She was so caught up in it all that she nodded off without even realizing it.


    Meanwhile, downstairs, Simon had decided to stick around for dinner. The chef was still hustling in the kitchen, and Naomi eagerly pulled Quinn aside, asking if she was happy with the wedding dress they picked out today.


    Quinn didn''t look too thrilled and forced a response. "It was alright, Mom. I''m not feeling too great. I think I''ll head upstairs to rest. Call me when dinner''s ready, would you?"


    "Sure thing, honey. You look a bit under the weather."


    Quinn got up and made her way upstairs. Once back in her room, she started pacing. Simon''s earlier attitude toward ra in the car really got under her skin. Her face twisted in frustration. She couldn''t put it off any longer; she needed to act


    now.


    Grabbing her phone, she made another call. "Tomorrow, I''ll have Ryan take ra out. I''ve arranged for someone to kidnap her. I''ll make the first move, and if ra''s luck holds, it''ll be your turn next. One of us has got to seed eventually."


    The voice on the other end just gave a simple, "Hmm."


    When dinner rolled around, someone went to fetch ra, but she stayed knocked out in her room.


    In the meantime, her phone buzzed with a call. As soon as she answered, Calix''s voice came through. "ra, Hugh''s mom just showed up here, acting all crazy."


    ra snapped awake, her eyes sharp and alert.


    If June was really acting erratic, how did she manage to find the hospital so fast?


    "Mr. Calix, could you please keep her there for now? I''ll swing by in a couple of days."


    Since it wasn''t clear if June was genuinely unstable, ra figured she''d let her stew for a bit-impatience tends to unravel the truth.


    Elsewhere, Dn was tapping away on hisputer. He nced out at the darkening sky, waiting for something he couldn''t quite name.


    Aiden knocked and walked in, cing a few sleeping pills next to him. "Boss, maybe give these a shot?"


    Dn lowered his gaze, his typing slowing.


    Aiden took a breath. "I tried calling ra, but she didn''t pick up. Heard she''s back at the Bradford ce with Simon."


    Dn ignored the pills. He hadn''t slept in two days and had deep shadows under his eyes.


    He continued studying the data on his screen, then asked, "What do you think she''ll choose this time?"


    Aiden didn''t quite grasp the question; Dn often spoke in riddles. "Not sure. ra''s always been pretty headstrong."


    Dn suddenly smirked, but it didn''t reach his eyes. "She''s not headstrong; it''s her icy indifference to those she doesn''t care about."


    She was indifferent enough to make promises easily, then smile as she twisted the knife in your heart.


    Indifferent enough to say she''d try, thenpletely forget.


    ra was just that way and treated him like a ything.


    He pinched a few sleeping pills, and they crumbled in his palm.


    Exhausted, yet sleepless, Dn headed to his bedroom and flopped onto the sofa. She''din there a few times; it still carried a hint of her scent.


    Staring at the ceiling, he recalled ra''s words from earlier. Maybe she''d always noticed someone else''s crush on her but wasn''t interested enough to call it out. It was brutally honest. Even without her past memories, she saw things so clearly. The scent on the sofa was faint. He tried to capture it but found little.


    He turned over, pulled out the towel she''d used, and draped it over himself. The sharp ache in his chest eased a bit.


    His phone buzzed with a familiar notification sound. He nced at it; it was a message from her.


    ra: [Mr. Dn, I just remembered something. Am I about to get a pink slip? Did Eden rat me out?]


    ra felt uneasy after sending it. Simply tossing the documents in Eden''s face seemed too mild. However, Eden had Dn backing her.


    Ten minutes went by with no reply from Dn.


    ra sat up in bed. She wasn''t ready to leave Ferguson Corporation, but if Dn


    wanted her gone, there wasn''t much she could do.


    After another ten minutes, she sent another message.


    ra: [Mr. Dn?]


    Dn: [Hmm.]


    His reply was quick but brief, just a single word. ra often found it hard to read


    Dn. He was so tight-lipped.


    ra: [Mr. Dn, are you resting? Am I bugging you?]


    Dn: [Do you have anything else to say?]


    Dn''s messages came almost at the same time she sent out hers.


    Her heart sank, feeling like she was being brushed off. Of course, Dn always


    had Eden''s back. She took a deep breath.


    ra: [No, that''s all.]