Elodie’s Pov~
After the call, I went back to my work.
By nine, after hours of pushing through data and code, I finally felt like I could breathe again. more clearer now.
That’s when Johnny called.
"Feel like getting out of your head for a while?"
---
Half an hour later, I pulled up outside the bar.
Johnny was already waiting near the entrance, his hands stuffed in his pockets. When he saw , he grinned. "You look like you could use a drink."
I hesitated for half a second, then nodded. "Yeah. I could."
He studied my face for a mont, then asked carefully, "Rough day?"
"Better now," I said, and I ant it.
Johnny didn’t push. He just led inside and ordered sothing blue and sweet that had low alcohol in it that was easy to sip.
I held the glass in my hand, letting the coolness seep into my palm as I listened to Johnny joke around with his friends. The music pulsed around us, lights flashing in rhythm, and for once, I let myself just be in the noise instead of running from it.
What I didn’t realize was that soone was watching us from the bar upstairs.
---
"So that’s her with Johnny," Yves said, leaning back against the counter with a drink in hand.
The man next to him followed his gaze and paused when he saw .
Yves noticed and smirked. "Interested?"
His friend didn’t answer right away. Instead, he asked, "You know her?"
"Yeah," Yves replied casually. "That’s the girl I ntioned the other day. Rex thought she was interesting for about five minutes before he got distracted by soone shinier."
His friend looked at thoughtfully. The bar wasn’t wild tonight, but I clearly didn’t belong here. I had this quiet, grounded presence that stood out against the chaos, like I’d wandered in from sowhere calr and hadn’t quite adjusted yet.
---
Johnny turned to , his grin widening. "Wanna dance?"
I didn’t really know how to dance, but sothing in wanted to try. To let go, just for a little while. "Sure."
On the floor, Johnny took the lead, guiding through the rhythm. It took a minute to find my footing, but once I did, I let myself relax into it, swaying lightly with the beat.
I’d had just enough to drink to feel warm and loose, my cheeks probably flushed, my guard finally down. For the first ti in what felt like forever, I wasn’t thinking about Dante or Sienna or any of it.
I was just here.
---
Upstairs, Yves let out a low whistle. "She doesn’t have that commanding presence Miss Brown has, but damn, she’s got this natural charm. The one you don’t see coming."
His friend still didn’t reply.
---
That’s when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.
I didn’t stop dancing right away, just pulled it out to glance at the screen.
The mont I saw the na, I froze.
Johnny noticed imdiately and leaned over. His eyes went wide. "Is that—"
"Professor Nolan," I finished, my voice barely audible over the music.
We bolted off the dance floor.
As we hurried toward the exit, I glanced up and caught sight of Yves sitting at the bar upstairs with another man, who looked tall, and unfamiliar, watching us with an unreadable expression.
I didn’t know Yves well enough to care, so I quickly looked away and stepped outside with Johnny to take the call.
When I answered, my voice ca out hesitant, almost nervous. "Hello, Professor..."
"Pick up tomorrow afternoon."
I blinked. "Wait—what?"
But he’d already hung up.
Johnny imdiately leaned in. "What did he say?"
"He wants to pick him up tomorrow afternoon."
"Did he say anything else? Like whether I should co too?"
I shook my head.
Johnny checked his phone, clearly hoping for a ssage that wasn’t there. He pouted dramatically. "He plays favorites."
I laughed despite myself. The bar had been loud and chaotic, but it had worked, finally I felt lighter. I reached out and tapped his shoulder. "Feeling better now?"
"Nope. I’ll feel better when you cover the tab."
"Deal."
Of course, I was joking.
There was no way Johnny would actually let pay. And honestly, he looked a little paranoid about Professor Nolan finding out he’d taken to a bar. After quickly settling the bill, he practically rushed out of there.
---
The next afternoon, I drove to Professor Nolan’s villa to pick him up.
After he got into the car, I glanced over at him cautiously. "Professor, where are we going?"
He didn’t look up from his phone. "You’ll find out."
I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and pulled out onto the road.
Half an hour later, we pulled up to a restaurant I’d never been to before, that looked upscale, and discreet, the type of place where people went when they didn’t want to be noticed.
Professor Nolan led the way to a private room at the back.
When we stepped inside, two n were already seated, and the mont I saw them, I felt the shift in the air. They had that kind of presence, the type that didn’t need introduction.
They stood when we entered.
"Nolan. Good to see you."
Professor Nolan gave a slight nod, gesturing toward without ceremony. "This is Elodie, one of my students."
I recognized them imdiately. Jordan Hall, he was military. High-ranking. A man whose decisions shaped entire operations. And Reed Hardin was politics. Influence that stretched across the Pack and beyond.
But when they turned to , their expressions softened in a way I hadn’t expected.
Jordan extended his hand first. "Finally. We’ve been trying to et you for a while now."
I shook his hand, keeping my voice steady. "I wasn’t aware of that."
Reed chuckled, shaking my hand next. "Nolan keeps his cards close. We’ve been pestering him for months."
I glanced at Professor Nolan, who looked entirely unbothered as he took his seat.
Jordan gestured for to sit. "We’ve been digging into the system you built, remarkable work, by the way. Our team’s been dissecting it for weeks, and honestly, we had questions only you could answer. Figured it was ti to stop being polite and just invite ourselves to dinner."
I couldn’t help but smile a little at that. "I’m happy to help."
"Good," Reed said, pouring himself so tea. "Because we’re not letting you leave until we pick your brain."
The conversation shifted quickly into more of systems architecture, energy optimization, potential military applications I hadn’t even considered. They asked sharp questions, and I answered as best I could, feeling the rhythm of it settle into sothing almost comfortable.
Professor Nolan sat quietly the entire ti, eating slowly, occasionally sipping his tea. He didn’t contribute much. Just watched.
After over an hour, Jordan refilled my teacup without asking, his movents seed to be easy as he did so.
He set the teapot down, studying with a look that felt almost paternal. "How old are you, Elodie?"
"Twenty-five."
"God, you’re young," he said, shaking his head like he couldn’t quite believe it.
Reed leaned back in his chair, grinning. "So what’s the situation? Boyfriend? Husband? Soone we need to worry about stealing you away from all this brilliant work?"
I hesitated.
Then I said simply, "I’m married."
The room went quiet for just a beat.
Jordan’s expression flickered with surprise, maybe, or curiosity. Reed raised an eyebrow but didn’t push.
But I could see it. The way they processed that. The way they noticed the flatness in my tone, the lack of warmth when I said it.
They knew.
They knew it wasn’t a happy answer.
And I could practically see the gears turning in their heads.
‘Hmm. Married. But not happily. Interesting.’
I had to suppress a laugh. These two were already matchmaking in their minds, weren’t they? Wondering if their sons stood a chance once the divorce went through.
Most families wouldn’t touch soone with a failed marriage. But I wasn’t most people.
I had value. Potential. A future they wanted access to.
And that made different.
Jordan smiled warmly. "Well, whoever he is, he’s a lucky man."
I didn’t correct him.
Reed opened his mouth, clearly about to say sothing else, when Professor Nolan finally looked up from his tea.
He didn’t say a word.
Just gave them both a look that was so cold, and sharp. That seed to say... ‘Don’t.’
Jordan and Reed imdiately redirected, shifting the conversation back to technical specs like nothing had happened.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
Professor Nolan didn’t need to speak.
He’d made his point perfectly clear.
And sohow, that quiet protection ant more than anything else that had been said all night.
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