Rose didn't say anything as he walked in the door. She jumped slightly as he slammed his study's door, surprising her. She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest before laying her head on them. She thought about what he'd said the night before and how he had been, well, right. She stood up and went to the balcony, leaning on the rail and looking out as she used to when she got upset or just needed to think. Even from you. He'd said the night before, a knife to her chest.

Caden sat there, hands resting on the desk, his mind swirling. He was pushing through the fatigue, but the weight of everything—of the project, of the risks—was still pressing on him. And as much as he tried to focus on the work in front of him, the nagging feeling in the back of his mind kept pulling at him.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the front door. Caden froze. Who the hell could be here at this hour? His first instinct was to ignore it—he was deep in his work, and he didn’t need distractions. But the knock came again, more insistent this time.

Annoyed but curious, Caden stood up from his desk. His mind still half in the zone, he made his way to the door. He was already prepared to tell whoever it was to get lost, but when he opened the door, he blinked in surprise.

There, standing at the threshold, was Dr. Hamilton. She wasn’t in her usual lab attire, but in a more relaxed outfit—fitted black pants and a loose blouse, her hair falling effortlessly around her shoulders.

“Caden,” she said, her voice smooth as she stepped into the doorway. “We need to talk. I thought you might want some company tonight.”

Caden raised an eyebrow, already feeling the energy shift in a way he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. “Dr. Hamilton,” he began, trying to keep his tone neutral, “it’s... really late, and I’m working. What do you—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Dr. Hamilton took a step closer, her eyes twinkling with an almost playful gleam. “Oh, come on. I’ve seen you stressed out in that lab. Thought maybe I could help you relax a little. A little... one-on-one time,” she said, leaning in just a touch too close.

Caden stood there for a moment, his mind racing. He didn’t know what was happening right now, but he sure as hell wasn’t interested.

“Go away,” Caden said flatly, cutting her off with a single, sharp wave of his hand. “You better get the hell away from me.”

Dr. Hamilton blinked, clearly taken aback, but Caden wasn’t done.

“No offense,” he continued, raising an eyebrow and stepping back, “but I’m here trying to work on world-changing technology, not playing whatever game you think this is. I’m not the one, doc.”

He crossed his arms, staring her down. “So... yeah. If you’re just here for... that, you need to take your ‘company’ and bounce, because I'm not interested."

For a brief, awkward moment, Dr. Hamilton seemed stunned. Her smile faltered, but after a few seconds, it turned into a slightly sheepish laugh.

“Alright, alright,” she said, raising her hands in mock surrender. “Guess I misread the situation.”

“Ya think?” Caden shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Dr. Hamilton smirked, the playful edge returning to her voice. “You’re a tough one, Ortiz. But hey, I’ll let you get back to your ‘world-changing’ work. Just thought I’d stop by and... check in.”

“Yeah, well, check out, please,” Caden said, stepping aside to motion toward the door. “I don’t have time for whatever you think this is. I’m busy.”

With a small chuckle and a playful roll of her eyes, Dr. Hamilton turned to leave, throwing him a wink over her shoulder. “You’re no fun, Caden. But I’ll let you be.”

Caden didn’t even watch her go, already closing the door behind her as soon as she was out of view. He shook his head, feeling both relieved and... mildly uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure what the hell just happened, but one thing was certain: he wasn’t going to let distractions like that get in the way.

He returned to his study, slamming the door behind him for the second time that night. Without missing a beat, he dropped back into his chair and pulled up the simulations again. Time to bury himself in the work—no more interruptions.

But just as he was about to get back into the zone, he chuckled to himself.

"Jackass,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head with a smirk.

And with that, Caden dove back into his work, laser-focused and with zero intention of letting anything—or anyone—get in his way.

Rose heard the conversation downstairs and watched the car pull away a bit slower than it'd came. She sighed, unbothered. He didn't seem too interested in her anymore, so she halfway didn't care. She flinched as he slammed the door again, sighing once more as she thought about the night before's conversation

The doorbell rang,Caden going and opening it.

Caden stood frozen at the door, his heart racing in his chest. Dr. Hamilton’s eyes locked onto his, and for the first time, he didn’t know if it was the exhaustion or the tension in the air, but something about the way she was standing there, so close—so damn close—was pulling him in.

She leaned in slightly, her breath warm on his face, and Caden felt the undeniable flicker of something inside him—something he couldn’t ignore. The temptation was right there, right in front of him, like a baited trap he hadn’t seen coming.

“I know what you need, Caden,” she whispered, the words dripping with something almost dangerous, almost inviting. “The pressure’s too much. Sometimes you just need to let go... let someone else help.”

Caden’s chest tightened. He wanted to give in. He wanted to forget about everything for just a moment, forget about the sleepless nights, the pressure of the project, the constant feeling that everything was riding on him.

Her eyes were dark with intent, and for a second, everything inside of him screamed just let go.

Her hand brushed against his arm, sending a jolt of warmth through him, and he swore he felt his pulse spike. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this close to someone. He’d been buried in his work for so long, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d let himself feel something like this.

But just as her hand moved to touch his chest, a voice whispered in his mind—a quiet, cold voice that pierced through the fog of desire, the fatigue, the temptation.

Stop. This isn’t you.

Caden’s breath caught in his throat. His body tensed, and for a fleeting moment, the world seemed to slow. The words weren’t loud, but they were clear, cutting through the haze of everything else.

He blinked, his mind finally clearing, and suddenly, he saw her for what this was. This wasn’t some moment of genuine connection. This was manipulation—something he’d been ignoring for far too long.

His hand shot out, pushing her back, just enough to create space. Dr. Hamilton looked up at him, slightly taken aback, but the familiar smirk was still there, lingering on the edges of her lips.

Caden’s heart was still pounding, but now it was for an entirely different reason. His head was clearer. His mind was back where it needed to be.

“No,” he said, his voice low, almost too firm. “I’m not doing this. This is... this is not what I came here for.”

He stepped back, his hands trembling slightly, as if his body was still fighting the pull she had over him. But the whisper was still there, echoing in his mind, reminding him of what was important.

Dr. Hamilton didn’t move, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sudden change in his demeanor. There was a flicker of something in her expression—surprise, annoyance, maybe even frustration—but Caden didn’t care. He’d almost let himself fall into something dangerous. He couldn’t let that happen again.

“I’m not... interested,” he said, his voice more confident now. “And if you keep pushing this, I’ll call the cops.”

There was a long pause as she assessed him, and for a moment, Caden wondered if she would try again. But then, something in her posture shifted. Her shoulders straightened, and the playful glint in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a cold, calculating stare.

“Fine, Caden,” she said, her voice now laced with ice. “I’ll leave you to your work. But remember... this isn’t over.”

She turned on her heel and walked away, her footsteps fading into the distance, leaving Caden standing there with his heart still pounding in his chest.

He stood there for a moment, still feeling the residual heat of the encounter, his mind racing. He wasn’t sure what had just happened. Had he almost... fallen for it?

With a frustrated groan, he slammed the door behind him, locking it this time. He leaned against the door, trying to catch his breath, trying to push the feeling of her touch—of almost giving in—out of his mind.

Focus, he told himself, but it was hard to do. His pulse hadn’t slowed down, and his thoughts were still scattered.

Caden turned back to his study, his body aching from the tension, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that. There was too much to do. The work. The project. He couldn’t afford to get caught up in whatever the hell that was.

He sank into his chair, running a hand over his face, but the whisper in his mind remained.

You almost lost control. Don’t let that happen again.

With a deep breath, Caden set his mind on the task at hand. There would be no more distractions. He wasn’t going to fall for it—not again.

Not when the future was on the line.

The work was all that mattered now. And that was the only thing he could trust.

The slamming of the study's door didn't bother her this time, too deep in thought to notice the force behind it

Alright, let’s bring this to a point where Caden’s exhaustion finally catches up to him, and he succumbs to sleep despite everything going on in his mind. Here’s how that unfolds:

---

Caden sat at his desk, trying to ignore the lingering tension in his chest. Dr. Hamilton’s visit had thrown him off—again—and his mind was scattered. The whisper in his head urging him to stop, to not fall for whatever game she was playing, kept echoing, but it was hard to drown out.

The project on the screen in front of him was demanding his attention, pulling him in. He could feel the weight of it pressing on him, the deadlines looming like a storm cloud overhead. But no matter how hard he focused on the model, no matter how many lines of code he wrote or designs he adjusted, his thoughts kept drifting back to that moment.

Her touch. The way she had looked at him. The way his resolve had almost faltered.

He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside, but they kept creeping back. It had been a long night—too long—and his body was starting to rebel. His muscles ached, his eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, and his thoughts were starting to blur together.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but his mind was elsewhere. It was like the more he tried to focus, the heavier the exhaustion became. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d slept. Hours? Days? The days were starting to blur into one another, like a haze he couldn’t shake.

His head bobbed slightly, his eyelids fluttering closed for a brief second, and before he even realized it, he let out a heavy breath.

Caden, focus, he thought to himself, but the words felt distant. Like an echo in a room that was slowly fading.

He tried to sit up straighter, but his body refused to cooperate. The chair beneath him felt like it was swallowing him up. He was tired—too tired—but he didn’t want to stop. He couldn’t afford to stop.

Another few seconds passed, and the quiet rhythm of the hum from his monitors almost felt... comforting. His eyes grew heavier. His body sank further into the chair.

Then, without warning, his head dropped forward—thud—hitting the desk with a muffled impact.

He groaned softly, blinking a few times as his head jerked up, but the sudden shock of movement only made him more tired. His eyes fluttered, his body sagging into the desk like a ragdoll. For a second, he just let himself stay there, the cool surface of the desk against his forehead, the low buzz of the computer lulling him into a kind of daze.

And then, without meaning to, his body gave in completely.

His hand slipped off the keyboard, his face pressing lightly against the desk as sleep—finally—claimed him.

For a moment, there was only the soft sound of his breath and the quiet hum of the machines surrounding him. The weight of the world, the pressure, the worry about everything… it all fell away. And for the briefest of moments, Caden felt a kind of peace that had eluded him for far too long.

His mind drifted. No more Dr. Hamilton. No more looming deadlines. No more pressure. Just the stillness.

But the calm didn’t last. The familiar voice in his head—the one that had reminded him of what mattered—lingered faintly, somewhere in the back of his mind.

Don’t let them get to you...

But for now, it was quiet. The only thing that mattered was the stillness of the moment.

And then, Caden fell into a deep, uninterrupted sleep, his head resting against the cool wood of the desk.

Rose walked downstair to grab a redbull and decided to check on Caden. The door, unlocked, opened with ease as she poked her head in. She saw he was asleep and walked to the couch. She grabbed a blanket and placed it gently over his back before retreating back to the kitchen after closing the study's door.

Caden’s eyes shot open, his face pressed against the cool surface of his desk. He groaned, his body stiff, his neck sore from the hours he’d spent hunched over the workstation. The hum of the monitors around him had become a low, constant thrum in the background, but there was something else in the air now.

He blinked at his phone, the screen lighting up with a notification.

Meeting at Dr. Anderson’s house – now.

The message was from Dr. Anderson, but Caden’s brain was still in a fog, trying to catch up with the time. He glanced around, trying to get his bearings, and then groaned again. He was late.

His fingers fumbled with the jacket he had discarded earlier, throwing it on haphazardly as he grabbed his phone and rushed out the door.

---

He arrived at Dr. Anderson’s house a few minutes later, breathless, his head still heavy with exhaustion. The house was grand, as always—white walls, expensive décor, and a polished vibe that seemed to scream “business.” A few colleagues were gathered near the door, casually chatting, but it was hard to shake the feeling that something was off.

He knocked and entered, and immediately, he felt it: her presence. Dr. Hamilton. She was already there, standing near the fireplace, her eyes flicking over to him as he walked in. He could tell from the way her lips curled into a slight, knowing smile that she had been waiting for him.

“Caden,” Dr. Hamilton greeted him smoothly, her voice like silk. “We were just starting to get concerned you’d miss all the fun.”

Caden offered a tight smile, still trying to shake off the haze of sleep that clung to him. “I got caught up with the work... You know how it is.”

“Oh, I know.” Her eyes never left his, the warmth in her voice somehow carrying a deeper meaning. “You work too hard, Caden. You’re always so focused. Always pushing yourself, trying to do everything alone.”

He shifted uneasily, but before he could respond, she moved toward him, her movements slow, deliberate, as if she were in complete control of the room—and of him.

“I’m sure this meeting can wait,” she said, her voice dropping an octave, now just between the two of them. “But you, Caden... you need a break.”

Something in the air shifted. He wasn’t sure if it was the exhaustion clouding his judgment or if it was her presence that made his pulse quicken, but his body tensed when she stood just a little too close.

“I’m fine,” he muttered, trying to step back, but Dr. Hamilton was quicker, her hand brushing against his arm, making him freeze.

“You don’t have to be fine, you know,” she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. “You can let go. Let me take care of you.”

His breath hitched as she leaned in closer, her lips brushing against the shell of his ear. Caden's heart began to pound in his chest, and despite the clear voice in his head warning him to walk away, the pull of her presence was undeniable.

“I—I shouldn’t...” he stammered, feeling a tightness in his chest.

But Dr. Hamilton wasn’t listening. Her hand slid to his back, gently urging him towards one of the rooms off to the side. The others in the room had all but faded away; Caden couldn’t even hear their murmurs over the thumping in his ears.

It wasn’t until she closed the door behind them that his mind began to clear. It was a strange sensation, like he had just stepped into a trap, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to turn back now. He could feel the heat radiating from her body as she took a step closer, her lips curving into a mischievous smile.

“You’re not as immune to this as you think, Caden,” she said, voice dripping with something dark and seductive. “You want this.”

His throat tightened, and he wanted to protest, but all he could do was stare at her, feeling the fog in his mind grow thicker, heavier.

“Stop,” he managed to whisper, but the word felt weak in his own ears. His body was betraying him; he could feel the overwhelming pull to just let go, let her take the weight of his thoughts and push everything else aside.

But just as the temptation surged, a whisper cut through the haze—clearer now, louder than before. No. This isn’t you.

Caden’s eyes snapped open, and the fog began to lift. He blinked rapidly, his body jerking back, but Dr. Hamilton was quick, her hand gripping his arm, not allowing him to pull away.

“You think you can escape me that easily?” she purred, her voice a low, dangerous hum. “You can’t outrun what you want. I can give you what you need, Caden... all the release you’ve been craving.”

He shook his head, his heart racing, panic clawing at his chest. “No. No, this is wrong.”

She smirked, tightening her grip on his arm, her fingers cold against his skin. “It’s only wrong if you think it is. You’ve been burning yourself out for so long, Caden. Just... let go.”

But Caden pulled back again, finally summoning the strength to break free from her grasp. His chest was heaving, and it felt like every part of him was on fire, the battle inside his mind roaring louder than the pressure of the meeting or his exhaustion.

“Stop,” he said, his voice low, but this time it was full of authority. “I’m not doing this. I’m leaving.”

He turned and walked briskly to the door, still feeling her presence at his back. He didn’t dare look behind him, but the weight of her gaze followed him as he opened the door and left the room, leaving her standing in the shadows.

---

Hours later, Caden stumbled back into the house. The exhaustion from the day hit him like a wave, his limbs feeling like lead as he kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto the couch. His mind was still whirling, the remnants of what had happened with Dr. Hamilton replaying over and over in his head.

He tried to push it away, but the images, her voice, the way she had pulled him in—it lingered like a shadow.

With a frustrated groan, Caden let his head fall back against the cushions. His eyelids fluttered closed, and within seconds, he was asleep, his body sinking into the quiet of the room, desperate for rest, desperate to forget everything that had happened.

But even in his sleep, he could still feel the weight of her touch, her words echoing in his mind.

Rose watched him as he collapsed onto the couch, his exhaustion evident in the way he moved. She set down the redbull and walked over to him. She laid a blanket over him and sat beside his head, running her hands through his hair gently and mindlessly

Caden stood frozen in the doorway, staring at Dr. Hamilton. His fists were clenched at his sides, his chest tightening with each passing second. His breath was shallow as the pressure of the moment bore down on him. She wasn’t backing off. She wasn’t leaving. And he was beyond done.

“Why the hell are you still here?” His voice cracked a little, the anger mixed with something else—something raw he didn’t want to admit.

Dr. Hamilton didn’t flinch, her eyes unwavering as she stepped forward. “Caden, I’m not going anywhere. And you can’t keep running from this. You know that.”

He wanted to yell. To scream at her to leave. But the words felt like they were stuck in his throat. She had this way of digging under his skin, of making him second-guess everything he thought he knew. And it was driving him insane.

“I told you,” he ground out, his voice shaking now, “I don’t need you in my life. I’m fine without you. I’m handling it.”

Her smile didn’t falter. “You don’t look fine. You’re avoiding it. Avoiding me.”

That was it. The last thread of control snapped in Caden’s chest. He couldn’t do this anymore. He couldn’t pretend it wasn’t affecting him. The constant pressure of his work, his own self-doubt, and now this—this woman who wouldn’t let him breathe. He stepped back, his pulse racing.

“I’m not your project,” he snapped, the words coming out more forcefully than he meant. But the anger felt like the only thing that could hold him together right now. “I’m not here to play your games.”

She took a step closer, her calm gaze still unshaken. “And yet, here we are. You’re right here with me. You can’t keep denying what’s underneath.”

He stumbled back, his breathing shallow, his heart pounding like it was going to explode. He couldn’t take it. Not right now. Not with everything else going on in his life.

“Just leave. Just leave me alone,” he shouted, his voice raw, cracking as the words spilled out in a way he hadn’t intended. His hands were shaking, his mind was racing, and he felt like he was suffocating.

Dr. Hamilton didn’t respond this time. She simply turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, breathless, in the middle of the hallway.

He slammed the door shut behind her, the force of it reverberating through his entire body. The moment she was gone, the weight of the silence pressed down on him. Caden’s knees felt weak, and he could barely stand, the dizziness creeping in.

Everything—everything—was crashing down on him.

He turned, his vision blurry as his thoughts spiraled. The weight of the day, the stress of his work, the way Dr. Hamilton’s words gnawed at him—it was too much. Too much for him to keep pretending he was fine. Too much to just swallow down and move on.

Caden stumbled into the kitchen, his hands trembling as he grabbed a bottle from the cabinet. He didn’t even care what it was—whiskey, vodka, whatever. He poured it quickly into a glass, the liquid sloshing out, his hands shaking as he struggled to keep it steady. His throat burned as he swallowed it down, the fire in his chest doing little to numb the chaos swirling inside him.

He didn’t want to feel it anymore. He didn’t want to feel anything.

But the emptiness—the crushing weight—was still there.

He walked outside, the cool night air hitting him like a slap. He didn’t know where he was going, only that he needed to get out of the house. To escape, even if just for a moment.

Caden made his way to the back of the house, the quiet of the night too loud in his head. His legs felt unsteady, his mind a chaotic mess of thoughts and emotions he couldn’t process.

When he finally sank down onto the grass, it was like his body gave out entirely. He leaned back against a tree, the cold bark against his skin grounding him for a moment. He closed his eyes, trying to breathe, but the pressure in his chest only got worse. His thoughts spiraled faster, the stress building until it felt like a tidal wave crashing over him.

I can’t keep doing this, he thought. I’m losing control. I’m losing myself.

His hand gripped the bottle harder, his knuckles white, but the shaking wouldn’t stop. The tears he refused to let fall burned in his eyes as he tried to swallow down the rising panic.

What was happening to him? Why couldn’t he stop feeling so… out of control?

Everything was closing in. The work, the pressure, the constant strain. And now Dr. Hamilton’s words echoed in his mind, making him question everything he had built. His hands shook more violently, the bottle slipping from his grasp and rolling a few feet away.

Caden curled his knees to his chest, his head resting in his hands. His breath came in shallow gasps, the panic rising like a storm inside him. He could feel the weight of everything pressing down on him, and he couldn’t stop it.

The tears finally broke free, though he didn’t make a sound. He just let them fall, silently, into the darkness around him.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, shaking, breathing, trying to get control of his spiraling thoughts. The night was quiet, but in his mind, the chaos didn’t stop. He had pushed so hard for so long, but now—now, it was all too much. He couldn’t handle it anymore.

And for the first time in as long as he could remember, Caden wasn’t sure how to pick up the pieces.