Brittany shot up in bed, her back sending sharp pains through her body that made her wince and grimace. The suite was empty. Her clothes from the night before were torn to shreds, scattered around the room.
Having kids was a distant memory for Brittany, a chapter from before she lost parts of her memory. She couldn't even recall what intimacy felt like. Realizing she'd stirred up trouble, Brittany gingerly got out of bed and rummaged through the closet. She found a set of men's suits, quickly dressed up, and tiptoed out of the place. She knew too well the havoc alcohol could wreak. But she never imagined she'd replace herself in such a mess. She couldn't even bear to think about who she might have spent the night with.
Bearing the pain, she made her way back to her hotel and headed straight for the shower. Her body felt like it had been run over, aching all over. Showering was an ordeal; the water made her wince and hiss in pain.
Finally clean, Brittany was met by the concerned eyes of her son, Daniel: "Mom, you didn't come home last night. Where were you?" Brittany's cheeks flushed with embarrassment: "I went out for drinks with your godmother."
Daniel, catching a whiff of the lingering scent of alcohol, frowned: "Mom, drinking's bad for you. You can't do that anymore." "Okay."
Just thinking about the night before gave Brittany a headache. After reassuring Daniel, she called her friend, Hannah: "Hannah." "Bri, my head's killing me." Hannah had clearly had a rough night too, feeling the aftermath of their escapades. "Hannah, do you remember who we were drinking with last night?" "No clue." Brittany sighed. It was a dead end.
She was about to head out for some morning-after pills when she got a call from Yuri, urging her to return to Craneville immediately. "What's going on?" "Someone's raised allegations against a project you were involved in. You need to cooperate with the investigation." Yuri was stern, "I know you haven't done anything illegal. But this is causing quite the stir. You need to come back now."
Yuri wasn't worried about Brittany's guilt; he was just shocked someone had the audacity to challenge her, especially at such a critical moment. "I understand."
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Brittany immediately booked the next flight back to Craneville.
Isaac had brought breakfast up to Brittany's apartment, hoping to have a heart-to-heart, only to replace she had vanished. Before he could delve into Brittany's whereabouts, a headline from a Craneville local news outlet caught his eye.
olt has come to light that a senior executive at the Lynette Conglomerate has been accused of accepting bribes... Isaac realized Brittany was being targeted. He exited the news app and contacted Nathan Jarvis: "Arrange a flight back to Craneville for me. Now." "Understood."
Two planes took off, one after the other. On her flight, Brittany received more worrying messages from Yuri than she had anticipated. She had worked across many departments and subsidiaries of the Lynette Conglomerate, involved in numerous cases. Now, facing back- to-back allegations, it was clear someone had come prepared. Brittany grew increasingly uneasy. Throughout the twenty-some hours of flight, she couldn't bring herself to close her eyes.
Upon landing in Craneville, Brittany was about to disembark when her assistant stopped her: "Ms. Lynette, we've just received word. The airport is swarming with reporters and police. If you show up now, you'll be taken straight to the station, and if you're taken in..." It would only fuel the firestorm against the Lynette Conglomerate. "Take Daniel and leave through the back. Make sure he's safe and out of the media's sight."
"But Miss-"
"Just go."
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