His Cold Heart, My Fiery Soul

r body already recognized who had entered. "You're still here," Wilson said from the doorway, his voice calm but carrying that familiar weight that made the air feel heavier. Delphine finally

said quietly, "but most peo

use for a second before he moved further into the room, stopping near her desk without asking permission. "People like you usually last two weeks here," he said. "After that, reality adjus

arms. "So tell me what you've observed so far," she challenged. Wilson didn't answer immediately, his eyes drifting briefly across the scattered files on her desk. "You compen

than anything else he had said. Delphine exhaled slowly. "You make it sound like I'm a case file," she said. Wilson's gaze lifted to hers again. "Everyone here is a

ne studied him carefully. "That sounds like a contradiction," she said. Wilson's expression shifted slightly, unreadable again. "It only sounds like one if you don't understand the system y

Wilson didn't deny it. "I haven't decided," he said. "I anticipate." Delphine leaned forward slightly now, her tone sharper. "And what do you anticipate about me?" Wi

he screen. Her expression changed slightly. Wilson noticed immediately. "What is it?" he asked. Delphine didn't answer right away, her thumb hovering over the message. "

y. "Then what is it?" she asked. Wilson stepped slightly closer, his tone lower now. "It means you're already inside something you didn't agree to," he said. De

ieter than before. "Because the answer depends on whether you're ready to hear it," he said. Delphine turned fully toward him now. "Try me," she said. That

t tighten. She tried to steady herself. "Then why does it feel like I already am?" she asked. Wilson didn't answer immediately. Inst

second too long. Wilson finally stepped back slightly, breaking the closeness. "If I was," he said quietly, "you wouldn't be sitting here asking me that

hing. "So what now?" she asked. Wilson looked at her for a moment longer than usual before responding. "Now," he said quietly, "you finish y

'll understand the message in that phone better than you want to." Delphine watched him carefully. "And if I stay?" she asked

he step

ughts racing faster than she could control. She reached for her phone again

attention away from everything else. Her fingers hesitated before touching it, but her instinct pushed her to open it anyway. The moment she

r. Her eyes lifted slowly from the screen, and she forced herself to speak again, though her voice was lower now. "Wilson..." she called without

she said, "Tell me I'm imagining that." Wilson didn't answer right away, but when he finally spoke, his tone was controlled and

ng. Wilson stepped slightly forward but didn't take his eyes off the glass. "Someone wants you to notice them," he said quietly,

again. Delphine whispered, "This isn't normal... is it?" and for the first time, Wilson didn't respond immediately. His silenc

s she said, "Then why does it feel like this started before I even got here?" Wilson's gaze shifted slightly toward her for a brie