The water had gone cold a long time ago.
Lina didn't notice.
She sat curled into herself in the bathtub, knees pulled close, her arms wrapped tightly around them like she was trying to hold something inside.
Or maybe keep something from spilling out.
Her hair clung damply to her neck. The room smelled faintly of soap… and something else she couldn't wash away.
No matter how many times she scrubbed.
Her fingers dragged weakly across her skin again, as if trying to erase something invisible.
It didn't work.
Of course it didn't.
Her breathing hitched.
Then steadied.
Then broke again.
A quiet sound escaped her—barely there, but enough to echo softly against the tiled walls.
"I didn't mean to…"
The words dissolved before they fully formed.
She wasn't even sure what she meant.
Didn't mean to stay?
Didn't mean to feel anything?
Didn't mean for it to matter?
Her eyes squeezed shut.
And just like that...
It came back.
The heat.
The way he had looked at her without really seeing her.
The way she had not walked away.
A tear slipped down her cheek, disappearing into the water.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, she wasn't trying to stop them anymore.
The room stayed quiet except for the soft, uneven rhythm of her breathing.
Time blurred.
Minutes. Maybe longer.
She didn't know.
Didn't care.
Then...
Her phone rang.
The sound cut sharply through everything.
Lina flinched.
She didn't move at first.
It kept ringing.
Insistent.
Pulling her back whether she wanted it or not.
With a shaky breath, she reached over the edge of the tub, fingers fumbling slightly before finding it.
She stared at the screen for a second.
Supervisor.
Of course.
She wiped her face quickly, though it didn't do much.
Then answered.
"…hello?"
"Where are you?" her supervisor's voice came immediately, sharp but controlled. "I've been calling."
"I—" Lina cleared her throat. "I wasn't feeling well."
"Well, you need to come in. Now."
Her stomach tightened.
"Is something wrong?"
"A contract needs to be finalized. The CEO is already here, and we're behind schedule."
A pause.
Then...
"And Lina? Don't be late again."
The line went dead.
Lina lowered the phone slowly.
Her reflection stared back at her faintly from the bathroom mirror.
Red eyes.
Pale skin.
Someone she didn't fully recognize.
She inhaled slowly.
Then exhaled.
Again.
"Get up," she whispered to herself.
And this time...
She did.
The office felt the same.
Too normal.
That was the worst part.
People moved.
Talked.
Laughed quietly.
Typing filled the background like nothing had changed.
Like last night hadn't happened.
Lina kept her head down as she walked in, clutching the file her supervisor had mentioned.
Every step felt heavier than usual.
But she didn't stop.
She couldn't.
"Conference room," someone said as she passed.
She nodded slightly.
Of course.
Inside, the air was cooler.
Colder.
More controlled.
Several people were already there, seated, murmuring quietly among themselves.
And at the head of the table—
Adrian.
Lina's breath caught.
Just for a second.
He looked… normal.
Composed.
But something about him was off.
Subtle.
His posture was rigid, more than usual. His expression sharper, like irritation sat just beneath the surface.
His fingers tapped once against the table.
Then stilled.
"Everyone's here?" he asked without looking up.
"Yes, sir," someone replied.
"Good. Let's—"
He stopped.
Mid-sentence.
A faint shift in the air.
So subtle most people wouldn't notice.
But he did.
His brows pulled together slightly.
Something—
Something was different.
Then it hit.
That scent.
Not faint this time.
Not lingering.
Fresh.
Soft.
And unmistakably there.
Adrian went still.
Completely.
It wrapped around him before he could make sense of it.
Warm.
Sweet.
Not overpowering—just enough to be noticed… and then noticed again.
His fingers tightened slightly against the table.
"…continue," he said, though his voice came out lower than intended.
Someone started speaking.
Numbers. Terms. Conditions.
He didn't hear any of it.
His focus had shifted completely.
The scent moved.
Not physically—but it changed. Subtle shifts, like it was woven into the air itself.
Close.
Too close.
His jaw tightened.
What is that?
He inhaled slowly.
Then immediately regretted it.
It felt...
Wrong.
Not painful.
But unsettling.
Like his body was reacting before his mind could catch up.
Heat spread faintly through his chest, unexpected and unwelcome.
His hand moved slightly, adjusting his sleeve.
A distraction.
It didn't work.
The scent lingered.
Persistent.
His gaze flickered briefly across the room.
Faces.
Colleagues.
Employees.
Too many people.
Too many possibilities.
Which one?
His expression darkened slightly.
Focus.
He needed to focus.
"…Sir?"
The voice pulled him back.
He blinked once.
"Repeat that."
The room continued.
But he wasn't fully there anymore.
Because the scent hadn't disappeared.
And for some reason...
He couldn't ignore it.
At the far end of the table, Lina sat quietly, her eyes fixed on the document in front of her.
She hadn't looked up once.
Not at him.
Not at anyone.
But her fingers trembled slightly against the paper.
Barely noticeable.
Unless someone was looking for it.
She could feel it.
Not physically.
But something in the air had changed.
Shifted.
And she knew.
Without needing to look.
He noticed.
Her throat tightened.
Don't look up.
Don't react.
Just stay still.
So she did.
And across the room..
Adrian's gaze lingered, just for a moment longer than necessary.
Not on her face.
Not exactly.
But somewhere close enough.
Something wasn't right.
He knew that now.
Without question.
And whatever it was...
It had followed him here.