I Hate You, I Love You | Challengers

Twenty Three | TIME TO EXPOSE SOME MFS

PRESENT TIME

Sabrina paced in front of the hotel's front desk, her frustration bubbling over like a pot on a high flame. "Excuse me," she began, her voice tight with a mix of anger and desperation. "I'm wondering if you have access to the footage from the lobby and elevators over the past few days?"

Andy, the receptionist, a young man with a kind face and a nervous disposition, looked at her with a flicker of apprehension. "I'm sorry, but I'm not authorized to release that information."

"Listen, Andy," Sabrina said, her voice softening as she employed a different tactic. "Have you ever been cheated on?"

Andy's face turned pale. "Yes," he mumbled, his eyes downcast.

"So you know how it feels, then," Sabrina pressed, her voice hardening again. "Well, your footage holds content that could expose the cheating bastard. It's a matter of principle!"

Andy looked at her sympathetically, his gaze lingering on her face, now tight with worry. He nodded, understanding her plight. "I'm sorry, but I'm not able to access that footage," he repeated, his voice barely a whisper.

Sabrina sighed. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. She observed Andy as he went about his work, his mannerisms suggesting he was attracted to men. She knew she had to find a different angle.

Just then, Gracie walked in with her father, Patrick, a man built like a brick house but with a gentle, almost childlike, demeanor. They had ice cream in hand, the sweet scent filling the air, a stark contrast to the heavy cloud of betrayal hanging over Sabrina.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Sabrina exclaimed, her face brightening with a plan. "How would you like to make ten bucks?"

"Just ten?" Patrick asked, his brow furrowed.

"Patrick, if you do this for me, I'll do whatever," Sabrina said, her voice a seductive whisper.

"Whatever I want?" Patrick asked, his eyes widening with a hint of mischief.

Sabrina nodded, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "Then I'm at your service, milady," Patrick said, his voice laced with playful irony. "How can I be of service?"

"I need you to flirt your way into his pants," Sabrina said, her voice barely audible.

"But he's a guy?" Patrick's face crinkled with confusion.

Gracie, ever the observant one, burst into laughter. "I'm not flirting with a guy," Patrick said, his voice laced with mock outrage.

"Patrick," Sabrina said, her voice firm. Gracie pulled her father aside and whispered something in his ear, a smile playing on her lips. Sabrina looked at them, tilting her head in confusion.

"Do you want your Barbie girl back or not?" Gracie asked her father, her voice filled with a mischievous glint.

Patrick nodded. 'Then do as she says,' he mumbled, his eyes flitting between Sabrina and Gracie.

Gracie gently shoved her father back towards Sabrina. "We will do it, won't you, Daddy?" she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Sabrina chuckled, her tension easing slightly. "Yeah, why am I doing this?" Patrick said, his voice still filled with confusion.

"A video proof that my mother and Nate...," Sabrina began, her voice trailing off as she realized what she had just said.

"Why did you just say that, Bri?" Patrick asked, his face etched with a mixture of concern and bewilderment.