Cynthia and Zaiden found themselves alone in the quiet room. Cynthia paced back and forth, her face tight with regret. “I shouldn’t have accepted the bet,” she whispered, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Collins set it up to make me look like a fool, and now… I have two months to do the impossible. How could I be so reckless?”.
Zaiden stepped forward, reaching out gently. “Cynthia, don’t worry. We’ll find a way.”
But as his hand touched her arm, she jerked back, eyes flashing. “Don’t, Doctor,” she said, her voice edged with a sharpness he hadn’t heard before. “You need to understand that this—us—isn’t love. It’s just a promise made, nothing more. I only kept you close because… I pity you. You are blind, and that… that’s why I wanted to help you, nothing else. So please, don’t touch me u
