Sean stepped into Liana’s room quietly, the faint scent of herbs and medicine lingering in the air. In his hand, he held a soft teddy bear, its brown fur plush and its bow neatly tied.Sitting on the bed with a book in her hand and a tube running into her arm, she looked as though she had been deep in reading. Liana’s head lifted the moment she saw him. Her pale face brightened instantly, her lips curving into a smile that made Sean’s chest loosen just a little.“Sean!” she called out, beaming. “You came again!!”He nodded in response and held out the teddy bear as if asking her to notice it. Her eyes immediately caught on the toy.“Brother… is that for me?”Sean nodded. “Yes. I got it for you.”‘I couldn’t get the other things I wanted… but at least this, I could.’Liana reached out with eager hands, carefully taking the teddy bear from him. She hugged it to her chest, her eyes glimmering with joy.“I love it. Thank you, brother.”Sean nodded again, a faint smile touching his lips as

“Is it just me, or has Nate gone quiet?” Lillian’s voice filled the room.The chandelier above the dining hall cast a warm glow over the long table, where silverware gleamed against white linen and crystal glasses shimmered with wine. The scent of roasted meats and seasoned vegetables drifted through the air.At the head of the table sat Rosalind Springfield, her posture straight and polished. She looked at Lillian as soon as the words left her lips, a slight frown forming on her face.Lillian sat opposite her, with Julian beside her, wearing the same concerned expression. Eleanor, on the other hand, was seated between two women, giggling at something one of them had said.They weren’t alone at the table. A few guests had joined them as well.Three middle-aged women sat together further down, their dresses refined and their jewelry flashing under the chandelier’s light. They ate delicately, but their eyes stayed fixed on their plates as though the food was the only tolerable part of th

Rosalind’s gaze flicked briefly to the man, then swept over the table where several curious eyes lingered. Her brow furrowed—not in anger, but in careful thought. She wanted to keep the peace, yet she couldn’t ignore the audacity of the request.“I’m afraid I don’t have any open positions at the moment,” she said evenly, her voice smooth, polite, but firm. “I haven’t planned to employ anyone outside my chosen team.”Her words were silk over steel, soft enough not to provoke, sharp enough to leave no doubt. The man’s sly grin faltered, though he masked it quickly with a chuckle.She had no idea what his qualifications were, nor was it her role to handle hiring. That responsibility fell to Chloe, who had a knack for finding the right people.Marissa was the first to bristle, her tone sharp. “I still can’t believe you’d turn your back on family like this, Rosalind. It’s shameful! How can you refuse someone in need, someone of your own blood?”Helena chimed in, irritation threading her vo

Hearing that, Rosalind’s eyes widened. She had never done anything like what they claimed. Her company had not been covering up anything illegal; she had built it from scratch and overseen everything herself.She had never seen anything out of the ordinary, nor had she ever taken anything unlawful under her wing. The more she thought about it, the clearer it became: this was a setup. Someone wanted to take her down, and she had no idea who could be behind it.Eleanor’s face went pale, her hands gripping the edge of the table. “No… no, there must be some mistake! She has always done the right thing!”“That’s right!” Lillian cried, pulling herself together. “Those people are the ones doing something illegal. Can’t you see? One of them is holding a gun to my brother’s head, and that woman almost killed me with a knife!”Selene’s lips curved into a faint, cruel smile as she tilted her head toward Lillian.“Oh, calm down, little chicken,” she mocked. “I didn’t throw that knife to kill you.

Rosalind was right.They were all doomed.The officers weren’t real, and they hadn’t been taken to a prison. It was more like they had all been kidnapped and placed there until whoever was in charge decided what to do with them.After dragging them out of the van, the men had forced them into a large building, the very one they were trapped in now. The group had been split up: males in one room by the hall, females in another.The doors had been slammed shut and locked, leaving them trapped. Though the room was spacious and had windows, they were so high up that escape was unthinkable.With Rosalind were Victoria, Eleanor, Lillian, and the three middle-aged women—Clara, Marissa, and Helene. Emma, the teenage girl, was there too, along with the last woman from the table, Teddy.Their hands were uncuffed now, but that hardly mattered; the room still felt like a cage. Two giant beds stood in the middle, a single light flickered overhead, and there was nothing else.Rosalind sank onto the