Susan’s drive home was fueled by a familiar, searing irritation. Every time she tried to bridge the gap with Manuel, she ended up swearing she would never let him get under her skin again. Her chest felt tight, a physical manifestation of the stress he caused her.

When her phone buzzed with Henry’s name, she forced her breath to steady. She couldn't let him hear the traces of Manuel in her voice.

"I’m drunk, honey," Henry’s voice came through, thick and heavy. He spoke of his depression, of the "crisis" he felt he needed to resolve, and the bitter reality that Edward Phillips seemed to have replaced him with Manuel in the company’s hierarchy.

"Henry, don't worry," Susan comforted, her heart aching for him. "My father is just focused on Manuel right now because of Justine. Once things settle, he’ll see your capability again."

Henry’s self-mocking laugh was a knife to her gut. He played his part perfectly, sounding incoherent and miserable, apologizing for "bothering" her while carefully planting seeds of guilt. He needed Susan to act. He was terrified of what Manuel was doing in his "special group," especially since Henry had been secretly leaking Phillips Bank secrets to their rival, Sway Bank. He was a double agent losing his grip on the narrative.

Driven by a sense of duty and guilt, Susan didn't go home. She called her father immediately.

"Dad, how can you sleep while your staff is working themselves to the bone?" she snapped the moment Edward answered.

She demanded that Henry be included in Manuel’s special project team, accusing her father of blatant unfairness. But Edward, tired and wary of their fragile relationship, stood his ground.

"I gave Manuel full power over that group, Susan. If I interfere now, I look like a man who breaks his word. If you want Henry in that group, you don't talk to me. You talk to Manuel. In the professional world, diverging from established procedure is a taboo."

Susan hung up, the silence of the car amplifying her frustration. She had just stormed out of Manuel’s office in a rage. Now, she had to crawl back and ask him for a favor.