I didn't sleep.
All night, my mind replayed that single moment, his hand on mine, the flicker of his eyes when the serum slipped. I kept telling myself it didn't matter. He hadn't recognized me. He couldn't have.
But the way he'd looked at me… like he was searching for something buried in his chest…
That look haunted me more than I wanted to admit.
By morning, I'd rebuilt my mask.
Hair tied tight. New coat. Fresh scent calibration, no trace of weakness. I checked the readings twice before heading out. The serum was stable again. The Omega in me was locked away.
When the elevator doors opened onto Division 3, the room buzzed with activity. Rows of scientists, all Alphas and Betas, moved with purpose. I walked through them like I belonged there.
Kael stood at the head of the long glass table, giving directions to the department leads. His voice was calm, low and commanding. People listened without interrupting.
He didn't look up when I entered, but I felt the shift in the air anyway, the way attention moved toward me for a second. My heels clicked softly against the floor as I took a seat near the far end of the table.
"Let's begin," Kael said.
He started outlining the project: new genetic models, pheromone stabilization trials, expansion of the Alpha genome initiative. It was clinical. Efficient. Cold. Exactly the way he'd always been when people were watching.
But I wasn't really hearing his words. I was watching him.
Every movement was controlled, his tone precise.
The only thing he couldn't hide was the faint crease between his brows, the same one he used to get when he was thinking too hard.
I used to love that.
Now it just reminded me how easily he'd turned his back on me.
"Dr. Ren." His voice cut through my thoughts.
My head snapped up. "Yes?"
His gaze met mine, completely unreadable. "You've worked on scent mapping before, correct?"
"Yes."
"Good. You'll lead the new analysis team."
"That's not part of my assigned field," I said before I could stop myself.
A few heads turned. You didn't interrupt Kael Drayden.
His jaw tightened slightly, but his voice stayed calm. "It is now. Report to Lab 7B after this meeting."
I held his gaze. "As you wish, Director."
He looked at me a second longer than necessary. The air between us felt too still. Then he moved on, finishing the rest of the briefing like nothing had happened.
When it ended, people began filing out. I stayed behind, pretending to review my notes. I could feel his presence as he dismissed the last few assistants. The door shut. Silence again.
"You don't like being told what to do," he said, his tone lighter now.
I looked up slowly. "Only when the orders don't make sense."
His mouth twitched. "You sound like someone I used to know."
I forced a small, cool smile. "She must have annoyed you."
"She did," he said. "And yet…" He didn't finish.
The pause stretched between us. I picked up my tablet, breaking eye contact first. "If you'll excuse me, Director, I have work to do."
As I passed him, he stepped slightly closer, close, enough that the temperature dropped again. My pulse jumped, but I kept my face blank.
"Dr. Ren," he said quietly. "You wear confidence well."
I met his eyes. "It's not something I wear. It's something I earned."
Something flickered in his gaze, interest maybe. "I'm sure it is."
I brushed past him, careful not to touch. The scent shield held steady this time. No mistakes. No slips.
But as the door closed behind me, my breath came out shaky. My chest ached with something sharp and unwanted.
He didn't recognize me.
He couldn't.
But somehow, part of me still wanted him to.
Part of me wanted to see what he'd do if he recognised who I was.
I hated that I still thought about it but I couldn't help myself.
I still loved him afterall.