---- Chapter 13 Jody POV: At the team meeting the following Monday, Dr. Chaney officially introduced Evander. "And |' ve decided to partner him with Jody on the Sterling project," he announced. "I think their combined expertise will yield some extraordinary results." | felt a flutter of genuine excitement. | looked across the table at Evander, and he gave me a small, conspiratorial smile. After the meeting, he fell into step beside me as we walked towards the lab. "Looks like you' re stuck with me, shijie," he teased. "Somehow, | think |' Il manage," | replied, laughing. | stopped, turning to face him. "Seriously, though, | need to apologize again for leaving you stranded at the airport. It was completely unprofessional." He waved it off. "If you hadn' t, | never would have gotten a sneak peek at your brilliant work. |' d call it fate." | was taken aback for a moment by his easy sincerity, then found myself smiling. "Maybe you' re right." As we settled into a work rhythm, the lab became my haven. Evander was the perfect partner-insightful, collaborative, and ---- endlessly patient. We would spend hours debating theories, our friendly arguments often ending in shared laughter and a new, better solution. He respected my ideas, challenged my assumptions, and celebrated my breakthroughs as if they were his own. The days bled into weeks, and with every successful experiment, every shared cup of coffee, | felt the ghost of my past life receding further and further. The sleepless nights filled with anxiety were replaced by a peaceful exhaustion born of fulfilling work. The knot of grief and betrayal that had been lodged in my chest for so long finally began to dissolve. | had come here to run away from a life that was destroying me. | had thought my future would be nothing but the cold, sterile comfort of the lab. But working alongside Evander, | realized | wasn' t just running away from something; | was running towards a new beginning. He was more than just a brilliant colleague; he was a friend. He was kind, he was funny, and he saw me-the real me, the scientist, the woman-not the broken, pathetic girl | had been. One afternoon, as we watched a successful simulation run on the computer screen, | felt a profound sense of peace settle over me. | looked at the complex data glowing on the monitor, then at the man standing beside me, his face lit with the same quiet satisfaction. The future no longer felt like a desolate, empty landscape. It felt interesting. It felt full of potential. ---- For the first time since my heart was shattered, it felt exciting. | was finally, completely, moving on.