Falling For Him: Mr. Arrogant

CHAPTER 4: The Prototype Testing

The next day, we walked into the underground simulation lab for the physical prototype test.

“Oh my gosh!” I whispered as we stepped in.

The lab was nothing like I had imagined. In fact, nothing I had seen before came close to it, not even the standard workshops I had seen in college.

The water-cooled server racks caught my attention first.

As I moved toward the center of the lab, my eyes fell on a dark titanium surgical arm, the physical prototype of Project VID, enclosed behind thick glass panels and connected to a realistic synthetic brain model.

“Remarkable!” I whispered.

I also noticed the liquid-nitrogen cooling system and the main control deck, a massive curved workstation with multiple ultrawide monitors displaying real-time code, system status, and thermal data. Everything was being monitored as the machine moved.

The more I looked around, the more I realized that my college thesis had answers to many of the technical problems involved in the project.

“No wonder I was hired,” I murmured.

Dr. Halley, with his gray hair and prescription glasses, walked toward the main control panel. Ragel followed closely behind him.

As I stood before Project VID, my eyes scanned every part of it until Ragel moved closer, right behind me. I could feel him standing close.

“Miss Bella, meet our masterpiece.”

“Impressive,” I said, my voice cracking.

“Is that all you've got to say, Miss Bella?”

Before I could say anything else, Dr. Halley’s voice broke across the lab.

“This is ridiculous, Engineer Ragel,” he scoffed. “How could you allow a fresh college graduate to modify our original core design? I can't believe you relied on her evaluation without consulting me first.”

My stomach churned, and I suddenly felt like throwing up.

I turned around to face Ragel.

“If this arm fails because of her modifications, the synthetic brain model could be destroyed,” Dr. Halley said, his expression hardening. “All our work could go to waste.”

Ragel’s eyes met mine before shifting to Dr. Halley.

“The math is sound, Dr. Halley,” Ragel said calmly. “Run the test.”

I exhaled shakily, and Ragel noticed.

“It’s okay, Miss Bella,” he whispered.

Then my eyes focused on the main monitor.

Dr. Halley initiated the test sequence.

Immediately, the arm came to life, its joints moving smoothly. It lowered the surgical instrument toward the target area.

My fists clenched so hard that I could feel my nails pressing into my palms.

Two seconds.

Four seconds.

At the exact joint transition, the arm moved smoothly. This was the point where it had previously stuttered.

Dr. Halley removed his glasses, wiped his face with a handkerchief, and put them back on.

The laser sliced perfectly along the designated line, down to the micrometer.

“Unbelievable!” Dr. Halley exclaimed, pointing at the data screen with trembling fingers. “The latency ... it's zero.”

We all let out a collective breath of relief.

“Clean run,” Felix, the lab technician, said. “The updated algorithm stabilized the feedback loop. Everything is within specification.”

“Yes ...” I whispered, my fists still clenched. “We did it.”

At that moment, I completely forgot how close Ragel was standing to me. I turned sharply and bumped right into his chest, just like the first day we met.

This time, his hands didn’t just catch me by my waist. They stayed there.

He pulled me closer against his chest, his hands firm on my hips, his eyes locked onto mine until Dr. Halley coughed loudly.

Ragel slowly helped me regain my balance.

“Miss Bella, are you okay?”

“Yes, sir... Thanks for saving me.”

“You’re welcome. I'm getting used to your bumping by now.”

The room instantly broke into laughter.

“Engineer Ragel, congratulations,” Dr. Halley said, shaking Ragel’s hand firmly. “You have just got yourself a rare gem. I don't know how she did it, but it's something worth learning from.”

Ragel looked at me, and I saw a genuine smile spread across his face.

We exited the underground lab and returned to our offices upstairs.

The moment I stepped into my office, I laid my head on the desk. My entire body was trembling.

I honestly didn't know how I felt at that moment.

Then my door clicked open, and quiet footsteps approached, but my face remained pressed against the desk.

“Miss Bella, are you okay?”

I shook my head, still keeping it down.

“Look at me.”

When I lifted my head, the surface of the desk was wet with my tears.

Ragel reached down, held my hands, and helped me to my feet.

“I understand...” he murmured.

He wiped my tears with his thumb and gently pulled my head against his shoulder, patting my back.

A moment later, I let out a deep breath, and our eyes met.

“Sir, thanks for everything.”

The scent of his cologne surrounded me. My hands rested against his chest. I could feel the steady rhythm of his breathing.

His eyes grew darker, tense and fixed on my lips. He closed his eyes for a brief second.

When he opened them again, he tried hard to look away.