The drive back to the city was quiet, the hum a steady undercurrent in their veins. Mei Lin stared out the window, her mind reeling from Cassandra's words. A key. Not a person, not a life—just a piece of Project Lupus's puzzle. Adrian's hands were tight on the wheel, his silence heavy with unspoken thoughts.
"You okay?" she asked finally, her voice softer than she meant.
He glanced at her, his eyes shadowed. "I should be asking you that."
She shrugged, forcing a grin. "I'm used to being a mystery. Just didn't expect to be a lab-grown one."
He didn't smile. "You're more than that."
Her heart skipped, the hum warming at his words. She leaned closer, her voice teasing to hide the ache. "Careful, Li. That sounded dangerously close to a compliment."
He snorted, but his expression softened. "Don't get used to it."
They pulled into the tower's underground garage, the hum spiking as they stepped out. Vivian was waiting, her tablet glowing with new data. "The signal's stabilized," she said. "It's coming from the decommissioned lab. And there's something else—a name in the intercepted data. Elena Grey."
Mei Lin's stomach twisted. "She's not just a ghost."
"No," Adrian said, his voice grim. "She's the architect or something."
They moved to his office, spreading out the remaining Lupus files. Mei Lin flipped through pages, her eyes catching on a photo of a young woman with sharp features and intense eyes—Elena Grey. The hum pulsed, and a memory flashed: Elena's voice, soft and urgent, whispering about legacy.
"She's in my head," Mei Lin said, her voice shaking. "Like she left a piece of herself."
Adrian's hand brushed hers, grounding her. "Then we find her. Or what's left of her."
Their eyes met, and the hum sang, a melody of fire and connection. Mei Lin's breath caught, her fingers tightening around his. "You're not getting rid of me that easily," she said, her voice half teasing, half serious.
He smiled, a rare, genuine smile that made her heart race. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Vivian cleared her throat, breaking the moment. "If you two are done, we have a lead. The lab's security logs show recent access. Someone's been there."
Adrian's smile faded. "Then we move. Tonight."
Mei Lin grinned, her knife glinting as she spun it. "Time to crash another party."