Chapter 184
Lynette's POV
I stood there. Trying to breathe normally.
My heart was still racing. Not from the fight. From him.
From Kael kneeling in front of me. His hand on my knee. Those careful fingers fastening each strap.
Stop. Focus.
I forced myself to look at Belser. Not at Kael standing beside me.
"You want to talk?" I kept my voice flat. "Then show me what you're really doing here."
Belser studied me for a moment. His professional smile never wavered.
"Very well. Follow me."
But my brain wouldn't cooperate. It kept replaying the scene. Kael's thumb brushing my ankle. The warmth of his palm through the thin fabric. The way he'd looked up at me.
Does he do this for everyone? Is this just... who he is?
The thought made my chest tight. Uncomfortable.
What if I'm not special? What if he's this protective with anyone who needs help?
I hated how much that possibility bothered me.
"Lynette." Kael's voice. Low. Close to my ear.
I turned. He was watching me with those amber eyes.
"You okay?"
"Fine." I said it too quickly.
His eyebrow raised slightly. He didn't believe me.
Good. Because I'm not fine. I'm confused and this is the worst possible time for it.
I wanted to ask him. Right now. Do you kneel for everyone? Touch everyone like that? Or just me?
But Belser was already moving toward the back of the exhibition hall. And Rezar was still watching from across the room.
Later. Deal with this later.
I followed Belser. Kael fell into step beside me.
The host rushed onto the platform as we walked past. His smile looked strained.
"Ladies and gentlemen, that was quite an exciting demonstration." He gestured broadly. "However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we'll be moving to our next segment."
He snapped his fingers. Two actual security guards stepped forward.
"Our professional team will now demonstrate the full capabilities of our enhanced guards."
Smart. Very smart.
The crowd's attention shifted immediately. Most of them looked relieved. I glanced back at the platform. The enhanced guard I'd fought was being led away. He walked stiffly. Still favoring that leg.
I hurt him. Just not enough to make it obvious.
"They're covering." Kael murmured beside me.
"I know."
The crowd was already forgetting about me. About the fact that I'd exposed a weakness in their "perfect weapon."
Most of them, anyway.
I could still feel Rezar's eyes on my back.
Belser led us through a side door. The noise from the exhibition hall cut off immediately. The corridor beyond was different. Cleaner. More secure.
Two guards stood at attention by a reinforced door. They wore black tactical gear. Military grade.
Not just hired muscle. These are trained soldiers.
Belser pressed his palm to a scanner. The door hissed open.
"This area is restricted to VIP guests only." He glanced back at us. "You should feel honored."
I said nothing. Just catalogued everything I saw.
Fingerprint scanner. Retinal scan. Facial recognition camera in the upper corner.
They're not just protecting their research. They're protecting something specific.
We walked deeper into the corridor. Kael stayed close. Not touching me. But near enough that I could feel his presence.
Stop noticing that. Stop caring.
But I couldn't help it. Ever since he'd knelt in front of me, something had shifted. The air between us felt different.
This is bad. This is really bad timing.
Another checkpoint. Belser placed his eye against a scanner. Blue light swept across his retina.
"Biometric security." He sounded proud. "Top of the line."
The door clicked open. We passed through. Then another checkpoint. And another.
Each one more sophisticated than the last.
By the third door, I'd counted six different security measures. Whoever designed this system was paranoid. Or protecting something incredibly valuable.
Probably both.
"Welcome home, Master."
I stopped.
Two small figures stood in the hallway ahead. Child-sized. But definitely not children.
The boy wore a tiny black suit. The girl wore a red dress. Both had smooth, artificial faces.
Robots.
Their eyes glowed red as they scanned us.
"Welcome, guests." The girl's voice had a synthetic quality. Pleasant but wrong.
I crouched down. Getting a better look.
The joints were exposed metal. The facial expressions were limited but functional. And the way they moved...
Too smooth. Too fast.
These weren't service robots. These were combat units in miniature form.
"Cute, aren't they?" Belser smiled. "Latest generation AI. Very obedient."
The boy robot tilted his head. "Would you like refreshments?"
"Tea." I stood up. "Hot."
"Of course."
The robots turned in perfect synchronization. Started walking down the hallway. We followed them. Belser walked beside me, clearly pleased with my interest.
Kael leaned close. His breath warm against my ear. "Those things are armed."
"I know." I kept my voice equally low.
The hallway stretched ahead. Doors on both sides.
Left side: transparent glass. Bright lights. I could see lab equipment. People in white coats working at stations.
Right side: opaque glass. Dark. Hidden.
My eyes kept drifting to the right side doors.
What are they hiding in there?
"Curious?" The boy robot was suddenly beside me. His head swiveled unnaturally. "That's our special research area. Very secret. Very important."
I met those glowing red eyes. "Everything has a price."
"True!" The robot's smile was too wide. "Master says the same thing."
Belser chuckled. "We welcome investors with the right resources. Money. Influence. Access."
So they're not just selling the drug. They're selling partnership.
We walked for another ten minutes. The hallway seemed endless. More doors. More opaque glass. The deeper we went, the more secure everything became.
Finally, we reached a large office at the end. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Expensive furniture. The robot girl was already there, setting down a tea tray on the glass table.
"Please, sit." Belser gestured to the leather chairs.
I moved toward the seating area. Reached for my tea cup. My hand bumped it slightly. The lid tumbled toward the floor.
The boy robot moved.
His legs extended. Hydraulics hissing. His height shot from knee-level to nearly five and a half feet.
His arm stretched out. Joints telescoping. Metal fingers caught the lid inches from the carpet.
The whole thing took maybe half a second.
Holy shit.
"Clumsy of me." I took the lid back. My hand was steady. But my mind was racing.
The robot's smile never changed. "No problem, guest."
His limbs retracted. Back to child-size. Like nothing had happened.
I sat down slowly. Wrapped my hands around the tea cup.
This is worse than I thought.
Two or three years ago, the most advanced robots I'd seen could barely walk in a straight line. They needed constant programming updates. Their reaction time was terrible.
These things? These were different.
Near-biological response speed. Adaptive movement. Sophisticated AI.
They've made a breakthrough. Not just in genetics. In everything.