Adrian finished the massive meal and headed back home with Letty. He went to sleep and didn't wake up until the next morning. Once he was up, he walked out of his room and grabbed a set of keys for one of Letty's cars. He went down to the underground parking lot and clicked the button on the fob. One of the cars beeped. He got inside and drove straight to Sofia's apartment.Adrian knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Sofia opened it. She didn't look happy to see him. For the past week, she had been stuck in her apartment feeling terrible and jealous. She had seen all the photos Aira posted of their trip on social media.To Sofia, it was painful. Adrian had been her boyfriend before, and she hated seeing him with another girl. A week-long camping trip alone in the forest meant something had definitely happened between them. She felt like her efforts to get him back were a waste of time and regretted ever running away from him in the past.She looked at him with confusion. She assu

Adrian gripped the steering wheel of the sedan, the city lights blurring into long streaks of neon against the glass. The heavy atmosphere of Sofia’s apartment still clung to him like a second skin. He had left her sitting on that couch; safer, perhaps, but broken in a way he couldn't fix right now. He had too much on his plate to play the role of the healer.He tapped his Bluetooth earpiece and dialed Mark. The phone rang three times before a familiar, upbeat voice filled the cabin."Adrian! You’re back in civilization?" Mark’s voice was a welcome change of pace. "I was starting to think you’d joined a cult in the woods or got eaten by a tiger. Please tell me you didn't grow one of those 'finding yourself' beards."Adrian couldn't help a small, tired smirk. "No beard, Mark. And no cults. Just a lot of trees and a lot of thinking.""Good, because the city has been boring without you. Stardew Valley isn't the same when I don't have you to brag to about my farm layout," Mark joked. "But

"I have no intention of involving him more than I already have," Adrian replied.Hale grunted, seemingly satisfied for now. He looked at the tower of empty bowls on the table and then back at Adrian."One more thing," Hale added, standing up to leave. "Pavlov... he’s not as bad as he sounds. People tell stories. They turn men into monsters to make the world feel easier to understand. But Pavlov isn't a monster. He’s just a man who knows exactly what everything… and everyone… is worth."Adrian watched Hale disappear through the glass door of the cafe. He let out a slow sigh, reaching into his wallet and pulling out enough cash to cover the mountain of food and a generous tip. He left the money on the table, walked out into the cool evening air, and decided he wasn't quite ready to go home.He needed to let the information and the food settle.He drove to a nearby theater and bought a ticket for a movie he didn't particularly care about. He sat in the dark for two hours, happily munchin

Silas Thorne stepped out from behind the curtain, and Adrian’s brain effectively stalled.The man looked less like an elite researcher and more like a creative artist who had lost a fight in a paint factory. His hair was a dry, frizzy nest that stood up at random angles, each section dyed a different neon shade; streaks of electric green clashing with hot pink and washed-out turquoise.His outfit was a chaotic masterpiece of mismatching. He wore a vintage, oversized vest covered in mismatched buttons over a polka-dot shirt, but the real kicker was below the waist. Instead of trousers, Silas was wearing a pleated, knee-length frock in a bright floral pattern that swished as he moved. He looked like he was living in a completely different reality where the color wheel didn't exist.Adrian just stood there, staring. He had prepared for a cold, clinical scientist or a brooding, secretive tailor. He hadn't prepared for... this. The sheer visual noise of the man’s existence actually short-c

Adrian lay on his bed, the flickering glow of the MeTube video reflecting in his eyes while the System screen hovered just to the left. It was a bizarre contrast. On one side, a golden retriever was catching a frisbee in slow motion with it’s butt cheeks and on the other, Silas Thorne was moving around his neon-colored shop in a way that was completely opposite to the eccentric personality he showed.Letty still wasn't back. The apartment was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city and the occasional laugh track from his phone. If she weren't at a high-society function, she’d be screaming at a monitor in her room, but the silence meant she was likely playing the role of the businesswoman tonight.Adrian kept his focus on Silas. He didn't fully trust the tailor yet. No one who worked for Pavlov Vance walked away with his life intact along with the freedom to open a shop while there’s a high chance of a grudge being alive, not without a few hidden layers.At exactly 9:00 PM, Silas