?


    As soon as Vrie finished speaking, Tom grabbed her chin and lowered his head abruptly. The sudden closeness brought him so near that he could smell the faint scent of roses on her.


    He swallowed hard, his breath quickening noticeably.


    Vrie''s face, however, remained expressionless as she looked at him, her gaze steady and indifferent, as if she were staring at a stranger passing


    by.


    Once, her eyes had been filled with warmth and affection for him. She had always been there whenever he looked back.


    Now, he could find no trace of the love she once had for him in her eyes.


    A sharp pang spread from Tom''s chest, filling his whole body. His hand, still holding her chin, trembled slightly. If only he had realized his feelings sooner, he wouldn''t have lost her.


    "Tom, don''t look at me with that guilty expression. I only find it pathetic," Vrie spat.


    If he had broken things off cleanly rather than wavering between her and someone else, she wouldn''t despise him as much as she did now. That indecision-wanting to have it all-was what disgusted her most. It made her feel foolish for ever loving a man who had no sense of responsibility.


    Tom''s grip on her chin tightened, emotions ring in his eyes. "Vrie "


    Just then, his phone rang, cutting him off. He let her go and said, "Go home. We''ll have plenty of time to talkter."


    He turned and walked briskly toward the sofa.


    Vrie didn''t care about his sudden change of attitude. She simply turned and left.


    Picking up the phone, Tom answered curtly, "Yes?"


    "The sample you sent over didn''t contain enough DNA. It would be best to obtain a sample, like a strand of hair," the person on the other end of the line said.


    Tom''s eyes narrowed. "Understood."


    "Do it as soon as possible. They''re growing impatient," the caller reminded him.


    "Got it." Tom hung up with a frown, already thinking about how to get a hair sample from N.


    Meanwhile, Vrie had just left the Genge residence when a ck G-Wagon suddenly pulled up in front of her.


    The driver''s side door opened, and Brandon stepped out.


    "What are you doing here?" Vrie asked, surprised.


    She hadn''t told anyone where she was going, so how did he know?


    Brandon looked at her calmly.


    "Vrie, before I answer that, shouldn''t you exin why you''re here? You told me you were done with Tom and wouldn''t see hin


    swne


    et


    again. So why are you at his ce?"


    His questioning tone and expression made Vrie''s face darken. "Did you rush over here just to question me?"


    Brandon said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes.


    Vrie felt a wave of disappointment. She had trusted himpletely and assumed he would have the same faith in her.


    Clearly, he didn''t. He still doubted her feelings for Tom and feared she might rekindle something with him.


    The silence stretched between them.


    Finally, Vrie spoke. "Brandon, I''m


    here because Mr. Updike came to me earlier. He told me that Tom was targeting the Updike Group because of me, so I came to handle it


    "I already told you I''m never going back to him, but obviously, you don''t believe me. Did you think I''d fall back into old habits the moment I came to see him? Is that why you shed here?"