Margot POV
The days I spent at the Vanderbilt house dragged by so slowly that every minute felt unbearable.
I’d already turned down Professor Cole and Nora twice when they asked to come see me.
By then, they had clearly realized that something was wrong.
That afternoon, Professor Cole called.
The second I saw his name on my phone, guilt twisted in my stomach.
I would rather not lie to him.
But I couldn’t exactly refuse to answer, either.
“Margot, are you feeling better? Elena Brooks told me you asked for a new set of reaction data today. Does that mean you’re well enough to work?”
“I’m doing better. I can’t go back to the institute yet, so I’ve been working on my paper from home.”
He was quiet for a second.
“What’s actually wrong with you? You’ve been out for quite a w
