LOGIN"Thanks," Sharon said.Thomas looked at her downcast eyes. "Go on up. Get some rest."Sharon hurried off.Just as she reached the entrance to her building, she couldn't resist glancing back once.The car window was half open, and Thomas was leaning back against the driver's seat, watching her.The night hung deep and dark, streetlight slanting in from the side and throwing half his face into shadow, his expression impossible to make out.Sharon looked away and disappeared quickly through the door.Not until she was gone did the amusement in his eyes fade, replaced by something deep and dark, almost consuming. His gaze stayed fixed on the spot where she'd vanished into the stairwell, not looking away until the hallway light flicked on, and only then did he slowly pull his eyes back.…The next day, Sharon arrived at the restaurant where she'd agreed to meet Weston.She'd barely sat down across from him when her phone started ringing.It was Thomas.Sharon gave Weston an apol
At Thomas's words, Sharon's mind went blank for a moment.Then it caught up with her, and pure mortification flooded in.She'd actually said his name in her sleep?Her lashes trembled slightly, her gaze flickering, unsteady."...Did I? I don't remember."Maybe it was the deep night outside, or maybe it was the dim lighting inside the car, but Thomas felt overwhelmingly present right then, almost suffocatingly so. Sharon felt like whatever she'd been trying to hide had already been seen straight through.She didn't dare meet his eyes, glancing instead out the window as a distraction, and realized they'd already pulled up outside her apartment.She forced herself to calm down and pushed the car door open. "I'm home. Thanks for the ride. I'll head up now."She was practically bolting for the door.That was when her wrist was suddenly caught."Wait a second."Thomas leaned in without warning, close enough that his shadow fell over her entirely. Sharon could see the sharp line
"Were you all Sharon's college classmates?" Thomas asked.The girls nodded in unison."Sharon's violin is incredible," Thomas said. "She must have been quite the standout back in school too."That got the girls talking a mile a minute."Oh, she was amazing back then! She tested into the program with the top score, and her violin playing was gorgeous, every performance she did had people fighting for seats. So many guys chased after her, but she was like a brick wall, wouldn't give anyone the time of day.""Right, right, Weston chased her the hardest, brought her breakfast every day, waited outside the practice room for her, and even wrote her a song once.""But you know what Sharon used to say? 'My goal right now isn't dating, it's standing on a bigger stage.'"Sharon, seeing them getting more and more carried away, about to spill every embarrassing detail from her past, cut in quickly."Okay, that's all ancient history now."The girls exchanged a look and, taking the hint, le
Sharon gave a small nod.Once Weston had gone, the atmosphere seemed to shift, something subtly off in the air.Before Sharon could say anything, Marcus stood up first, smiling."Sharon, don't just stand there. Sit down and chat." He shifted over, leaving the seat beside Thomas open, his tone perfectly casual."I'm going to run to the restroom. You two catch up."With that, he gave Sharon a warm, knowing nod, shot Thomas a loaded glance, and walked off.Sharon stood there for a second before finally sitting down.The lighting at the bar was softer than in the private room. Her gaze drifted, and she noticed the glass in Thomas's hand was already empty.He waved the bartender over, about to order another, when Sharon suddenly spoke. "You drink?"Thomas arched a brow. "Is that strange?"Sharon went quiet for a second. Was it strange? Not really, when she thought about it. She drank occasionally herself. Him having a drink wasn't exactly unusual."No," she said. "I just haven't
Thomas didn't answer, only watched as Sharon and Weston walked closer together, side by side.Sharon tilted her head slightly, listening to whatever Weston was saying, a faint smile on her lips. Weston kept just the right amount of distance as he spoke, his manner warm and courteous, never once feeling standoffish.Sharon really had stepped out to discuss the collaboration details with Weston. The private room was too loud for a real conversation, so Weston had suggested getting some air outside and going over the project with her while they were at it."So that's roughly the shape of it," Weston said. "My company's putting together a series of concert performances. I heard your studio has a lot of connections in the classical music world, so I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in a partnership."Sharon nodded. "What would the collaboration actually look like? Are you just looking for performers, or would you want us handling the whole production?""If you're able to take on
Inside the private room, the atmosphere was lively.The moment Sharon walked in, a group of girls swarmed around her."Sharon! You finally made it!""Long time no see! You keep getting prettier!""Right? We were literally just talking about you!"Sharon laughed and greeted them all one by one. Someone pulled her down onto the sofa."Sit, sit, we were just waiting on you."Sharon glanced around the room. Most of the faces were familiar, though there were a few she didn't quite recognize, probably plus-ones some of her classmates had brought along.One of the girls leaned in close, lowering her voice. "Sharon, is that video online real? Come on, spill the tea. What's actually going on between you and that guy?"Sharon lowered her eyes. "We're just friends.""Oh, just friends?" The girl's face fell in disappointment. "Aw, you two look so good together. I was really hoping."Right then, a man's voice cut in."Sharon. Long time no see."She turned to find a man in a white dress
In just a few days, the once-graceful, elegant mayor's daughter had been reduced to a filthy, hollow-eyed shell—a living corpse with none of her former radiance.A chill crept into the hearts of every girl here. Every time Victoria passed the blonde heiress's room, she couldn't help but shiver.Th
Victoria had been waiting at the Marcentine Airport for three hours.From Rick, she had learned of Jamie's whereabouts—he was in Yuicuador.They had originally assumed the fire at the Yuicuador royal palace was set by Thomas. But the investigation's results left everyone in stunned silence.The f
Sharon furrowed her brow. "Wendy, you didn't tell anyone about the attack on us, did you?"Wendy shook her head quickly. "No, I made sure to keep it under wraps."She studied Sharon's expression and seemed to sense what she was thinking. She whispered, "This probably wasn't Thomas's doing."Wendy
No sooner had Sharon hung up the phone than a familiar, pleasantly surprised voice called out from behind her."Sharon?!"She turned, momentarily stunned."Felipe?"Wendy, who also knew Felipe, couldn't resist waving at him."Felipe, long time no see."Felipe smiled and stepped closer. "Wendy,







