تسجيل الدخول"That plot of land on the west side of the city you just wrestled away from your second uncle, Arthur Walton, last week, and that overseas supply chain you spent three months negotiating... Jamie, how many days do you think it would take me to wreck them?" Thomas asked.Jamie's voice was very even, betraying no emotion."You're in quite the mood, Thoams. Instead of enjoying the banquet, you've moved on to playing at pulling investments."Thomas laughed, his tone lazy. "I can't help it. You took my fiancée out dancing. I had to find something to keep myself busy."Jamie said, "Since you've found something fun to do, why don't you go play with that and let Sharon go?"Thomas narrowed his eyes. "Your backyard is about to catch fire, and you still have time to play the hero here?"Sharon's heart tightened.Thomas's capital and connections ran deep and tangled. Crushing Jamie, who was still struggling through the infighting, would take nothing more than a flick of his hand.Julliard
Sharon's wrist ached in Thomas's grip as he dragged her out of the banquet hall. Her high heels stumbled a few times on the polished marble floor, and she nearly twisted her ankle.Guests around them had already begun casting curious looks their way. Sharon didn't want to make an ugly scene at Ginny's birthday banquet.She kept her voice low. "Thomas, let go of me!"Thomas acted as if he hadn't heard.He pulled her down a long corridor and through a carved archway. Only when the noise of the banquet hall was far behind them did he stop abruptly.Sharon looked up at him, her eyes colder than they had ever been."Thomas, what do you want from me?"Thomas's eyes were as dark as a night that wouldn't lift. His chest rose and fell slightly. He was clearly furious."What do I want?" He laughed under his breath and stepped forward, bracing his arm on the stone railing beside her and trapping her between himself and the balustrade.The scent of cold cedar bore down on her from every s
Sharon placed her hand in his. "All right."Jamie's fingers closed around hers, holding her steady.As the two of them glided onto the dance floor, Sharon caught a glimpse of Thomas out of the corner of her eye. He was still standing where they had left him.He watched them with a blank expression, his gaze dark and deep.The fingers Sharon rested on Jamie's shoulder tightened without her meaning to. Distracted, she stepped on his foot.She quickly said, "Sorry."She then added, "And I'm sorry for using you as a shield just now without asking."Jamie looked at her. "It's fine. If you ever need help, I'm here anytime."Sharon shook her head. "Thomas is very possessive. If I get too close to you, I'm afraid he'll come after you."Thomas and Julliard had a long history of bad blood, but cutting off a man's arm was still unbelievably ruthless.Every time Sharon recalled how Thomas had looked then, like he could kill without blinking, it sent a shiver through her.Especially now.
Just then, Jamie spoke up beside them. "The banquet's about to start. We should head inside."Sharon said, "All right."With that, she gave Victoria a small nod and left with Jamie.The two of them walked back along the stone path through the garden. Just before they reached the banquet hall, Sharon paused and, for no clear reason, looked back.Beneath the gazebo, Victoria was watching her too.Across the pale moonlight and no small distance, her gaze landed squarely on Sharon, unnervingly calm.When Sharon looked back, Victoria didn't look away. Instead, the corners of her lips curved slightly, as if she were smiling.Sharon's steps faltered."What's wrong?" Jamie asked.Sharon turned back around, pushing down the strange, indescribable feeling in her chest."...Nothing."Not long after Sharon left, Lex came over.When he reached the gazebo, Victoria was bent over, tucking the last sheet of paper into a drawing tube, a smudge of wet paint on her fingertips.Lex said, "So
Jamie froze for a moment at Sharon's words. The light in his eyes flickered."Don't lose myself?"He murmured the words, his eyes a little distant.After a while, his gaze gradually cleared, and he finally found his voice again."Sharon, I'll remember what you said. I'll never forget why I started."What he had started out wanting was simple. He just wanted to live.Sharon remembered his hand and asked, "By the way, what did Dr. Galen say? Is there any hope of your hand recovering?"Jamie said, "It won't affect my daily life, but painting probably isn't possible anymore. Dr. Galen said the nerves in my hand will have trouble handling fine, delicate work, like painting."Sharon said, "If you really love painting, you could try using your other hand."You're so talented. If you practice hard, I think it should work out."Even if you choose to fight for the position of family head, that doesn't mean you have to give up everything you love."Just treat it as a hobby, a way to re
Since the woman had her back to her, Sharon couldn't make out her face.Yet for some reason, she felt oddly familiar.Just then, the woman at the easel seemed to sense Jamie approaching. She turned her head slightly, revealing a fair, lovely face.Looking at her, Sharon suddenly remembered who she was. She seemed to be a new friend of Samantha Malcolm's.What was she doing here?Though puzzled, Sharon didn't go over to interrupt.She was about to leave when Jamie, still talking to the woman, seemed to sense something and turned to look her way.The moment he saw Sharon, a light seemed to come into his eyes.He said something quietly to the woman, then strode toward Sharon.As Jamie stopped in front of her, Sharon felt inexplicably awkward.It was like accidentally walking in on someone else's date.She looked up at him and asked softly, "Jamie, I didn't interrupt anything, did I?""No." Jamie's voice was low and deep. "I met her once before at a banquet. I just happened to
Wendy obediently pulled out her phone and called an ambulance.Sharon, wary that Thomas might lose control again, turned to her. "Wendy, I'm leaving this to you."Jamie had been shot and was clearly severely injured. He was in no position to fight. Wendy gave a slight nod."Alright, Sharon. You
Even if Sharon had dragged Victoria into this mess—so what? Were they really going to hold Sharon accountable?With half of the Kalen Group's shareholders backing her, and with partnerships already established with both the Lance family and the Ferrero family, she wasn't someone they could simply "
Although King George did not personally oversee the pursuit, he issued a citywide manhunt.Both Thomas and Sharon had limited manpower. They had assumed escape would be extremely difficult. Even Sharon herself had already prepared for a fight to the death.Yet, at that very moment, as they looked
Victoria thought she had misheard. "Dying? What do you mean—dying?"Princess Sophia sobbed. "Caspian was shot in the heart. He's in surgery right now, but the doctors say the chances of saving him are very slim… He… he probably won't make it…"Victoria's breath caught sharply. "How could this happ







