Caroline Webb's feelings towards Simon Webb were rather complex. He was a man of such stature, seemingly out of reach, and surely, in his more lucid moments, he would despise her. Caroline's return was solely for revenge; she planned to use Simon temporarily and had no desire to disrupt his life. The thought that her own vendetta might cause Dennis Webb to harm Simon again was unbearable. Simon must be saved and restored to health!
The Webb family estate was lit up all through the night. Though Simon had been saved, the situation was far from resolved. Caroline directly accused Dennis Webb as the culprit. However, Dennis had become sly. In front of Deborah Stewart, the family matriarch, he played on family loyalty, insisting on how much he cared for his uncle and how he could never harm him. No surveillance had been in place at the time of the incident. Caroline watched him perform with a cold smile, her eyes glinting with a predatory chill. Prey that struggles is always more interesting; she would savor seeing how long his arrogance would last.
After everyone else had left, Deborah called Caroline aside. Despite Caroline's involvement with Dennis, Deborah had seen through the facade. Caroline's immediate instinct to save Simon was genuine, at least. Plus, with her father eager to forge connections with the Webb family, there were interests at play that Caroline could leverage. Deborah spoke bluntly, “If Simon doesn't have much time left, and you wish to secure your place in this family, you need to have a child.”
Caroline was taken aback. "You saw what happened today. So many in the family are eyeing his position. If he does leave us, how will you manage?" Deborah continued, "You must understand, a child of yours and Simon's could inherit the estate, securing your future and that of your family."
The thought made Caroline's skin crawl. Have a child? Once Simon recovered, she intended to live her life freely—who would want to have a child with him? She straightened up and declared, “I believe Simon will wake up. I married him not for gain, but purely out of admiration. I refuse to believe he will remain in a coma forever.”
Deborah regarded her with an inscrutable gaze. “You're quite the clever girl.” Caroline concealed her slight unease, exchanged some polite remarks, and left. As she did, Deborah's eyes gleamed with renewed intent.
Five days remained until the Webb shareholders' meeting, a date engraved in Caroline’s memory. In her previous life, she had helped Dennis seize Simon's shares during the chaos. This time, she intended to ensure Dennis met his downfall in the most humiliating fashion.
Just as Caroline began plotting her strategy, Josie Garza showed up, laden with gifts, wearing a smug expression as she arrived at the Webb estate. The first thing she said upon seeing Caroline was, “Sister, with all your advantages, how did you end up marrying someone who's on the brink of death? I truly sympathize with you!”
Internally, Caroline laughed coldly; Josie seemed rather pleased with the situation. So Caroline took Simon’s hand, appearing enamored, “You don’t understand, I genuinely admire him.”
Josie sighed dramatically, though her eyes gleamed with joy. “Have you thought about the consequences? If Simon dies, our family will lose its standing, and our parents will blame you forever!”
Feigning anxiety, Caroline replied, “Well, there's nothing I can do. I really… like him.”
Was it her imagination, or did Simon's hand just squeeze hers slightly?
Josie looked down on her sister, who had once been so brilliant but now seemed brought low. The tables had turned, and karma had arrived. She wished for nothing more than Caroline's complete disgrace, imagining her destitute on the streets.
Drawing closer, Josie boasted, “You could have married someone as great as Dennis, you know... If Simon passes, Dennis is the rightful heir to the family estate!”
Caroline lowered her gaze, a flicker of calculation passing through her eyes, as she calmly picked up her phone. “I know. That’s why I’m setting up my best friend with Dennis for a dinner date. If it works out, once Dennis takes over the family, he might treat us kindly.”
Josie's smile faltered, envy flaring within her. Such an opportunity, and Caroline was giving it away rather than considering her stepsister?
“I’m going to grab some medication for Simon from the next room. Can you wait here?” Caroline placed her phone, now displaying the dinner information, on the table, and hurriedly left the room.
The moment Caroline was out of sight, Josie, acting like a thief, pounced on the phone, eagerly checking its contents. All of this was being recorded by the security cameras in the room.
