Nica was back at her job, resuming her exhausting schedule. She hadn't seen or heard from Vincent but knew he must be occupied with his three-day practice.
His cold demeanor from that day still lingered in her mind. Did he hate her now?
She couldn't believe she was worrying about that instead of focusing on herself. With no one to sponsor her, she was all alone.
"Are you sure you're strong enough to resume work today?" Old Evan asked from behind her.
"I'm fine," she replied with a smile, though her body still ached, especially her neck. She wore a turtleneck to hide the faint red mark that lingered.
Having missed two days of work, she didn't plan to miss another. She thought Old Evan might be upset with her, but he seemed to genuinely care.
"You're such a liar, aren't you?" he said,
