The moment they retured in campus, sant came printing across the parking lot and grabbed Aurelir’s shoulders, his face blazing with the
“Aurelia, ven fucking illi
“The h
hepatitis compound synthesis finally worked! We can move to clinical trials–we’re really going to ass lines with this
“Holy shit, really?” Aurelia’s voler cracked with excitement, the first gentite emotion Litigi had seen from her in drys
They’d been grinding on this research for eighteen mouths, failing over shel tover until they’d nearly given up hope.
Really.” Isaac was practically vibrating with joy. “Professor Xavier is back from Boston to He wants the whole lah team and you new grad modenta to celebrate tonight–team bonding, drinks, the works, Can you wrangle everyone together?”
Aurelia’s entire demeanor transformed, her professional mask dropping to reveal the brilliant scientist underneath. “Tod, yes Show me the fara firm though.”
The two of them walked toward the research building with their heads bent together, completely absorbed in animated discussion about compound structures and clinical applications.
They forgot Luigi existed.
Luigi sat in the car watching them disappear, feeling like someone was slowly crushing his ribcage with a hydraulic press
The entire eight hour drive back, no matter what tople he’d desperately tried to raise, Aurelia had killed every conversation with arctic silence.
But the second Isaac appeared, she’d become this vibrant, passimate person Lugs barely recognized. They talked the they shared a secret language he’d never be invited to lear
The jealousy was literally eating him alive from the inside out.
At the lab celebration that evening Luigi watched Isaac smoothly claim the seat to Aurelia’s right and immediately threw himself into the chair on her left, his territorial instincts screaming.
The intimate dynamic he’d sensed during their New York trip was even more obvious now, Isaac and Aurelia moved around each other with practiced ease, sharing inside jokes and finishing each other’s technical explanations.
Luigi felt like he was watching his worst nightmare play out in high definition.
Professor Xavier stood at the head of the table, his wine glass raped in a toast.
Tespecially want to recognize Aurelia and Isaac for their breakthrough work on the hepatitis compounds. I’ve already fast tracked both of your recommendations to the National Research Institute. You two are going to change the world”
Aurelia and Isaac exchanged a look of pure, shared triumph that made Luigi want to put his fist through the wall.
Isaac’s heart was pounding as he watched Aurelia’s face light up with gemine happiness. This was the woman he’d fallen in love with—brilliant, passionate, unstoppable. Not the broken shell her taxi family had tried to create,
The other researchers raised their glasses in congratulations, and Luigi’s protective instincts kicked in automatically
“She doesn’t drink. Ell take her glass”
The entire table went silent, everyone staring a Luigi like he’d just announced he was from Mars.
Isaac’s jaw clenched with barely suppressed age. Who the fuck did this asshole think he was, making decisions for Aurelia?
Aurelia looked gemingly taken aback by Luigi’s presumption, then her expression hardened to steel
“Tim perfectly capable of making my own choices, thanks.”
She lived her wigs and drained it in one smooth motion, never breaking eye contact with Luigi.
Chapter 30
Once, she’d been too sheltered and naive to handle alcohol. But after years of learning that survival meant arits Felt manageable.
The most toxic thing she’d ever swallowed had been Luigi’s lies, not liquor:
Luigi watched her casual dismissal of his men with growing desperation.
After the celebration wound down, he cornered Aurelia in the empty hallway, his composure finally cracking.
“At graduation, you said you couldn’t handle alcohol. Why are you punishing yourself now?”
Aurelia’s laugh was sharp enough to draw blood. “Punishing myself? I couldn’t handle it then either, but I will had to choke down these cheri alena while you played white knight for Rosalia, didn’t 17”
Because nobody had protected her then, and she’d learned to stop needing protection
Luigi’s face went scarlet with shame as he fumbled for the glass jar he’d been carrying like a talman.
“Aurelia, when Rosalia broke the original jar, I.. I spent weeks remaking every single crane. Exactly like before. Please, I know I destroyed erything. but maybe we could-
His voice was breaking as he held out his desperate peace offering
Aurelia stared at the jar for a long moment, and Luigi felt a flicker of hope ignite in his chest.
Maybe, finally, she was ready to forgive him.
The glass exploded against the concrete floor with a sound like gunfire, sending hundreds of paper cranes scattering like the remains of their dead relationship.
Luigi stared at the wreckage in absolute shock his last desperate gesture reduced to colorful trash at their feet.
Aurelia’s voice was utterly calm as she stepped over the broken glass.
“Some things can’t be fixed, Luigi. No matter how many times you try to fold them back together.”
