Monica knew exactly what Sabrina was thinking, but there was no way she was going to encourage it.
If a guy can be that cold to a woman, no matter what excuse he has, she's totally against chasing him back.
So, she didn't even continue the topic and just said, "Let me drive you home. Lynne's arriving first thing tomorrow-we'll pick her up together."
"Okay." Sabrina sighed in resignation, knowing Monica had seen right through her little plan.
The next morning.
After a solid night's sleep, Sabrina felt like her usual self again. She threw on a white tracksuit and hopped into Monica's car to head to the airport.
The terminal was packed and buzzing with noise.
Standing by the exit, it didn't take long before she spotted a graceful woman in a flowing white dress slowly wheeling a white suitcase out.
Sabrina's eyes lit up. "Mom!" she called out, waving.
Lynne Grant turned at the shout, her sharp gaze landing directly on the daughter who constantly stressed her out, and broke right into a scolding: "Wow, you're real bold now, huh? Ignoring my calls for a whole day? Next time I don't hear from you in five hours, just know you're asking for a beating!"
Sabrina froze for a second, then quickly realized-Monica must've helped cover up the whole kidnapping ordeal. So Lynne probably just thought she was being rebellious, not in any actual danger.
Sabrina shot Monica a grateful look. Given her mom's heart condition, she really couldn't afford any shocks.
Monica turned her gaze away, trying to keep it cool, but inside she was feeling heavy and bitter. This mother-daughter duo was seriously stressing her out.
"Mom, your room's all set. I'll bunk with you tonight," Sabrina said as she took her mom's arm, trying to sweet-talk her.
"Well, well, imagine that. You're actually volunteering to sleep with me? Aren't you usually all about clinging to Monica and pouring your little heart out about your girly problems?" Lynne raised an eyebrow, clearly teasing.
"Just one night, alright? I'll go back to Monica after," Sabrina grinned mischievously.
"Tch." Lynne scoffed.
The three of them grabbed a cab home.
Back before they moved abroad, the Lionharts lived here as a family of three. It was where Sabrina grew up-a standard two-bedroom apartment in a downtown neighborhood, just a short bus ride to the city's busiest spots. Quiet, yet convenient.
As soon as Lynne stepped in, she took a long look around. Waves of old memories rushed back.
Back when Sabrina's dad proposed to her here, waving that property deed around all full of promises about sharing a future together. Big talk. Didn't take long before he ran off to a fancier place with someone else.
Men. Not a decent one among them.
Noticing that classic expression of disdain on her mom's face, Sabrina knew instantly who was on her mind. With someone as easygoing as Lynne, there was only one person who could make her look so smug and bitter-her dad.
"Mom, go change-bet that dress isn't comfy," Sabrina quickly said, trying to snap her mom out of it.
"Tell me about it. It's tight as hell, but my friend insisted I wear it," Lynne muttered as she headed to the room.
Later, dressed more comfortably, Lynne headed out to eat with Monica and Sabrina.
They were usually happy to go along with whatever Sabrina wanted.
But tonight, because of how pancakes reminded her of Cedric, Sabrina wasn't in the mood for a proper meal.
She had a craving-for every snack she and Cedric ever shared. One by one.Fried potatoes, spicy noodles, calamari, egg waffles... you name it.
The food street was buzzing, but Lynne never cared for crowds-too noisy, too messy. It was always Sabrina diving straight into the chaos like a busy little bee, grabbing the snacks and bringing them back for the three of them to share.
On the sidewalk, Lynne leaned casually against the railing. She was nearly fifty, but you'd never guess it-great skincare, and with a beauty expert for a daughter, her skin looked radiant and her figure was well-kept. At a glance, she could easily pass for early thirties.
Monica mirrored her posture. She and Sabrina were the same age, but total opposites in vibe. Sabrina was bubbly and sweet, while Monica had that sultry, hard-to-resist charm. Honestly, if Monica wasn't a neurologist, she and Sabrina probably wouldn't cross paths much.
The two of them watched the crowd. From a distance, they could see Sabrina struggling to order food at one of the bustling stalls.
Lynne sighed, her eyes following Sabrina with a hint of warmth. "Just like when she was a kid-still loves the noise, never backs down from trouble, always full of energy."
Her voice softened and her eyes misted up. She quickly turned away so Sabrina wouldn't notice, placing both hands on the railing, back facing the street.
Monica noticed and shifted her posture slightly, leaning her slim waist against the railing. "Don't get emotional now," she said gently. "Sabrina's doing much better than expected. At her current pace, any serious signs probably won't show until she's around sixty."
Changing the subject, Lynne asked, "Has she caused you any trouble these past few days?"
"Nope," Monica replied, but she hesitated, picturing Sabrina's distracted look lately. "Although... I think she's really trying to get back with her ex. I suspect that's the whole reason she rushed back home. You okay with that idea?"
If Lynne was on board, Monica wouldn't mind passing on a few of her top-tier tricks-moves that would've any guy wrapped around Sabrina's finger.
Lynne's face changed fast, and her voice shook a little. "She... she went to see Cedric?"
Monica raised an eyebrow, a bit confused, but nodded. "Yeah, they met already. Sabrina had a little mishap, and Cedric's the one who helped her out."
She made the word "kidnapping" sound like nothing.
Lynne pressed on, eyes tense. "Did she say anything strange? Ask you anything out of the ordinary?"
"No," Monica shook her head, now frowning too. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"I..." Lynne opened her mouth, but stopped short.
Monica's tone got serious, her smile gone. "We're in this together. If we want to keep things stable for Sabrina, then no secrets. I need the full picture to gauge how her memory issues are progressing."
Lynne hesitated, lips slightly parted, still unsure how to start-when Sabrina bounced back, loaded with twenty freshly grilled skewers in hand.
Lynne clamped her mouth shut in an instant. Monica picked up the cue, dropped her serious face, and went back to looking effortlessly chill.
Sabrina's cheeks were flushed red from the steam, but her smile was bright as ever. She handed out the skewers, splitting them into three portions. "Come on, dig in! This one's beef. The guy said they taste best while they're hot."
"Oh please," Monica huffed playfully, "the things I do for you-only my undying love would get me to eat street food on the sidewalk." Still, she immediately bit into the beef skewer.
Mmm... damn, that was good.
"I got it, okay? I know you both love me the most!" Sabrina beamed.
She wasn't just lucky to have Lynne, who always supported her dreams and never tried to hold her back. She also had Monica, who felt more like a big sister than a friend - always there to listen to her ramblings about her so-called girly troubles and even help her fix them, no complaints.
With those two around, Sabrina felt genuinely blessed.
"Hmph~" Monica huffed softly, pretending to sulk while digging into her skewer.
After they finished eating, Sabrina darted right back into the snack street, eager to chase after her next food find.
But the earlier conversation didn't come back up.
Monica could tell-whatever that was about, it wasn't something light. Otherwise, Lynne wouldn't have brushed aside Sabrina's condition to hide it.
And as for Lynne...
Since Monica didn't press her, she just played dumb for now. She needed time to figure out how to talk about it - properly.
Sabrina ran back and forth a few times making sure everyone had eaten enough before finally heading off to wash her hands.
That's when Lynne quietly brought the topic back. "Monica, I'm sorry. Just... give me a little more time. And I also need a favor - if Sabrina ever brings up Cedric, can you try to pull her back? Keep her away from him."
Then Lynne headed off in the direction of the sinks.
Monica stared after her, pretty sure her suspicions were spot on. That thing Lynne was hiding? Definitely heavy stuff.
This was the first time she'd seen Lynne - who usually encouraged Sabrina to chase after everything she wanted - actually step in to stop her from loving someone.
Since coming back, Sabrina and Lynne had been wandering around like tourists, checking out all the popular spots, snapping pics, trying all the food. Monica could see all their updates on her feed every day - almost like they were in sync.
Soaking in the fun, Sabrina had kind of put everything else on pause. The past few years, she'd basically lived inside the lab. No matter how legendary people thought the "Beauty Master" was, tossing around words like genius and gifted, only Sabrina really knew - every single breakthrough came from relentless hours in the lab.
Her days used to just be lab, home, sleep, repeat. All those jars and samples had been her whole life. Now that she finally nailed a formula she felt proud of, she figured she earned a proper break before starting anything new.
While Sabrina relaxed and enjoyed life, Gracewell Skincare Group was pretty much in panic mode.
During lunch, Cedric slipped away from Maxon Group to drop by Gracewell. The moment he stepped out of the car, Orion-his assistant from the executive office-was already rushing over, face tense.
"Mr. Strickland, still no reply from the Master."
"Did they reach an agreement with Pama?" Cedric asked right away.
"From what I've heard, no go," Orion replied, brows scrunched. "Honestly, I'm starting to think maybe the Beauty Master got picked up by some other giant brand."
After all, the beauty market was swamped with new skincare lines, and Pama wasn't the only big player besides them.
"Until we hear something, just keep contacting them," Cedric ordered as they walked into his office. Seeing the massive pile of documents on the desk, he rubbed his temple. "Also, dig up every possible way to contact the Beauty Master. I'm calling them myself."
"Got it. I'll send whatever I find to your inbox ASAP." Orion bowed slightly and left the room, giving Cedric space to tackle the mountain of work.
