The moment Sharon hit the ground, she instinctively shielded her hands, and as a result, only her arm was injured.Seeing this, Casey's face drained of color as she rushed over."Sharon, your hands… are you okay?"For a violinist, hands are more important than life itself. Casey knew this better than anyone. Sharon was not only competing in a contest but also preparing for a concert. If her hands were injured and it affected her performance… Casey would never forgive herself.Damien was unforgivable.With Casey's support, Sharon slowly stood up."I'm fine. Don't worry."Casey's eyes reddened as she examined Sharon's arm.Sharon's hands were beautiful—pale and delicate. The backs of her hands had a few scrapes, and the blood streaks along her forearm were alarming.Damien watched Casey's expression, full of concern, and was suddenly reminded of how she used to look at him. But now, the look Casey gave him held only icy indifference.A surge of anger flared in Damien's chest. H
As she spoke, Casey pulled out her phone and opened a chat window. On the screen, a photo came into view.A man and a woman were pressed close together. The man appeared to have dozed off, while the woman's lips were pressed against his face.A mocking smile flickered across Casey's eyes."Damien, do you understand now?"Damien froze for a moment, then instinctively started to defend himself. "It's not true… She… Adriana took that while I was drunk. You know I can't hold my liquor, and there were so many friends around… They can all vouch for me…"Casey cut him off coldly. "If you weren't with Adriana, how could she have gotten such a photo?"Damien's eyes darted nervously. "She works at that club. We just… ran into each other by chance—"Casey's tone dripped with sarcasm. "By chance? Every single day by chance?"Ever since Adriana returned, Casey had been inundated with harassing messages. Adriana begged her to control her boyfriend, claiming she'd already paid for past mistak
However, Casey and Damien had been together for so long that they shared many mutual friends. Through them, she had learned quite a bit about Damien and his first love.They said Damien cared most about her, and he hadn't shown the slightest favor toward that other woman.They urged her to come back.After all the hardest times, she had stayed by his side, cared for him, and supported him. Now that the chance for happiness was within reach, why should she give it to someone else?Her friends weren't wrong.But Casey refused to go back.It wasn't because she was prideful or incapable of living a comfortable life. If Damien hadn't been involved in an accident, with her family background, the Malcolm family would never have accepted her anyway.She had considered ignoring Damien's past and focusing solely on her own wealth. But… she couldn't.She felt disgusted—utterly and completely repulsed.How could she be with someone who made her feel nauseated at even a glance, even for mo
Sharon looked at John. "John, what's wrong?"John asked, "If you don't return to the Kalen family, everything about the Kalen family will likely have nothing to do with you. Are you… okay with that?"Sharon was a little surprised by his words. John was an idealist. He didn't care much about money; otherwise, he wouldn't have turned down his father back then.She answered honestly, "If it's not mine, I don't bother thinking about it."John pressed on, "But what if something that should belong to you exists?"Sharon paused to consider. "If it's not mine, I don't want it. But if it is mine… I won't allow anyone to take it from me."John calculated the timing in his mind. By the end of the year, Shayla's original shares would mature. At that point, the lawyer and the company's veterans would inevitably reach out to Sharon.On one side was the career she loved most; on the other, the shares left behind by Shayla. She hadn't had to make that choice yet—but soon, she would.Aside from
Matty cheered enthusiastically. "Yay! Let's celebrate Sharon getting first place!"Sharon hadn't seen Matty for a long time. She said, "The next competition won't start for another three days. I don't have much to do in the meantime. Would you like to stay at my place for a few days?"Matty's eyes lit up immediately; he was about to agree eagerly. But then a hint of hesitation crossed his face."Sharon, you have a concert to prepare for and competitions to attend… if I stay with you, won't it affect your practice?"Sharon shook her head with a smile. "Not at all."Wendy chimed in from the side, "A balance of work and rest—nothing wrong with that."John nodded. "Sharon has been working intensely lately. She really could use a couple of days off."Sharon herself had the same thought. She wanted to take advantage of the free time to spend two days hanging out with Matty. Soon, finding another stretch of free time would be much harder.Looking down at Matty, Sharon said, "Matty, ho
Casey frowned. "The domestic scene really does need a change in attitude."Soon after, the results of the match between Sharon and Kelly were announced.Sharon scored a perfect ten points.Kelly… zero.Even though the host and judges praised Kelly for losing honorably, she couldn't shake the sting of humiliation. She had lost to Sharon again.At least she had prepared herself before stepping on stage, preserving a shred of dignity. Kelly forced herself to smile gracefully and said to Sharon, "Sharon, congratulations on winning the first round."Sharon returned the courtesy with a polite smile. "Thank you for your kind words, Kelly. I look forward to our next encounter. I hope your health recovers quickly and your hand heals soon, so that in the next match, you can try to win it back."Sharon had scored ninety-nine points. To surpass her would have required perfection. Even John, dazzling as he was, had only managed ninety-five at his peak. Kelly hadn't even matched that. Winning