Amelie waved at me as I walked toward her. I waved back, still feeling a bit unsettled.

"El, over here! Sebastian’s stuck in traffic. We’ll have to be patient and wait," Amelie informed me. "I called him earlier, asked why he was taking so long to pick us up."

I smiled faintly. "Yeah, he just messaged me too—told me to be patient."

"Mel... I don’t think I can head home with you guys today."

"Huh? What do you mean? You're not coming back home with us?"

I nodded, giving her an apologetic smile. "Something important came up. I need to take care of it right away."

"Oh, no problem at all. Did you tell Sebastian? He might get worried if he can’t find you."

"I’ll call him on my way." I took a deep breath. "You don’t mind if I leave, right?"

Amelie shook her head quickly. "Of course not, El. I’m not a little kid, you know. Just go take care of your stuff. I’ll be fine, seriously."

I felt relieved hearing her say that. "Okay then, I’ll go now. The ride I ordered is almost at the front gate. I’ll walk over there. Message me when you get home, okay?"

Amelie nodded. "Sure thing. Take care, El." She waved again, this time to say goodbye.

As I walked toward the campus gate, I dialed Sebastian’s number. It rang for a few seconds before he finally picked up.

"Hey, El? Hang in there, traffic’s clearing up. I’ll be there soon," Sebastian said as soon as he answered.

"Um, actually, Sebastian, I’m not calling about that. I wanted to tell you I won’t be going home with you and Amelie today."

"Huh? Why not? Where are you now? Did you already go back to your apartment?"

"No, I’m not at my apartment. I’ve got something important to take care of. It's about that issue I had in Wonderland... you remember?"

"Do you want me to come there now, El?" he asked, sounding concerned. I quickly jumped in to calm him down.

"No, no need. I just want to talk about my resignation and those two people who asked me to meet them. That’s all."

"You sure? You really don’t need me there?"

"I’m sure. Just focus on driving. I’ll let you know when everything’s sorted out."

"El, you forgot one thing."

"What? What did I forget?" I asked, racking my brain, just as my ride pulled up. The moment I opened the car door, it hit me. Oh, no!

"Oh gosh, I’m so sorry... yes, I remember now. The surprise gift for you, right? Don’t worry, I’ll give it to you once I’m done with this Wonderland stuff."

Sebastian chuckled. "Hmm, alright then. Take care, okay? Keep me updated. And if you need me there, don’t hesitate to call."

"Thanks for understanding. I love you." Whoa! Did I seriously just say that? That was way too flirty!

"Love you too..." he replied, laughing softly.

I climbed into the car, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement.

“Is the destination set correctly?” the driver asked politely.

"Yes, it’s all correct in the app."

"Alright." The car started moving, heading toward Wonderland.

**

I got out of the car in a hurry after paying the fare. Glancing at my watch, I prayed I wouldn’t run into Sebastian’s father. That would be a nightmare!

After greeting the security guard downstairs, I half-ran to the elevator that would take me to Sarah’s office upstairs. My phone rang, and since I was in a rush, I didn’t even check who was calling—I just answered it on instinct.

"Hello?"

“El? Hey, where are you now?” It was Sarah’s voice. Thank goodness. I took a few deep breaths as I kept up my brisk pace.

"Relax, Sarah. I’m literally half-running to your office right now," I said, slightly out of breath.

"Oh! Okay then, I’ll hang up and get you a drink ready," she said quickly.

I ended the call. Thank God for elevators—if I had to take the stairs all the way up, I might’ve passed out.

When I got to her door, I knocked impatiently. “Sarah… Sarah… it’s me. Can you open the door?”

It swung open shortly after, and Sarah immediately threw her arms around me.

“El! Gosh, I’m so sorry for dragging you into this mess. Come in, quick,” she urged, stepping aside to let me in.

“Good thing you made it just in time,” Sarah said as I sat down on the couch, already greeted by a spread of my favorite snacks and treats.

“Well, when you called me earlier, you sounded so stressed and panicked. What else could I do?” I replied.

“I know, right? I just got a call from the big boss’s assistant—he said the visit’s been moved up a whole day!” Sarah sounded totally annoyed. “Can you believe it? Just like that. No warning. I mean, seriously!”

She continued ranting, “Imagine if he had called like five or ten minutes before I headed here—I would’ve had a heart attack.”

"Drink this, El. I had Jack make your favorite iced lemon tea," Sarah said, pushing a cup toward me. "Help yourself. I asked him to make a whole pitcher—it’s in the fridge."

I was super thirsty, so I downed the entire cup in one go.

***