Chasing the Unexpected

Nyla clenched her hands at her sides and looked down, pretending not to see Damon. As she walked past him, her heart raced, fearing he might do

something to draw attention.

His gaze had been unsettling, after all.

It wasn’t until she exited the dining hall that she felt the weight of his stare lift. With a sigh of relief, she frowned. They were no longer together, so why did he

still look at her like that?

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stop thinking about it. They no longer had any connection, and it was best to treat future encounters as if they

were strangers.

Soon, Melody and Gabriel left the dining hall and headed back to the lab building with Nyla.

Nyla showed Gabriel to his desk and briefly explained the storage of experimental drugs before retreating to her own space for a nap.

The afternoon passed quickly, and just before the end of the workday, Melody came over to Nyla and whispered, “Nyla, remember to ask your brother if he has a girlfriend! Whether I can find someone depends on you!”

Nyla couldn’t help but laugh and nodded. “Got it.”

“Alright, I’m heading out now. Let me know if you find anything out,” Melody chirped.

After Melody left, Nyla continued tidying up the lab equipment.

By the time she finished, it was already several minutes past the hour. As she turned to leave, she saw Gabriel standing by the door.

“What’s up?” Nyla asked.

Gabriel smiled. “I need a favor.”

Nyla looked curious. “What’s the matter? All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

She had assumed Gabriel would keep a respectful distance even after returning to the country, but now he was asking her for help.

Gabriel sighed, looking a bit frustrated. “My mother just asked me to go on a blind date now that I’m back. I refused, but it didn’t work. Could you pretend to be my girlfriend tonight and help me turn down the person?”

Nyla was about to refuse but then considered that this might be a chance for Melody and Gabriel to interact. She said, “I have plans tonight, so I can’t help. but Melody might be available. Let me check with her.”

Gabriel’s expression faltered for a moment, and he hesitated before speaking.” Is that okay? We just met today, and asking her to do this might be a bit much…”

“She’s very helpful. I’ll call her now,” Nyla said.

Before Gabriel could object, she had already dialed Melody’s number.

After hanging up, she looked at him and said, “She agreed. Did you drive today?”

Gabriel nodded, “Yes.”

“Great. Then you can pick her up and go to the blind date together,” Nyla said.

Gabriel’s gaze dimmed slightly as he replied, “Alright.”

“Unless there’s anything else, I’ll head out now.” With that, Nyla turned and left before he had a chance to respond.

Watching her go, Gabriel smiled slowly. It was fine–he had plenty of time.

Not long after arriving home, Nyla received a call from Melody.

“Nyla, I feel like your brother was a bit cold to me. Does he dislike me?” Melody asked.

Nyla remembered that Gabriel had always been indifferent toward girls. “No, don’t worry. It’s just his personality.”

Melody sighed in relief. “That’s good. I was worried he might not like me.”