Blayze maintained a silent vigil. He observed as she continued to indulge, leaning in close and persisting in the drinking.

With a gentle but firm hand, he took away her glass, settled the tab, hoisted her up, and guided her out of the bar, ultimately placing her gently in the back seat of the car.

Sabrina, already inebriated, lay in a state of blissful inertia within the car's interior.

Blayze, slipping into the passenger seat from the opposite side, spoke to the driver.

“To a hotel, please," Blayze ordered.

The driver initiated the vehicle and embarked on the journey to the hotel where Blayze had taken up residence.

En route, Blayze's phone broke the silence, its ringtone punctuating the night. It was his secretary calling.

The secretary said promptly upon the connection, "“Blayze, Mrs. Fowler and a young lady are currently at Mathias. They've checked into the Secenary Hotel. Mrs. Fowler wishes to see you."

Mrs. Fowler, Marco's second wife and Nicol's biological mother, was Blayze's stepmother.

“Tonight ."

“Well... Mrs. Fowler insists on seeing you right away. She's conveyed it's a matter of great urgency."

Following a momentary pause, Blayze replied, “I will be there shortly. Please ask her to await my arrival.”

“Understood, sir. Additionally, Larry has surrendered himself." Blayze glanced back at the peacefully slumbering Sabrina.

“I see." The secretary offered no further remarks and terminated the call. Blayze stowed his phone away and began to idly twiddle his fingers.

His associates had wasted no time in interrogating Hobson upon his apprehension. Consequently, Blayze had gained a general understanding of the events that had transpired that year.

However, Hobson's arrival in Mathias had yet to materialize.

Blayze now conjectured that Sabrina had likely gleaned the truth from Larry and Tyrone, and they, in turn, had unveiled the source of her profound sadness.

Upon their arrival at the hotel, Blayze swiftly arranged for a new room and carefully carried Sabrina up the stairs.

Just as he was poised to place her gently upon the bed, Sabrina's eyes fluttered open unexpectedly.

Blayze was taken aback.