Chapter 7

The painting was the last one her mother had left her.

To Phoebe, it meant more than almost anyone in the world.

Especially Xena Tucker.

Did Zac really think that just because Xena mattered to him, everyone else had to care about her too?

Did he expect the whole world to put Xena first just because he did?

It was ridiculous.

Phoebe didn’t bother arguing with him.

There was no point.

She gave a quiet laugh.

“Zac, you really care about her, don’t you?”

He paused.

A flicker of discomfort crossed his face before he quickly explained.

“Phoebe, don’t get the wrong idea. Ms. Tucker just moved back and hardly knows anyone here. I’m one of the only people she can turn to.”

He looked at her.

“You’re my wife. That’s never going to change.”

Never going to change?

That sounded awful.

Phoebe lowered her gaze, a bitter smile touching her lips.

She didn’t have time to keep playing this game with him and Xena anyway.

Within a month, she would forget Zac completely.

“Okay.”

Zac seemed to relax.

He reached for her hand.

“Phoebe, once Ms. Tucker gets settled, I’ll go with you to the hospital and we’ll figure out what’s going on.”

Phoebe nodded.

She didn’t say anything.

It didn’t matter to her anymore.

Zac looked like he wanted to say something else, but Phoebe turned and walked away.

He watched her go.

For some reason, a strange emptiness settled in his chest.

It felt as though something important was slipping away from him, and he couldn’t quite hold on to it.

He almost went after her.

Then Chloe called from inside the room.

“Zac, are you coming back?”

He pushed the feeling aside and returned to the hospital room.

After leaving the hospital, Phoebe thought about what Carl had told her and took a cab to the institute.

She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

The project was in trouble.

She couldn’t pretend her decision to leave had nothing to do with how things had turned out.

Whatever happened, she had to help get it back on track.

When Phoebe entered the main lobby, she immediately noticed how different everything felt.

The energy she remembered was gone.

Almost every face was unfamiliar.

It barely felt like the same institute anymore.

One of the researchers noticed her and frowned.

“Can I help you? This is a restricted area. Visitors aren’t allowed in without clearance.”

Phoebe hadn’t snuck inside.

In fact, she had been just as surprised when the security doors opened for her.

The facial-recognition system still had her on file.

After the way she and Zion had parted, she had assumed her access would have been revoked years ago.

“I’m here to see Dr. Zeller.”

The researcher frowned.

“You can’t just show up and expect to see Dr. Zeller. Who are you, anyway? You need an appointment to see him.”

Phoebe hesitated, unsure how to explain herself.

Before she could answer, the researcher suddenly seemed to realize something.

“Wait, how did you even get in here? The doors only open for people whose faces are registered in the system. Oh my God, did you break in?”

He immediately called for security.

Phoebe’s expression changed.

“I didn’t break in. I really am here to see Dr. Zeller.”

The problem was that nearly everyone at the institute was new now.

Most of the researchers she had worked with had left not long after she did, and hardly anyone here recognized her anymore.

This was going to be harder than she expected.

Just then, a cool voice came from behind them.

“What’s going on out here?”

Phoebe turned.

Carl was walking out of the lab, still wearing his white coat.

“Carl.”

His eyes lit up when he saw her.

He clearly hadn’t expected her to come back so soon.

“Phoebe?”

The researcher froze.

Dr. Lucas knew her?

Carl walked over.

“It’s fine. She’s with me. You can get back to work.”

The researcher immediately looked embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were here with Dr. Lucas.”

Phoebe smiled.

“No worries. You didn’t know.”

Phoebe followed Carl toward Zion’s office.

The closer they got, the more nervous she became.

They finally stopped outside a closed door.

Carl turned to her.

“Dr. Zeller’s inside going over some data. Go on in. I already told him you want to come back.”

Phoebe swallowed nervously.

“What did he say?”

Carl’s expression changed slightly, but he only shook his head.

Phoebe frowned.

“Is he really that angry?”

“He didn’t say anything,” Carl replied. “Just go in and see for yourself.”

Phoebe drew in a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

“All right.”

She stared at the office door, her heart pounding so hard it felt ready to jump out of her chest.

Carl gave her an encouraging look.

“You’ve got this.”

Just then, a deep, weathered voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Phoebe’s heart sank.

She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Zion was sitting behind his desk, completely focused on the data displayed on his computer. He didn’t even turn around when she entered.

Phoebe immediately slowed her steps.

She knew better than anyone how much he hated being interrupted while he was working, so she quietly stood off to the side and waited.

Half an hour passed.

Only after he finished reviewing the data did he remove his reading glasses and finally look at her.

His expression didn’t change.

There was no anger, no surprise, nothing at all.

He looked at her as though she were a complete stranger who wasn’t worth wasting a single emotion on.

Phoebe pressed her lips together as her eyes began to sting.

“Dr. Zeller...”

He immediately held up a hand.

“Stop. I don’t remember having a student like you.”

Phoebe bit her lip.

“I know I messed up. I came back to apologize.”

Zion let out a cold snort and finally looked at her.

“Oh, so you do remember how to come back.”

Phoebe moved a little closer and gave him her most pitiful look.

“Dr. Zeller...”

Zion had never been very good at staying angry with his youngest protégé, especially when she looked at him like that.

He waved her off.

“Enough. If you want to come back, you can start with data work. Don’t expect me to hand you your old position just because you showed up.”

His expression turned stern.

“This institute isn’t somewhere you can walk away from whenever you feel like it and then return whenever it suits you.”

Phoebe stared at him in surprise.

She hadn’t expected him to give in so quickly.

She had been prepared to spend days trying to convince him.

But none of that mattered now.

He was letting her come back.

That alone was more than she could have hoped for.

She could earn her old position again through her own work.

Besides, almost everyone at the institute was new now. If she simply walked back into a senior role without any recent results to back her up, no one would respect her.

If she wanted her place back, she would have to prove she still deserved it.

And she was ready to do exactly that.

“I understand. I’ll work hard.”

Phoebe raised her right hand as if taking an oath.

Then she suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, right. Carl told me the institute’s been having funding problems.”

Zion glanced at her.

“That’s not something you need to worry about. You just got back.”

Phoebe knew he was only trying to keep the burden off her, but she couldn’t simply ignore what was happening.

“Let me help. I’ll find the funding.”

Zion frowned at her.

“You? And how exactly are you planning to do that?”

“I heard there’s an investor event tonight. A lot of major business leaders will be there.”

Phoebe looked determined.

“I’m not going to pass up that opportunity.”