he was hospitalized, surely his fiancée had heard the news and gone to take care of him by now.The next day, Sharon got a call from Preston."Ms. McKinzie, the doctor just finished examining Mr. Macaron. His physical condition's recovered quite well, but..."Preston trailed off, hesitating."But what?" she asked."His mental state is really poor," Preston said. "He's been down since yesterday."The doctor recommends starting psychological intervention as soon as possible. If it keeps going like this, it could turn into serious depression. But Mr. Macaron isn't very cooperative. He only got through half of this morning's evaluation before refusing to continue."Preston's voice carried real concern. "Ms. McKinzie, wo
Thomas's brow creased slightly. Why did everyone keep asking him that same question?"The head of the family has to be married," he said. "That's how it's always been done in the Ferrero family, and it's not a rule that gets broken lightly. Otherwise, even winning the seat would leave the position on shaky ground, illegitimate in everyone's eyes, and impossible to hold onto."Liam could tell Thomas hadn't quite caught his meaning, so he pressed on carefully. "What I meant, sir, is that Ms. Lilo doesn't necessarily have to be your only option."Ms. McKinzie comes from a good family, she's beautiful, accomplished, and her character's solid too. Most importantly, she's the one easing your headaches. I think she could be a good choice as well.""You're assuming too much," Thomas said flatly. "She comes from a good family, which means she isn't lacking for anything. It wouldn't be easy to offer her something that would actually tempt her."Yes, I saved her, and as repayment, she agreed
"Thomas, you'd better not give me anything to hold against you. Otherwise, I'll make sure you die a horrible death."Inside the room, Giancarlo finished examining Thomas and adjusted the IV drip rate, then glanced at Thomas and then at Sharon.He said quietly, "The medication's in his system. It should keep the headache under control for now. But what he needs most right now is sleep, and no more emotional stress."Once the room had emptied out, leaving only Sharon and Thomas, she nodded lightly. "Thank you, Doctor."Giancarlo packed up his equipment, cast one last long look at Thomas lying there with his eyes shut, and quietly stepped out.Perhaps because of a sedative in the medication, Thomas gradually drifted off to sleep.About an hour later, he woke.Sharon had stayed by his side the whole time. Seeing him open his eyes, she asked, "Does your head still hurt? Should I call the doctor?"His gaze flickered when he saw her."Why didn't you go to Julliard?"Her lashes stirr
The smile on Julliard's face didn't waver, but the darkness in his eyes only deepened.What he hated most was the way Thomas could so effortlessly claim every scrap of Sharon's attention, quietly shutting Julliard out without so much as a raised voice."Of course," he said warmly. "Sharon's soft-hearted. She can't stand to see anyone hurt or sick. Thomas, you're someone she owes a debt to, and as her friend, it's only natural I'd show a little concern too."With that one line about Sharon being "soft-hearted," Julliard reframed everything she'd done for Thomas these past weeks as nothing more than kindness and a guilty conscience."Sharon's always been someone who keeps her word," he continued. "Since she agreed to help with your treatment, she'll see it through properly. But you should go easy on her too. She's already worn herself thin over my situation these past few days. Don't let your condition wear her down any further."Thomas gave a light laugh. "Whether Sharon wears hers
"I'm sorry," Sharon said, her voice strained. "I've been caught up in things lately, and I let your treatment slip. I'll take over the rest of it myself, going forward."Thomas lay still, shadows shifting deep in his eyes."It's fine," he said. "Julliard is your friend. He's sick and in the hospital, so of course he comes first. As for me, it's nothing more than a little insomnia. It won't kill me. You don't need to worry about it so much."His tone was flat, giving nothing away, no accusation, no wounded pride, just a plain statement of fact. And yet, it left her with an ache she couldn't quite name."I told you I'd see your treatment through properly," she said. "I meant that. This is my responsibility. I dropped the ball before. I won't again."He finally turned his head, his gaze settling back on her face.His eyes were deep and still, like an ancient well without a single ripple.Under that look, Sharon felt as though every bit of her composure had been seen straight throug
The smile on Julliard's face froze instantly. "Thomas!!!"He ground the name out through clenched teeth, rage churning in his eyes."Him again!"He swore, right then, that he would get rid of Thomas.Outside the ER, Sharon sat on a bench, her face pale, though it was guilt and self-blame that weighed on her more than anything else.Wendy tried again and again to reassure her that Thomas would be fine, but Sharon couldn't take in a single word of it.Just then, a mild voice spoke up."Sharon?"She looked up to find a young doctor in a white coat standing before her.It was Dr. Giancarlo Visconti, the very doctor who had treated Thomas back when he'd first been injured and lost his memory."There's no need to worry too much," Giancarlo said gently. "Thomas's head condition flared up, and with how unstable his mood's been lately, it triggered a sudden collapse."Sharon's breath caught. "He's... been unstable lately?"Giancarlo pushed up his glasses, giving her a pointed look
Thomas was a bad shape. He'd lost too much blood to bother with neat bandaging; the wounds had to wait. Even the most practiced hands grow slow when the lungs are full of poison, and the smoke had already stolen the sharp edge from him. The flames were eating the place faster than sense; he knew
Sharon's gaze lingered on Julliard for a moment.That look made his chest tighten, an invisible weight pressing down on him. She had never looked at him like this before—detached, cold, utterly indifferent. No trace of warmth, no flicker of feeling.The words he had wanted to speak lodged in his t
Though Thomas was gravely injured and barely hanging on, Toni hadn't escaped either. Liam and the others had cornered him before he could slip away.Julliard looked at him with a cool, almost detached calm. "I'm not his friend. To be precise, I'm his enemy."At those words, Toni's eyes snapped ope
People like Carter, Xavier, and Julliard had already noticed Thomas's feelings for Sharon. The Kalen family, too, had long suspected that something ambiguous was going on between Thomas and Sharon.Thomas smiled lazily. "I've been so obvious about it, and yet you're only realizing it now? Hard to b







