It's a fact that you can't help who you fall in love with. And for Rosaline Davenport and him, it definitely shouldn't have been each other.
Because, sometimes, love stories have blood on them.
[warning: this is the mother of all slow-burns]
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REMINDER: we are still in chapter 27 even though it feels like 50 chaps have passed. because "her" & "him" are mini prequels and not a part of the main novel (which only started after "them") in other words, we still have quite a journey ahead ;)
• flashbacks are written in past tense since the usual narrative is in present tense •
【 27.
Twenty-seven
Haar 】
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[ Haar • defeat ]
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IT WAS ABOUT five months ago, during August of the previous year, when Zachary had to fly from NY to Springfield due to technicalities that suddenly arose in a new prototype the team at that particular outlet were working on.
“We’re sorry for having to call you in,” Ebru Solak, who wasn’t yet the Chief Developer of the Springfield labs at that time, told him.
“No, I’m glad you did,” Zachary said, a tired smile on his face. “It was an all-hands-on-deck situation, I get it.”
“Still,” she shrugged, “we feel bad.”
“Why?” Zachary asked, furrowing his eyebrows together. “Y—”
“We’re very aware it’s your birthday, Sir,” Miss Solak admitted, an apologetic smile on her face. “I’m sure you must have had plans for tonight, and the day’s nearly over already.”
Zachary let out a quiet sigh and leant back in the large leather chair, though his broad shoulders seemed to take away from how wide the backrest of the chair really was.
“I appreciate the gesture,” he told her. “But these things happen, hmm? Don’t worry about it. And tell the rest of your team to stop with feeling guilty too.”
Miss Solak nodded before hesitating for a split second, and then pulled out a thin rectangular box from within the inside pocket of her lab coat. It wore a sleek black leather casing.
Zachary raised both his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth twitching as he fought off a smile that would make him appear more childlike instead of professional. “Don’t tell me,” he said, amused.
Miss Solak laughed. “Yeah, the team and I kind of pitched in to get you a little something,” she told Zachary as she stepped towards his desk to hand him the present.
