𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃

14.

"There’s a new dress collection dropping today by CN, and I’m dying to check it out. This self-study is so boring!" I feign a dramatic sigh, fully embracing the spoiled-girl vibe I need to maintain. As much as I relish the attention from Wilde, it’s exhausting to keep up this act all the time.

"Don’t worry; I’ll send a driver for you later," I add with a teasing smile, basking in the glow of my own generosity. Clearly, I’m wifey material!

Then, leaning down, I grasp his chin gently and lift his face to meet mine, catching him off guard as I plant a swift kiss on his lips. I can feel the moment linger between us, charged with unspoken tension. Fall for me! Fall for me quickly and become my obedient puppy!

I see his gaze darken under those thick lashes as he watches me walk away, his fist curling around a page of his own book—does he even realize what he's doing?—and that’s how I know my charm is working. The more he's thinking about me, the less he's thinking of making the world go boom! Of course, it's not a foolproof plan, and hence my entry into his virus-making dungeon-lab is crucial.

I make the driver follow a route that will pass by his company.

The car glides smoothly down the road, and as we near the infamous zombie company, I tilt my head slightly to get a better view through the tinted windows. There it is, tucked away in the middle of a row of nondescript office buildings. It looks like any other place where students might intern—seven stories tall, sleek, and all glass, the kind that reflects the sky like a mirror and stretches toward the clouds. A modest sign near the entrance reads "NextGen Pharmaceuticals," nothing out of the ordinary for this part of town. No one would guess what really goes on inside.

The building blends in so well, it’s almost boring—perfect camouflage. People come and go in standard office attire, holding coffee cups and files, just like in any other corporate hub. I take it that regular employees think it's indeed just a pharmaceutical company; the real masterminds are probably blending in with these employees.

The towering glass structure behind me also sleeps, imposing under the setting sun. It looms quietly, hiding the chaos that’s brewing beneath its shiny, flawless surface.

The car slows briefly as we pass, and I study the layout. High-tech security. Wilde’s operation runs deep underground, with most of the real action happening below this unassuming facade. There’s an entire world down there, beneath the surface, where sterile hallways connect rooms packed with containment units, high-tech labs, and, of course, his precious experiments.

Perfect.

I sink back into my seat, the corner of my lips curling into a smirk. "Soon," I murmur to myself, the plan starting to solidify in my mind. Getting into the lab isn’t just crucial; it’s everything. He’s obsessed, lost in his world of formulas and viruses, and while I’ve managed to worm my way into his mind, I need more. I need control.

The car speeds up again, and I glance down at my nails, feigning indifference as if I haven’t just scoped out the very place where the fate of the world is being decided. "Driver," I say lazily, "change of plans. Take me to the boutique instead. I feel like shopping after all.

I’ve got time. But not too much.