"Hit me up ASAP.

" That's all the text said., I shot back a quick 'okay,' but the moment I sent it, something felt off., He said ASAP. Why did it sound so urgent?, I tried sending another message:

"If you're tied up or something, just shoot me a pic.

", But that message just vanished into the void-no reply., This guy always seemed to pop in and out of existence. If he didn't reach out, it felt like I couldn't get a hold of him., Thinking about my parents' car crash just darkened my already gloomy mood a bit more., I couldn't sleep that night., Maybe it was the change of scenery, or maybe it was just too much on my mind., The next day, Conrad noticed right away.

"You look like you didn't catch a wink.

",

"I'm fine,

" I lied, my pride as a newly single woman not allowing me to show my mess., He didn't say anything else, but his look said it all—I'd annoyed him again., After a bit, he said,

"You should be seeing Jefferson today. Try to comfort him, and maybe get some info out of him...

", What he was saying was exactly what Ernest had told me, suggesting they were on the same page, both suspecting Jefferson's mishap wasn't just bad luck but something planned. Conrad finished talking, and I stayed silent, prompting him to ask,

"Why aren't you saying anything?

",

"Ernest already told me,

"I said, effectively shutting Conrad up., I wasn't trying to rub it in; I was just stating facts, but it seemed to hit a nerve with him.,

"Ernest found someone to take me to see Jefferson,

" I added truthfully., That shut Conrad up again., Looking at him, I saw his jaw clench, his frustration evident, reminding me of old times., Some things never change; he still loved to get angry over anything, only now, he had to hold it in instead of lashing out at me.,

"Are you and he contacting the same person?

" I asked, not to sting but out of curiosity.,

"No.

",

"Whoever gets here first, I'll go with.

", Conrad stayed quiet., Ernest's guy got there first, a, you, could see Conrad was bitter watching me get into the car. He probably felt like Ernest had one-upped him again. , I remembered how he used to dismiss Ernest when he thoughtd was seeing him, his arrogance making him believe he was, unbeatable. Yet, my choice had left him feeling defeated., But he still had one advantage-being the heir apparent to the Wagner family, a status Ernest couldn't match., However, Ernest belonged to the Collins family, who were equally influential with their mining business, not leaving Conrad much room to boast., Always competitive, Conrad must, have felt crushed, even more so on a, matter concerning a mutual friend,, where Ernest outpaced him, in, efficiency. , I could almost feel Conrad's frustration eating at him, possibly even causing him a literal heartache., On my way to see Jefferson, Ernest texted to check if I'd been picked up. I responded with a simple

"yeah.

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