LOGIN"Giancarlo finished making every medicine Thomas had asked for and delivered them all. After that, we didn't hear another word from his side. We figured he was toying with us, so we decided to pay him a visit in person and teach him a lesson. That's when we found —"Marina let out a soft sigh. "We found Thomas on death's door, completely burned out. How do I even describe it? Like a candle down to its last inch of wick — one puff of wind and the flame would go out for good. He reeked of death."Sharon's breath caught hard, her lashes trembling. "Don't tell me — the hypnosis didn't work?"Marina shook her head. "Giancarlo and I only came into the picture afterward, so I can't say for certain whether it worked or not. Only Thomas knows that. For the three years after that, he was under Giancarlo's treatment. "What started as a simple trade — us borrowing a slice of the Ferreros' influence — turned into something bigger once his treatment became part of it. Giancarlo had Thomas h
Sharon looked at Marina. "Marina, that whole time — were you trying to warn me?"Marina smiled. "I couldn't ruin Thomas's plan, and there were things I wasn't in a position to tell you outright. Hinting was the only way I could warn you, so you'd at least have some idea of what was coming."Sharon hesitated. "Marina, if you have feelings for Thomas, why would you warn me at all?"Marina's expression turned rueful. "I may have feelings, but he couldn't care less. Thomas never once liked me that way. Not that I didn't try — but it's next to impossible to actually get close to his heart. With women he isn't interested in, he keeps his distance and won't give them so much as a shred of hope. Ferrero men only ever fall for one woman in their whole lives. I never even had a chance to pick up the scraps."Marina took a sip of her lemonade and went on. "Forgetting the past and starting over — that only works for ordinary people like you and me. Every single Ferrero is obsessive to the poin
Wendy murmured, "As long as you don't think I caused trouble for you and Thomas… that's all that matters."Sharon said, "If it weren't for Harley, we would've won this round easily."Wendy lowered her head and fell silent, her thoughts drifting far away.She remembered that night—their promises, their whispered words.She'd been so sure that Lesley was deceiving her that she'd thrown around sweet talk without a second thought, never feeling an ounce of guilt. To make him believe her, she'd even stopped him when he tried to take precautions.What had she said back then?Something about being at the age where she wanted a child—that if she got pregnant, she'd want to keep it. She'd asked whether he preferred a boy or a girl, even talked about picking out names…She'd pulled out every romantic line she'd ever learned online and used them all on Lesley. She'd almost forgotten half the things she'd said.She'd always thought of herself as someone who wore her heart on her sleeve, wh
This time, it was Wendy who had taken the bullet for Sharon. If something had really happened to Sharon, Thomas wouldn't have survived—and even if he'd lived, he would've been driven completely mad by the shock.Even though Thomas was still in critical condition, Marina's mentor's senior apprentice had told her that his will to live was incredibly strong—completely unlike the hollow, worn-out state he'd been in when they first met. There was no way he'd leave Sharon behind.In other words, as long as Sharon was safe, there was hope for Thomas.Giancarlo often joked that she was a hopeless romantic, but Marina thought Thomas was the real deal—he just happened to be so sharp and capable that it masked how deeply devoted he truly was.Privately, Marina wished Thomas hadn't been hurt at all—but if it came down to it, between Sharon and Thomas, she'd rather it be him.When Sharon reached Wendy's room, she found her curled up in a corner of the hospital bed, arms wrapped around her knee
At that moment, both Sharon and Jamie would have been in grave danger. So Thomas's timely arrival had come at the cost of his own safety.Sharon asked again, "And the burns?"Marina said, "Well… luck was still on Thomas's side. His face wasn't burned. And with current medical technology, once he's out of critical condition, he can undergo surgeries to remove the scarring. Those kinds of procedures are no problem for my mentor's senior apprentice—you don't need to worry about that."Tears slid down Sharon's face.This was the first time she'd ever been this close to death—and the first time she'd watched helplessly as the person she loved most nearly died right in front of her, all to save her.The moment Thomas fell into that sea of fire, her heart had gone cold.She said in a low voice, "I accepted Jamie's shares—and in the end, Thomas had to pay the price for it."If Thomas had died because of her, she would never have forgiven herself.Marina tried to comfort her. "Sharon, t
Sharon had barely woken up when she heard a familiar female voice."Sharon, you're awake? How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"Sharon's eyes slowly focused, and she recognized the person in front of her."Ma… Marina?"Just as Marina was about to speak, she saw Sharon's expression turn sharp."Marina—where's Thomas?"Marina's gaze flickered. "He's… fine now. You don't need to worry."Sharon stared intently into her eyes. "Are you sure, Marina?"Marina nodded. "He was rescued."Sharon asked, "He's not dead?""No."Sharon finally let out a breath of relief, her tense nerves easing slightly.Marina poured her a glass of water and helped her drink it. Knowing Sharon was worried about Thomas, she took the initiative to explain what had happened."It was your people who pulled Thomas out. The fire in the warehouse was so huge that it was visible from a distance. Your team arrived in time and broke through the doors from the outside to rescue him. Then they found you and Jamie un
Though Rick's expression remained dark, he couldn't deny that Carter's reasoning held some truth.Was the identity of the Kalen family's heiress really less respectable than that of Carter's ex-wife?And the company's plummeting stock—what benefit would that bring to Sharon?Sooner or later, she
After lowering the binoculars, Julliard picked up his phone and issued his next order."Keep the smear campaign against Victoria running. Don't stop. Pay off some of the contestants. If Victoria dares to show her face again, make sure she gets taken care of."'A mere illegitimate daughter thinks s
Simon's heart eased slightly when he saw that Sharon hadn't refused or tried to evade responsibility at such a critical moment. With Carter's condition uncertain, he had countless matters waiting for him. He couldn't spare much time persuading Sharon. He was about to hang up when her voice stopped
At a moment like this, Sharon still wanted to keep her promise.Jamie, for those he cared about, kept promises like oaths bound in gold. For his enemies, however, a promise was merely another way to toy with them.He raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised by Sharon's willingness to act. After a few







