Novels by rice4299

The lab was unusually tense that morning. I could feel it----the way conversations dropped when I entered, the sidelong glances, and the hushed whispers that evaporated the moment I got close. The hum of machines seemed louder than usual, filling the gaps left by conversations that died out as I approached.It wasn’t this bad last week.Was it because of me?I shook the thought off. I didn’t have time to dwell on it; over 20 samples waited to be screened on the chip this morning. I offered Liam a small, tight-lipped smile as I passed by.“Morning,” I muttered, pulling open the freezer door.Liam gave me a quick nod but said nothing.The chill from the freezer bit at my skin as I reached for the samples, but it was nothing compared to the cold atmosphere hanging in the room.Then Olivia’s voice sliced through it.“Daniel must be feeling generous,” she said, her tone smooth but laced with something sharper. She leaned casually against the workbench, arms crossed, eyes fixed on me. “Lett

The café hummed with soft conversation and the faint clinking of cutlery against porcelain. Olivia slid into the seat across from Lauren, shaking the drizzle off her coat.“Sorry I’m late,” Olivia said, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Got caught up at the lab.”Lauren set her phone aside, flashing a faint smile. “Eva keeping you busy?”“More like Maggie.” Olivia’s tone carried just enough weight to make Lauren pause mid-stir of her tea.Lauren’s gaze lifted, sharp but curious. “Maggie?”Olivia leaned back in her chair, swirling the tea absentmindedly. “She’s been catching Daniel’s attention. Malcolm mentioned her too. Apparently, she’s quite sharp.”Lauren’s hand didn’t stop moving, but the rhythm of her stirring slowed.“Daniel notices everyone when they start,” Lauren said smoothly. “It’s part of his job.”“Maybe,” Olivia said, her eyes flicking toward Lauren. “But I haven’t seen him this invested in a while.”Lauren’s mask of composure remained, but Olivia wasn’t finished.“Oh,”

The lab felt quieter after dark.Most nights, Daniel didn’t mind. The hum of equipment, the sharp scent of sterilized surfaces, and the faint glow of monitors brought him a rare sense of peace.Here, things made sense. Data lined up, experiments followed rules, and the work had tangible results. There were no politics, no expectations he didn’t choose.Still, his focus drifted.His eyes wandered toward the far end of the room, where Maggie’s station sat, a half-empty mug and an open notebook left behind.He frowned. She left that out.It wasn’t significant. But he noticed anyway.The soft click of the lab door broke the silence.Andrew strolled in, wearing his usual grin, hands shoved into his jacket pockets like he owned the place.“Figured you’d still be here,” Andrew said, glancing around the lab. “Some things never change.”Daniel didn’t look up. “You shouldn’t be wandering in here.”Andrew ignored the warning, plopping down on one of the stools. “Come on. I used to live in this l

I focused on the screen, willing the numbers to line up.It’s just a small mistake, I told myself. Fix it and move on.The problem was, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t the only one watching.Across the lab, Olivia leaned against the far bench, her eyes flicking toward me every so often—like she was waiting for another slip-up.I tried to ignore it, but the knot in my stomach only tightened.The atmosphere shifted about an hour earlier.It happened when the CEO, Malcolm Reid, made an unannounced visit to the lab. His rare appearances always sent a ripple through the team, even Daniel straightened up slightly when Malcolm strolled in, hands casually tucked into his suit pockets.Malcolm nodded to Daniel near the fume hood, glancing around as if inspecting the place.“How’s the team doing?” Malcolm asked, his voice cutting through the hum of equipment.Daniel set his clipboard down. “Good. We’ve made progress on the latest trials. Maggie’s been handling the new data sets, and

I hadn’t planned on avoiding Daniel.At least, that’s what I told myself.But as I stood by the centrifuge, pretending to focus on sample rotations, I realized how carefully I’d been skirting the edges of the lab—choosing stations on the far side of the room, asking Liam to pass tubes to me instead of crossing through Daniel's working area and get the general lab consumes.It wasn’t obvious, not enough for anyone to call me out. But I knew.And I was pretty sure he knew too.I glanced over my shoulder. Daniel stood by the fume hood, sleeves rolled up as he calibrated something delicate, his brow furrowed in concentration.I forced my gaze back down.This is how it should be.I wasn’t going to be the reason someone’s relationship unraveled. If Lauren had been part of their world for years, then I didn’t belong anywhere near the center of it. I should keep reminding myself that to avoid more unnecessary contact.It’s not personal.That thought didn’t make it feel any lighter.Later that

I told myself I wouldn’t check again.But as I lay in bed, staring at the faint glow of my phone, I couldn’t stop thinking about Eva’s follow request from earlier.It wasn’t weird, right? Just coworkers connecting. Normal.But the image of Lauren’s arm around Daniel’s shoulder at the pub—her easy confidence—wouldn’t leave me alone.I sighed and opened Instagram.Eva’s profile sat near the top of my notifications. Her page was exactly what I expected—brunch spots, weekend getaways, and scattered work events. Olivia was practically in half the photos, the two of them beaming in perfect lighting, like they belonged everywhere they went.I almost closed the app.But then I noticed it.Tagged by Olivia.I hovered for a second before tapping Olivia’s profile. I didn’t follow her, but hers wasn’t private. Public.A quick scroll down, and there they were—Eva and Olivia at a sleek gala event last year. The photo was captioned something about "lab queens on the loose.”And there, between them,