Summer stood at the corner of the street, her mind aplete mess. It was already 1 p.m., and she had nowhere to go. She couldn''t risk going back to Catherine''s, too afraid of what Nick might do.


    Just then, a motorcycle zoomed past the curb. Lost in her thoughts, Summer didn''t notice it until it was toote. Her designer bag, casually draped over her shoulder, was suddenly yanked. She stumbled over her suitcase and fell to the ground but managed to grab onto the bag strap, which held her ID and bank cards.


    The thief on the motorcycle hadn''t expected her to fight back and, after a few unsessful tugs, sped off, fearing he''d be caught by the bystanders.


    Passersby rushed to help her up. "Are you okay?" one of them asked.


    As she fell, her sunsses had dropped, and fearing recognition, she quickly covered her face. She scrambled to find her sses, not even muttering a thank you, which left her would-be helper a bit miffed.


    Still, the person warned, "This area''s notorious for snatch-and-grab attacks. You need to be more careful."


    Pausing, they added, "Did they get anything? Do you want to call the cops?"


    At the mention of the police, Summer''s reaction was sharp and immediate. "No, don''t call the cops!"


    Her online reputation was already in shambles, and being seen in this small town, let alone as a robbery victim, would only add fuel to the fire of online mockery. She couldn''t afford another blow to her dignity.


    "I don''t need the police," Summer murmured, clutching her almost-stolen bag close as if it could protect her from more than just thieves.


    The would-be helper, phone in hand, showed a flicker of embarrassment before putting the device away and walking off, probably thinking they''d just been cursed for their good deed.


    Inspecting her scraped palm and feeling the pain in her knee, Summer knew she had to leave. After being kicked out of a hotel and almost getting robbed, who knew what else could happen?


    Shivering, she hailed a taxi and told the driver to take her to the airport, determined to leave everything behind, including her original reason foring back.


    Later that evening, Nick felt a wave of relief upon receiving a message from As that Summer was on her way back to Ashford. Whatever her reasons foring back, he was d she wouldn''t disrupt the family while he and his sister were at Catherine''s.


    After dinner, Nick retreated to his room, too unsettled to even bother with James.


    Since encountering Summer that morning, he had been in a somber mood, the memories she stirred up better left buried.


    Mirabe watched Nick leave, sensing something off about him ever since he came back with a package that morning. Though he seemed normal throughout the day, she could tell something was bothering him; the subtle shifts in his mood didn''t escape her notice.


    After exchanging a few words with James, she followed Nick upstairs, determined to find out what had really happened that morning.