The Scientist He Erased Returns

rated genius Dr. Alston Scott. I dedicated my life to our research

, he stole it. He put his new protégé's

ara from plagiarism accusations, he pu

ry data collection," he annou

isposable part he was now replacing. My family had already cast me out for losing

him, walked back to my lab, and deleted everything. E

one-way ticket

pte

Clevel

poured into this institute, into these very walls. Now, the crowning achievement, a breakthrough in material science, lit up the

fered a curt nod, his gaze already drifting back to the data. He always did that. A

voice laced with uncharacteristic warmth.

" in public, but the silent understanding was that Alston was the

found myself in his office. The familiar scent of old paper and ozone fil

voice steady, thoug

ie? Did you remember to fina

sigh escaping me. "I also

aised his head. His eyes, usually sharp and focused, looked dista

gaze firm. "I've applied for a lead rese

n, perhaps. Annoyance. "But... why? We're on the cusp

ening to escape. "Alston, we don't have a fut

y initiated physical contact, even after a decade. And he didn't no

d, his voice flat. "It's

ce cracked, but I pushed through it. "Like that 'yes' to you

ord hung in the ai

f in front of him. The bullet grazing my arm, the blood blooming on my white lab coat. His stunned express

ste of metal in my mouth

quite decipher. Defensiveness? Affection? "Kiara is

embling now. "Or at least, she makes you want to be und

ned when she approached, the casual brush of her hand on his arm that he didn't recoil fr

usual detached authority. "We have a home. A life. The p

olve hardening with each word. "It goes o

lightly. A genuine

my phone, "my plane ticket to Ar

llectual curiosity. There was nothing. Just a blank, almost scientific asse

something resembling an order in

institute's HR department popping up. Transfer

, making sure he saw it. "It'

d at it. A message from Kiara: "Ready f

ck to his phone. The flicker of somethi

repare the preliminary data for the next phase. Kia

ommand. The ingrained expectation

my fingers flying over the screen.

as brief. "I