Chapter 4
481words
Over the PA system, a standardized female voice looped through announcements, calm and emotionless.
I wheeled my suitcase toward the VIP exit.
Three meters from the exit, I froze.
Etheris.
He stood there in an exquisitely tailored suit, his posture straight and commanding.
Four years had stripped away the last trace of youthful innocence from his face.
The aura surrounding him built an invisible wall, isolating anyone who dared approach.
My brain instantly mapped three escape routes.
But before I could turn, another figure cut off my escape.
Talia.
She linked her arm with Etheris's, the metal chains on her tweed suit catching the light with dazzling precision.
Her lips curved into a perfect arc—a flawless, formulaic smile.
"What a coincidence, Dr. Silodai."
Her voice dripped sweetness—poison wrapped in honey.
She held out a gold-stamped invitation card.
"Next month, Etheris and I are getting married. We'd love for you to attend."
I took the thin piece of paper.
"Congratulations."
Talia watched me, her doe-like eyes brimming with emotions I couldn't—or wouldn't—decipher.
My first academic cocktail party since returning home was held at the most upscale hotel downtown.
In crystal flutes, champagne bubbles streamed endlessly upward.
My former colleague, Dr. Lin, approached with a wineglass.
"Silodai, it's been ages."
She raised her glass—twelve percent alcohol content, I noted automatically.
"I heard your "pheromone blocker' has entered phase three trials. Impressive."
"Thank you."
"Quite a remarkable invention."
She lowered her voice.
"Though some people don't seem to need such things."
I followed her gaze.
Across the room, Etheris and Talia chatted with a Genetics Bureau official, standing close enough to define intimate social space.
"Biological reactions are merely quantifiable neural electrical signals."
I swiped open my tablet and pulled up my latest experimental data.
"My blocker inhibits over ninety-five percent of pheromone reception, reducing physiological effects to negligible levels."
Dr. Lin's expression shifted subtly.
"What a shame. Etheris is ultimately just another Alpha who couldn't resist genetic compatibility. They're getting married next month—what good is your research now?"
I stared at the amber liquid swirling in my glass.
My heart contracted suddenly, my breath catching.
The bathroom light glared icy white.
I stood before the mirror, examining myself.
Flawless makeup. Calm expression.
Good.
I began counting the wall tiles silently.
One, two, three…
When I reached the one hundred and forty-fourth tile, the sensor door slid open silently behind me.
A tall figure blocked all light from the doorway.
"Four years and three months."
His voice resonated behind me, the deep tone making the air vibrate.
Hoarse. Tense.
"You erased every trace of me from your life."
I met his gaze in the mirror as the alcohol finally took effect, making my head foggy. "Etheris, I've already received your wedding invitation. What's the point of this conversation?"
