Sadie nced at Annika''s eager face, feeling a mix of conflict and nostalgia. Love, she thought, had a way of showing itself no matter how hard you tried to hide it. Just like she and Micah once had those unspoken, undeniable connections- "Ms. James, is that okay?" Annika''s voice snapped her back to reality, urgency cutting through her doubt.


    connections she''d now painfully learned to break.


    "Yeah, go ahead and buy it. I''ll stay here with Hubert," Sadie finally said. "Take the night off; juste back tomorrow morning."


    "I..." Annika started to panic but quickly changed her tone, "I was thinking of going with you. If you don''t want to go, I won''t either. I''ll stay with you."


    "I told you to go, so go." Sadie gave her a pointed look. Before Annika could argue, Sadie''s phone rang. She nced at the unknown number on the screen and hesitated before answering, "Hello?"


    "Ms. James, this is Olivia. I''d like to meet with you. Is that okay?" Olivia''s voice was gentle yetmanding, with a strange allure that caught Sadie off guard.


    Despite her better judgment, she couldn''t muster any real animosity toward her. Given her past experiences with hypocrites like E, Arianna, and Barbara, Sadie prided herself on reading people well. Yet, Olivia defied her expectations. "How did you get my number?" Sadie asked cautiously.


    "If I want to know, I will find out," Olivia said with a smile. "We met briefly at the Sunvale partyst time. You left a deep impression on me. I think you haven''t forgotten me, have you?"


    Sadie narrowed her eyes slightly. Olivia was impressive, no doubt; she had uncovered Sadie''s identity with startling speed and had reached out directly.


    "Of course, I haven''t forgotten," Sadie quicklyposed herself and replied with a smile. "I haven''t even thanked you for lending us the swimsuitsst time!"


    "Tonight at eight, Urban Delights, is that okay?" Olivia asked respectfully.


    "Okay." Sadie readily epted the invitation. Her curiosity was piqued; she really wanted to know what Olivia wanted from her.


    "See you tonight!" Olivia hung up, leaving Sadie holding her phone and contemting the situation with a furrowed brow.


    Annika looked at the phone and asked in confusion, "At the partyst time, we hid our identities well. Only Joe, Mr. Clemens, and rence knew. How did she find out about you?"


    "As she said, if she wants to know, she will find out," Sadie said calmly. "The Graham family has developed very well in recent years and has considerable influence in the business world. She can persuade rence with some benefits."


    "But what does she want from you?" Annika frowned and said. "Could she be nning to challenge you face-to-face?"


    Sadieughed, "Challenge what? We have no conflicts of interest."


    "How can you say that? She''s your rival in love," Annika blurted out, then felt puzzled. "Wait, didn''t Mr. Clemens and the others go to see her? Why is she asking you out?"


    "This means that Micah didn''t go to see her," Sadie poured herself another half cup of tea and said calmly, "This Olivia, if she bes an enemy, will be harder to deal with than any woman before!" "Why?" Annika struggled to see the threat. "Just because of her family background?"


    "Not just that," Sadie said softly and lowered her eyes, her expressionplex. "Although we haven''t interacted much, I always feel that she''s wiser than any woman I''ve known before."