Everett fiddled with his tie, a sneer tugging at the corners of his lips.


    Unaware of the underlying tension, Derick only noticed Everett''s smile in the rearview mirror, so he ramped up the ttery. "Mr. Everett, women love those little gestures. If you pay more attention, you''ll definitely win your wife back..." "You talk too much. I''m docking $2000 from your sry this month," Everett replied, his gaze icy, like an autumn chill sweeping away fallen leaves.


    Derick was stunned into silence.


    What just happened? Instead of a raise, he got a deduction?This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Feeling slighted, he nced again at Everett in the mirror, only to see a cold, stern face that screamed ''approach at your own risk.'' Swallowing his hurt, Derick epted his fate.


    He really should''ve kept his mouth shut. What was he thinking, throwing around unsolicited advice? Sometimes, silence is golden.


    Selena''s pitch to uncover the truth about a pharmaceuticalpany peddling fake drugs got the green light, and the pay was good. So, she spent the next week chasing the story down.


    From dawn till dusk, she battled wits with adversaries. On thest day, she camped out in front of Jimmy''s mansion, the manager involved, hoping to catch him red-handed with evidence of bribery.


    It poured rain all night, but she held her ground, raincoat on, eyes peeled.


    Thankfully, persistence pays off, and in the early hours, she spotted Jimmy politely seeing someone out.


    She knew him-a guy from the mayor''s office.


    With a wry smile, Selena''s hands stayed steady as she snapped pictures of their chat and handshake.


    By the time she returned to Moon Bay, daylight had broken.


    At the sight of Selena soaking wet, Ava gasped, "Ma''am, where have you been? You look like you''ve been through a storm!"


    Too exhausted to exin, Selena mumbled as she trudged upstairs, "I need to catch up on sleep. Don''t wake me."


    She anticipated a long, deep sleep.


    "Alright, I got it," Ava replied, then called out something else as Selena headed up.


    Dizzy and half-asleep, Selena barely registered what Ava said, just waved her hand in acknowledgment as she disappeared up the stairs. After a quick shower, she copsed into bed, dead to the world. No one could drag her away from her reunion with the sandman.


    In her sleep, Selena felt like she was tossed into a furnace, surrounded by mes, sweat pouring off her as if she were melting. Fighting to wake, she cracked her eyes open to a pitch-ck room, unable to see her hand in front of her face.


    Her breath was searing, her body


    slick with sweat, and swallowing felt like needles stabbing her throat, contorting her delicate features in


    pain.


    A fever-exins why she felt so awful!


    Instinctively, Selena tried to get up and call someone but dizziness and weakness pinned her down. Her voice was hoarse, barely a croak.


    After regaining a bit ofposure,


    she reached for her phone, grateful


    she''d charged it beforehand. Checking the time, she was shocked to realize she''d slept through the entire day and it was now 11 PM the foflowing night.


    The fever must''ve knocked her out cold.


    She was about to call Ava when she recalled Ava''s words, "Ma''am, my son is getting married, and I need a few days off to help with the wedding."


    Selena paused, biting her lip with a sigh of resignation.