Lyla’s terrified and helpless eyes darted to Carlo, who seemed to have already anticipated her thoughts. Before she could react, he wrapped his arm around her, swiftly lifting her and spinning them both behind a set of curtains in the corner.
A row of metal cabinets holding old materials stood there, blending into the background. Carlo gently set Lyla down. She hastily pulled up her underwear and tried to shrink into the shadows, wishing she could disappear.
At that moment, Liam entered the lab, phone in hand, walking straight to Chloe’s desk—Chloe, another researcher in their group and also Liam’s girlfriend.
“Next time, remember to keep your keys with you instead of making me run out here in the middle of the night to find them,” he said into the phone with a hint of frustration. Jus
