Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

As the temperature soared, the meteorological office issued a red alert.

The temperature had hovered around 95 degrees Fahrenheit for a week, pushing Owen's research to the brink of a breakthrough after relentless calculation and verification.

Finally catching a break, Owen was exhausted and trudged to his seventh-floor apartment, looking forward to a good night's sleep to recharge. However, a sudden noise from across the hallway halted his steps.

Pausing, he turned and knocked on the door opposite his. "Roseanne, are you in there?"

There was no response. Owen knocked again, but still nothing.

Hesitating for a second and contemplating whether to call for help, he heard the door unlocking. Roseanne peeked out, leaving the door just ajar.

"What's up?" Her demeanor was casual as if the knock had merely interrupted her day, her voice as calm as ever, betraying no sign of distress.

Yet, Owen couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off, like a rose wilting without water.

He was silent for a moment under Roseanne's puzzled gaze.

he spoke, "You mentioned you worked on a paper last time.

ago. I've been reviewing and waiting for

paper, a work in

Roseanne was surprised.

couch, Roseanne scanned the paper in

wasn't breaking new ground topic-wise but approached the subject from a novel angle. The verification methods and conclusions were all

Owen, "Is this

started it in my

a mix

ovel met

about Owen switching from biology to physics years later. It was like he was made for it, cranking out top-notch work even as a

asking, "Why didn't you

back the. conclusions. After switching my major, physics

hint of regret flashed

why show