Chapter 4

The rhythmic tapping of keys on Lauren’s keyboard was suddenly drowned out by a loud, echoing crash of thunder.

Sa labas ng bintana, biglang bumuhos ang napakalakas na ulan, turning the campus skyline into a blur of gray and flashing lightning.

Anne looked up from her paperwork, staring at the window as the wind rattled the glass panes. She checked her phone, then frowned.

"The weather advisory just updated. Typhoon Signal No. 2 na. The university gates are locked, and local roads are flooded. We’re stuck here tonight, Lauren."

Lauren stopped typing, checking her own phone. "Grabe, no wonder zero bars bigla ang signal. I can't even book a ride."

Anne stood up, sighing as she rubbed the back of her neck. "It's fine. The faculty building has backup generators, so the power won't cut out. But the central AC stays on, and it’s going to get freezing."

True enough, as the storm raged outside, the temperature inside the office dropped rapidly.

Lauren, wearing only her usual t-shirt and thin denim jacket, unconsciously hugged herself, her shoulders shivering slightly as she tried to focus back on the architectural blueprints.

Napansin agad iyon ni Anne. Without saying a word, the professor walked over to her personal locker. She pulled out a thick, oversized dark green wool trench coat—the one she usually wore during winter lectures abroad.

Walking up behind Lauren, Anne gently draped the heavy, warm coat over the younger woman's shoulders.

The sudden warmth was immediate, but what caught Lauren off guard was the scent. The coat smelled intensely of Anne—rich vanilla jasmine and old paper.

"D-Doc..." Lauren stammered, looking up, her cheeks flushing hot despite the cold room.

"Don't argue with me on this, Miss Miller," Anne said, her voice soft but leaving no room for debate.

She adjusted the lapels of the coat around Lauren’s neck, her long fingers lingering close to Lauren's collarbone for a second too long.

"I can't have my best research assistant catching a fever."

"Thank you," Lauren murmured, pulling the coat tighter around herself. It was so big on her that she felt completely enveloped by Anne's presence.

Anne went to her small pantry corner and prepared two mugs of hot espresso, setting one down right next to Lauren's mousepad.

Instead of going back to her own desk, Anne pulled up a rolling chair and sat right beside Lauren, looking at the computer screen.

"Since we have all night, let's look at your horizontal load-bearing formulas again," Anne murmured, leaning close.

The storm outside was chaos—howling winds, crashing rain, and blinding flashes of lightning.

But inside the small office, lit only by the warm glow of the desktop monitor and a single desk lamp, it felt like an isolated sanctuary.

Hours passed in a blur of shared calculations and quiet revisions. By 2:00 AM, the heavy workload and the hypnotic sound of the rain finally took their toll. Lauren’s eyes grew heavy.

Without realizing it, her head began to tilt sideways, her eyelids fluttering shut until her forehead gently rested against Anne’s shoulder.

Anne froze. Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt the soft weight of Lauren leaning against her.

She looked down at the student’s sleeping face—free of the usual cynical defense mechanisms, looking incredibly peaceful under the dim light.

Anne’s hand hovered over Lauren's shoulder, hesitating. The professional boundary screamed at her to wake Lauren up, to maintain the distance.

But as another flash of lightning lit up the room, Anne leaned her head back against the top of Lauren’s, closing her eyes.

"You're a dangerous distraction, Lauren Jade Miller," Anne whispered into the dark, empty office, her hand finally settling gently on Lauren’s arm, holding her close as the storm washed over the world outside.