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No, I couldn't be alone with him. That couldn't happen. It would completely destroy me...

I wanted to turn on my heel and leave, but a voice of reason inside me remained as David turned away from us with one last scrutinizing look before leaving the lab.

Quentin finally took his eyes off me and started moving before he placed the clipboard he had been holding in his hands on the table next to him and began to sort more test tubes.

He would probably work a night shift here and lose himself in his forbidden research project with scientific passion. And something about that turned me on so much that the warmth in my face hit me like a heat wave.

“Which academic performance?” I asked, overwhelmed by myself and the situation.

I wanted to back out of the lab, but resisted the urge.

“So intelligent, and yet you don't seem to know what I'm talking about.”

Quentin chuckled softly, and I was annoyed that his words slightly hurt me.

“The academic performance…” he let go of the test tubes and turned back to me. “…in which you fulfill your part of the agreement.”

I swallowed, staring at the ring on his finger, then at the one on his other hand, which he must have put back on at some point.

Quentin reached for the clipboard and studied it as he continued unhindered.

“Every day of the internship, you will come to me after official working hours, and I will conduct some tests with you.”

A wildfire broke out inside me.

He wanted to conduct tests on me. Alone. Here. In this lab.

How was I supposed to get through this without letting on?

“I'll spare you today because I still have some planning to do myself,” he said, his brows drawn together. “But next time...” Suddenly, he looked up, “...I'll take the first samples.”

He stared at me and I stared back.

Why did it sound like a threat?

I should be grateful that, of all the people around me, he was the most authentic because he didn't lie about his intentions. He spoke in clear, understandable words about what plans he seemed to have for me.

And suddenly I wondered, would he experiment on J? Would he still want to experiment on me if he knew the baby in my womb was his?

I didn't even know what he had in mind for me, and I knew that if he went too far, I would make that clear to him.

No one would hurt this child.

Our child.

I swallowed.

Everything about this situation was wrong.

And he was still staring at me.

“Is that it?” I managed to say, reminding myself that I couldn't show any weakness. “Can I go now?”

Quentin didn't take his eyes off me as he replied.

“I beg you, Blair witch.”

Ouch.