When fate plays its hand

Chapter 0409

+25 BONUS

Miranda glanced at Paul’s door and noticed it was still locked, just as it had been for the past few days. It suddenly struck her that she hadn’t seen him in quite some time.

They used to leave at the same time and often ran into each other, but lately, she hadn’t seen him at all. She figured he was probably swamped with work and stayed at the lab, so she didn’t think much of it.

Later that evening, Miranda went to the library and returned at 8:00 pm. As she entered the apartment building, a figure darted past her. It was Paul heading out for a night run.

“Dr. Jefferson…” she called out to him, but he didn’t seem to hear her and kept running.

Miranda stood there, puzzled. She wondered if her voice had been too soft or if Paul was wearing headphones.

After returning to her apartment, she changed into workout clothes and decided to go for a run. She wanted to catch up with him and ask if he knew where she could get a CPRT measurement device.

Paul was the first person to come to mind for something like that. Christine was her other option, but with her frequent hospital visits lately, Miranda didn’t want to trouble her.

If word got out that Miranda was spending her own money on equipment, the fact that Sophie’s research team was hogging the lab would be brought to light.

Given Christine’s fiery temper, Miranda knew she would likely rush out of the hospital to confront Sophie and the college.

However, Christine wouldn’t gain anything from the confrontation, especially since the college showed apparent favoritism toward Sophie. It would only add to her stress and negatively impact her health.

Ultimately, Miranda felt that Paul was the better choice. Yet, he hadn’t responded to her two messages or her phone call. She surmised that he was too busy to check his phone. Now that she had finally run into him, she thought this might be her chance to ask for his help.

Miranda had already arranged to meet Sam for dinner tomorrow, but deep down, she still preferred to turn to Paul for help.

She also wondered why she felt that way. Perhaps it was because Sam’s erratic behavior and aggressive. attitude often unsettled her, whereas Paul provided a reassuring presence.

She knew she could accept Paul’s support without worrying about repaying any favors. In contrast, Sam’s intentions were too obvious, and his directness pushed her to keep him at a distance.

Miranda ran along the usual trail that she and Paul frequently jogged. After two laps of searching for him without any luck, she decided to go for another lap. Still, she didn’t spot him.

After working up a sweat, she felt she had done enough for the night, so she returned to her apartment. When she got home, she left the door slightly ajar.

Miranda measured the oatmeal and chopped up some apples, then she added them to a slow cooker with water and a sprinkle of cinnamon. She set the timer so she would wake up to a warm bowl of cinnamon apple oatmeal the following morning.

As she tidied up, she kept listening for sounds from the hallway. It felt like ages before she was done with

+25 BONUS

Chapter 0409

the kitchen, but still, there was no noise from next door–not even the click of a latch.

Eventually, she stepped out and knocked on Paul’s door. “Dr. Jefferson, are you home? I have something to ask you.”

But there was no

no answer.

“Dr. Jefferson?”

Still, there was no reply.

Miranda wondered if Paul hadn’t returned home or if he had left again.

In the lab, Silas‘ eyes widened in surprise. “Why are you back?”

“Overtime,” Paul replied.

“You’ve already pulled three all–nighters. You said you were going home to rest just a few hours ago. Now you’re telling me you came back to work?”

Paul asked, “Is there a problem with that?”

Silas sighed. “I’m fine with it, but I think you’re the one with the problem.”

Paul was rendered speechless.