?


    Roseanne remained silent as the conversation drifted off into the hum of the engine. The silence lingered until the car pulled to a stop at the end of a quaint, tree-lined street.


    "We''re here," Corley announced, breaking the stillness.


    "Thanks for lending a hand, Mr. Sullivan. My brother will discuss the payment details with you," Roseanne replied, her voice tinged with gratitude. "Sure thing."


    He didn''t refuse the offer of payment, a straightforwardness that eased a weight off Roseanne''s shoulders.


    "Goodbye then."


    "Take care, Anne."


    Halley was quick to take the reins of the two construction crews Corley had rmended. By the next day, he had negotiated the terms and finalized the contracts. The workmenced without a hitch on the third day.


    "So, we''ve agreed to meet once a week to check in on the project''s progress, just you, me, and him," Halley exined.


    Roseanne frowned. "Do we really need Corley involved? It''s not like he''s the foreman or anything."


    Besides, with Corley''s busy schedule, it seemed unlikely he''d have time for such minutiae.


    "I thought the same, but he insisted on weekly meetings," Halley said, the hint of a smirk on his face. "He''s pretty adamant about taking responsibility since it''s his crew on the line. Says all his workers, whether on the field or in the office, are equal in his eyes. No hierarchy."


    "He left a message for you, too."


    "What did he say?"


    "That he''s more than happy to take the lead on this."


    Halley scoffed, "Is he trying to woo you or something? His intentions couldn''t be more obvious. But I''ll give him credit for being straightforward. Admirable, really. But, Anne_"


    His tone shifted, suddenly serious, "Men are unreliable. Don''t let him charm you too easily."


    Roseanne couldn''t help butugh. "Don''t worry, I won''t be fooled that easily."


    After breaking free from a


    tumultuous six years with Murray, she wasn''t about to dive back into the world of love. Why bother when there were books to read,


    experiments to conduct, research to explore, and papers to write?


    ...


    A week flew by.


    In that time, Roseanne, along with her colleagues Scales and Mamie, had moved their operations to


    Professor Farrell''s biologyb at the


    neighboring business university.


    UMSN?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Despite the inconvenience of traveling between campuses, everything else went smoothly.


    The university''s cafeteria was a highlight-delicious beyond expectation, much to Mamie''s delight. Barely done with one meal, she was already nning the next.


    "Ahem! Staying here wouldn''t be so bad, right? We''re close to three cafeterias; a couple of minutes walk and we''re there..."


    "So, it''s all about having quick ess to food for you?" Scales caught on quickly.


    "Food is a basic necessity!" Mamie retorted.


    Scales was momentarily speechless. "I just... eat less and stick to three meals a day."


    Mamie exploded, "Are you implying I overeat and snack all day? I didn''t expect this from you, Scales!"


    "That''s not what I-"


    "Save it! Excuses are just stories. You can sort these data sets yourself. I''m off to my fourth meal of the day!"


    Scales stood there, baffled.


    "You''re really going?!"


    Mamie didn''t look back.


    Roseanne quietly packed up her things. "I''ll head out too."


    Scales was left alone, bewildered.


    Veloc


    But Roseanne wasn''t heading to the university cafeteria. She was off to a cozy diner she and Halley had frequented. However, this time, there was an additional guest.


    Upon her arrival, both Halley and Corley were already there, waiting.