Three weeks had passed since the heated confrontation between Sana and her League of Legends teammates. They’d left her to think things through, though the air between them remained tense. However, the Team SMASH group chat suddenly buzzed to life on this quiet Sunday evening, setting the stage for something unexpected.

  Marcus: [Hey, Sana. How’s it going? Feeling better?]

  Sana: [Hey, Marcus. Yeah, I’m getting there. Thanks for asking. :)]

  Marcus: [Good to hear. Btw, any thoughts on the big decision?]

  Sana: [Not yet. Sorry, still figuring things out.]

  Marcus: [It’s fine. Take your time.]

  A brief pause followed. Then Marcus got to the point:

  [Uh, I looked into your so-called ‘boyfriend.’]

  [Something’s off.]

  [There’s, like, zero trace of him online.]

  Sana’s reply came in hot:

  [Wait, WHAT? Who told you to do that???]

  The chat exploded in rapid succession.

  Marcus: [No one. Just looking out for you. It’s weird, right? Like, no socials, no footprint? Dude’s a ghost.]

  Sebastien: [Marcus isn’t wrong. I checked, too. Not even a LinkedIn or a work profile. It’s sus, Sana.]

  Sana: [You too? You guys seriously went behind my back after I explicitly told you not to?!]

  Hex: [Look, we’re just worried. He’s totally off the grid, Sana. You’re trusting him just like that?]

  Sana: [He’s not some phantom. He’s real, and he’s been more supportive than any of you lately!]

  Ashton: [Chill, Sana. There isn't even a redacted file on the guy. It’s like he doesn’t even exist. We’re just trying to make sure you’re safe. You’ve been through enough.]

  Sana: [No! You chill! What gives you the right to interfere in my personal life?]

  Marcus: [We care about you, Sana! You’re important to us!]

  Sana: [If you cared, you would’ve trusted me.]

  The back-and-forth continued, with emotions running high. Sana’s anger intensified, the sense of betrayal twisting like a knife in her chest. Finally, she sent a text that silenced the chat:

  Sana: [I thought we were a team, but you’ve shown me otherwise. I can’t do this anymore. I’m done.]

  The words landed with the force of a nuclear bomb, leaving the guys reeling. Marcus was the first to respond, his desperation evident: [Sana, wait. What do you mean?]

  Sana: [There’s nothing left to talk about. I’m officially quitting.]

  Sebastien: [Sana, please. Don’t make a decision you’ll regret.]

  Sana: [I’ve been uncertain for weeks. But doing what you guys did? I’m done. Goodbye, everyone.]

  She left the group chat without hesitation.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  ......

  The fallout was immediate. Marcus, overcome with guilt, tried calling Sana, but his calls went unanswered.

  The others continued, their frustration bubbling over as they debated what to do next.

  Ashton: [We pushed her too far. This is on us.]

  Sebastien: [We were just trying to protect her. How could this happen?]

  Hex: [We need to figure out how to fix this. We can’t lose her.]

  Marcus stared blankly at the screen, the weight of his remorse crashing down on him. His attempt to protect Sana had only driven her away.

  ......

  Meanwhile, Sana, seated in her wheelchair, stared at the ‘hot potato’ in her hand. Tears pricked her eyes, but she held them back. She had always considered her team her second family, but their actions had broken that trust. Seven’s calm voice broke her thoughts as he entered the room.

  “Sana,” he called softly, crouching beside her. Noticing her distraught expression, he asked, “What’s going on?”

  She handed him the phone, unable to speak. Seven scrolled through the exchange, his jaw tightening as he read the conversation chain.

  “You made the right decision,” he said firmly. “If they can’t respect your boundaries, they don’t deserve your loyalty.”

  Sana nodded, though her heart ached. “It just hurts. They were supposed to be my friends.”

  “True friends don’t betray your trust,” Seven replied, his gaze steady. “You’re stronger than this, Sana. You’ll find your way forward. Whatever you decide, you have my full support.”

  She leaned into his embrace, seeking solace in his arms. Despite the turmoil, she knew she had made the right decision. The path ahead was uncertain, but Sana felt a sense of peace for the first time in weeks.

  The guys, scattered and guilt-ridden, were left to face the consequences of their actions. Their bond had been irreparably fractured, and without Sana, their future now hung precariously in the balance. Whether they could rebuild what they had lost remained to be seen, but one thing was clear: nothing would ever be the same again.

  Just as Seven was about to help Sana wash up for the evening, the soft chime of Seven’s phone pulled him from the moment. He glanced at the screen as the message lit up:

  Etana: [Colonel, do you have time to come down and review Eli’s progress?]

  The words lingered, and the memory of when Etana had sought him out resurfaced. It was just after his adoptive father had passed, and he finally had some time to clear his emails.

  At first, he thought she was a medical colleague. Her questions were sharp, her insights remarkable. Even her email was from the Staten Island University Hospital. It was only after meeting her that he realized she wasn’t a doctor seeking collaboration.

  She’d approached him for help with another patient’s case, somehow piecing together his expertise from a university research database. That alone had intrigued him. But what stayed with him was how young she looked and how she carried herself, the flickers of memory and knowledge contradicting her otherwise fragmented identity.

  “Sweets?” Sana’s call cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

  He blinked, the faint glow of the screen fading as he placed it on the table.

  “What’s wrong?” she pressed.

  “Nothing.” His tone was clipped, but the words rang hollow to her ears.

  Sana frowned, leaning forward. “Don’t give me that. You look like you’re a million miles away since looking at that text.”

  He exhaled slowly, leaning back against the couch. “It’s about a case.”

  Sana’s brow furrowed. “A case?”

  Seven hesitated. “It’s not just a case. It’s about someone. Her name’s Etana. She’s a patient suffering from amnesia caused by a head injury. But the thing is...” He trailed off, searching for the right words.

  “The thing is?” Sana prompted him to continue.

  “She’s... an enigma,” he murmured, raking a hand through his hair. “She remembers nothing about her own life, but she has this incredible depth of medical knowledge. She found me through a research database, trying to help someone else.”

  The air between them grew taut. “You seem pretty interested in this Etana,” she said, her voice carrying a jealous edge.

  “She’s a friend of my patient,” he clarified.

  “Right,” she huffed, crossing her left arm over her chest. “So, you’re saying there’s no reason for me to worry?”

  He frowned, confused. “About what?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she said, voice quieter now. “Maybe about you being so fascinated by this mysterious woman who just happens to have all the right credentials and none of the memories to back them up.”

  Seven’s shoulders stiffened. “Sana, that’s not fair.”

  “Isn’t it?” she shot back. “You’re sitting here, talking about her like she’s the most captivating person you’ve ever met.”

  The room fell silent as her words settled between them.

  “Listen,” Seven said firmly. “You’ve been through hell these past weeks, and I’m here for you every step of the way. That’s not gonna change. But I can’t ignore someone in need, not when I’m in the middle of the treatment.”

  Sana exhaled, her irritation softening into apprehension. “I just... I don’t want to lose you. You’re my Sweets.”

  “You won’t,” he soothed, placing a steady hand on hers.

  But unbeknownst to Seven, as the night wore on, Sana couldn’t help but feel the cracks forming in their bond, the unspoken doubts and insecurities threatening to pull them apart.