Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne said sincerely, "You know, I really should apologize for being such a hothead when I was younger. She deserves an apology."

Leda nearly choked on her drink, coughing several times before painting her face with a look of sheer refusal. "Oh, come on, girl, spare me the drama. It's not like you don't know the whole story. The only class I ever flunked and had to retake was Ms. Payne's elective. Just the thought of her gives me the chills. Besides, I'm such a nobody. She's probably forgotten all about me. Honestly, I'm no help to you." Seeing Leda's reluctance, Roseanne didn't push further.

"But," Leda's eyes twinkled mischievously as her tone unexpectedly turned, "I might just have the perfect person for this job."

"Oh?"

"Remember my cousin, Owen Reynolds?"

Roseanne sipped her water and nodded. "Of course, I remember."

Owen Reynolds, the youngest leading figure in the national physics community, topped last year's list of the ten most influential young scientists in Nature magazine. An undergrad protégé of Madeleine, he majored in Applied Biosciences, published five papers in SCI within two years, and was hailed as a prodigy by the biological sciences community.

Then, he made the radical decision to switch disciplines and dive into physics for reasons unknown. It caused quite a stir at the time.

But as it turned out, a capable person could make a mark in any field. Owen had become a heavyweight in the international physics community.

Being his junior by a few years at the same university, Roseanne had heard legendary tales about Owen long before she knew he was Leda's cousin. Owen had been working at a research institute abroad for years and had only returned home three months ago.

"My cousin just asked about Ms. Payne's health days ago. He's been busy but thought of paying a visit. It'd be perfect if you two went together." The more Leda spoke, the more she convinced herself, promptly dialing Owen's number.

After a couple of rings, Owen picked up.

Roseanne heard a deep voice, cold and formal. "What's up?"

Leda explained in a few sentences.

The background noise suggested he was busy, and the call ended in less than a minute.

"Done! Owen wants to meet you tomorrow at 2 PM at Thyme & Seasons. You can talk more then." Leda squeezed Roseanne's hand reassuringly, "Get a good night's sleep tonight, and we can worry about the rest tomorrow."

Roseanne nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate it."Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

The following day, Roseanne left half an hour early. When she arrived at the restaurant, she checked her watch and found she was on schedule. There were two minutes to two.

Perfect timing.

When she entered the restaurant, the server led her to a man sitting by the window, immersed in his coffee. His attire was simple yet elegant, wearing a white shirt paired with black slacks and gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. The sunlight casting shadows on his profile made him look like a figure out of a painting.

In contrast, Roseanne felt underdressed in her white T-shirt and jeans, her hair tied back in a high ponytail, and bare-faced.

Feeling her gaze, the man turned toward her.

"Take a seat. What can I get you?" His voice was rich and slightly husky, making Roseanne snap back to reality. She pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

"Sorry for making you wait." Her apology was all in her sincere eyes.

Owen adjusted his glasses lightly. "You didn't. I was only five minutes early myself. I've got a few datasets at the lab, so I can only spare you thirty minutes today. Will that be enough?" Roseanne nodded. "That'll be plenty."

The server approached, and Roseanne ordered a lemonade.

Owen got straight to the point. "About seeing Ms. Payne, what are you hoping me to do?"