Isabella stood at the edge of the lab's terrace, her hair caught in the breeze, a cup of black coffee warming her hand. The skyline stretched before her like a painted promise—untouchable and cold, much like herself.
Behind her, the glass door opened with a soft click. She didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"Didn't I tell you not to wait?" she asked flatly, taking a slow sip.
Victor stepped beside her, not too close, just enough that she could feel his presence humming at the edge of her awareness. "And when have I ever listened to what you told me?"
She didn't answer. The coffee was bitter, but somehow still smoother than most people she met on a daily basis.
He looked out over the city. "It's strange. This is one of the most secure buildings in the country, but you look the most untouchable one standing here."
"Maybe I am," she murmured.
Victor turned slightly to face her. "You don't have to keep pretending you're alone."
She didn't flinch, but something shifted in her expression. "You think I'm pretending?"
"No. I think you've been alone for so long, you've mistaken it for a personality trait."
That made her look at him.
For a moment, there was silence between them—nothing but the wind and the faint hum of traffic far below.
"You act like you know me," she said finally, voice low.
Victor didn't hesitate. "I want to."
"Why?"
"Because for the first time in my life, I met someone I don't want to control… I want to understand."
Her breath caught—not visibly, but enough to make her chest tighten.
That was the problem with Victor Blackwood. He didn't try to seduce. He simply spoke the truth with such disarming clarity, it left no space for resistance.
"You're persistent," she said.
"You're worth it," he replied.
She turned back to the skyline, but her thoughts were no longer on the horizon.
They were tangled in his voice.
His presence.
The way he saw her without needing to know everything about her.
And that was dangerous.
Because if he ever found out who she really was—not the façade, not the talent, not the calculated identity—but the shattered girl beneath all those layers—would he still look at her like this?
Would he still stay?
She didn't know.
But she hated that she wanted to find out.
Next Chapter Teaser: A gift arrives at Isabella's lab—one that holds more meaning than she's ready to admit. And Victor? He's not done making her heart hesitate.