Simon couldn''t shake a dark thought from his mind. If Nate was really after ra, maybe this was just karma catching up with him. Even if he agreed to let ra get with Nate, the idea of Nate actuallyying a finger on her made Simon feel like he might do something he''d regret. Having known ra for so long, he''d always imagined she''d be by his side forever.


    He lowered his gaze, his fists slowly clenching at his sides. Ada had been crying but was startled by the intensity radiating from her son; it felt like he''d changed overnight.


    "Simon, what''s going on?"


    “Nothing. I''m heading upstairs to rest. I''m not going back to my ce tonight."


    He had his own ce, but tonight he wanted to stay here to avoid running into Quinn, who was likely waiting for him.


    Ada rubbed her eyes. "Alright, go get some rest. Oh, by the way, Eden''s back for the holidays."


    "Mmm."


    Simon was generally good to his sister, Eden. However, Ada had grown up in an environment that heavily favored boys over girls, and couldn''t help but be influenced by that mindset. She couldn''t treat Eden with the same affection she showed Simon, so she maintained just a superficial warmth.


    As Simon was about to head upstairs, he saw Edening down the staircase. Her eyes lit up, and she called out excitedly, "Hey, Simon!"


    Simon wasn''t in the mood for a chat and started to continue upstairs when he heard her say, "Simon, ra''s everywhere I go, it''s so annoying. I had dinner ns with Dn tonight, and I still bumped into her afterward. And Dn- seriously, why does he have towork for so long? By the time he showed up, the food was cold. But at least he brought me a gift, and it was really pretty!"


    Simon stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on her. Eden, caught off guard by his intense stare, stammered, "Simon... what''s wrong?"


    "You had dinner with Dn tonight, and he waste? Did you guys even eat?" Eden looked a bit disappointed as she replied, "We barely ate before he had to leave, but there''s always next time. Plus, I got a gift."


    Dn usually gave Eden pricey but impersonal gifts, often handled by his assistant, Aiden. But Eden didn''t mind, as Dn rarely gave gifts to other women. She hummed a little tune as she headed downstairs, but Simon caught her wrist. "Simon, what''s up?"


    "Eden, I need you to run through the timeline with me."


    "What timeline? There''s nothing to go over. Dn was just busy tonight. It''s not his fault."


    Simon''s grip tightened slightly. "Do it!"