— NOLAN'S POV —
"Did you find anything, then? You were in there for quite a while," Zade asked, leaning forward like he'd been waiting to pounce.
"Nothing much," I admitted. "I checked every drawer—most were empty. One was locked, though. Before I could figure out a way to open it, the director showed up."
"So… you risked getting caught for nothing?" His voice carried that disappointed older-brother vibe.
"B-but—" I hesitated, "I did find a key."
Zade's eyes narrowed. "And when exactly were you planning to mention this? Did you bring it with you?"
"Of course I did," I said, fishing it from my pocket. "You know I can't resist a mystery."
He ran a hand over his face. "Nolan… if he notices the key missing, he's going to get suspicious."
"The pot it was under looked like it hadn't been moved in ages. My guess? It's for somewhere he only goes occasionally. We'll put it back before he notices. Relax."
"Fine. Show me."
I placed the key in his hand. He examined it like it might whisper its secrets to him if he stared long enough.
"Alright, Sherlock, give it back," I said, plucking it from his fingers.
"So… what's our plan?" he asked.
"Our? No, Zade, I'm doing this alone."
He smirked. "Okay, then I'll just tell the director you were snooping in his office."
"Zade, I'm trying to keep you out of this for your own safety."
"I don't care about being safe if you're walking into danger," he shot back.
"Ugh, stop. You sound like a bad drama character right now. Cringe." I rolled my eyes.
He ignored me. "So what's next?"
"For now, we figure out where this key belongs. Details later—I need to go before I'm late. My… friend will start nagging."
I'd completely lost track of time. The thought of facing Varek made my stomach twist. Maybe I could sneak in quietly and avoid him altogether.
By the time I reached the building, I was silently praying. Please let him be asleep. Or out. Or abducted by aliens.
The door clicked shut behind me. The place was quiet—too quiet. I padded into the living room, holding my breath.
Of course, God was clearly not in the mood to help me today.
And there he was.
Varek sat on the sofa, laptop open, his broad back to me. His sleeves were rolled up, forearms tense as he typed. I thought maybe—maybe—if I moved slow enough, I could make it to my room without—
"Where do you think you're going, Nolan?"
I froze. How did he know I was here—did he have eyes hidden somewhere in the back of his head?
"I don't need my eyes to know when it's you," he said, not bothering to look up.
"Wow. Impressive. Psychic now, too?"
"Sit," he ordered, voice calm but sharp.
I eased onto the far end of the couch, putting the coffee table between us like it might actually protect me."So… you actually do work, huh? Something other than stalking me?"
One look from him shut me right up.
"Why are you late?" His tone left no room for dodging.
"I didn't realize I had to give you hourly updates."
His lips curved—not in amusement. "Still don't get it, do you?"
Before I could answer, he stood and closed the space between us in two strides. My pulse spiked. He braced his hands on either side of me against the sofa back, leaning close enough that his cologne—dark, clean, and faintly spicy—seeped into my head.
I leaned back instinctively but there was nowhere to go. "Whoa—Varek, relax. If you wanted to know, you could've just asked nicely."
His fingers brushed my cheek—barely there, but enough to make my breath stutter. "If you'd behaved earlier, I wouldn't have to do this."
And just like that, he pulled back and returned to his seat. I exhaled—when had I even stopped breathing?
"Don't try anything reckless," he said without looking at me. "And you tell me everything before you act. Understood?"
It wasn't a request.
"Fine," I muttered. "Now, if you're done with the interrogation, I'm going to bed. Hospital work already wiped me out."
Before he could say another word, I escaped to my room, heart still beating way too fast.