After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage By Cassila K

Chapter 80

I never thought I'd see Pax again.

But fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor.

Two years later, on another Christmas Eve, as Berlin slipped into wintertime, I found myself walking through streets dusted in the season's first snowfall. The golden glow of streetlamps flickered against frost-coated windows, the world outside hushed and serene.

Inside the lab, however, serenity was the last thing on our professor's mind.

"This one's going to be a handful," she muttered, rubbing her temples in exasperation.

Her frustration was so uncharacteristic that Erike and I exchanged amused glances.

"What's the problem, Professor?" Erike asked, barely suppressing a grin.

"A hard case," she sighed. "Connections. Family money. One of those. Can't be fired, hard to manage-what a headache."

Then, as if resigning herself to fate, she looked between the two of us.

"So? Which one of you is going to mentor him?"

A man, then.

I instinctively took a full step back.

"Erike you do it." I shook my head with mock solemnity.

"I'd hate for her to fall helplessly in love with me."

A voice came from behind me.

A voice I hadn't heard in two years.

"Cecilia."

I stilled.

I thought I had

when I turned, there he

Pax Brown.

Standing in our lab.

officially

the weeks that

off the equipment fifteen

nearly melted an expensive sensor, I couldn't

and, for the first time in two years, I spoke to

just marry a

Pax froze.

he just

his eyes turned

he breathed, voice raw. "Does this mean you've

waiting for this

he had meant every word he'd said back

had done as he

had long since severed ties with

been the real problem, had

grown

life by her side,

of night.

her place, maybe I would have fallen for

I shook my head.

fact that you're even asking me this question

fingers twitching at his

Huaiyu stepped forward, casually positioning himself

Pax's breathing turned uneven.

His voice was barely above a