"Donnie muttered, 'Wasting food is a sin."

"Then you eat it," came the quick reply.

Donnie stood there for a moment, then tossed the leftover sandwich into the bin.

The next day, Chad received yet another packed lunch. This time, he walked over to the security booth at the entrance and said to the old guard inside, "If anyone brings me lunch again, just leave it at the door. If it's not picked up by the next day, toss it." The guard replied, "I thought you knew the girl, Officer Chad. She seemed to think you were friends."

Chad shook his head. "Don't know her. I threw away yesterday's meal."

As expected, on the third day, Vivian showed up again, believing she was engaged in a grand romantic gesture. But when she arrived, she found the previous day's lunch still sitting there, untouched.

Frowning, she asked the guard, "Who told you to do this?"

"It's common knowledge around here," he replied.

Vivian clenched her fists, her romantic dreams dashed. All her efforts seemed like a fool's errand.

"Tell Chad these lunches are from his sister," she said defiantly.

The guard held up a hand. "Don't go using Molly's name in vain. If she finds out someone's been sending her brother meals under her name, she'll have my head."

the precinct knew of Molly's

stormed off. Rounding the corner, she angrily threw them

popped by

lunches, and she wasn't about to let her efforts go unnoticed. As dusk fell, she waited at the Byrne family home for Chad to finish his shift. That day, not only did she see Chad laden with

siblings entered the Byrne living room, Vivian felt a pang

daughter sacrifice herself as

to interact as she whisked Chad upstairs, leaving no chance for Vivian to speak with him. Chad indulged Molly, following her

A cold realization dawned on her. What if Chad's

dislike for her wasn't because of Juliana, but due to her possessiveness over Chad? Vivian knew they were not

her biggest obstacle, but now it seemed Molly was

mind raced with schemes as she watched them ascend the

tomorrow." Chad seemed unfazed, knowing his sister was likely to act out of jealousy. "Just

started pondering

sister's nature, Chad reminded her, "Focus on your studies. Don't worry about feeding me. Your

looked up at

unconvinced, Chad confiscated her phone before

Vivian glared at a man's white shirt on the bed. The dim light barely concealed the

right to pursue happiness, right, Chad?" she whispered to

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