CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR - *SCHOLARSHIP WARNING*

The restaurant was buzzing with activity, and Anna found herself running from table to table. She caught glimpses of Mark, her work rival, whispering to other staff members and shooting her dirty looks. As she approached the bar to pick up an order, she overheard Lisa, another waitress, hissing at Mark. "I told you to leave it alone, Mark. Your vendetta against Anna is getting old." Mark sneered. "Oh, please. Little Miss Perfect thinks she can waltz in here, snag a billionaire, and still keep her job? Someone needs to take her down a peg." Anna's cheeks burned as she grabbed her tray and hurried away. The tension in the air was palpable, and she felt like she was walking on eggshells. Hours later, as she finally trudged home, exhaustion weighed heavily on her. She collapsed into bed, her mind a swirl of equations, customer orders, and Erik's piercing gaze. That night, her dreams were vivid and strange. She found herself running through a moonlit forest, her bare feet silent on th