Emily :chapter 1
"Did you know? Love triggers the release of dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin in the brain, creating feelings of euphoria, trust, and attachment. Some scientists compare it to the effects of addictive substances, because love, like science, is both thrilling and dangerous."
Love, according to science, is a cocktail of forces, a fusion of laws spanning physics, chemistry, and biology.
In physics, it operates on the law of attraction, opposites attracting to create balance, while similarities repel.
In chemistry, acids and bases, incompatible on their own, can form transformative reactions when combined with other compounds.
In biology, attraction between organisms triggers an urge, an instinct hardwired for survival.
Emily Clark, a Nobel Prize-winning medical laboratory scientist famed for her discovery of Gorgon, a metal believed to hold the key to human evolutionary breakthroughs, had her own theory:
"Love," she would say, "is simply a phenomenon, a result of matter and energy interactions. It doesn't exist independently but can be created under the right conditions."
The lab was her haven, a sterile world of stainless steel countertops, glass beakers, and the faint, sharp scent of ethanol.
The hum of centrifuges and low chatter of researchers filled the space, creating a symphony of scientific progress.
Emily sat at her station, surrounded by stacks of notebooks, molecular models, and a microscope under which she studied the intricate dance of proteins.
She was so absorbed that she barely noticed when Axel leaned casually against her desk, a steaming cup of coffee in hand.
"How old are you this year?" he asked, his tone teasing but with an undercurrent of genuine curiosity.
"Thirty-five," she replied absently, adjusting the focus knob.
"Do you want to go on a blind date?" Axel asked, his voice carrying that insistent tone she knew all too well.
Ever since Axel had married Daniel, he'd taken it upon himself to become her personal matchmaker.
"No," Emily replied flatly. "Not everyone's destiny involves love with a person. My love is science, limitless, beautiful, and without bias. Love is not fixed on people. It's a phenomenon that transcends, one we can pour into our work, our passions, even our ideas."
Axel rolled his eyes so hard, she feared they might pop out of his sockets. "That is iconic bullshit," he muttered.
"Goodbye, Axel. I'm busy." Emily gathered her bag, slinging it over her shoulder as she exited the lab.
Outside, the world was drenched. The lab building stood stark against the stormy backdrop, its glass facade reflecting streaks of water as the rain lashed against it.
The parking lot stretched out like a sea of black asphalt, glistening under the downpour.
Emily hated getting wet, and her car was parked at the far end of the lot. She stood beneath the awning, her heels clicking impatiently as she shifted her weight.
The rain was relentless, thick sheets of water cascading down, the sound a constant roar that drowned out everything else.
The clock on her phone told her she'd been waiting for thirty minutes already.
By analyzing the density of the clouds and cross-referencing with weather reports, she calculated the rain would subside in approximately one hour and thirty minutes. She sighed.
Her patience was wearing thin, and her heels weren't helping.
"Need help?"
The deep, velvety voice startled her. She turned sharply, her gaze traveling upward to meet a towering figure beneath an umbrella.
The man was impossibly tall, his sharp features framed by the kind of smile that could disarm an army. His French accent rolled over her like a warm breeze.
"Oh, um, my car is down the parking lot," Emily stammered, blinking up at him.
"Come, I'll take you there."
Before she could respond, he took her hand, leading her gently under his umbrella.
The warmth of his palm against hers felt both foreign and oddly comforting.
The walk to her car passed in a blur of raindrops and silence, her mind spinning over the stranger's effortless charm.
As they reached her vehicle, she finally managed to speak. "Thank you. That was- unexpected."
He smiled again, a smile that seemed to hold secrets. "Anytime, Emily."
Her heart skipped. She turned sharply, watching him retreat into the rain, the sound of his footsteps fading into the downpour.
Only after the stranger disappeared did it strike her.
How did he know her name?