Chapter 15 Bianca blurted out instinctively , " Who else could it be if not Dani ? " As soon as she said it , her face went pale . She stared at Stephen in disbelief . " You mean Abby ? That's impossible . " Stephen didn't want to believe it either , but he couldn't keep it from Blanca . " Mom , Abigail said she got her acceptance letter from Vanguard University three years ago right before she was sent to prison . " Bianca's body went limp , and she collapsed backward . " Mom . " Daniella came running from downstairs , her face streaked with tears as she cried out for Bianca . The whole place turned chaotic . The family doctor stepped out of the room and said , " Mrs. Gibson fainted due to emotional stress . It's nothing serious . " Stephen , waiting outside , finally let out a breath . Daniella's voice was choked as she asked , " Can I go see her now ? " The doctor nodded . " Yes , Ms. Gibson , go on in . " Daniella rushed in , her face filled with worry and panic . Stephen saw the doctor out , then turned to glance at Abigail's door , still shut tight . He thought , ' Mom fainted because of her , and there's no way Abigail deliberately not coming out . ' didn't hear all that noise . She's doing this on purpose - she's That thought made the guilt Stephen had been feeling for Certain reasons harden back into cold indifference Meanwhile , Abigail was typing on her phone , lines of code flashing quickly across the screen . Soon , the display began to shift in color as her fingers moved . She had her headphones on , completely focused . The next morning , Abigail arrived at the office early . She didn't like staying at Gibson Villa any longer than necessary and preferred being at the company . As work hours approached , the Development Lab slowly filled with people . Since Abigail sat in a corner , no one noticed her unless they walked right up . When Leon showed up , he actually thought Abigail wouldn't come to work today . He had been waiting by the elevator for quite a while , holding several large shopping bags filled with gifts for Abigail . Everything in those bags was handpicked after Leon had consulted his baby sister the night before he made sure to get things girls usually liked . He thought , ' It's already work hours , and Abigail still hasn't shown up ? ' Leon didn't expect that the moment he walked in with the bags , he'd see Abigail already sitting in a corner . " Abigail , when did you get here ? " Leon asked , surprised and delighted . Abigail looked at him , puzzled . " I got here at seven . Why ? " Leon fell silent , thinking , ' She's really that dedicated ? Here at seven ? No wonder I couldn't find her at the elevator . ' " It's nothing . These are for you . See if you like them , " Leon said as he handed her the bags . Abigail frowned slightly . " Thanks , but I don't need them . I didn't do anything to deserve this . " She didn't want to take advantage of anyone . Leon let out a dramatic groan . " You saved us a huge headache yesterday - how's that not worth a thank - you ? This is me showing appreciation . Just take them . Tim's gonna be looking for you any minute now . " Wed 18 Jun « @@ Chapter 15 Speak of the devil - Timothy showed up right then to find Abigail , striding in just in time to see the pile of snacks . His face darkened instantly , " Leon , what are you up to again ? Didn't I say no snacks in the Development Lab ? " Timothy demanded . Leon looked innocent . " They haven't been opened yet . You can't blame me , Timothy couldn't be bothered to argue. He had more important thin Tim . " to deal with . " Abigail , come to my office . " Originally , he'd asked Leon to deliver the message , but Timothy dust him t " Alright , " Abigail replied with a nod . Inside the office , Timothy's attitude had taken a complete 180 . coffee ? " follow through . So Timothy decided to come in person . He was all smile practically fawning . " Abigail , please , have a seat . Do you want Abigail glanced at him , noting the sudden change in his attitude . " Mr. Newman , She wasn't interested in coffee . Her stomach was messed up - caffeine only made got something to say , just say it ." Timothy didn't mind her indifference . In his eyes , talented people were allowed a bit of attitude . " Abigail , did you write that program you gave Leon yesterday yourself ? " Timothy watched her expression closely . Abigail gave a calm nod . " Yes . " Timothy's breathing hitched . " You're sure you're not lying to me ? " Abigail was puzzled . " Why would I lie ? " She thought , ' What would I even get Out ' Of lying to him ? ' Seeing the confusion in her eyes , Timothy chuckled . He thought , ' Good . As long as it's real . ' " Great . I'm glad it's not a lie . Abigail , with your skills , have you ever considered leading a small team ? Maybe taking on a team leader role ? " Bewildered , Abigail thought , ' Aren't big companies supposed to be hard to get promoted in ? Don't people normally have to wait their turn ? ' " Mr. Newman , how much more does a team leader make ? " Abigail asked . She felt like it was a professional question . After all , she didn't have much money right now . If Abigail wanted to cut ties with the Gibson family , she'd need to buy her own place . Plus , she still wanted to visit Wyatt from time to time . All of that cost money . Timothy hadn't expected that question . Honestly , most people would've been over the moon to be offered a promotion on their second day and would've said yes right away . " I'm not sure , but it should be a decent bump , " Timothy finally said . The company had pretty good benefits and a solid pay structure . " As long as you do the job well , the salary won't disappoint . " Abigail didn't react to Timothy's vague promises . She wasn't interested in nice words - she wanted real numbers . " Mr. Newman , I'll think about it , " she said . She figured asking Timothy wouldn't get her anywhere . She'd have better luck checking with someone else . Leon stared at her in shock , completely floored . " You're saying Tim asked you to lead a team ? " Abigail didn't get why he looked so worked up . After a second , she said , " I haven't agreed yet . "