"Promise me you will take care of yourself and Mom in Bali. The bank account I gave you last night has enough money for you both to start a new life. You understand, Mary?"

Mary nodded, but she still gave Sandra a worried look. "What are you up to, sis?" Mary asked, clutching her luggage closer.

Sandra sighed as she looked around the departure area of Dulles International Airport. Her mother and sister were ready to leave for Southeast Asia.

When Sandra told them they were leaving the U.S. to live in Bali, her sister and mother were confused but didn't object. Maybe it was the seriousness in Sandra's voice that convinced them.

Now, with their mother in the restroom, Mary seized the chance to ask why.

"Do you trust me?" Sandra asked in return.

Mary hesitated but nodded. "Yes, but I'm wo—"

Sandra cut her sister off with a hug. "Trust me with this. And don't worry about me. Just start a new life there with Mom. I promise to contact you when the time is right."

Mary sighed as she pulled away from the hug, looking at Sandra seriously. "Please don't hurt yourself."

Sandra smiled at her caring sister. "I'll be careful, don't worry. You won't be able to reach me by my old number or email, so wait for me to contact you first. Don't come back to the U.S. unless I tell you. Okay?"

Sandra knew her sister was scared and wanted to ask more questions, but Mary's trust in her sister outweighed her fear, so she let it go for now.

Their mom returned from the restroom.

Sandra felt a pang of sadness looking at the only family members she had left. It would be a while before she could see them again, but being apart was for their own good—and their safety.

Sandra hugged her mom as well. "Mom, maybe you can start a new life in Bali. Who knows? People there might love your homemade American dishes, and you could start your own restaurant," she said, trying to sound cheerful.

Her mother hugged her back, a small smile on her lips. "Going there might help us forget and start anew. You can come with us if you want to, you know that, right?"

Sandra smiled and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Someday," she said, a faint promise.

Sandra bid her goodbyes as she watched her family disappear behind the doors to the departure area.

As they were gone, so was her smile.

She was now alone.

She looked around one more time, feeling a bit sad and melancholic, before sighing and walking toward a specific place she had found earlier today.

'Hair Spa & Salon'

The receptionist greeted her warmly as she entered the salon and guided her to a vacant seat. She told Sandra to wait for the stylist.

Not long after, a flamboyant stylist appeared, giving her hair a quick look before flashing his biggest smile.

"What can I do for you, Miss Beautiful?" he asked in a cheery tone.

Sandra looked at her reflection in the mirror, touching her long brown locks one last time. She couldn't describe what she was feeling inside as she gave her instructions.

"Cut it short, mid-neck length. And dye it black, please."

The stylist looked surprised, glancing at her hair with pity. No one could blame him. She had the perfect long brunette hair fitting for a model. Cutting it short was like a hair burial for the stylist.

Instead of protesting, he just smiled and began his work, snapping the nylon cape around her neck.

"Pronto," he said, starting his job.

Sandra closed her eyes and tried to relax. As the stylist cut her hair, her mind drifted back to the time she talked to the President of the United States...

--Flashback--

President Madison was silently reading the paper Sandra had given him. He had been sitting behind his big mahogany desk for a while now.

Sandra was in the White House as a guest of honor, and all the President's schedules had been cleared that day to accommodate the young woman. This made Sandra feel even more intimidated; the President of the country had prioritized her.

And here she was, in front of the esteemed person, waiting for his comments. The President hadn't uttered a word since receiving the paper an hour ago.

Sandra sat anxiously in front of the President, questioning herself. 'Is this the right thing to do? Am I insane?' she wondered repeatedly.

Inside that paper were the detailed terms and conditions she wanted the President to fulfill on her behalf. He had promised to give her everything, after all. And she held him to that promise.

She straightened in her seat when she finally saw a reaction from the President. He nodded as he put down the paper and looked straight at her.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"This is one complicated wish, Miss Grace," the President finally said, a bit of amusement in his voice.

She didn't respond, only bowing her head.

"So, Miss Sandra Grace. You want your identity completely erased from the United States' system—passports, birth certificates, social security number, to name a few things. Moreover, you want yourself erased from the Grace family history. Your parents would have only two children instead of three. You want all of this changed in the legal records. You want to disappear." He looked straight into her eyes. "I must say, that's an elaborate wish, Miss Grace."

Sandra bit her lip nervously and nodded. Hearing the President enumerate her demands made her realize how crazy she must have sounded.

"I'm sorry if it's too much, Mr. President," she apologized.

To her amazement, the President laughed it off.

"No, no, no. What I read was nothing compared to what you wanted next." He clasped his hands together, watching the young woman closely. "You want to create a new identity with a different background and history. You want me to breach national security." He read the other half of the paper's contents. "You want me to help you enroll in Madtown University as a junior student with a new name, a new age, and a different status. You want me to help you create a new persona."

Sandra closed her eyes and clenched her hands in her lap. She bowed her head. "Please, Mr. President. You are the only one I know who can make all of this possible."

It was the truth. She was up against powerful and influential men like him. This was the only way she could think of to avenge her brother's death and find the truth behind it. She had vowed to bring his killers to justice.

But to do that, she needed to change everything about herself. Mad KingZ was composed of dangerous men connected to politics, the police, intelligence, and media. They could easily track and identify her. She didn't want her remaining family members to pay for what she was about to do, as her brother had, if the perpetrators found out about her.

She intended to take advantage of the fact that Mad KingZ didn't know her. They wouldn't realize the woman they had met once in the hallway was related to Kevin. She didn't want her enemies to trace her or her loved ones. Thus, she needed a new identity, erasing the old one completely.

"You have some wild thinking, Miss Grace," the President cut into her thoughts. "I'm impressed." He was clearly amused and entertained by his guest. "I can do everything you requested in that list. A promise is a promise." He smiled at Sandra's surprised face. "I can also deposit enough money to aid you in your mission this year."

Sandra felt an overwhelming sense of relief. She was grateful the President was actually going to help her.

"Thank you, Mr. President," she said heartfeltly, bowing to him respectfully. She couldn't believe she had persuaded the President to help her.

"I always pay my debts," the President said nonchalantly, showing her the way out.

But before she left his office completely, the President gave Sandra a chilling warning.

"And Miss Grace, just a friendly reminder," he started, looking at her seriously. "Don't get burned by the fire you are about to start."