18. A Brush with Death

Lyla’s fingers tightened around her phone as she read Carlo’s message. She knew his words were meant to be a warning, but she couldn't wait any longer.

Considering the dinner tonight, she quickly freshened up and chose a decent dress, then headed to the lab. There, she used a public computer to write a detailed email to the department chair and her advisor, explaining the events of the previous night and attaching the screenshot as evidence.

By the time she finished, it was almost 6 p.m., yet her phone had no messages or calls from Carlo.

What happened to dinner? Lyla huffed in annoyance. The wave of relief she'd felt earlier had given way to hunger, and her stomach growled as if on cue.

Not one to let a man’s delay ruin her plans, she texted Carlo, "I'm at the lab. When are you coming?"*

After five minutes, Carlo responded with a simple, "Busy. Grab something to eat and wait for me." The tone was casual, like she was some secret lover waiting on him to finish up his work.

Lyla rolle