INICIAR SESIÓNSharon didn't answer.Wendy sighed. "Sharon, instead of stewing about it alone, why don't you just ask him?"Sharon's voice came out quiet. "What difference would asking make? He has a fiancee, that's a fact. What right do I even have to ask? I don't have the standing for it."That stumped Wendy.She was right, though. If they were nothing more than ordinary friends, asking about someone's fiancee would come across as pretty rude. And so far, Thomas had never shown any clear interest in Sharon. If she asked out of nowhere, it would practically be a confession, and if he turned her down flat, they might not even stay friends after that.Besides, both Wendy and Sharon knew perfectly well that Thomas would leave eventually. Add to that the fact that he already had a fiancee, and whatever this was between them was very likely going nowhere. Sharon had always been the gentle, considerate type. Until she knew for certain whether Thomas would stay, or whether he was actually single,
Sharon watched Thomas's retreating back, her eyes dimming faintly.He'd been standing close to her when the call came in, close enough that she caught the name flashing across his phone screen.Carmen Lilo.Thomas's fiancee.Just seeing the name was enough to make something tighten uncomfortably in Sharon's chest.Thomas came back a few minutes later. "Sharon, something's come up, and I need to step out for a bit. I've called Wendy back to keep you company."Sharon lowered her eyes. "It's fine. Go ahead, don't let me hold up anything important.""There's no rush," Thomas said. "I'll wait until Wendy gets here."Sharon didn't answer.A few minutes later, Wendy walked in. Thomas said a quick goodbye to both of them and left.The moment he was gone, Wendy noticed how low Sharon's mood had sunk."Sharon," she asked carefully, "what's wrong? Did Thomas upset you?"Sharon shook her head. "No."Wendy sighed. "We really do owe him for how this turned out. I can't believe how fast
Shayla looked at her daughter's pale face, a flicker of tenderness crossing her eyes before she quickly composed herself.She turned and looked at her three sons. "Let's head out and let Sharon get some rest."Rick nodded and led the way toward the door.Scott and Silas followed behind. As they passed by Thomas, Scott gave his shoulder a pat and said, "Come by the estate sometime when you're free."Thomas gave a slight nod.Silas glanced at him once more before following the others out. He found Thomas more interesting as time passed.The group filed out of the room together.John and Ginny left soon after as well.Having failed to frame Thomas, Julliard didn't feel much like staying either. He said a quiet goodbye to Sharon and left too.Wendy glanced between the two of them and said, "I'll go see Julliard out."Once Wendy had gone, only two people remained in the room.The room settled into quiet.Sharon leaned back against the headboard, her gaze landing on Thomas.He s
The moment Wendy finished speaking, the room went quiet.Julliard's face had gone pale with anger. He'd never imagined Wendy would take Thomas Ferrero's side, of all moments.As far as he'd seen it, Wendy should have been on his side. After all, back then, Wendy's suspicion of Thomas had run no less deep than his own.Still unwilling to let it go, Julliard pressed on. "At the time, everyone was only thinking of Sharon's safety, so being cautious was the right call. But now it looks like Thomas had a faster solution the whole time and chose to stay silent just because he'd been shut out. Doesn't that mean he put Sharon's safety second?"Watching Julliard refuse to drop it, Sharon had had enough.She spoke up. "That's enough. I trust Thomas. Let's just leave this behind us."Scott and Silas exchanged a glance, and they both understood the situation well enough by now.They'd seen every kind of person there was, and their judgment of character ran sharp.Julliard kept saying thi
By now, Julliard was convinced that Grant's disappearance had everything to do with Thomas.That idiot Kelly couldn't even manage a small task like this. After all that careful planning by her, someone had still managed to snatch the credit right out from under her.Hah! If he could expose Thomas today, Thomas might be completely finished by the end of it!Facing the weight of everyone's stares, Thomas's expression didn't shift, not a single ripple in his eyes.He said calmly, "I found Sharon's exact location based on the last known position from her phone. And her phone briefly picked up a signal for a few seconds partway through, which was how I was able to pinpoint her so precisely."Everyone froze slightly at that.Right, of course, phone tracking. Why hadn't they thought of that?With the cameras destroyed and Sharon's phone unreachable, they hadn't known how else to find her, and had resorted to hunting for witnesses instead.By the time they found a witness, Sharon might
Hearing this, Thomas showed no trace of overjoyed excitement.He said with an easy smile, "There's no need for thanks. Saving Sharon was a small thing. Besides, she's been helping treat my insomnia this whole time, and I already consider her a friend. "What happened last night, well, even for a stranger, most people would have stepped in to help, let alone a friend. Between friends helping each other, there's no such thing as owing a debt. Shayla, there's really no need to be so formal."The moment he said that, Shayla's regard for Thomas grew even warmer, and the three Kalen brothers looked at him with new appreciation too.That he hadn't tried to use the favor to his advantage said a great deal about his character.A debt owed by the Kalen family was no small matter.Most people, hearing an offer like that, might not show it on their face, but there was no way they'd actually refuse it.This was the great Kalen family, after all. The kind of family most people could never hop
The situation was critical. Sharon had no interest in wasting time arguing."Carter, let go," she said firmly. "If we delay any longer, Theo's life will really be in danger."Kelly stepped in front of her, blocking the way. "Sharon, I know you're worried too. But none of us are professionals. We c
"I'm paying for my kid to come to this kindergarten to learn, not to be summoned every time something happens just so I can sit here and be lectured," Xavier said. "If your school can't even handle basic conflicts between children, you may as well shut it down before you ruin more kids."The teache
The sound of Theo's irritated voice still echoed in the conference room."She's just a housewife who doesn't have a single useful skill. So she cooks a little—what's so great about that? Even my housekeeper can do all that. If you think she's so wonderful, then fine—take her. She can be your mom. K
"I'll just say it right now," Nate declared, his voice loud and cocky. "Out of all the parents here today, not a single one can hold a candle to Kelly. If anyone disagrees, step up and prove me wrong."It was an arrogant statement—delivered without shame. The crowd stirred, surprised whispers rippl







