HER "ROMANCE IN THE LAB"

Rain hammered against the windows of the jeepney as if trying to break through the metal walls. Maxine Medina pulled her jacket tighter around herself, breath fogging the glass each time she exhaled. It was nearly 9:47 PM, six minutes before curfew at OMRIS Medical Corporation’s dormitory. She couldn’t be late. Not again. Her phone buzzed. Her chest tightened. MIKE URDANZO: "Where are you?" Just three words.Three tiny words that made her pulse skitter like a trapped bird. She typed back quickly: "On my way, sir. Traffic here..." But she erased it, her finger is shaking.Too casual. Too defensive. Then she retyped: "Almost there, Mr. Urdanzo. I apologize for the delay." Her heart thudded violently as she hit send. The jeepney stopped abruptly, jerking her forward. Outside, rain streaked across the city lights, turning Makati’s business district into a blur of gold and blue, beautiful, untouchable, expensive. The world Mike belonged to. Not her. Never her. And yet… somehow, she was caught in it. The moment the jeep halted in front of OMRIS Tower, she jumped off, shoes splashing into a puddle that soaked her socks instantly. Cold water, cold air, cold night. But none of it scared her as much as disappointing him. She ran through the automatic doors, her ID already in hand. “Good evening, Ms. Medina,” the guard greeted with a stiff nod. He always looked nervous around her, as if even speaking to her required permission. She forced a smile. “Good evening Sir..” The elevator doors slid open with a metallic sigh. Maxine stepped in, alone, dripping rainwater as she pressed the number 38, the executive floor. The air inside the elevator was warm, humming, too quiet. Her reflection stared back at her in the silver walls, messy hair, tired eyes, trembling mouth. "Get it together, Max." She talked to herself. Because upstairs, waiting behind a glass office and a man’s shadow, was the reason she was able to study, eat, live. Mike Urdanzo. Her employer. Her benefactor. Her personal storm. The elevator dinged. The hallway lights were dimmer at night, golden pools of warmth separated by corridors of shadow. OMRIS Tower always felt alive, its silence like a giant breathing. Maxine felt it watching her. She headed straight for his office. The door was slightly open. A sliver of light cut through the dark hallway. Her heartbeat stuttered. She knocked lightly. “Mr. Urdanzo?” The door opened wider, revealing Mike leaning against his desk, sleeves rolled up, tie hanging loose around his neck. His hair was slightly mussed, as if he’d been running his hands through it. His eyes lifted to hers, sharp. dark, and displeased. “Maxine,” he said, voice low and quiet, the kind of quiet that meant danger. “You’re late.” She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “I...I’m sorry, Sir. The rain...” “Don’t lie to me.” the man in the dark answered. Her breath caught. “I told you to leave work at nine,” he continued, walking toward her. His shoes made soft, controlled clicks against the polished floor. “Not nine-fifteen. Not nine-ten. Nine.” Maxine stepped back unconsciously, but he stopped in front of her, close enough that she could smell the faint trace of cedar on his shirt. “I didn’t mean to...” “You never mean to,” he murmured, lowering his gaze to her soaked clothes. “And yet here you are. soaked, late and shaking.” Maxine clenched her fists to stop the trembling. She hated when he noticed. Mike reached out, brushing a strand of wet hair behind her ear, fingers grazing her cheek. She froze. His touch was gentle. Almost tender. Almost. “That jacket is thin,” he said. “You’ll get sick.” “I’m okay...Sir.” “You’re not,” he whispered. And then his hand dropped, leaving a cold patch on her skin where his warmth had been. Then he turned away. “Tomorrow, you’ll leave earlier,” he said, voice back to that sharp calm. “I’ll speak to HR about adjusting your shift.” Her stomach dropped. “But Sir... my Nursing duties...” “OMRIS benefits you more than that hospital ever will.” She bit her lip. “But it’s my training ground..." “I’m your training ground.” The man announced. Her breath hitched. She hated when he said things like that. When he made it sound like she owed him more than work! More than gratitude, and more than herself. Mike exhaled through his nose, as if restraining something. “Maxine. Don’t argue. I’m doing this for you.” But he wasn’t. She knew it now. He was doing it for control. Still… she nodded. “Yes, sir.” His shoulders relaxed. He liked obedience. “Good,” he said softly. “Now go. Change out of those wet clothes.” She turned to leave... “Maxine.” Mike called her once again. Maxine froze again after she heard it. He was looking at her with an expression she couldn’t name. Something dark. Something hungry. Something that felt like possession. “Don’t make me worry again,” he said quietly. “You know I don’t like it.” A chill slid down her spine. "Yes, sir,” she breathed. She stepped out of the office, inhaling the cold hallway air deeply, finally allowing herself to shake. She needed to escape this floor. Out and away from his presence. his rules and.... his eyes. She even jabbed the elevator button repeatedly like a desperate person. When the doors opened... She almost collided with someone she hadn’t seen in years. Maxine’s breath left her in a soft gasp. “Max?” A familiar voice cracked in disbelief. A voice that hit her heart like a memory she wasn’t ready for. A tall man stood there, raincoat half-unzipped, hair damp from the storm. His eyes widened when he saw her. Alden Reyes. Her childhood best friend. Her secret comfort. Her almost. The one person who once knew every fear she hid. “Alden?” she whispered. He took a step forward, eyes scanning her soaked clothes, her trembling hands, her pale face. “What happened to you?” he asked, but there was sharp concern under his tone, like he already suspected the answer. Maxine opened her mouth to speak. “Is everything alright?” Mike’s voice echoed from behind her. Alden’s jaw clenched. While Maxine’s heart dropped. The elevator lights flickered, the storm rumbling outside the glass walls of the tower. The three of them stood in a triangle of tension so thick Maxine could barely breathe. Alden looked at her with worry. Mike looked at her, like she belonged to him. And Maxine… Maxine felt the world she had been trying to survive beginning to crack open. She stepped back. And for the first time that night... she wasn’t sure which direction was safer.