Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

After dinner, Leda was whisked away by a phone call, leaving Roseanne to escort her parents back home.

Despite a long day of browsing and shopping that left them exhausted, Norris couldn't contain his excitement as he scrolled through the photos on his phone. "...I'm telling you, this enamel-coated silver goblet...and this coral-inlaid silver brooch..."

His voice echoed through the staircase.

Madge couldn't help but smile at his childlike enthusiasm, a rare sight for her.

Roseanne played the part of the attentive listener, chiming in only when prompted.

The family of three laughed and chatted as they climbed up to the seventh floor, with Roseanne reaching for her keys to open the door.

Just then, the door opposite theirs opened.

"Oh? Heading out, Owen?" Norris greeted warmly.

Roseanne instinctively turned her head, her gaze unexpectedly meeting the man's smiling eyes.

He was dressed simply yet elegantly in a white short-sleeved shirt paired with khaki trousers, his appearance both clean and restrained.

that night she'd drunkenly rambled to

her drunken escapade with Owen, Roseanne

slightly as he nodded

"Still working this late?"

some data to finish

free, let's catch

"Sure."

from the relentless demands

and decided to head back to

couch at home, Beverley felt utterly drained, her body weak

got great

excitement

from Kingswell University, where she'd study Bioinformatics under

those gifts

hide gelatin-that were initially meant for Madeleine Payne but were declined, had

costing nearly a million. She avoided

technically bought by Edna for five hundred dollars, a clever move to avoid any potential scandal.