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."

A black sedan had been idling by the roadside for quite a while without moving.

After getting called into the car, Orion looked completely lost and confused. He couldn't help asking when he noticed the man in the driver's seat staring blankly in one direction, "Mr. Strickland, since you're already here... why not just go in?"

Honestly, when Sabrina first asked him about it, he almost had a heart attack-he thought she'd felt snubbed by Gracewell. But to his shock, everything went more smoothly than expected. Way too smoothly.

"Who was that guy?" Cedric finally pulled his gaze away just as Sabrina and the young man laughed their way into a cab.

"That's Ms. Lionhart's apprentice. Last name Morris," Orion answered honestly, then added, "Honestly, I always imagined a beauty expert would be in her forties or fifties, and probably hard to please given how she skips all events. But seeing her today really shattered that stereotype."

Turns out the real skincare genius? Young, stunning, and radiating energy.

A prodigy if there ever was one.

Cedric didn't catch the rest of Orion's rambling. His mind had gotten hung up on one word-apprentice.

An apprentice? Now that's something.

"Everything go smoothly?" Cedric asked.

"Super smooth!" Orion straightened up, visibly trying to contain his excitement. "At first I freaked out when I saw the numbers-thought Ms. Lionhart would totally flip. I was just about to call you, but then she looked right at it and just went, 'Okay,' grabbed the pen and signed like it was no big deal. Honestly, if Pama got wind of these terms... they might have an aneurysm."

Cedric gave a nod. "Got it. You can get out now."

Click-the car doors unlocked.

With a huge grin still frozen on his face, Orion blinked at the sudden dismissal, quickly wiped off the smile and hopped out without a fuss.

*****

Sure, Twinkle's deal was signed, but Sabrina knew the real game had just begun.

From now on, she'd be working closely with Gracewell's folks. She had no clue what their R&D team was like-if they'd be chill or a pain to deal with.

New environments always made her nervous, but having Simon by her side helped ease that tension a little.

As her apprentice, it should be fine bringing him into the R&D zone.

Right then, Simon was kneeling by the coffee table, peering through a magnifying glass he'd dug up from who-knows-where, meticulously reading every line of the contract.

Sabrina, annoyed, tore open a bag of chips with a loud rip, grabbed a handful and stuffed them into her mouth. "I already signed it. Even if it's a trap, too late to back out now."

"I just wanna check and see if Gracewell actually had the guts to try and lock down Twinkle forever for fifty million," Simon muttered, frustrated.

He hadn't had time to review it earlier-he'd caught something in Sabrina's eyes that had thrown him off.

In his mind, she had always been that carefree, light-hearted type; full of color, never weighed down.

Sure, her family history was messy, but Lynne adored her, and she had someone basically like a sister in Monica. The whole R&D crew had the emotional range of a golden retriever-easy to get along with.

So what did she have to worry about?

And yet, when she signed that contract... for the first time, he caught something different under that always-sunny exterior. Something quiet and hidden.

Turns out, just because a feeling is buried doesn't mean it isn't there.

Sabrina said nothing, just kept munching on chips while letting him comb through the papers.

After skimming through the whole thing, Simon finally stopped muttering to himself. He let out a reluctant grunt and admitted, "Well, at least the guy's not stingy-it's fifty million just for a one-year license to use Twinkle."

"One year?" Sabrina almost shouted.

Developing a new product line could take who knows how long-three, five, even seven months was totally normal. And that's without accounting for testing phases and the actual launch. By the time all that's done, a year could be over in a blink.

Did Cedric really understand how limited this licensing period was? Once that year was up, it didn't matter if the product was out for just a day-without a renewal, it'd all be pulled off the shelves.

Did he seriously trust her that much?

"Yeah, it's written in black and white. One year. Not exactly a loss for us. Sabrina, you can hold onto that dowry of yours. I'll talk to the folks in the lab for you," Simon said as he closed the contract, fiddling with a pen held between his lips and nose.

"Wait a minute, why do you sound like you've seen a lot of contracts before?" Sabrina asked, genuinely puzzled.

She could read all the legal jargon, sure, but once the words came together, it just felt like a maze. She had a legal team for stuff like this, honestly. But Simon? He'd breezed through that thick contract and zeroed in on the key points like it was second nature.

"I, uh..." Simon put the pen down and shuffled toward the door. Some questions were better avoided. "I've gotta bounce, Master. If Gracewell calls and wants you on set, just text me. Later!" he said, already halfway out.

Sabrina rolled her eyes.

*****

Gracewell hadn't even pressed Sabrina to start working yet. She was the one who kept calling to follow up, only to get told every time to just rest for now.

And it was driving her nuts. A one-year license, and three days had already ticked by since they signed... Gracewell wasn't in a rush at all.

But her worrying wasn't helping anything. She didn't even have Cedric's contact info. No way to press him for answers. Since he didn't seem to be in a hurry, fine-she'd take it easy too.

Another day passed.

One of her friends who's big on charity invited her to an event at a senior center. The idea was to bring some joy to the elderly, and since she worked in skincare, Sabrina could show them how to whip up basic moisturizers. It was almost winter-dry skin season.

It sounded like a great cause, and she said yes on the spot. They set a time.

She didn't tell Simon about it-he'd been acting all mysterious lately. Every time she called, she'd catch someone in the background talking about real estate. Seriously, was he still stuck on house hunting?

She didn't bother digging into it.

Dragging a toolkit packed with ingredients and supplies, Sabrina caught a cab to the senior center.

Standing at the entrance, her eyes landed on the plaques hanging on both sides. It hit her just then-this wasn't a regular retirement home.

To be precise, it was a care facility for Alzheimer's patients.

It even had a less formal nickname: "The Memory Village."

Plainly put, it was a dementia ward-part recovery center, part research institute.

Sabrina hadn't even stepped inside when a strange ache tugged at her chest.

She'd never encountered this illness firsthand, but had seen it on TV enough to get the gist.

"Sabrina!" a familiar voice called out from inside.

Sabrina saw her friend step out from the nursing home in a fitted skirt, swiping her access card and walking over. She pushed back the sour feeling in her chest and greeted her with a smile, "It's been a long time."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm like a headless chicken these days-three events all lined up today. Just stopping here for a bit before I rush off again. You'll be okay by yourself, right?" Her friend led her inside.

"Totally fine, just tell me if there's anything I need to keep in mind." Sabrina clutched her case with both hands, looking all serious like a kid heading to school.

"It's really nothing major-just the memory stuff, or rather, the serious lack of it. You'd better be ready to answer the same question a dozen times. Like just now, this old guy grabbed me and kept asking for my name. I must've told him like seventeen or eighteen times. Almost lost it."

Her friend added with a grin, "Oh right, about your skincare stuff-don't bother teaching them how to make it. Just do one batch yourself, portion it up, and hand it out. They won't remember the steps anyway. Might even forget what it's for after five minutes."

Sabrina found herself oddly annoyed.

Maybe it was because she wasn't great with memory herself, so she couldn't help feeling a bit for the folks inside.

Memory loss from organ decline or illness... that's no joke.

But she bit her tongue-no point souring a reunion over this.

Her friend seemed to catch on. "You're still just as soft-hearted, huh? One sentence in and you're already emotional? But seriously, be careful. All the people living here? Rich and powerful types. You gotta watch what you say. Sometimes they're surprisingly lucid, and if you say the wrong thing, you don't want to get reported. But you? I trust you. You've always been good with people."

Sabrina nodded. "Got it."

After a few more steps, her friend introduced her to one of the nurses and left. Sabrina followed the nurse along a stone path toward the back of the building, the sound of chatter slowly growing louder.

"No need to be nervous," the nurse said gently. "Just think of them as a bunch of mischievous kids. I mean, toddlers don't remember much either, right? Until their brains grow. It's kinda similar."

"Don't worry, I'm good," Sabrina replied.

They walked past a wall, and finally, the scene opened up before her.

Around twenty seniors, both men and women, about the same age, most staring off blankly in their foldable plastic chairs. Only a handful showed any real expression-

And even those expressions moved in slow motion, way behind what you'd call normal.

Sabrina had never met people like this before, and all at once, it felt overwhelming. Seeing it on TV just didn't compare. Her lips pressed together slightly as she stepped forward.

Around the area were nurses and a few others dressed normally-probably family members of the residents.

The place was buzzing with noise and activity.

She reached the long table, set down her toolbox, ready to introduce herself-but then her eyes landed on one of the elders sitting across two chairs. And that face was unmistakably familiar.

"Grandpa Strickland!" she gasped, abandoning her kit and rushing straight toward the man in the crowd.