Adeline’s POV
By the time I left the lab, my head was pounding.
The hum of machinery, the sharp scent of disinfectant, the endless rows of glowing data screens — all of it had blurred into a single, dull ache behind my eyes.
Mathias waited near the exit, hands in his pockets, his coat half-unbuttoned. “You look like someone who hasn’t eaten in days,” he said, his voice laced with concern.
I gave a tired smile. “Maybe because I haven’t.”
“Then that’s settled.” He reached for the elevator button. “Dinner. No excuses.”
“I have reports…”
He raised a brow. “You’ll collapse on your desk if you go back up there.”
I sighed but didn’t argue. “Fine. Dinner it is.”
He smiled like he’d just won a small war.
We picked a quiet place near the river — one of those discreet restaurants where no o
