14. He Carried Her to the Bed

Lyla lowered her head and mumbled, her voice barely a whisper, “Let me go first.”

Carlo sighed, releasing his hold and pulling Lyla up from the desk. “Do you need coffee and snacks before you’re ready to talk?”

Lyla knew he was joking again, but she didn’t dare retort. Instead, she massaged her wrist and took a few steps back, putting some distance between herself and the dangerous man in front of her. She didn’t feel safe until her back was pressed against the doorframe. Only then did she start recounting everything that had happened that night.

Carlo leaned casually against the desk, resting his left hand under his right elbow, his right fingers thoughtfully stroking his chin as he listened closely.

“Wait, who is Jessica?” Carlo frowned, trying to recall anything about a person named Jessica.

“What? You don’t remember?” Lyla was shocked. The man who drove Jessica into hysterics, who manipulated her into framing a labmate, couldn’t even remember who she was?

“Jessica! The labmate I