Sidney slyly winked at Richard, silently complimenting his driving skills, but Tiffany misunderstood the gesture. She thought Sidney was flirting with Richard, confirming her suspicion that they were a couple. That would explain Richard's apparent disinterest in other women.

"Mr. Pauley, are you going to hang out with us the day after tomorrow?" Tiffany asked cautiously, worried Sidney might get the wrong idea if she and Richard met alone.

Before Sidney could respond, Richard interjected, "He's busy."

In truth, Sidney had plenty of free time, but he didn't dare contradict Richard. Instead, he smiled and said, "Yeah, I have to check on the progress at Maple Mountain. I'll be there all day."

Tiffany nodded and didn't press further.

Soon, the car arrived at Cedar Ridge Villa. Tiffany got out and went inside. The aroma of freshly cooked food hit her immediately. A maid approached, taking Tiffany's backpack. "Miss Kelley, your mother is in the kitchen."

Tiffany headed to the kitchen and saw Thalia simmering soup, clearly for Sandra. It struck Tiffany that Thalia seemed more like Sandra's mother than her own. With a slight frown, Tiffany said nothing and went upstairs to her room.

After Sandra returned from the hospital, Thalia doted on her, ensuring she had the best of everything. Sandra appreciated the attention, but her inability to seduce Kenneth due to her injury left her frustrated. Lately, she'd noticed Kenneth seemed distracted, and a sense of urgency gripped her. She knew she had to act fast.

That evening, as Sandra pondered obtaining a certain drug, her phone rang—it was Selena.

"Sandra, your father is such a bastard! He's actually asking for a divorce!" Selena cried.

Ever since Selena discovered Stan's affair, she'd been demanding money almost daily. Instead of complying, Stan and Selena had been evicted by Charlie.

Sandra, having pieced together the situation, tried to calm her mother. "Mom, stop pushing. I really don't think Dad has any money. If he did, why would he resort to kidnapping Tiffany? That was such a risky move—it nearly destroyed our whole family."

If Sandra hadn't secretly orchestrated the car accident, she, too, might have been kicked out of the Kelley family.

Selena sobbed. "If it weren't for those whores he's been messing around with, would the money be gone?"

Sandra tried to soothe her again. "Mom, we're not out of options yet. From now on, you both need to follow my lead. I promise, it won't be long before you're back in this mansion—and this time, this mansion will belong to us!"

"Alright, alright, we'll do whatever you say."

"Now, here's the plan…" Sandra began to explain her scheme to Selena, and they talked for over an hour.

The next morning, Tiffany kept her promise and went with Eric to the hacker competition. Although she wasn't particularly interested, she pretended to be excited for Eric's sake.

To her surprise, they hit a massive traffic jam. David Miller, the chauffeur, sighed and said, "There's a funeral procession up ahead, blocking the road. We should take a different route."

"Alright," Tiffany nodded.

As the car turned, Tiffany glanced out the window. A buried memory resurfaced, and her face turned pale.

"I just remembered why Sidney always seemed so familiar," Tiffany thought, her heart pounding. "Before I traveled back in time, the first time I saw Sidney was at his funeral. He was at Maple Mountain, surveying the area for development, when he was caught in a landslide and died!"

Sidney was the sole heir of the Pauley family, and his death had led to the family's downfall. All the elite families attended his funeral, and Tiffany remembered seeing his enlarged photograph. She'd felt pity then, but hadn't given it much thought.

Now, after traveling back in time, she'd met Sidney while he was still alive, all because of her connection with Richard.

"What's wrong, Tiffany?" Eric asked, concerned.

"Eric, something important has come up, and I need to leave immediately. David will drive you home, okay?" Tiffany said urgently.

She quickly instructed David to pull over, reassured Eric, and then hurried out of the car. Without Sidney's contact information, Tiffany hailed a cab and went to Royal Tower to find Richard.

During the ride, she frantically called Richard repeatedly, but only reached voicemail. Fortunately, it only took ten minutes to reach Royal Tower.

The area was dominated by the Hampton family, whose skyscraper towered imposingly.

Tiffany rushed toward the entrance but was stopped by the receptionist.

"Who are you here to see? If you don't have an appointment, you can't enter," the receptionist said politely but firmly.

Tiffany considered forcing her way in. Just then, the executive elevator doors opened, and Richard stepped out.

Without hesitation, Tiffany ran to him, grabbing his sleeve. "Call Sidney right now! Find out where he is and tell him not to go to Maple Mountain today!"