Five minutes slipped by.


    Jessica had already put away her phone.


    Timothy''s phone, though, remained stubbornly silent.


    No messages.


    No texts.


    Not even a call.


    Irritated, he lit another cigarette.


    Pale, bluish smoke curled around him, casting shifting shadows across his sharp, handsome features. Those deep-set eyes of his gave nothing away, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.


    By the time the cigarette burned down to the filter, Timothy''s expression had grown darker. "Allen, drive back to the office," he said, voice low.


    "Aren''t we picking up Mrs. Lawson?" Allen asked tentatively.


    A cold re shut down any further questions.


    Allen immediately mped his mouth shut, started the car, and pulled away from the hotel parking lot in the sleek, ck Maybach.


    A momentter, another car arrived to pick up Jessica.


    Just then, Timothy''s phone finally rang.


    He hadn''t even pulled it from his suit pocket before he ordered, "Stop the car."


    When he nced at the screen, the caller ID wasn''t Jessica''s.


    The faint light in his eyes vanished.


    He answered.


    "Timothy, Yates just got back from his trip abroad. He says it''s been ages since west met-how about a drink tonight?"


    Timothy realized he hadn''t had a real drink in a long time.


    Tonight, he felt like he needed one.


    "I''m in," he replied.


    "She''s back too. Yates is bringing her along. Let''s meet at eight, Red House." Timothy hung up and signaled Allen to head back to the office.


    Back at work, Timothy''s mind was preupied with setting up the new studio.


    She had always dreamed of getting into Riverside Media Institute and studying under Ines.


    But things changed when Timothy had to go abroad for school.


    He was only thirteen then, and since the Lawsons had no one free to apany him, his grandparents decided to immigrate as well, bringing She with them.


    Once they''d left the country, his grandparents couldn''t bear to let She return alone just for school.


    Still, she ended up attending an excellent media college overseas, majoring in animation design.


    Meanwhile, Ines had be a renowned figure in the animation industry back home, earning widespread acim as a top producer.


    Every time She saw Ines trending online, she couldn''t help feeling a twinge of regret.


    It was especially hard now that she''d hit a creative wall and needed a breakthrough. When Timothy was traveling for business, she mentioned wanting to return and find Ines.


    So, they flew back together, with Timothy nning to help her be Ines''s student.


    Now that Ines had agreed, Timothy was eager to get things moving.


    Ines was a guest animation instructor at Riverside Media Institute and ran her own studio.


    Timothy admired her dedication and talent, and he was more than willing to invest in her work.


    Besides, Ines was Jessica''s mentor-Timothy didn''t mind spending a little extra if it meant supporting her.


    He had another reason, too.


    If Jessica ever got bored at home, she could drop by Ines''s studio, see her


    mentor, and maybe even get involved in some projects.


    It made sense to set up the studio close to The Gilded Whisper Estates.


    The entire day, Timothy juggled the details of the studio and waded through piles


    of paperwork that had stacked up during his absence.


    It was a busy day, to say the least.


    He grabbed a quick dinner at the office.


    A little after seven, he had Allen swing by The Gilded Whisper Estates to pick up She on the way to the bar.


    Yates Bryant and Kane Sutton had been his closest friends since childhood. Kane had insisted on inviting She, not just out of nostalgia; the Suttons and the Howards had been neighbors for years. Kane, ever the troublemaker, had relied on She to do his homework when they were kids-and to cover for him whenever he got into trouble. The two of them had always been thick as thieves.