Scales had been dealing with some family issuestely and hadn''t been to theb.


    Just after five, Mamie started packing her bag. "Roseanne, I''ve got dinner ns tonight, so I''m heading out."


    "Alright," Roseanne replied, ncing over to see Mamie still holding onto a cracker. It was likely just to curb a craving, considering it didn''t have much in the way of calories.


    "Take care," she added, before turning back to focus on theb data.


    Once Mamie left, theb descended intoplete silence, and Roseanne could hardly tell how the time passed.


    By the time she snapped back to reality, it was already dark outside.


    After shutting down the equipment and tidying up theb''smon area, she took out the trash on her way out.


    Roseanne hopped into her car, smoothly started the engine, and released the handbrake.


    The car glided onto the road.


    As she approached an intersection, Roseanne nced at the GPS and turned right.


    The street trees had lost all their leaves, leaving bare branches that whispered the area''s istion and age under the yellow streetlights.


    Unhurriedly, Roseanne signaled right and moved to the far-rightne. Once she was cruising steadily, she casually turned on some music.


    The soft tunes flowed like a gentle stream, bringing an inexplicable sense of rxation.


    Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Corley.


    "Are you busy?"


    His voice was deep and carried a hint of a smile.


    The familiar tone, starting off like a casual conversation, effortlessly closed the distance between them.


    "Just left theb, on my way home."


    Corley looked up at the sky and couldn''t help but frown.


    "The weather''s not great today. It might snow tonight, so take it easy and drive safe."


    "Got it," Roseanne replied.


    Corley got to the point. "The equipment you ordered has arrived. Is anyone at theb tomorrow? I can have it delivered to you."


    Corley, a major stakeholder in EchoVerse Systems, had ess to numerous procurement channels forb equipment. He was essentially a middleman, and Roseanne often ced orders for imported equipment through him.


    He''d joked before, "Thanks for the business, boss. Keep those ordersing, and maybe I''ll even ask for a cut from the big guys!"


    Roseanne knew he was just teasing.


    A cut... as if.


    She''d looked into it; Corley was already giving her a rock-bottom price.


    So low, in fact, that there wasn''t any room for a salesperson''smission.


    Still, she wasn''t exploiting him.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t keeping back to him for orders.


    Corley was smart enough to know the difference between a one-time feast and a steady stream of business.


    This batch ofb equipment had been ordered back in November, and Roseanne was thrilled that it had finally arrived.


    "Tomorrow works! I''ll be at theb all day. What time will they arrive?"


    "Around ten in the morning. Does that work for you?"


    ?


    "Perfect. Thanks again, and let''s grab a meal sometime." The thought of the new equipment arriving the day put Roseanne in a great mood.


    This shipment was from Country DFN Innovations, featuring theirtest microbiological observation tools. They''d just hit the market two


    months ago, andbs wide


    were eager to get their handson them.


    But without the right channels, the manufacturers wouldn''t even consider it.


    Yet, thanks to Corley, Roseanne managed to secure the equipment ahead of others.


    Corley caught her excitement, his own mood lifting as well.


    "It''s rare for you to offer meet


    How


    sche out next weekend? Let''s


    schedule it, so Ms. Cole it, so Ms. Cole doesn''t get too busy and forget." Conte belongs to


    Just as Roseanne was about to reply, a car approached from a distance, its high


    beams ring into her eyes, blinding her.


    Before she knew it, there was a deafening "bang," and she mmed on the brakes.


    Did she...hit something?


    Clutching the steering wheel, Roseanne was in shock.


    On the other end of the line, Corley heard the loud crash, and no matter how he


    called out for Roseanne, there was no response.


    "Roseanne?! Can you hear me?! Roseanne!!"


    He immediately understood something had gone wrong.


    Grabbing his car keys, he dashed out the door.


    As he started his car, he quickly dialed a number-


    "Find Roseanne''s exact location in five minutes... and get some people ready, just


    in case..."


    Meanwhile, Roseanne stared out through the windshield, shaken.


    Out of caution, she didn''t immediately step out to check. Instead, she locked the doors and windows first.


    Then she began to take deep breaths, forcing herself to stay calm.