LOGIN"Quite an impressive scheme, Jamie," Thomas said.Watching Thomas tell blatant lies with a perfectly straight face, Jamie nearly laughed in disbelief."Thomas, have you ever heard the phrase staging your own performance?"Thomas's intention in deliberately suggesting that he had colluded with the Ferrero family was obvious—Thomas wanted Sharon to keep her distance from Jamie.At this point, Jamie no longer had any desire to explain himself. He turned to Sharon."Sharon, I'd like to speak with Thomas alone."A trace of concern surfaced in Sharon's eyes. She was genuinely worried that the two men would end up fighting before the conversation was over.Seeing her expression, Thomas said, "Sharon, don't worry about me. I can protect myself."Sharon fell silent. The person she was worried about wasn't him at all. It was Jamie.After all, Jamie would be fortunate just to protect himself in front of Thomas.In the end, Sharon stood up.Jamie handed the tabby cat to her.Only after
Jamie fell silent for a few seconds before speaking."Sharon, I told you yesterday. She isn't in my hands. Marina escaped on her own midway through the trip."Sharon replied, "Marina called again yesterday. She said your bodyguards took her to another country.""She called again?" Jamie glanced at Thomas, a meaningful look flickering in his eyes."Sharon, think about it carefully. If I had personally orchestrated her kidnapping, would she have had any chance to make a phone call?"Sharon couldn't help recalling her own experience of being kidnapped.When it came to abductions, Jamie was a professional. If he had handled it himself, Marina probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to make a call.At that moment, Thomas, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke."That would be because Marina is quite skilled. She managed to seize a rare opportunity. But since you're so confident in your kidnapping abilities, why did you claim you failed to keep an eye on her and allowed
The only option left to Rick was to find another way.But when he began looking for allies to help him deal with Sharon, he suddenly realized that there was almost no one left he could form an alliance with.The only person who might still be willing to join forces with him was Lesley.Sharon held thirty percent of the Walton Group's shares—more than even Lesley.If he and Lesley worked together, each pursuing their own interests, it would be the perfect arrangement.The only thing Rick wasn't sure about was whether Lesley still possessed the strength to fight for power.But judging from the fact that Lesley's legs were fully functional and he hadn't lost his eyesight, he clearly still had some capabilities.No sooner had Rick ended his call with Richard than his phone rang again.It was Lesley.With a faint smile, Lesley said, "Rick, the time has come."Naturally, Rick knew exactly what Lesley meant by that.Since Sharon and Thomas had become entangled with each other once
Sharon's heart skipped a beat. "…What is it?"Thomas asked, "You're meeting Jamie later?"Sharon didn't hide it. "Yes. Marina is still in Jamie's hands. No matter what, I have to meet him and make him release her.""That's fine," Thomas said, looking at her. "I'll go with you. After all, the person he kidnapped is my friend. He owes me an explanation too."But instead of agreeing immediately, Sharon hesitated.Thomas noticed the hesitation in her eyes, and the smile in his own faded slightly."What?" he asked. "Is it inconvenient for me to go with you?"After a moment's thought, Sharon answered honestly. "It's not that it's inconvenient. It's just… he kidnapped Marina and nearly cost you your position as head of the family. I'm worried that if you see him, you won't be able to control your emotions."To put it bluntly, she was worried Thomas would lose his temper and resort to violence.But Thomas only said, "He kidnapped my friend, yes. But because of that, I got to marry the
Sharon glanced at her hand, still held by Thomas, then at the table full of elaborate breakfast dishes.She could clearly sense it—ever since they got married, Thomas's attitude toward her had become noticeably more tender than before.A sudden thought crossed her mind.He had once entered a contract marriage with Carmen. Had he been like this with her back then too?Almost without thinking, Sharon asked, "When you married Carmen… were you like this with her as well?"The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.Given where they stood right now, the question was already crossing a line. And even if they were actually together, asking something like that was pointless.She was about to take it back when Thomas spoke first."No."He answered calmly."Carmen and I didn't live together. We only met when there was business to discuss. Back then, the fight to become head of the Ferrero family was intense. No one had the time—or the interest—to keep tabs on anyone's priv
From the other end of the line came the voices of the Ferrero family elders."We're the ones who released the news. What's the problem? Can't it be announced?"This is a powerful alliance between two major families. With something this important, are we supposed to keep it a secret? Or is this another fake marriage meant to fool us?"If the marriage is real, why are you afraid of people knowing?"The speaker was the same middle-aged elder from the day before. After a night's rest, he sounded fully recovered—his voice once again loud and forceful.Even though Thomas hadn't put the call on speaker, Sharon could hear every word clearly.The elder continued, "Oh, and one more thing. Tomorrow, I'm holding a press conference to formally announce this alliance. You and Sharon should discuss the wedding date. I'll announce that too."You're both heads of your families. You have status. As legally married husband and wife, there's no need to hide anything. Don't go sneaking around like i
Xavier didn't waste a second on hesitation. He hadn't even stepped out of the airport before he called his assistant."Arrange the fastest private jet to Listoria City. Mobilize every available man closest to the area. And one more thing…" His voice sank to a low, commanding timbre. "Look into Jull
Long before the international competition even began, Carter had already sent Theo away for so-called "private training." But everyone knew that was just an excuse. In truth, it was a way to keep Theo hidden and tightly protected. Jamie gave a cold laugh. "As expected. To bring Victoria down, th
Thomas felt an inexplicable sense of unease.He immediately dialed Sharon's number.No answer.He tried Wendy's phone. The result was the same.Thomas called again and again, but none of the calls went through.That foreboding feeling in his heart only grew heavier.At last, he rang Casey."S
Victoria frowned slightly. "Of course, not! If I were truly interested in him, I wouldn't have given you the chance in the first place."Johanna broke into a bright smile. "True enough. You're pursued by the heads of great families—men like that hardly surprise you anymore."As she spoke, a though







