Just as Sabrina expected, Cedric didn't say a word-he simply grabbed her by the arm, over her coat, and started walking her out of the restaurant.

He didn't even really hold her hand. It was distant. Cold.

The traditional-looking man, seeing Cedric walk away with her like that, reached out in a panic and caught Sabrina by the palm instead. "Sabrina!"

It clearly slipped out of him out of urgency. Calling her "Miss Lionhart" felt too formal-using her name might have softened her stance a bit. Maybe if he played it right, she wouldn't take the keys back.

After all, he was just following orders.

Cedric came to a halt. So did Sabrina, who was also trying to yank her hand back from the man's grip.

Ugh, what a mess. If she'd known dealing with people would be this exhausting, she would've just let her lab team keep selling the patents for her.

Cedric turned around, eyes landing right on the hand intertwined with hers. That grip looked tight-almost like they were holding hands on purpose. His expression darkened with irritation.

He reached out, grabbed the man's wrist, and flatly demanded, "Who the hell are you?"

That line hit harder than it should have. Sabrina blinked up at Cedric, stunned like she just misheard him.

Was this seriously the same man who was always being asked who he was-not the one doing the asking?

Cedric's hold didn't look forceful on the surface, but the traditional guy was already breaking into a sweat. The pain must've kicked in early. "This has nothing to do with you-it's between me and Sabrina!"

Sabrina glanced between the two, raising an eyebrow. Wait, was there... something weird about what he just said? A little too personal, wasn't it? Where was the 'I'm just the messenger' vibe she expected?

"That so?" Cedric fired back.

Sabrina could practically hear the teeth-grinding underneath those words.

"Okay, okay, dude, ease up!" the man winced loudly. Dignity all gone, he surrendered immediately.

Cedric's voice dropped low, every word soaked in warning: "Take your damn keys and disappear. If I see you messing with her again, you won't walk away next time."

"Got it. Loud and clear." The man was already calculating whether this counted as a workplace injury and if Pama would give him a danger bonus.

Cedric finally let go.

The guy took off like a shot, dragging along the mixed-race man bumped into on his way out-they fled together, like they'd rehearsed it.

Cedric arched an eyebrow slightly.

Wow. Modern dating really had leveled up. What was it now-show up two at a time to increase your chances?

He casually dusted his hands off and glanced down, catching Sabrina still staring toward the door. He misread it as fear. "Next time someone pulls this crap, just report them for sexual harassment."

Sexual what, now?

Okay, yeah, it was uncomfortable, but... sexual?

Sabrina scrambled to recall... oh, maybe the hand-holding?

So, wait-Cedric considered that that serious?

Looked like he actually cared. Quite a bit.

Realizing this, she pressed her lips together, holding back a smile.

"And what about you?" she asked, switching gears. "What were you doing here?"

"Dinner." Cedric rubbed his temple, looking drained.

Business dinners-he was over them. Just people drinking, telling gross jokes, and dragging in escorts to "liven up" the vibe. Draining as hell.

"Oh. So, you're done?" she asked again. Otherwise there's no way he could've shown up just in time.

"Yeah." Cedric nodded and casually started walking toward the restaurant's exit.

Sabrina was scared he'd leave her behind, so she quickly sped up to catch up and said deliberately, "I wonder if they've gone yet."

Cedric obviously saw through her words, but still played along even though he knew it was a trap. "I'll take you home."

He was worried those two guys might still be around.

"Okay!" Sabrina nodded, a smile sneaking its way into her big, bright eyes.

Just those three words "I'll take you" were enough to wipe out all the earlier awkwardness.

His sweetness could really fix anything.

No matter how miserable she'd felt before, hearing one line from him could light her back up.

Following behind him out of the restaurant, she heard him telling someone to get her a cab. That's when she realized-there was someone else with them.

A stunning woman, probably his assistant.

She glanced her way, just in time to catch the woman looking at her too. Sabrina quickly shifted her gaze, then saw the assistant cross the street to hail a taxi.

The clicking of her heels against the pavement echoed a rhythm, her slim waist cinched tight by a professional pencil skirt-basically the textbook definition of a knockout. And she was being sent off by herself? That didn't sit right.

"Your assistant's gorgeous," Sabrina commented, laced with something more.

Of course, men are all the same. Always drawn to pretty faces. Ugh. Thinking about how busy Cedric usually was, didn't that mean he probably spent, like, sixteen hours a day with this bombshell?

How could something not happen under circumstances like that?

Sabrina felt a wave of unease.

Cedric shot her a sideways glance without saying a word.

Who said that woman was his assistant?

Actually, his male assistant was down with food poisoning tonight, so he pulled someone from sales who could hold her liquor to fill in. That's it.

But for some reason, seeing Sabrina misunderstanding the situation didn't make him want to clear it up.

The dry autumn breeze drifted between them. They stood there, each tangled in their own thoughts.

After a few quiet days, Cedric had calmed down.

He'd thought a lot about it-Sabrina was probably pretending nothing happened because she felt too guilty over what happened with his grandma.

When people face tough stuff, it's human nature to avoid it-like a snail tucking itself into its shell.

Especially someone like Sabrina. She might seem bubbly, but deep down she was as softhearted as they come.

If pretending to forget was her way of coping, then so be it. But what happened with his grandma? That wasn't something he could just brush off.

Instead of lashing out at her, maybe it was better to...

Just keep things normal.

No more avoiding, no more being affected every time she reached out.

While they waited, one of the restaurant staff pulled up with Cedric's car. The driver got out, respectfully inviting them in. Sabrina climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up.

The car hummed to life and cruised smoothly along a quiet road, pulling away from the restaurant.

Streetlights streaked past one by one, and a big neon sign slipped by above the car. Noticing they were headed the route toward her place, Sabrina had a sudden realization. "Wait, how do you know where I live?"

She hadn't told him since coming back.

Cedric, hands steady on the wheel, didn't even glance her way. The light cutting through the window danced across his face as he stated simply, "I've been to your place plenty of times."

Sabrina wanted to chew her own tongue.

Right. He really had. Many times, actually.

She used to come here when Lynne was around, but came way more often when she wasn't.

Thinking back to all the reckless things she'd done during those years, Sabrina's fingers unconsciously curled into a fist on the door handle.

Man, those years really hit her like a thunderbolt-wiping out all the sweetness from before, only leaving behind this cold awkwardness now.

Realizing they were getting close to her place, and not wanting this rare opportunity to end just yet, she opened her mouth: "I'm hungry. Can we stop to get something?"

Cedric glanced at how close they were to her apartment, originally planning to tell her to eat after going home. But then remembering how fragile her body was-basically made of glass-he figured maybe she really couldn't hold out much longer. So instead, he said, "Yeah."

He switched lanes, exited the overpass, and slowly cruised down the service road until parking near the side.

There was only a bubble tea shop and a 24-hour convenience store around.

"Parking here's kinda tricky, just grab something simple for now and eat properly when you're home," Cedric said, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out with her.

"Alright," Sabrina followed along.

First, he led her to the bubble tea place and got her a hot pearl milk tea, then headed to the convenience store. He pointed at the cooked food section and ordered a bowl of udon with fish balls for her. Every move was so natural-like muscle memory-without even asking, like she was still that girl who loved pairing udon with milk tea.

Seeing the staff dropping thick white noodles into the pot, Sabrina swallowed hard, but just didn't feel like eating at all.

Anything but udon.

Cedric must've noticed her reluctance, his brows slightly furrowing, "Weren't you into this stuff before?"

She used to eat this instead of proper meals. Maybe that's exactly why her body was wrecked now.

"...Yeah." Sabrina didn't want to brush off his kind gesture. It was touching that he still remembered what she liked.

But honestly, back in the lab, it was all about convenience. Udon was pretty much their daily meal. In the beginning, it was because they were broke and had no choice-the lab was in the middle of nowhere, and below it sat a lonely convenience store. So udon became their default.

They even tried to spice it up: salty, spicy, sour, sweet-every version possible.

Eventually, when they had more funding and moved to a better location, they all collectively agreed to never touch udon again.

While she was zoning out, the noodles had finished cooking. She took the bowl and sauce packet from the staff, placed them on the counter, opened the sauce, mixed it in, grabbed a pair of fork-just about to dig in...

And the bowl was swiped from under her.

She caught nothing with her fork.

Cedric took it.

"What's going on?" she asked, confused.

He stared at her-couldn't read even a flicker of joy on her face. It wasn't like before, when she'd be jumping with excitement just at the sight of udon.

Yep. People change. He realized he'd totally misjudged-assuming she'd still love the same things.

"There's a bug in it," Cedric said casually, lying without flinching.

"Really? Where?" Sabrina leaned in, trying to see.

"Let's head home first," he said, pressing a hand on her head and gently redirecting her toward the door.

Milk tea had enough sugar to fill her up for a while anyway.

Sabrina gripped her hot bubble tea with both hands, not putting up a fight. She really didn't want to eat udon anymore.

Still, she noticed something-that Cedric seemed... kinda off?

Was he upset because there was a bug in the food? Like, did he feel bad about it or what?

Very soon, Sabrina's focus shifted far away from a mere bowl of udon noodles.

She and Cedric left the convenience store together-him in front, her following closely behind-her steps landing right in the shadow he cast on the ground, just like ages ago, that same mix of admiration and silent obsession filling her.

There had been something burning on her mind for a while now, but it wasn't until Cedric gave her a lift back to her apartment complex and she stepped out of the car that she finally found the nerve to speak up.

The second she noticed him about to drive off, she quickly called out, "Hold on a sec!"

She darted around the front of the car and stopped by the driver's window.

Cedric rolled it down slowly and just looked at her quietly.

"You seriously don't want Twinkle?" she asked, standing by the car door, staring down at her toes, her tone uncertain.

Before he could even answer, she rushed on, "If you don't want it, I'll probably have to take it to Pama instead... I mean, I can't just give up. I still have a whole lab to support..."

Cedric rested his left arm casually on the edge of the window, fingers tapping lightly. His tone stayed flat and unreadable as usual. "From any perspective, Pama's offer is pretty attractive. So why not just work with them?"

"Because they kidnapped me, okay?" Sabrina looked up at him, blurting out the excuse she'd rehearsed a thousand times in her head.

So yeah, why would she work with them after that?

"Sabrina," Cedric met her eyes, his tone cool but direct, "you can't throw that out as an excuse."

His stare hit like being caught red-handed at school-and she caved instantly. "Because..."

He didn't rush her, just let the silence hang, waiting for her to say it.

"Because I want to help you..." Her voice dropped even lower. "I know Gracewell's been hitting a rough patch, grand..."

She suddenly remembered what Lynne had said about Cedric's grandmother being seriously ill, and how his family didn't like bringing that up. So she shifted gears. "Gracewell hasn't had a major hit in years. I've gone through all your past product launches but..."

"To be honest, none of them compare to Luméra." Talking business made her more confident. Her earlier hesitation faded, replaced by a steadier tone.

Cedric said nothing.

He might not be an expert on skincare formulas, but he knew numbers, and Luméra, the anti-aging line under Gracewell's premium category, had been a bestseller from the get-go.

It had been five years since Luméra's launch.

Sure, Pama needed Twinkle to fix up their image, but didn't Gracewell also need something powerful to push their next big hit?

"You know better than anyone how competitive the skincare world is now. Tons of brands, endless product lines, and consumers are all over the place. It's not like the old days-ads don't win people over anymore. Even loyal Gracewell users might jump ship if their fave celeb promotes another label. These days, if your product doesn't speak for itself, you're toast, right?"

Sabrina's hands were sweating by the end.

She wasn't some high-level exec. Just a nerdy R&D girl who spent her days buried in test tubes and formulas.

But the idea of him rejecting her again, that thought scared her more than anything. So she forced herself to spit out something that, at least on the surface, kind of made sense-though the more she thought about it, the more flaws she could hear.

Now that she'd finished tearing Gracewell down, it was time to start lifting them up again.

Sabrina cleared her throat lightly and went on, "Sure, Gracewell and Pama are both stuck in a rut right now, but let's be real-Gracewell's still ahead. It's just been too long since you had a fresh hit. Pama? They're losing people's trust. Their base formulas were weak, all hype and celeb endorsements. Now that stuff's getting exposed, and if someone really wants to dig, it'll just spiral."

"Not that I think you keep up with the skincare news, but Twinkle? Pama would fork over shares to get it. But I'm offering it to Gracewell. So, Cedric, what's there to still think about?"

She sat up straighter, trying to look like a serious dealmaker. Honestly though, with the R&D team behind her all banking on this, she had to hold herself together.

Cedric, who'd been silent the whole time she talked-well, rambled, if he were being honest-finally opened his mouth. "So, let's hear it-what do you want for it?"

He knew her logic had holes, but the core truth? He knew that part better than she did. When he'd seen her in the private room, it wasn't about business-he'd just lost it.

"Not much," Sabrina replied casually, holding up five fingers.

Cedric frowned, clearly unimpressed. "Five million?"

Honestly, if it came down to real negotiations, even five million could turn a profit...

Sabrina's lips twitched. God, talking to rich people seriously hurt your pride. "Fifty."

Now it was Cedric's turn to be speechless again.

"Well?" She pulled her hand back and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why?" he asked, voice low.

Sabrina looked down with a soft giggle, and just like that, she didn't feel like a grown-up anymore. She looked seventeen again-hands behind her back, toe circling on the ground.

"Because I want to get back together with you. So, fifty bucks is more like a little sign, not the real price."

Her voice was light and playful, each word like a little flicker in this quiet, starless night.

*****

Half an hour later.

Sabrina was in her bedroom attacking a pillow. She clutched it in both arms like she was trying to strangle the life out of it.

Stupid Cedric. Really, just-ugh. She'd laid it all out, and what did he do? Rolled the window up without a word! Never mind that her hand was resting right there-he almost squished her fingers. Then he just started the car and took off, leaving her standing in exhaust fumes.

When she heard the knock on her door, she snapped, "Come in."

It was Lynne.

Lynne walked in with a small pot of soup. Just one look at her daughter and she knew Sabrina was fuming. Without saying anything, Lynne set it down, opened the lid, and started stirring slowly, as if nothing was wrong. "Who ticked you off? That kids from the lab again?"

She called them "kids" because most of them were Sabrina's age-wild and impulsive. Older and more reasonable staff could never last working with Sabrina.

Sabrina had talent, sure. But she let her feelings drive her decisions too often. If not, she'd already be working with Pama, not throwing herself at her ex with a miracle formula and begging for another shot.

She even offered it for fifty bucks-cheaper than dirt-and Cedric still acted like it meant nothing.

Yes, Lynne had caught the whole interaction. She'd been taking out the trash and just happened to see the two of them downstairs.

But what really worried her wasn't how the formula "Twinkle" was being undervalued-it was Sabrina's emotional rollercoaster, and how that might mess with her health.

"Hah, as if they'd dare mess with me," Sabrina huffed, waving that off. She tossed the pillow aside and crawled over to the table, sniffing around dramatically like a puppy.

"God, just a few days without your soups and my skin's already giving up on me."Lynne could tell Sabrina wasn't being fully honest, but she didn't push it. "As long as you know. From now on, don't go making decisions on your own. Talk to me first."

"Got it," Sabrina replied, picking up the stew her mom made. The pot was packed with all kinds of fancy herbs and tonics. She took a spoonful and couldn't help making a few appreciative noises. "Mom, pretty sure the grocery budget's all going into my stomach."

"Glad you're aware. Now hurry and get that formula sold-we're still waiting on your share for the household." Lynne crossed one leg over the other, settling on the edge of the bed. Even dressed in PJs, she carried herself with the elegance of someone who could walk into a pageant and win without trying.

Some people just had class in their bones.

Sabrina gave her mom a secret admiring look. She really did look up to her-respected her, even wanted to be like her one day. But on the outside, all she gave was a lazy, "Yeah, yeah, sure."

Seeing she still wouldn't open up, Lynne sighed quietly. She stood up, unable to sit still anymore. "Eat your food and go to sleep afterward."

"Mm-hmm, night!" Sabrina answered in a burst-she already had plans to mentally roast Cedric again as soon as she finished her bowl.

*****

Just when Sabrina thought the whole thing had tanked, she got a call from Gracewell. They'd already drawn up a contract draft and wanted her and her lawyer to come discuss the details. Said if anything didn't sit right with her, they'd fix it.

Sabrina was over the moon. She told them to print the final version right away and even offered to set the time and place for a meetup.

Her enthusiasm caught them off guard-they triple-checked with her. She got tired of the back-and-forth and just picked a time and restaurant on the spot, ending with, "See you there."

She picked a spot for three days later, just a regular little restaurant. Once the call was done, she rang up her apprentice, telling him to hop on a flight and bring her seal stamp.

The second Simon Morris heard Twinkle got sold, he booked the ticket right away, thrilled out of his mind.

Three days flew by.

Sabrina met up with Simon right outside the restaurant. The moment she saw him, she marched over and tried to grab his ear. "You! Where have you been hiding these past few days? We could've finished this earlier, but no-you had to delay it till now!"

The 5'9''-tall guy easily dodged her without breaking a sweat. At the same time, he smoothly grabbed her hand for just a second, gently enough that she didn't even notice it wasn't an accident-but quick to let go so it didn't get awkward.

His mature-looking suit was a little too formal for his playful vibe, but his build pulled it off, making it look intentional rather than overdone. He shot her a bright grin, showing off a perfect row of teeth-it was the kind of smile that felt like summer breeze. "I'll tell you where I've been after we sign."

"Ugh, fine!" Sabrina rolled her eyes, pulling her hand back and waving it in front of him. "You brought the stamp, right?"

"Relax, I brought it. Even packed your lucky pen," Simon said, patting his black work bag.

"Legend! You're definitely getting an extra drumstick at dinner," Sabrina gave him a thumbs-up and let out a deep breath.

Jeez, even though it was just a fifty-buck contract, she was still super nervous.

Cedric has to show up, right? Wonder what he's wearing today.

She puffed her cheeks out unconsciously and glanced around the restaurant, looking like a prairie dog on alert.

"Sabrina, just curious... what did Gracewell offer?" Simon leaned a bit closer to Sabrina, casually brushing her shoulder with his arm as he spoke.

He sounded like he was asking about money, but the way he grinned gave him away-this was more about finding an excuse to stay close.

Sabrina felt a jolt in her chest at the question. Everyone in the lab knew her favorite little disciple had a thing for cash-growing up broke does that to you-and honestly, it wasn't his fault.

But this time... she was the one being selfish, risking the team's interests for a deal.

No, not quite right.

She never planned to toss the team under the bus-she was the one taking the hit.

She'd already decided. Once she signed the contract with Gracewell, she'd split her savings with the crew. It wasn't going to be a lot, but at least they wouldn't lose out.

Sabrina swallowed hard. It took her a second, but she finally said, "You'll see once it's signed."

"Alright then." Simon gave her a look, like he was sensing something off, but he didn't press. Just nodded and backed off quickly.

A few minutes later, the folks from Gracewell arrived.

Seven people piled out of two cars-none of them Cedric.

Sabrina's mood, which had just lifted a bit, sank halfway back down.

"Hello, Ms. Lionhart. I'm assistant to Mr. Strickland. You can call me Orion. I'll be signing the contract on his behalf today," the man introduced himself, one hand adjusting his suit while the other reached out politely.

Total professional.

Sabrina forced away her sour mood and shook his hand, but her eyes still darted past the group, instinctively hoping to catch a glimpse of the man she'd been missing these past three days.

She asked, "Is Mr. Strickland really that busy?"

"Yes, quite. Aside from Gracewell, he's also managing Maxon Group. He's usually swamped. Actually, he was supposed to be here today-this project's a big one after all-but something urgent came up at Maxon. I don't know the details since I only work on Gracewell's side," Orion explained courteously without dodging the question.

"Oh, no worries. Just wondering." Sabrina nodded, catching the subtext.

Orion seemed like a decent, straightforward guy. Maybe Cedric really was caught up and not just avoiding her.

The other six introduced themselves one by one and shook hands with her. Sabrina also made sure to introduce Simon.

The formalities flew by and, ten minutes later, Orion gestured for them to head inside.

Everyone in their crisp suits looked seriously impressive, and as Sabrina glanced at the rather outdated restaurant she'd picked, she felt a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, I think this place might not be the best. Should we switch to somewhere nicer?" she asked, trying to be polite.

"No need, really," Orion answered quickly. "We heard you've been living abroad, and it's already very kind of you to take on organizing the dinner. We're honored, truly-please don't stress over this."

Sabrina just nodded, offering no explanation.

She had been overseas for a bit-but honestly, the way Orion handled things? She couldn't out-politeness him even if she tried.

Once seated in the private room, they placed their orders. While they waited for the food, Orion pulled out two hefty contracts from a yellow file folder and handed one of them to Sabrina.

"Ms. Lionhart, please have a look at this contract. If there's anything you're unsure about, you can consult our legal team anytime."

Sabrina gave a short nod.

She didn't bother reading every word-just flipped through the pages fast. Almost at the end, she finally spotted the part she was looking for.

Yep, the price.

She glanced at it. It started with a five... but wait, not five bucks.

Sabrina rubbed her eyes and counted the zeros.

Seven.

Fifty million?!

Cedric actually offered fifty million for this collaboration?!

A cold shiver ran through her. It felt like getting slammed into a freezing pit.

So this was his way of saying no to her that night?

Offering a hundred times more-no, a hundred million times more-was his silent way of shutting down her asking to get back together?

Sabrina's shoulders slumped.

Simon, who noticed her face like she'd just been struck by lightning, leaned in for a look. Fifty million-he also sucked in a sharp breath.

Just fifty million?!

Was Gracewell kidding with this offer?

He mentally crunched the numbers-heck, Pama had offered more than this.

Were they seriously trying to lowball them?

Under the table, Simon gently patted Sabrina's hand, silently urging her to chill. "Orion..."

"One second!" the assistant, Orion, jumped like a deer in headlights.

Cedric had handed him the contract personally this morning, telling him not to open it until Sabrina arrived.

He hadn't thought much of it-maybe it was some top-secret file.

Didn't expect it to be the price that stirred up a mess.

Fifty million might be decent for a random patent, but for Twinkle...

This product's been blowing up in the market, with Pama even trading stocks for it. There's no way it's only worth fifty million. Not even close.

Maybe Cedric's too tired. Did he accidentally miss a zero?

Orion closed the folder, silently screaming in his head. Great. Finally got the legendary beauty expert to the table, and now there's a pricing mess.

"I'll call Mr. Strickland right away," Orion said, getting up in a panic. His chair scraped loudly against the floor in the rush.

The whole legal team tensed, sensing the scale of the blunder. Laptops popped open as they got ready to record Cedric's new instructions or Sabrina's demands.

"No need," said Sabrina suddenly.

Everyone froze.

Orion's finger stopped just short of the call button. He turned, stunned. "What?"

"I said don't bother. Let's just go with this." Sabrina held out her hand toward Simon. "Give me the pen."

Simon, who usually did whatever she asked, didn't move this time.

"I'll explain it to everyone in the lab with my own savings. No one's going to end up empty after these months," she said calmly.

Simon's face darkened like a storm cloud. She was serious. She'd even use her dowry to patch this up, and still push through with Gracewell...

She must've known from the start the deal wouldn't be ideal. Had she already planned this out?

Just who the hell was behind Gracewell?

"Pen," Sabrina pressed.

Simon took a few deep breaths, chest rising and falling. Finally, he gave in. He pulled a black pen from his briefcase and slapped it hard into her palm. Then he turned around, giving her the cold shoulder.

An obvious warning: He was pissed.

But he knew it wouldn't change anything.

She never cared about consequences.

Sabrina popped open the pen cap and swiftly signed her name on the current page. Then she looked up at the nearest lawyer and asked, "Anywhere else I need to sign?"The lawyer quickly caught on-since the signatures were already down, it didn't really matter why things happened the way they did.

In business, results were everything. He pointed out a few spots on the contract for Sabrina to sign, and once she was done scribbling her name, she stamped each one firmly.

With that, the future of Twinkle was officially sealed.

"Miss Lionhart..." Orion hesitated, unsure how to phrase what he wanted to say.

"Pass me that copy. You go sign this one," Sabrina replied, all business, not letting the hefty price tag show on her face even one bit.

She calmly took the other contract, signed every spot that needed her name, stamped every necessary area. After Orion followed suit, the deal was officially done.

Then came the usual pleasantries. Orion couldn't fully hide how bothered he was by the pricing, dropping multiple subtle hints to Sabrina that even though the contract was signed, if she had any requests down the road, they could still be considered.

Sabrina just smiled and nodded politely, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

At the dinner afterwards, the folks from Gracewell were clearly riding high.

Once they finally left, Simon couldn't hold it in anymore. "Why would you do this?! What even is Gracewell that it's worth throwing in your dowry for a damn deal like this?!"

And more than that-who the hell was the mystery man behind Gracewell?

He clearly hadn't let go of the "Mr. Strickland" that Orion had briefly mentioned.

"The reason behind it all? I don't owe you that explanation," Sabrina said calmly. "But yeah, I made this call on my own, and if it hurt the team, I'll take that responsibility."

Her dowry...?

Heh, what dowry?

The man she wanted to marry had already given her a slap in the face with the way he responded. What was the point of keeping that money?

She'd feel better giving it to her research team-sure, 100% reimbursement wasn't happening, but 80%?

Yeah... that could work.

"You don't owe me an explanation?" Simon's chest heaved again, just as he thought he'd cooled down. "What am I even to you?!"

Sabrina frowned, feeling her patience fading-dude's stepping way outta line.

She looked at Simon with a calm but sharp gaze. "You tell me."

Simon realized he'd gone too far in the heat of the moment. He knew Sabrina's rules-personal stuff never mixed with work at the lab.

No matter how chill she seemed normally, when work was involved, she was strict as hell. No gray areas.

Feeling a bit sheepish, he changed the subject. "Didn't you ask what I've been up to the past few days? I'll be honest-I went house hunting. My plan was, once your deal with Pama was signed, I'd use my bonus to buy it outright. And now..."

He slumped a little, muttering in defeat, "Now I can only afford the down payment."

He lowered his head, completely baffled how a guy like him-5'9'' tall-kept losing to a pocket-sized woman barely hitting 5'3''.

"Pfft!" Sabrina burst out laughing, the corners of her eyes crinkling. That one laugh seemed to drive off all the bitterness from earlier. "What, trying to buy a house and settle down already?"

Settle down, huh?

Simon didn't deny it.

Sabrina's smile shifted, a little mischievous. "Hey, we researchers are supposed to stay pure-minded, you know? Chase knowledge, not bank accounts. If all you think about is money while working in R&D, aren't you just a little too practical for this line of work?"

"I'm not listening I'm not listening I'm not listening-" Simon slapped both hands over his ears. Knew it, this was her favorite move.

She always spun things around, even when she was the one being totally unreasonable.

Sabrina laughed even harder, reaching over to swat his hands away. "Nope, you gotta listen to your teacher."