“Could it have been Daniella?” Stephen asked, feeling an even deeper disgust toward her. He wondered, “She caused all this and still doesn’t have the courage to admit what she did?”

Ralph shook his head, replying, “I’m not sure. That’s why I came to you. Was there any other way to check? Like, did you guys ever meet the victim’s family or anything back then?”

Stephen scratched his head. “My parents handled all of that. How would I know…”

Ralph sighed, “Then we’ll have to start by pulling the surveillance footage from back then.” After speaking, he gave Stephen a firm pat on the shoulder. “If you remember anything, let me know, okay?”

Stephen muttered, “Got it. You go ahead and check.”

He couldn’t remember much from that time, just that Daniella had come running home in tears, claiming she had hit someone with her car. She was completely hysterical, and Stephen, stupidly blinded by love, begged their parents to help her cover it up. In the end, the whole family turned a blind eye.

He pondered, “Ralph keeps saying he doesn’t look down on Abby, but what are those words if not condescending? There’s no point trying to defend it… The truth stings for a reason.”

Back in his car, weighed down by frustration, Stephen took a deep breath and called Abigail again. He hadn’t expected her to actually pick up.

Abigail answered sharply, “What do you want? I’m busy—”

Stephen cut her off, sounding utterly defeated. “Abby.” His voice was full of guilt as he continued, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to bother you. And I know if I say I’m worried about you, it will just sound ridiculous. But I really do think about you… I’m really, truly sorry.”

Stephen mused, “I wronged the girl she used to be. If it weren’t for what we did, her life would’ve been so much better. She wouldn’t have to put up with Ralph treating her like she’s beneath him.”

Abigail coldly retorted, “And why should I care that you’re thinking about me? Spare me the fake sympathy, okay? Call me again and I’ll block your number.” With that, she hung up immediately.

Stephen let out a long, bitter sigh.

Over at Silverdale, Abigail frowned and slipped her phone back into her purse. She turned to James and said, “I’ll talk to him when I get back.”

James grinned. “No need. I already gave him a piece of my mind, and you weren’t exactly polite just now. That alone probably made him squirm. Trust me.”

Abigail’s meeting with the engineers had gone smoothly. They said her ideas were doable, but she had to be involved in the process.

Warren beamed at her, “Now that work is out of the way, let’s go eat at St. Montclair Palace. James and I have tried it before. The food is genuinely great.”

Abigail couldn’t help but ask, “Can we even get into a place like that?”

James jumped in right away. “Of course! As long as you’ve got the money, you’re good.”

Abigail said, “Then let’s check it out.” Honestly, she couldn’t help being a bit intrigued. It wasn’t every day she got to leave the country for the first time and immediately dine in a palace.

Sebastian walked beside her, explaining, “These days, places where presidents work overseas are usually open to visitors if you’ve got the right connections. It’s not that big a deal.”

Abigail let out a soft “Oh,” and asked, “So they’re all kind of like tourist spots now?”

“Exactly,” Sebastian replied. “St. Montclair Palace too. They just close earlier than most places, so we should get there soon.”

James had been wanting to take Abigail to St. Montclair Palace for a while now. The regional manager had already made arrangements for them. As they walked, James turned to her and said, “If you’re interested, we could even check out places like the presidential estate in Sableaux sometime.”

Abigail answered indifferently, “Maybe next time.” Adjusting to the time difference had left her exhausted, and she wasn’t feeling her best today. Everything still felt a little foreign.

James didn’t mind. “Sure, no rush.”

Warren then started chatting with Abigail. “Stephen is pretty weird, isn’t he? Back when he hated you, he was absolutely vicious. But now that he likes you, it’s like he can’t stop hovering around you.”

Abigail responded with a calm tone, “Who knows what’s going on with him… Honestly, he doesn’t seem all there.”

James snorted, “Yeah. When he heard me on the phone, he got so worked up you’d think he was about to explode. I was like, what is he putting on a show for?”

Just remembering Stephen’s tone ticked him off. If Stephen had said that to him in person, he would’ve decked him.

Sebastian spoke with an indifferent drawl. “People like him are just stubborn idiots.”

When they arrived at St. Montclair Palace, Abigail couldn’t help gasping as she took in her surroundings, completely forgetting the three men walking behind her.

Sebastian and the others said nothing. They just watched her glance around in awe.

With the fond gaze of someone watching his little sister, James said, “We’ve really got to take her out more, and let her see the world.”

Sebastian instinctively turned to look at him. “Cut it out with that gross tone.”

“You don’t get it. I’m just looking out for her,” James said, giving a smug little huff.

Sebastian then promptly kicked him in the rear.