Two days later.

After partying a bit too hard, Sabrina finally dragged herself out of vacation mode and tried to switch into work gear. But before diving into any new projects, she needed to handle one very important task first: handing over the Twinkle to Gracewell Skincare Group.

She had been having too much fun lately and totally forgot about it.

Staring at her inbox flooded with hundreds of unread emails, she skimmed through them. Gracewell had sent her at least ten follow-ups-it was obvious they were eager to meet.

Pama Conglomerate ran a close second, their emails were more polished and full of tempting offers. But just reading "Pama" made her stomach churn.

Sabrina sighed and lightly smacked her forehead. She had meant to respond to their first email ages ago, but then Lynne dragged her off to have fun and... it slipped her mind completely.

She clicked open one of Gracewell's emails and was about to type out a polite reply when her phone suddenly rang.

Unknown number.

She stared at the screen for a few seconds. No spam warning popping up. With a shrug, she picked it up and swiped to answer. Before she could even say hello, a steady, deep voice came through the speaker.

"Hello, madam, this is Cedric Strickland, Executive Director at Gracewell Skincare Group..."

Boom.

It was like a lightning storm exploded in her brain.

Cedric?!

How did he even get her number?!

Sabrina jumped up from the floor like she'd sat on a hot pan, bouncing and pacing nervously. But her mouth refused to form a single word.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" Cedric's voice sounded polite and calm on the other end.

Sabrina took two deep breaths. If air had shape, she was sure her nostrils were flaring like a angry bull's right now.

She opened her mouth, ready to say "Yes, I can hear you." But right before the words left her lips, a weird thought hit her-if she spoke in her real voice, Cedric might hang up on her on the spot.

Thinking back to that awkward, cold stand-off outside the restaurant... remembering how cold and distant he had been... Sabrina, just to be safe, grabbed a cushion from the sofa, pressed it to her face and replied in a small voice, "Hello."

"Hi. I was wondering if tomorrow works for you to meet? If not, we can reschedule. Totally up to you-I'll adjust to your timing."

Cedric's tone was calm, almost robotic.

But Sabrina knew how to read between the lines. A sentence like "I'll adjust to your timing" meant Gracewell was on the back foot. Otherwise, someone with Cedric's pride wouldn't say something that accommodating.

Sabrina actually felt a tiny twinge of pity for him. "Tomorrow's fine," she said.

"...Okay, see you then."

Cedric sounded like he wasn't sure he had just landed a meeting with the legendary beauty expert. He paused before confirming it.

Sabrina didn't say anything else and ended the call.

She collapsed back onto the couch, arms flopping out, and the cushion dropped to the floor. Staring blankly at the ceiling, the pity she'd briefly felt for Cedric quickly switched to feeling sorry for herself.

Seriously, it was his company asking for help-so why did she feel like she was the one begging to be helpful?

Groaning, she covered her face with her hands. Whatever, they were meeting tomorrow. Time to slap on a face mask and get herself looking perfect before she saw him again.

*****

Meanwhile...Gracewell Skincare Group CEO's office.

Even though the call had ended several seconds ago, Cedric was still holding his phone, staring at the screen like something was off and he couldn't put his finger on it.

His assistant Orion peeked at him cautiously, clearly freaking out inside. "Mr. Strickland? Did... did she agree to meet?" he asked carefully.

Right after asking, Orion gulped nervously, unsure whether to brace for disappointment or get excited. But judging by the way Cedric looked like his soul just left his body, it probably didn't go well. Maybe that famous beauty expert totally shut him down.

Orion sighed to himself, "Honestly, wouldn't be surprising if she turned you down. She's super mysterious. We barely know anything about her except that she's a woman. And she's so low-key! Every award she's ever won, no one's seen her show up to take it. Even with Twinkle-it's always someone else receiving on her behalf."

"Maybe Pama got to her already. I did hear they're offering her company shares to seal the deal. Makes sense, their best-selling product just got called out-turns out the ingredients are barely better than drugstore stuff, but they've been charging four grand a jar! Sales tanked, and now they need something solid to save the brand."

Orion spilled everything he knew in one breath.

Cedric processed his assistant's minor intel dump, and for the first time had a clearer picture of Pama's strategy. Business was tough across the board-it didn't matter the sector, competition was cutthroat everywhere.

Which only made him more determined not to let Pama win this round.

If he couldn't lead Gracewell to a breakthrough, he sure as hell wouldn't let someone else use him as a stepping stone to climb higher.

Standing beside him, Orion was visibly awestruck by the sudden intensity radiating off his boss. He looked up, eyes wide. "Wait, Mr. Strickland... you mean, she said yes?"

"She did. Tonight, prep the contract and all the relevant materials. And run an updated valuation on our shares. If it comes to it, we'll offer equity, too," Cedric said without hesitation.

He didn't completely get what made this Twinkle product so special, but if Pama was willing to give up shares over it, he wasn't about to play small.

Sometimes breaking into a new field isn't as hard as it seems. In business, what matters most... is profit.

Orion's eyes lit up, spine straightening. "Got it!"

*****

The next day.

Sabrina wore a simple white dress-less of her usual sass, more polish and poise. Her black leather handbag completed the look, borrowed from Monica. Word was, it cost a fortune and was oozing feminine charm.

The restaurant Cedric picked was no joke-Auburn Dining, an upscale spot with serious history. It's said even visiting officials dined there during field inspections.

Just before heading out, Sabrina felt a flicker of nerves. She had no clue how Cedric would react when he realized the beauty expert he'd been dying to meet was actually her. Judging by how warm and hopeful he'd seemed at first and how it shifted after they'd started interacting... yeah, the guy might hate her more than she thought.

Still, she figured he was a grown man now. Surely he wouldn't risk company interests just to hold a grudge... right? After all, they say when someone accepts your gift, they owe you a favor. And if he took what she brought him today, she doubted he'd still be able to act high and mighty around her later.

Thinking that, Sabrina smirked to herself, feeling confident again.

She didn't tell Monica or her mother-luckily, neither of them were home at that time. Sabrina quietly slipped out and arrived at the restaurant a solid thirty minutes before Cedric's set time.

She got the private room first-talking business always needed a bit of peace and quiet. Plus, if Cedric came alone, a guy and a girl chatting behind closed doors was a bit... well, dodgy. Just saying.

The room had this classy Eastern vibe going on-totally matched the restaurant's name. The huge, sweeping landscape paintings were seriously stunning. After settling in, Sabrina pulled out her phone and dropped Cedric a quick message with the room number.

He replied right away, said he'd just arrived downstairs, wanted to prep a bit early, but clearly, she beat him to it.

Sabrina kept it chill and texted back that she had the same idea.

Phone down, she took a deep breath, glanced at her long dress and smoothed it out one more time. Still not satisfied, she clicked over to the glass wall nearby and used the faint reflection to fix her hair. Once all that was sorted, she returned to her seat.

Fingers laced on the table, she took in every detail of the room's decor and couldn't help getting a bit emotional. Who would've thought she'd ever face Cedric like this, not fighting but possibly working together?

A few minutes later, a knock came at the door. Sabrina stood up instantly, eyes on the entrance.

Cedric came in, nodded politely to the server who opened the door. His assistant, Orion, was right behind, holding a sleek black binder under his arm-the kind filled with documents worth more than gold. If they managed to seal this deal, this skincare line would be Gracewell's crown jewel for years.

Cedric walked in steady and cool.

He wore a navy blue suit-less stiff than black, gave off a tidier, laid-back vibe. Sabrina once said when he wore black, he gave off serious "don't mess with me" energy. Since this was a first meeting, he probably didn't want to come on too strong.

But the moment he came around the divider and saw who was standing beside the table, he completely froze.

Orion didn't react fast enough and almost crashed into Cedric's back. He gasped inwardly, then quickly stepped back.

"You're here! Come on, have a seat." Sabrina put on her best host smile and brushed past Cedric's cold aura, pretending everything was fine.

Cedric stayed rooted where he was, eyes locked on Sabrina, scanning her like he was trying to figure out if it was really her-or maybe someone who just looked exactly the same. Was the legendary skincare expert... actually Sabrina?

Cedric didn't move, so of course Orion stood still too. The tension in the room was instantly off the charts.

The smile on Sabrina's face started to stiffen awkwardly. If Cedric kept standing there like that, she really had no idea how to play this.

It wouldn't be a big deal if it were just the two of them, but now that someone else was in the mix, she didn't want this blowing up into something dramatic.

Cedric finally broke eye contact, though his expression said it all. This was no mix-up. The skincare expert was indeed Sabrina.

And suddenly, it felt like someone had played a cruel joke on him.

Thinking back to all those emails Gracewell had sent begging for this partnership-emails that now felt like they'd slapped him square across the face-made his blood boil.

This brand was his grandma's lifework. And here he was, practically kowtowing to the one person he never wanted to bow to...

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

"Let's go," he said, then turned around and walked out. Just like that. No hesitation.

"Huh? Mr. Strickland?" Orion blinked, thinking he must've misheard.

People had been dying for a meeting with this skincare pro, and Cedric? One call, and she showed up? That alone was brag-worthy for a year. But now he'd leave before even saying a word?

"Cedric!" Sabrina panicked and bolted after him. He was walking, but she ran-and caught up in seconds. Grabbing the hem of his jacket on impulse, she shouted, "Why are you doing this?!"

Does he really hate her that much?

He'd rather ignore her requests and watch his own company suffer?

Sabrina knew the hole Pama Conglomerate was in right now. She knew how badly they needed Twinkle. If this deal went through, it'd be a major hit to Gracewell.

And yet Cedric would rather let Pama fall apart than even talk to her?

She didn't leave because of some huge scandal. She hadn't done anything close to criminal. Just walked away when she'd hit rock bottom.

Was that really unforgivable?

"Why would I bother?" Cedric let out a mocking scoff, like her question was a joke.

He turned sharply, and her hand brushed off the hem of his coat.

"Maybe the better question is-why did you come back?" His voice was low, clenched, heavy with restraint-like he was one second away from snapping.

"I..." Sabrina froze, stunned by how furious and on edge he looked.

Something about the whole thing felt wrong. Off in a way that made her skin crawl.

This wasn't how he was supposed to react. None of this was how she expected.

"I know Pama's been in touch. From a business point of view, it makes sense-so why didn't you work with them?" Cedric had been confused himself. Pama had prestige, better offers, everything. And yet the beauty expert turned them down.

Was it pride? Or...

In that moment, something clicked for him.

A horrible, ugly possibility flashed through his mind.

His hands clenched tightly by his sides. He leaned in, voice barely above a whisper, like it took everything in him just to keep it together.

"Or do you think a life is something you can pay off with a lucrative deal? Is that the trade, Miss Lionhart?"

He kept pushing, each word sharper than the last.

"I kill someone close to you, then turn around and offer you a deal worth millions-would you take it?"

With Maxon Group's power, they could totally swing something like that. The only question was-would Sabrina agree?

She stood there, pale, her mouth open, but no sound came out.

Because all she could see written all over Cedric's face... was hate.

A life. What life was he talking about?

She wanted to ask, but Cedric didn't give her the chance. He turned and stormed out.

The second he was gone, it was like the air dropped out of the room.

Sabrina crumpled to the floor.

Completely drained.

What just happened?

Why couldn't she figure out what he meant? Why did it feel like there was a gaping hole in her memory?

The thought hit her hard.

She grabbed at her head, panic overtaking her. The fear of forgetting something important-it clawed at her, making her chest feel tight, like she couldn't breathe.

This wasn't the first time either. The way Margaret talked to her-full of hatred and a kind of disgust-accusing her of being cold-blooded, calling her a murderer...

What had she done?

"Madam? Are you okay?" The waitress by the door had been watching the whole thing, and now hurried over, clearly worried. Sabrina still hadn't stood up.

"I..." Sabrina looked up, brow furrowed, pain flickering in her eyes.

Something was deeply wrong. She felt it.

But how could she explain it?

No head trauma, no accident-and yet the terrifying realization that she was missing pieces of her past slammed into her like a freight train.

She was fully conscious, totally aware.

And somehow, she couldn't remember.

She knew deep down that certain things had actually happened, yet her mind was a complete blank. In fact, she couldn't even tell what was real anymore-whether something had truly occurred or was just something she imagined.

At first, she thought maybe she was just forgetful. But when things got worse, she brought it up with her mom.

Lynne took her to the hospital, and they went to a bunch of departments. Everyone had their own opinion, and after getting referred around, she finally ended up at neurology. That's how she met Monica.

She didn't really get what "neurology" meant, but just hearing the word made her feel uneasy.

Monica explained that the brain's all about nerves and since it's part of the body, that falls under neurology. She told her not to stress-it was nothing major. Kind of like a fibroadenoma in the chest: sounds scary, but totally harmless.

"Madam, do you want me to call an ambulance for you?" the waiter asked kindly, noticing how pale she looked.

Sabrina shook her head and slowly stood up, unsteady on her feet. "No, it's fine... really, thank you."

"You're welcome, take care." The waiter couldn't help but remind her gently as she started to leave.

"Thanks." Sabrina leaned against the wall as she walked out of Auburn Dining. The chilly, dry wind hit her face the second she stepped outside, clearing her head just a little.

This wasn't right. Monica had told her-her emotional state mattered the most. She needed to stay in a good mood.

She lifted her hand and wiped at her eyes, forcing the tears back. Wiping tears was easy. Feeling happy-that was the hard part.

In a daze, she made her way to the curb and flagged down a cab, giving the address to Monica's clinic.

*****

At that moment, Monica was taking a short break from back-to-back patients, finally getting a sip of water and chatting gossip with the front desk nurse. She'd just set down her cup and was about to head back when she caught sight of someone stepping inside the clinic, looking totally out of it.

Monica froze. Everyone knew Sabrina avoided this place like the plague-said the clinic constantly reminded her she might have something wrong neurologically, and that made it hard to feel okay.

But now? She came here voluntarily?

"Sabrina!" Monica clicked across the floor in heels, quickly making her way over. She bent down a little to meet Sabrina's eyes and saw her pale, spiritless face-completely unlike her usual upbeat self. Monica's heart sank. Her voice softened instinctively, with a gentle warmth: "What's going on?"

"I..."

"Dr. Simpson, the patient in Room 3 is freaking out, says you've been gone too long," a nurse's voice cut in at the same moment.

Sabrina realized she was interfering with Monica's work and quickly said, "I'm fine, really. Go ahead and see your patient. I'll just wait here."

"Sabrina, I heard there's a new strawberry drink at the Starbucks downstairs. Go grab one while I finish up, okay? I'll be down in a minute." Monica kept her tone light and coaxing.

Apparently, the nurse didn't think Monica heard and stepped closer. "Dr. Simpson, the patient's really mad. They said you've been drinking water forever."

Monica's smile dropped like a stone. Without a beat, she turned around and snapped, "I'll do whatever the hell I want! If they're that impatient, they can go somewhere else. I told management a thousand times-I don't deal with people who've got explosive tempers. Tell him to leave!"

The nurse flinched, caught off guard by the outburst.

But the other nurses barely looked up. Honestly, anyone who'd worked here long enough knew-Sabrina was basically a VIP. Whenever she showed up, Monica, who usually carried herself like some beauty queen, would switch modes and turn into her biggest cheerleader-ready to do anything just to keep her in good spirits.

So naturally, the two of them ended up heading downstairs together for that strawberry drink at Starbucks.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Sabrina's attention quickly shifted thanks to Dr. Simpson's chill attitude-less sadness now, more curiosity.

"Why wouldn't it?" Monica casually flipped her hair, looking effortlessly stunning. "He was never my patient anyway. I already told him to transfer hospitals-he wouldn't listen, so I had to be a bit tough with him."

"So, what is your specialty then?" Sabrina asked cautiously, her tone probing but tentative.

"I specialize in..." Monica paused just long enough to tease, letting Sabrina think she'd finally gotten a straight answer-then playfully tapped her on the head. "People like you. Scatterbrained but surprisingly sensitive. Forget a few things and start thinking it's the end of the world."

Sabrina smiled quietly. "You saw through me again."

She'd tried to fish answers out of Monica many times over the years. Any decent doctor should be clear about their field, and if she could just figure that out, maybe she'd finally know what was really happening with her own health.

But Monica was just as much of a riddle-neither her online bios nor her private clinic listings ever mentioned a specific specialty. Even her business card was vague: just the clinic's name, 'Neurology,' and a tiny dot... then 'Monica Simpson.'

Monica liked to say she'd become successful by being herself-drawing in patients with her name, not flaunting some flashy title.

"So, Sabrina, did something happen?" Monica asked like she was just gossiping over lunch.

Sabrina's smile faded, the weight from earlier creeping back onto her face.

They were already downstairs at the café. Monica didn't press her-just let Sabrina pick a seat while she went to the counter and came back with two strawberry drinks. Seeing that Sabrina was still down, Monica threw in a slice of chocolate cake, hoping it might lift her mood a bit.

She set the tray down and sat across from Sabrina, who took a sip of the drink. The sweet and tangy taste cut through her sadness like a reset button. Holding the cup in both hands, Sabrina looked up and pleaded, "Monica, can we keep this between us? Please don't tell my mom I came here today."

Every time Lynne even heard about Sabrina's condition, she'd get super upset. She might try to hide it, but Sabrina could tell-it always got to her.

"Sure thing." Monica sipped her drink like it was no big deal.

There's this saying-if you don't want a moment to feel all heavy and serious, you have to be the first to act like it's no big deal. That's the vibe Monica always gave off-completely unfazed.

"Monica, be honest with me. Did I forget something... really, really important?" Sabrina asked softly, her gaze lowering to the table.

"Like what?" Monica remembered what Lynne had told her, straightened her back, and set down her drink, her tone more serious this time. "Before I answer, you need to tell me what made you come here and ask me that out of the blue."

"It's not a big deal," Sabrina mumbled, not mentioning Cedric or Margaret. "Just... two people said something that made me feel like I've forgotten something-something big. And when they looked at me, it wasn't just anger. It was more like... they were really hurt. And it made me think-maybe I did do something bad to them."

Her voice got quieter near the end. That feeling-it wasn't something she could easily shake off.

She meant every word of it too. Sure, Cedric and Margaret were angry when they talked to her-furious, even-but deep down in their eyes, buried under all that anger, was sorrow.

That... that's the part that haunted her most.

Monica nodded. Between the two of them, one was definitely Cedric. As for the other, didn't matter much.

"So, what exactly did they say?" Monica shifted a bit, arms folded casually. "Come on, Sabrina, we don't keep secrets, do we? Like your first time with Cedric..."

"Pfft-!" Sabrina had just taken a sip of her drink when Monica's blunt words made her nearly choke. She quickly grabbed a tissue, dabbing at her mouth.

Their first time-hers and Cedric's.

Oh God. Just those three words and scenes from that day flashed through her head like a steamy, 3-million-word fic.

Monica looked totally innocent. "Why so dramatic? I meant your first time holding hands with him. Didn't you tell me about that? After class one day-you faked a dizzy spell and grabbed his hand, remember?"

Yep, Sabrina had totally overthought it. She cleared her throat and came clean. "They were talking about life... like, as in human life, I think. Their expressions were... weird. Monica, be real with me, am I in trouble? Did I do something I shouldn't have...?"

Her voice wavered by the end.

This was no joke. When it came to stuff like life and death, it hit different.

Even Monica felt her heart skip. Thinking back on what Lynne had said that night... yeah, this could be way more serious than she'd thought.

Otherwise, why would a mother who always wanted her daughter happy suddenly try to stop her from liking someone she liked so much?

But now wasn't the time to spiral into guesses.

"Sabrina." Monica sighed, slipping into lecture mode.

"Hmm?" Sabrina looked up, confused.

"You always doubt yourself. And me. It's kinda hard to stay close friends like this." Monica shook her head, playing the victim. "You asking me this stuff now makes me feel like you've never really trusted me at all."

"I didn't mean it like that." Sabrina immediately denied it.

She really didn't. It was just that Cedric and Margaret both mentioned it, and it felt off, so she needed to know.

"But if that were true, your first reaction should've been, 'I definitely didn't mess up,' right? Not running to me like I'm hiding something." Monica's wounded tone didn't let up.

She had that natural charming vibe, and with her history of dealing with men, she knew exactly how to pull off that "hurt and betrayed" look.

With guys, that move was lethal. For a softie like Sabrina, it was game over.

Sure enough, seeing Monica all bummed out because of her, Sabrina caved. Guilt surged, and she just apologized. "I'm sorry."

Monica had a point.

"Sabrina," Monica added while she had the open lane, "I know deep down you always think you're seriously sick, but come on-these days, being 100% fine is the real abnormal. Headaches, tummy issues, backache-they all count as something. So why freak out just 'cause your memory's a little worse than others?"

Sabrina lowered her head."I swear to you as a professional doctor, your memory is just a teeny bit worse than average. Like, the size of a third of your pinky nail. So seriously, don't beat yourself up. Besides, based on the evaluations I did for you, you've never forgotten anything major. I mean, you even remember your first time with Cedric perfectly. What could be more important than that, right?"

Monica raised an eyebrow, her tone turning a little cheeky.

Sabrina kept nodding along with what Monica said, but that last part? Nope, she wasn't owning up to that. "It was just holding hands, nothing big."

To her, just about anything else would be more significant.

"Come on, Sabrina," Monica corrected with a smirk, "I was talking about your first night with Cedric. You mentioned that spot on the inside of his thigh..."

"Okay, cut it out!"

Sabrina shouted, her face going bright red like a cooked crab.

Weird thing was, amidst all this ridiculous talk, her gloomy mood had quietly lifted.

Maybe she really needed to learn from Monica-learn how to stop doubting herself all the time. So what if she forgot stuff? It wasn't a personality flaw, just a small glitch in the hardware. And forgetting things didn't mean hurting others was her fault.

She got up and gave Monica a big hug, rubbing her cheek affectionately against her shoulder. "You're my favorite, Monica."

Monica curled her lips into a playful grin. "Ooh, hope Lynne didn't hear that."

*****

So that conversation was officially over. For the next few days, Sabrina stayed holed up at home and didn't step outside. Her mom, Lynne, still had no idea she'd gone off the rails the other day and visited Monica's clinic, which meant Monica had actually kept her word. Sabrina finally felt like she could breathe.

"How long are you planning to crash here?" Lynne asked one afternoon while lounging on the couch with a face mask on and munching cucumber slices.

"I'm not ready to go back yet," Sabrina replied.

"Hey, I'm not asking you to fly back right now. Just think ahead a little, okay? Or did you forget you still have that lab team? You finished 'Twinkle' ages ago and haven't done much since. You're still holding onto the rights, right? You may be fine financially, but those researchers? They've got bills to pay too," Lynne reminded her.

Honestly, her real purpose was to subtly nudge her daughter to pack up and leave. She'd had this vague sense of unease for days now, like something bad might happen, and she didn't like it.

But since Sabrina immediately said she didn't feel like going back, she didn't want to push it.

"Yeah, I know," Sabrina said, eyes downcast.

Cedric clearly wasn't interested in partnering up. She sighed-time was flying, and with winter creeping in, if Cedric didn't come around soon, there'd be no way to get the new product out by spring.

More than that, her patents couldn't just sit there. If Cedric didn't buy them, she'd have no choice but to sell to Pama. It wasn't just about her-everyone in the lab needed to eat.

That's how R&D worked. When you hit something big, you got a payout. The bigger the result, the bigger the check. "Twinkle" was a breakthrough, something you couldn't just replicate. It had taken five months of work-sure, she'd produced a few minor outputs here and there, but those didn't bring in much cash. So sure, maybe she had all these shiny patents, but that didn't mean she was swimming in money.

At least paying her team's salaries was still a real stress point.

But if Cedric passed, could she really go to Pama or someone else? That felt like teaming up with her competitor to crush someone from her own side. Just the thought of it made her feel gross.

Granny Strickland was such a sweetheart-how could she possibly...

Wait a sec, maybe she could go talk to her!

Gracewell belonged to Granny Strickland, right? Since Cedric took her goodwill as an attack, seeing him clearly wasn't gonna help-then why not just go straight to Granny herself?

That thought instantly perked Sabrina up.

Man, how did she not think of this before? She really could be so dense sometimes.

"Mom, have you heard from Granny Strickland lately? Is she still staying at the Strickland estate?" Sabrina turned around and asked Lynne, who was reclining on the sofa.

Lynne, who was mid-bite on a cucumber, got so startled by the question that she bit her tongue. Wincing, she ripped off her face mask and tossed it on the table.

"Mom? You okay? Seriously, you always rush stuff." Sabrina walked over, a little annoyed, watching her mom scrunch her face in pain.

Lynne's heart was racing, enough to ache a bit, but she forced herself to keep it together. "Why are you suddenly asking about Granny Strickland?"

"Just curious," Sabrina replied honestly.

"Look, Sabrina," Lynne said carefully, "From what I heard, Granny Strickland's not doing great. She's in a nursing home resting, so... maybe let's not bother her." Lynne knew her daughter too well-Sabrina wouldn't bring something up out of the blue unless she had plans. And this? This was what she dreaded.

"Where'd you hear that? Mom, do you still have ties with the Stricklands?" Sabrina asked, surprised.

"A housekeeper from their place told me. We still chat here and there. But what matters is-listen to me-don't even think about bothering Granny Strickland. Don't bring it up, okay? It's a touchy subject."

Sabrina could tell her mom's reaction was off. Usually when an elder's sick, isn't it normal for the younger ones to check in on them? But here, she was being told not even to mention it?

"Every family's got its own ways," Lynne added, voice low. "I already reached out before, and let's just say... the vibe from the Stricklands wasn't great. So let's not push things. Got it?" Each word made Lynne's heart thump harder. Lying to her daughter-her pride and joy-was eating her up inside.

Sabrina nodded. "Okay. I won't bring it up."

So that explained Cedric's bad mood lately. It had to be his grandma's health. And she? She just kept showing up in front of him.

With that realization, Sabrina felt like she had a connection now-like Cedric's cold attitude made a bit more sense. People get short-tempered when family's unwell. She could get behind that.

Maybe she should try just one more time.

Twinkle meant so much-to her, to the team. Every drop of effort and every late night spent in the lab, all for this. Only by handing it over to Gracewell would she truly feel at peace.

As she was mentally figuring out how to bring it up with Cedric again, her phone buzzed. Unknown number, but the message itself was pretty detailed-it was from a senior exec at the Pama Conglomerate.

It was an apology.

For what happened-when that guy from one of their subsidiaries kidnapped her.

The message hit all the notes: harsh reprimands for the guy involved, some over-the-top wording begging for her forgiveness, and finally, an invitation to a formal apology dinner. They really hoped she'd come.