I searched everywhere. Top shelves. Bottom drawers. Finally found it—shoved deep into the farthest trash bin.
My hands shook as I retrieved the vial, its contents ruined.
There were no cameras. Too much of our work was classified. But I didn’t need footage to know who had done it.
I found Sylvie in the breakroom, nursing a cup of tea like she belonged there.
“Did you throw out the new compound?” I asked quietly.
Sylvie blinked—then smiled. And just as quickly, her lips trembled, eyes filling with perfect, glittering tears.
“Please, Kaia… I didn’t do anything…”
Her voice cracked like porcelain. Right on cue, Asher appeared, footsteps rushing as soon as he saw her cry.
“What the hell are you doing?” he snapped at me.
“She dumped our new formula in the trash. It’s unusable. We’ll have to start over.”
His jaw tightened. “Do you have proof?”
“I—”
“If you don’t, then don’t treat her like a criminal. You’re interrogating her over nothing.”
“Because I know,” I hissed, “even if I can’t prove it, I know.”
Asher turned to Sylvie, his voice softening. “Did you do it?”
She sniffled and shook her head. “No…”
That was enough.
If the new formula couldn’t be completed before I left… maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
Asher caught up to me near the elevator. We walked in silence, but I felt his eyes on me. Always watching.
“You’ve been strange lately,” he said. “Look, I know you’re upset. But you cannot lash out on Sylvie like that.”
I stopped. Turned to face him.
“Brother,” I said quietly, “you don’t need to keep making excuses for Sylvie. If she didn’t do it, then fine—I was wrong. But if she did… what exactly are you protecting?”
I met his gaze without flinching. “The sheep? Or the wolf in sheep’s clothing?”
The elevator dinged behind me. Before he could answer, I stepped inside and let the doors close.