After showering, Abigail dried her hair with a towel. She was about to use a hairdryer when Ana lise called from the living room, “Abigail, it’s getting late. Why isn’t Sean back yet? Did he drink too much at a business meeting?”

Abigail was startled by her grandmother's voice. She quickly put down the hairdryer and peeked at the living room clock. It was 10:40 PM.

She didn't expect Ana lise to still be awake. “Why aren’t you asleep, Grandma? He’s very busy these days. He probably decided to stay elsewhere tonight.”

Abigail rubbed her forehead, developing a headache. Ana lise usually went to bed early; Abigail assumed her grandmother would be asleep by now.

“Call Sean and ask where he is. See if he needs a ride.”

Ana lise, trembling, held out Abigail’s phone. Her voice was stern, brooking no argument.

Abigail sighed, unable to argue. She dried her hands and took the phone.

Under Ana lise’s watchful gaze, Abigail furtively scrolled to the contact listed as "Sean." She hesitated before calling.

“Hello. The number you’ve dialed cannot be reached at the moment…”

The automated message brought Abigail relief. She put her phone on speakerphone and showed it to Ana lise.

“His phone is off. I’m not avoiding him.”

“You should have called sooner,” Ana lise huffed. “You’re married now. Don't just focus on your career. Pay more attention to your husband. A man needs his wife's love and care. Why wouldn't he come home if you showed more concern?”

“You won’t find another man like Sean. A married woman needs to work on her marriage, understand?”

Abigail's indifference worried Ana lise, who became increasingly agitated. For Ana lise’s generation, a husband not coming home at night was serious.

“I understand, Grandma. Sean’s company has been extremely busy lately. It’s been very stressful.” Abigail patted Ana lise’s hand and led her back to her room.

After settling Ana lise, Abigail breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the hairdryer.

In the wee hours of the morning, an alarm rang. Weary, disgruntled people shuffled out of a meeting. The last man out, still impeccably dressed, showed no sign of exhaustion despite a four-and-a-half-hour meeting.

“Your phone’s fully charged, Mr. Graham. I just turned it on,” his assistant said, handing him his phone.

Sean glanced at the screen before returning to his hotel. It was a quiet night; he couldn’t sleep.

After tossing and turning, he checked Twitter. Seeing “Top Designer” trending, he remembered Sabrina’s call about the program.

He clicked on the announcement and scanned the guest list. Upon seeing a familiar name, his drowsiness vanished.

He took a screenshot and sent it to Kevin’s WhatsApp. Receiving no reply, he called Kevin.

“Hey, man. Didn’t you check the time?”

Kevin’s reply was a complaint. Sean heard loud music in the background. “What’s the matter? Did I interrupt your date?” he retorted sarcastically.

Kevin almost choked on his drink. He muted the music. “Aren’t you on a business trip? Why are you calling so late?”

“Explain the guest list for East Joy Talent’s ‘Top Designer’ program.” Sean’s voice was icy.

Kevin knew he was in trouble. “You know Alana’s designs are popular. Our team favored her. It was a group decision.”

“What does that have to do with Abigail?” Sean’s voice turned colder, remembering Kevin’s earlier secretive call.

Kevin, picturing Sean’s anger, hastily explained, “Abigail’s Alana’s assistant; she’s on the show.”

Kevin didn’t dare reveal Abigail’s true identity to Sean. Sean remained silent.

The asterisks (*) around potentially offensive words have been removed as they weren't necessary for clarity and impacted readability. The names have been left as they were presented, acknowledging potential stylistic choices in the original text.