Sandra lay back on her bed, a bright smile playing on her lips as she thought about her date with Derek. It had gone far better than she'd expected—nothing like she'd anticipated. He was the most charming, attentive man she’d ever dated, and, most importantly, he seemed to genuinely enjoy her company.

Although she'd wanted to impress him, she hadn't tried too hard. He'd made it easy. Her smile widened; she kicked her legs playfully in the air.

As the memory of his smile flashed through her mind, a warm feeling spread through her chest. This was rare after a date, especially when it felt like a game, but this felt different.

She found herself thinking about how easy it was to talk to him, how he laughed at her jokes, and how he looked at her—his beautiful blue eyes filled with interest. Could he be in love with her already? She frowned. If he liked her so much, why hadn't he called? She checked her phone for the tenth time, her fingers tapping anxiously.

He should have called by now. Or was he still in that meeting? That had to be it.

She considered calling him, but shook her head. It might make her seem too eager. He was already interested, and she didn't want to scare him off. Just then, her phone buzzed.

A grin spread across her face. Her heart pounded. Hoping it was Derek, she grabbed her phone.

She scowled; irritation washed over her. It was Michael. Sighing, she reluctantly answered.

"Hey, Mike," she said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Hey! What's up? Back already? How did the date go?" Michael asked eagerly, his curiosity evident—a trait Sandra had grown accustomed to.

"I'm back, and it was okay," Sandra replied dismissively.

"Just okay?" Michael pressed, unsatisfied.

"Yeah," Sandra said, her frustration rising. "He seemed to be playing along, as expected. Everything's going according to plan," she added with a shrug.

Even though she'd just received the call, she wanted it to end. Talking to Michael felt like a chore. She wanted to be free to receive Derek's call. What if Derek was trying to reach her right now? She didn't want to keep him waiting.

"1 sec. Why didn't you call me when you got back?" Michael asked, his voice hardening. "I waited, thinking you'd gone to his suite. Why didn't you call?"

Sandra rolled her eyes. "I was busy, and I still am," she said casually.

"Busy? Busy doing what?" Michael asked, his tone accusatory. "And why didn't you return to his suite as planned? What happened? Tell me everything."

Sandra gritted her teeth. He was always so suspicious, controlling, and prying. "He had to leave early because something came up, so I couldn't go with him," she said tersely.

"Something like what?" Michael asked, but Sandra's mind was already on Derek. What if he called while I'm stuck on this stupid call? she thought irritably. Why isn't he just hanging up? She needed to end this. She took a deep breath. "He didn't say. But he did say we'd go on other dates. Can we talk later? I'm busy," she said firmly.

There was a pause. "What are you doing that needs so much attention? And why do you sound like I'm bothering you?" Michael asked, his tone probing.

"For Christ's sake, Michael, I'm busy! Let's talk later. I can't concentrate," Sandra replied harshly, ending the call.

Relieved, she checked her phone again. No missed calls or messages from Derek. A small frown tugged at her lips, but she pushed aside the disappointment. Maybe he was still busy. Derek was a busy man. She was sure he'd call when he could, and she didn't mind waiting. He'd asked for her number, after all.

To distract herself, Sandra scrolled through Instagram. She paused at a picture of Rayna and Evelyn at a club. Clicking on Rayna's profile, she scowled at the numerous posts and videos of them together—laughing, clinking glasses, carefree. Seeing that the posts were only twenty minutes old, she felt annoyed. She was bored in bed while Evelyn was having the time of her life.

She disliked Rayna and Evelyn's renewed closeness. She disliked Evelyn's happiness. It irritated her. Watching the video again, she decided she would work on her friendship with Rayna and use her to get to Evelyn. She would poison Rayna against Evelyn, ensuring no one in Ludus wanted anything to do with Evelyn. Evelyn had no place there, and she would make sure Evelyn knew it. A slow smile spread across her face as she envisioned her plan.

Satisfied, Sandra set down her phone, feeling a renewed sense of purpose as she waited for Derek's call.