It was nothing, really.

A phone on the table buzzed to life.

Jarrod spared it only a passing glance.

Unknown number.

He pressed decline.

Whoever was on the other end seemed to grow impatient and kept calling, again

and again.

In between flipping through The Harcourt Group's files, Jarrod simply blocked the

number.

Elodie hadn't rested for long.

Her last episode had caught everyone off guard.

There was still unfinished business at the research base-she needed to wrap up

phase one of the project.

She made her way to the hangar to test the new system.

System maintenance was a tedious process, requiring round after round of

diagnostics.

By the time she finished, evening was drawing near.

Walking from the hangar toward the data center, she crossed paths with Watts,

who had just stepped out of his car.

Ever since the incident a while back, Elodie hadn't seen Watts in some time.

Watts caught sight of her-his usually composed expression flickered with

something unspoken.

He stood there, watching her.

glanced up before returning her focus to the data sheets

hands.

still investigating her claim about

wasn't a simple matter-there were

already

exactly what kind of person she was

had no intention of speaking to Watts

didn't bother with a greeting,

out first. "Elodie, can

no choice but to

one else around; his voice was

indifference,

him.

over,

"You've

haven't you? There's really

just here to hand

from the project

the side,

that with

gave a helpless shrug. "You think I set you up, don't

suspension... all of

the folder, her

without a trace of

you did or didn't

You're just a

politics don't interest

darkened

turned and

could only watch

the full weight of her detachment hit

A colleague?

Irrelevant?

almost gentle, emotionless, yet the words landed

him deeply

clouds gathering in

He barely noticed.

was nagging at

Patricia's call.

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