ra felt a wave of frustration wash over her, but seeing how exhausted Megan was, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself.


    Megan tossed a fresh pair of pajamas on the bed. "Your room''s got its own bathroom. Go take a shower and get some rest. I''m wiped out today, so let''s skip the chit-chat."


    ra nodded, murmuring a quiet, "Thanks."


    As Megan headed towards one of the bedroom doors, ra realized the other room was hers. After grabbing her pajamas and enjoying a much-needed shower, she finally felt a bit more at ease.


    Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone buzzed with a new message. It was from her brother, Ryan.


    Ryan: [Hey, I''m back home for the holidays. It''s Quinn''s birthday today. Why aren''t you here? Mom said you ran off again. Seriously, can you juste back? The housekeeper''s cooking is awful. I miss your food. Don''t forget to make your potato sd for breakfast tomorrow.]


    Ryan: [Quinn was crying tonight. Juste back and apologize. You stir up drama everytime. It''s exhausting. Simon doesn''t even like you, and sometimes it''s embarrassing for me.]


    ra''s heart ached, feeling like the whole world was team Quinn, while she was just the odd one out. Even if her memories were a bit hazy, the hurt was real and


    raw.


    The next morning, ra was up early with dark circles under her eyes. She headed to the kitchen to whip up something to eat and was surprised to find her cooking skills hadn''t abandoned her.


    Megan emerged from her room, drawn in by the delicious aroma, and sighed. "Are you making breakfast for Simon again? Has he ever tasted your cooking? You spent your time cooking, had no job after graduation, and just followed him around. For what? Everyone''s justughing at you."


    ra paused, spoon in hand, about to say it wasn''t for Simon. But it seemed no one would believe her.


    She ted a few side dishes and set them on the dining table. Megan''s resume was lying there, and ra nced at it. "Megan, I want to find a job. What did I major in at college?"


    Megan looked at the dishes, frowning in thought. "ra, you''re really convincing this time."


    ra felt a twinge of bitterness and pushed the bowl of soup towards Megan. "Just tell me."


    Megan took a few bites and sighed. "Finance. But your family''spany belongs to your brother. You probably don''t know where the front door is, and even Quinn holds ten percent of the shares. You''ve got nothing. You had a chance to intern there after graduation, but you blew it off because it would cut into your Simon- chasing time. Now Quinn''s killing it at thepany, and everyone''s aware she''s a Bradford. Hardly anyone remembers that the Bradford family even has a first born daughter."


    ra quietly ate a few bites and then suddenly said, "I''ll work at Ferguson Corporation. Dn''s back, isn''t he? I want to go after him."


    Megan choked on her soup, almost as if she''d heard something out of a fairy tale. She quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth. "Didn''t you used to hate Dn? Simon didn''t like Dn, so you avoided him too. Every time his name came up, you looked upset. Do you even know what league Dn is in? He graduated from Harvard with dual degrees at eighteen and founded thergest acquisitionpany overseas by neen. He''s a regr in the Wall Street Journal. If it weren''t for the ident two years ago that left him in a wheelchair, every girl in the city would be in love with him."


    ra recalled the charming voice she''d heard over the phone and couldn''t help but ask, "What does he look like?"


    Megan searched online and pulled up a photo from an international media outlet. "Here."


    The man in the photo wore a sleek ck suit, his shirt buttoned up to the cor, exuding an air of restrained desire. His gaze at the camera was icy, like a winter sea harboring hidden storms. It was the most striking face ra had ever seen, making Simon pale inparison.


    Megan remarked from the side, "Such a shame. After the ident, he hasn''t returned to the city, and there''s been no news about him in the papers. With that face, it doesn''t matter if he''s in a wheelchair. There''d still be a line of girls after him."


    ra took a sip of soup and suddenly dered, "Simon said he''s my boyfriend, so I''m going to Ferguson Corporation."


    Megan''s expression was inscrutable as she rubbed her temples. "Are you going to Ferguson Corporation to chase Simon or Dn? Do whatever you want. If you can win over Dn, I''ll never say a word against you again."