Sabrina had vanished.

For twenty-four hours, there was no sign of her. No calls. No messages. Nothing.

Monica was out of her mind with worry. She had tried every contact she had, with no luck.

The last place anyone had seen Sabrina was at the Maxon Group.

It was the only lead she had. So she drove straight there.

She stormed into the lobby and ignored the receptionist's protests, making a beeline for the executive floor. Without knocking, she shoved open the door to the CEO's office.

Cedric looked up from a tense meeting with his legal team, his expression hardening.

"Mr. Strickland," Monica said, breathless. "Where's Sabrina? What did you do to her?!"

Cedric blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Don't pretend you don't know. You said something awful to her, didn't you? And now she's gone!"

"I haven't seen her since that morning," he said calmly, though a flicker of unease passed through his eyes.

Monica softened slightly. "Please. She's not someone who can handle this kind of stress. If you know anything, if you even suspect something-tell me."

Cedric stared at her, reading the genuine panic on her face.

"I don't know where she is," he said at last. "But I'll find out."

Monica handed him her card. "If you hear anything, call me immediately."

With that, she turned and left.

Cedric looked down at the card. Monica Simpson. Neurology.

His brows furrowed. Why was Sabrina close with a neurologist?

That question quickly faded as a gnawing sense of dread settled in his chest.

He couldn't focus. Couldn't sit still.

He saw her pale face in his mind again and again-heard her voice, trembling with hope.

He stood up abruptly and grabbed his coat.

Downstairs, he stormed into the café near the building and demanded to see the security footage.

"Sir, I'm afraid we can't release footage without-"

"Then consider your café's lease terminated."

The manager paled. "Right this way, Mr. Strickland!"

The footage showed it all.

Sabrina, sitting alone. A man approached her. They talked. And then she left with him.

Cedric's blood ran cold.

He pulled out his phone. "Trace the license plate. Find out who that man is, where they went. I want answers ASAP."

He couldn't sit still. He paced the office like a caged beast, heart pounding.

He told himself this was just basic human decency.

That he'd do this for anyone.

But deep down, he knew that was a lie.

An hour later, a lead came in.

A warehouse. Abandoned. Outskirts of the city.

He didn't wait.

He drove like hell.

*****

At the same time-

Sabrina felt like she was on the verge of collapse.

She stumbled along a deserted stretch of road, arms clutched around her stomach that throbbed with pain. Sweat, cold and sticky, soaked through her clothes and chilled her skin with every gust of wind.

It'd been a whole day since she last ate. Her legs barely moved under her, and her head spun. But she couldn't afford to give up-not after clawing her way out of that awful warehouse. She had to keep walking, no matter what.

She never imagined the famous Pama Conglomerate would have someone this scummy under their name.

Fueled by anger, she didn't see the rock on the ground. Her foot caught, and bam-she went crashing to the hard concrete, scraping her arms and hands. The pain made her eyes well up.

She was exhausted. Lying there sounded kinda great...

Screech!

The sudden squeal of brakes tore through the silence.

"Sabrina!"

The screech of tires. A voice-low, panicked, familiar.

She flinched, curling into herself. "No... please... don't take me back..."

But the arms that scooped her up were warm.

Strong.

Safe.

Cedric.

He carried her like she weighed nothing, his heart racing at how cold and light she felt. Her skin was clammy. Her lips pale.

He rushed her into the car and cranked the heater.

As warmth returned to her body, her eyes fluttered open.

And when she saw him-really saw him-she broke.

The tears came fast and hard. Loud, ugly sobs tore from her chest.

That guy had dragged her to some abandoned warehouse and threatened her, saying if she didn't agree to work with the Pama Conglomerate and hand over Twinkle, he'd chop off her fingers - make sure she could never do research again.

Back then she'd crossed her legs, too terrified inside to breathe properly, but still forced herself to look calm and cocky. "Heh, I work with my brain, not my hands," she'd sneered. "Cut off my fingers all you want, I've still got thousands of formulas in my head ready to bury you."

He was so mad he turned pale on the spot.

Luckily, he chickened out in the end. Didn't lay a hand on her. Just locked her in the warehouse, came by once - probably to see if she'd offed herself - then bailed again.

Cedric had always been hopeless whenever she cried. The moment he saw those tears flooding her cheeks, his brain short-circuited. He reacted on instinct, fumbling for tissues, then awkwardly reaching forward to wipe her face...

But as soon as his hand got close, Sabrina - looking an absolute mess from crying - lunged into his arms without warning, clinging tightly around his waist like she never planned on letting go. So tight he could barely breathe.

Oddly enough, his first thought wasn't to push her off. In fact, he didn't mind if she held on even tighter.

Her wailing got louder, clearly a cover-up for her clinginess. And when he'd gone for tissues like a clueless deer, she almost choked on her rage.

Seriously, Cedric? Did he not realize a crying person doesn't want napkins - they need a damn hug!

He lowered the tissue in his hand, hesitated a moment, then patted her back gently, a bit stiff but trying.

Sabrina had thought he might shove her away. But no - he was actually comforting her?

See, she knew him so well. Classic cold-outside-warm-inside.

She even rubbed her cheek against his chest a little on purpose.

Man, was he built. Felt like pressed iron under that shirt. She was dying to find out if he had visible abs underneath...

"I've got a meeting soon, you better not get snot on my suit," he muttered.

She sniffled. "Don't worry. My snot isn't worthy."

He handed her a tissue without looking. "Buckle up. We're going to the hospital. After that, the police. You're reporting everything."

She slowly fastened her seatbelt. "You sound like a cop."

"I just don't want you getting into trouble again."

She didn't respond. After a few seconds, she asked quietly, "Did you really think I was trying to ruin your suit back there?"

He glanced at her. "Weren't you?"

"No," she whispered. "I just... wanted to hug you."

He didn't answer.

The car was silent.

Then she looked at him again, voice soft, as if pressing on a bruise.

"Why did you come for me?"

He didn't reply.

She smiled bitterly. "I thought you stopped caring whether I lived or died."

Sabrina's comment smashed the fragile peace like a rock through glass. The inside of the car went awkwardly quiet again.

Cedric's grip on the steering wheel tightened. His lips pressed into a flat line. He stayed silent.

That question-he'd been asking himself the same thing. Why did he freak out the moment he heard she'd gone missing?

Was it just instinct? Or was it... more?

He didn't want to dig into that.

Sabrina sneaked a few glances at the man beside her. He didn't say a word, sure, but at least he wasn't mad. That was something.

Whew. She was clearly jumping the gun. She'd barely been back two days and already wanted him to talk about getting back together? Chill, Sabrina. As the saying goes-rush things, and you'll end up burning your Cedric... or something like that.

Anyway, she needed to take it easy.

The rest of the drive was dead silent.

Cedric kept his eyes on the road. Sabrina, on the other hand, was laser-focused on inspecting the seat she was in-trying to sniff out if any traces of another woman had ever been here.

Being a developer meant her senses were sharp. Whether with her nose or her eyes-nothing escaped her.

If another woman had spent a lot of time in the passenger seat, there'd be something-perfume, a stray hair, anything.

Sabrina looked like a little curious pup, glancing left and right, all the while silently praying she wouldn't find evidence.

Eventually Cedric couldn't take it anymore. Her head kept turning like it was on a swivel.

"What are you looking for?"

"I was just..." She paused, realizing she got caught. Then she burst into a laugh to cover for herself. "Stretching my neck. Been on my phone too much lately-bad for posture."

Cedric didn't buy it for a second.

They cruised along the straight road heading toward the city hospital.

By the time she stepped out of the car, Sabrina hadn't found a single suspicious clue. That should've made her feel relieved, but on second thought, Cedric's whole cleanliness thing complicated things.

Like back in the day-when they were together, she'd try to leave cute little reminders of herself around him. Hoping to stake her claim a bit. But those sweet little decorations? Cedric would always take them down in, like, ten minutes flat.

Even worse, when she stayed over at his place and did what she thought was a low-key "this-is-my-man" roll all over his bed, he'd still catch her every time. He'd pick up every single strand of hair she left behind like a crime scene investigator. Said he didn't want his mom seeing anything and nagging him.

Back then, Sabrina already had a hunch-if Cedric ever cheated, he'd be the kind you'd never catch.

So now the question was-had no other girl ever sat here, or was the evidence just wiped so clean she could never tell?

Cedric locked the car and turned around, only to find Sabrina still standing there, her eyes practically glued to the front passenger window, wearing an expression that said, "Why is there no clue?!"

Coupled with her strange behavior in the ride, it wasn't hard to guess what was up.

"Yo, Cedric!"

A male voice suddenly cut through their thoughts.

Both Sabrina and Cedric turned at the same time.

It was a young doctor in a White.

"Look who's actually here for once. And who's this?" The guy eyed Sabrina curiously, then paused.

"Hmm... 'Woman' doesn't exactly fit," he seemed to mumble to himself.

The girl in front of him had shoulder-length hair, wild and unstyled. Her skin was ridiculously fair-like the kind only baby dolls had. A round face, cheeks soft and full like apples. She wore a basic long-sleeve top tucked into a knee-length skirt, with simple flats on her feet.

No matter how old she might be, calling her a woman just didn't feel right.

Sabrina held her breath, eyes twinkling with excitement.

Whoa, now that's a spicy question!

She was dying to see how Cedric would react.

But Cedric just looked cool as ever, like the question didn't even scratch the surface. He knew his buddy too well to get caught off guard.

White Coat didn't even wait for a reply, just launched into his own guesses: "She's your sister, right? Lemme think, is she the older one or the younger one?"

Anyone familiar with Cedric knew he had two sisters.

Sabrina's heart that was just bubbling with anticipation took a nosedive. Seriously? Sister? Are you kidding me?

"All right, she's a little banged up. Can you take care of it?" Cedric cut the nonsense and quickly explained what had happened so White could jump into doctor mode.

The moment White heard she'd been kidnapped, his usual joking attitude vanished. He immediately swung into action and started arranging scans-CTs and a head check, the works.

Sabrina panicked a little at the sound of that. "No need! I just hadn't eaten all day and then tripped on my way out. The guy didn't even touch me. Really, it's not that serious."

She thought Cedric had just brought her here to get a nurse to slap a bandage on her forehead and be done with it. That scrape wasn't that big of a deal. Who knew he'd be this... thorough.

Just as White was about to explain how even minor knocks could be serious, Cedric beat him to it with a firm, "No."

Sabrina shut up instantly. No more arguments.

White gave the two of them an odd look, his eyes clearly putting the dots together. Then a smug little smile tugged at his lips. "Ah, so not the sister then."

Because everyone knew Cedric's sisters acted like sworn enemies-they'd never just listen quietly the moment he said no. They loved pushing his buttons.

But this girl? The second Cedric said no, she zipped her lips and nodded. Yeah, not a sibling.

White suddenly felt a chill and turned around-Cedric was staring at him with that unreadable look. It wasn't even sharp, but it made his skin crawl nonetheless.

He immediately cut the chatter and said to Sabrina, "Come on, let's get these checks done."

Sabrina was too busy basking in Cedric's subtle 'concern' to hear that little whispered jab. When White said it was time, she just nodded and followed.

After all, she was back for one reason: to win him back. So naturally, she had to go with the flow.

After a whole round of tests, Sabrina came out clutching her stomach that felt like it was being twisted in knots. She practically had to lean on the wall to stay standing. One more minute without food and she'd literally pass out.

As soon as she stepped out-bam-she walked smack into a human wall.

It was solid. And warm.

She clutched her forehead and looked up-it was Cedric.

Sabrina quickly straightened up. Just because he was being nice didn't mean she could go overboard with the touching.

"Sit," Cedric said calmly, already making his way to a bench in the hallway like he was used to her crashing into people.

Sabrina obediently followed and sat down. Then she caught a whiff of something delicious in the air, and her stomach immediately responded like it had a mind of its own.

She followed the smell and saw that Cedric's pinkie was hooked around a plastic bag. Yep, that was definitely where the scent was coming from.

Cedric was speechless at the way Sabrina was eyeing the food like a starving stray, and couldn't help blaming himself a little-he'd been so focused on her injury that he forgot to feed her before bringing her in for a check-up.

"Eat something first, then we'll grab a proper meal later," he said, holding up the bottom of the plastic bowl as he handed her a greasy breakfast burrito, then opened the lid on the oatmeal.

Sabrina took it eagerly, didn't even bother with courtesy. She chomped down two big bites right away, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. Mouth full, she mumbled, "Why'd you buy this for me? You used to be all strict about it, never let me eat this stuff."

Cedric had always turned his nose up at street food.

At first, she'd chalked it up to rich-kid pickiness. Later, after he lectured her about food safety, she realized yeah, maybe those few-dollar snacks weren't exactly gourmet quality. Still, she kept eating them-because they're just too good.

Cedric's hand paused mid-stir in the oatmeal when she suddenly brought up the past. But seeing how happily she was eating, snapping bites off like they were the best thing she'd had in weeks, he figured she didn't mean anything by it.

"There wasn't anything else out there," he lied, eyes dropping to the oatmeal.

He knew full well there were tons of options-eggs, milk, dumplings, sandwiches... But she hated those. He could already imagine the way she'd wrinkle her nose. Thinking of how she was injured, he didn't even hesitate. He just stopped at the burrito cart and got her one.

"Oh," Sabrina responded, quickly polishing it off. Then without skipping a beat, she reached out and took the oatmeal from his hand, not even bothering with the spoon-just chugged it straight from the bowl.

Damn low blood sugar. It was like watching someone plug into a charger-only faster. She clearly wasn't looking to 'slow charge' either.

Cedric sighed quietly and gently held a napkin to her lips so she wouldn't mess up her clothes. "Slow down."

But she'd already drained it, cheeks full again like a frog. She gave her chest a pat to help swallow the last bit, then finally grinned. "So freaking good!"

Her eyes sparkled again. Her lips, reddened from the heat, looked like she was wearing lipstick, and the steam had turned her cheeks a rosy pink. She looked bright, full of life-like spring had just walked in.

Cedric got caught staring.

"Huh? What are you staring at? I'll throw this out!" she said, leaning toward him for a second. Not actually expecting an answer, she spotted the trash bag with the burrito wrapper in his hand and took it from him, darting off to the bin.

Cedric blinked and snapped out of it.

Watching her rush off, he thought, for someone in her twenties, she still had the energy of a teenager-like a walking firecracker.

Yeah... 'springtime' wasn't a bad way to put it.

What she'd eaten wasn't nearly enough to fill her up-just enough to fix that dizzy spell. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a whole day and night, after all.

So, after scarfing down that quick bite at the hospital, she tagged along behind him again, ready to go find real food.

They retraced their steps back to the entrance.

Outside, the hospital entrance was buzzing like a little street market. Every stall had steam rising off it, and a mash-up of food smells filled the air.

Sabrina's eyes widened. Wait a sec-there were tons of breakfast options here. burrito was tucked away in the corner. So why'd he say there wasn't anything else? Maybe he didn't even get it here.

Thank goodness, though. If he'd gotten any of those eggs or milk, she would've hated it.

On the way to the restaurant, Sabrina noticed Cedric's face suddenly turn gloomy after he took a call-like a storm was brewing. Her heart skipped a beat.

Yep, he hasn't changed. Still has that scary temper when he's pissed.

So, the second Cedric hung up, Sabrina quickly said in a thoughtful tone, "If you've got stuff to do, just go. I can eat by myself, no problem."

"It's fine." Cedric's voice was still icy cold, not softening one bit.

Sabrina gave him a sheepish grin. She clearly didn't want to burden him, but twisted her words to sound like she was annoyed: "Really. With your gloomy face hovering around, I'm pretty sure anything I eat's gonna taste like cardboard."

Cedric was caught off guard for a second, then adjusted his tone. When he spoke again, it was gentler. He didn't argue, just said, "I'll drop you off at the restaurant. Just be careful on your own."

"Deal!" Sabrina agreed without missing a beat.

Still, she felt a little bummed. Once they said goodbye, who knew when they'd meet again?

But then she remembered that cooperation email from Gracewell. That gave her a flicker of hope again.

After hopping out of the car, Sabrina flashed him a bright smile and waved as he drove off. Only when his car disappeared from view did she head inside.

Honestly, it made sense Cedric didn't join her. Even though he'd seen her at her worst, it had been years, and she kinda wanted to show him the more refined version of herself. She'd already failed that once at the hospital, and was hoping this dinner would be her redemption arc. Too bad he had stuff to handle.

No biggie. Eating well came first.

So she opened the menu and, with zero guilt, ordered everything high-cal, rich, and delicious-looking.

BBQ ribs, buffalo wings, a whole fried chicken-she didn't hold back. And she definitely didn't eat like a lady, either.

She had a fried drumstick in one hand and a messy rack of BBQ ribs in the other.

She didn't even look up as she scrolled through her phone, typing replies with her pinky rather than give up either piece of meat.

Most of the messages were work-related. Skincare brands kept asking about her availability for collaboration on the next research phase with Twinkle.

Sabrina ignored them all.

Then her apprentice dropped a message, saying Gracewell was desperate to set up a meeting-they'd sent more emails. She asked what Sabrina wanted to do.

Just as she held down the voice button to reply-

"Ahem."

A cough came from across the table.

Sabrina was sitting at a big round table. The waiter had originally arranged a table for two, but probably upgraded her spot because she'd ordered so much, and the plates were massive.

She looked up, confused about who had just cleared their throat-

And froze.

Her whole body stiffened.

The drumstick and ribs slipped from her hands and landed with a thud on the red tablecloth.

"Your friend's got quite the appetite, huh?" The young cop, holding a notepad under one arm, tried to put it nicely.

Cedric let out a small laugh, eyes flicking over her shocked face like he was enjoying the show. "Yeah... she really does."

Sabrina felt like she got struck by lightning.

So that's how she ended up with both Cedric and the officer sitting at her table.

"Don't be shy. Eat up." Sabrina forced a smile, stood, and pushed the dishes around to make them look more inviting, trying hard to act like everything was totally fine.

The young officer gave the dishes on the table a quick side glance-dang, every single one loaded with calories. He scratched his head awkwardly, "Uh, no thanks, you go ahead."

Sabrina gave a sheepish grin. "I don't usually eat like this, seriously. It's just... I was kidnapped, stuck for a whole day, scared and starving..."

She said it like she was talking to the officer, but let's be real-she had someone specific in mind she hoped heard that explanation.

The cop chuckled, clearly trying to be polite. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Except no, he totally didn't.

Honestly, he debated pointing out that most people who go through a kidnapping can't even touch food right after, let alone tear through half the menu. But he bit his tongue.

"You go ahead and eat, no need to be awkward around me. I'm just here to take down your statement. Kidnapping's a big deal. Just tell me everything you can remember," he said, clicking open his pen.

Sabrina took a second to shift gears, then began recounting what happened.

Of course, she left out that the kidnappers were from the Pama Conglomerate and also didn't mention she was a skincare expert.

Though the kidnapping sounded intense, her account was short. She didn't know the area and could only say she'd been taken to some really out-of-the-way shack. That's about all she could manage.

Ten minutes later, the statement was done. The young cop left, with Cedric walking him out.

When Cedric came back and sat beside her, Sabrina frowned. "Why'd you come back?"

Had she known he'd return, she wouldn't have ordered so much-maybe just some veggies and plain oatmeal to keep up a "frail victim" vibe.

"I suddenly remembered you didn't have your wallet," Cedric fibbed casually, sipping tea from the cup on the table.

Sabrina instinctively looked down at herself-yep, still wearing the same trashed outfit. Her little purse and phone were long gone on some countryside ditch. "Oh, shoot! You're right!"

She'd completely forgotten. How ridiculous was she, walking into a restaurant dead broke like all was fine? Then she looked over at Cedric, eyes lighting up like stars. With him around, she didn't need to sweat the small stuff.

What a great guy... too bad someone else had his heart.

Frustrated, she bit into a massive buffalo wing. Whatever. A man that wasn't hers-what's the point pretending to be the perfect damsel?

Cedric wasn't quite sure if she believed his wallet excuse.

The moment she got out of the car earlier, he had driven through two intersections, seconds ticking slow and heavy. His gut kept twisting-she'd just been kidnapped, she must've been beyond shaken. Yet when he got that call, she quietly stepped aside and told him to go do his thing.

He never told anyone this, but the thing that always got him wasn't her anger, or her drama-it was her being too understanding, too ready to back down.

Just like years ago-thinking he had someone else, she simply walked away without a word.

Before his brain could even finish processing whether to go back, his hands already had the wheel turned around.

And since he was heading back anyway, he swung by the station and asked an old friend to tag along, get her statement recorded properly.

The meal wasn't cheap, but she devoured it all-and only left scraps. They looked hefty, but hardly had any meat.

Sabrina rubbed her full belly, and while Cedric was signing the check, she piped up, "About the bill-should we swap numbers? Once I get a new card, I'll pay you back. This place looks affordable but actually it's pricey, see? Just look at this-tons of bones, barely any meat. Totally not worth it~"Cedric clicked the pen cap on and listened quietly to what she said.

A waiter nearby couldn't hold it in and quickly jumped in, "Madam, our BBQ ribs are always full and juicy-usually even a group of guys can't finish a plate. You're really the first one to complain about the portion."

Sabrina had no words.

Outside the restaurant, Cedric kept walking. Sabrina picked up her pace, then tried again-light, almost casual.

"Mind if I get your number? Just to pay you back, I mean."

"No need," Cedric said without looking back, walking a few steps ahead of her. His voice came from in front.

Sabrina stopped in her tracks, caught off guard by his rejection.

"If you get kidnapped, anyone would step in," Cedric added, still not turning around-almost like he was explaining it to himself more than to her.

Sabrina had a feeling she knew what was coming, and when she spoke again, her voice was trembling, tears threatening to spill, "Why do you always act like this!"

Seriously, was she not allowed to feel anything?

Cedric didn't respond.

But in that split second, he realized he'd messed up.

As they were walking out, he'd spotted an elderly man sitting near the entrance. The man's profile looked a lot like his grandmother's.

His mood flipped, just like that.

Cedric had been raised by his grandma. His parents were barely around when he was growing up-it was his grandma who shaped the way he saw the world, who instilled his values. That calm wisdom of hers-he admired it more than anything.

That bond? Runs bone-deep.

When he didn't say anything, Sabrina's eyes welled up even more. Wiping her cheeks with her sleeve, she choked out, "If you don't like me, then just let me go. Don't save me, don't take me to the hospital, don't come back halfway to have dinner with me, and then say something like anyone would've done the same!"

She felt ridiculous.

Like someone being toyed with-the kind of guy who makes it look like he cares on purpose, only to turn around and say it was all just friendly concern.

Cedric didn't know how to respond. He stood there frozen for a couple seconds. When he glanced up, he saw Monica striding toward them in heels.

Someone had arrived to be with her. That was enough reason for him to leave.

Sabrina saw him turn and walk off without saying a word. Furious, she shouted his name, "Cedric!"

But he didn't even glance back-just got in his car and drove away.

She instinctively wanted to run after him, but a hand suddenly pulled her back. She turned, breath hitching, and saw it was Monica, nearly out of breath.

Seeing someone like a big sister right in front of her, Sabrina couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears came instantly. "Monica..."

"Don't go running after him like that-come on, some dignity," Monica scolded, then wrapped an arm around her. "You scared me to death. Why didn't you call me when you got back?"

It was Cedric who had contacted her, saying Sabrina was at this restaurant. She rushed right over-still couldn't figure out what Cedric had said or done to upset her again.

"Wuuuugh..." Sabrina sobbed.

Partly because of how cold Cedric had been, but also because the reality of the kidnapping was finally hitting her. Her emotions always took their time-it was only after the fact that things started to scare her.

Monica gently stroked the back of her head, letting Sabrina cry on her shoulder.

After crying a bit, Sabrina calmed down. Between sniffles, she told Monica everything-how she was saved, got checked out, how Cedric had left but came back to eat with her.

Because deep down, she wanted Monica to say it meant something-anything. That Cedric cared about her. Not just because it was the "decent thing to do."