?


    Chapter 0585 Enzo


    "Are you sure you''re a human, Enzo?"


    M and I stood in the dimly lit room, the hum of medical equipment filling the air. She had just finished going over my physical therapy results, and her eyes were no longer fixed on the tablet in her hand, but were instead boring holes into me now.


    Her words caught me off guard. I didn''t know what to say, and it felt as though she somehow knew that I wasn''t human. I had tried to take it easy on the running test, but sometimes my abilities still surpassed a normal human''s even when I wasn''t putting in my full effort.


    "I... I, um-* I began to stutter, but M cut me off with a snort.


    "I''m just teasing, Enzo," she chuckled, smacking my arm. "Geez, you''re so serious."


    I chuckled, feeling my shoulders rx slightly. "You never know," I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.


    "Well, it is impressive," M remarked, her voice still carrying that hint of surprise. "I''ve never seen results quite like these. One of these days, we''ll have to get you in here to do a full PT test. I''d be curious to see the results."


    I couldn''t help but feel a twinge of unease. M wasn''t aware of my supernatural nature, and I had to be cautious about revealing it. Instead, I offered a modest smile. "I''ve been training my whole life," I said, "so I guess it pays off."


    M''s gaze lingered on me, her expression thoughtful. "Hmm. And I bet your wife must be very appreciative of your body," she added with a yful grin.


    Herment caught me off guard, and I felt a slight flush creeping up my neck. My wolf cringed at herment; I could feel him bristling in me, put off by her flirtatious demeanor.


    "Well, we both work hard to stay fit," I managed, just wanting to steer the conversation onto safer ground for the sake of both my marriage and my career.


    But M, seemingly unperturbed by my terse tone, took a step closer to me, her tone dropping to a more intimate level. "Are you sure you''re both putting in the same effort?" she asked.


    I knit my eyebrows together. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean, Nina seems fit, but not nearly as much as you," she said, her eyes flicking up and down my body.


    I shifted ufortably, feeling almost naked as I stood in front of her. I was somewhat used to women being interested in me, but never like this-not in a professional setting, at least. The possibilities began to flicker through my mind, but I felt more and more cornered with each one.


    I could report her, but she had been working with this team for years. She had seniority over me, and she was good at her job. I was just the newbie; what would they think if I suddenly reported their beloved team doctor for sexual harassment?


    And furthermore, how would ite across if a guy of my stature reported a woman like her for making ufortable advances?


    God, I hated the implications.


    It was just a reminder that in this world, men''s issues in the workce could be just as tricky as women''s sometimes. I didn''t want to bebeled as a wimp who couldn''t stand up against a woman, but then again... did I really want to work in an environment in which I was being sexually harassed by a coworker in power?


    Suddenly, just as I was about to open my mouth to retort, Tim burst into the room to see M and I standing close together, her hand lingering on my arm.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Hey, you two-" He paused and gave us both a curious look, his eyebrows raised as he took in the scene. "Am I interrupting something here?"


    M quickly straightened up and shed a friendly smile. "Not at all, Tim. We were just discussing Enzo''s impressive PT results."


    Tim''s gaze lingered on us for a moment longer before he seemed to dismiss any suspicions he might have had." Well, that''s great to hear. Hey, I was thinking, would you two like to join the team for drinks tonight? Enzo, I figured you could use it. You''ve been working so hard, and..."


    His voice trailed off, but I knew the implications: the situation with Nina was what he was getting at. I wanted to say no, because I needed to get back to the hotel room and talk to her as soon as I could.


    But M didn''t miss a beat. "Sure, count us in," she replied, speaking for both of us without so much as consulting me.


    Realizing that it would be impolite to decline now, I reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Uh, yeah, sure. I could have one drink."


    Tim''s smile widened, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Excellent. We''re meeting at O''Riley''s Pub at seven PM. See you there."


    As he left the room, M turned to me with an amused glint in her eye. "Looks like you and I have got ns for the evening, Enzo."


    "The team has got ns," I corrected, stepping away from her.


    M nodded, but said nothing as I left. I returned to the tail end of hockey practice, but my mind felt as though it was in a million ces at once: the fortune teller, Nina, the baby, the team, and now M-my overbearing new colleague.


    I didn''t know how to feel, or what to do, or even if I should bring it up to Nina. She already had her suspicions about M, after all.


    I couldn''t help but feel a twinge of anxiety as the evening approached. My phone rested in my pocket, and I found myself checking it more often than I cared to admit, hoping for a text or call from Nina.


    Each time I nced at the screen and found it empty, my worry deepened.


    At the bar, the team had gathered, and the atmosphere was lively. Laughter and conversation filled the air, and I did my best to join in, despite my distraction. I sipped my drink, trying to focus on the present, but Nina''s absence weighed heavily on my mind.


    M noticed my restlessness and leaned closer to me. She yfully reached for my phone, which was sitting on the edge of the table.


    "You seem preupied, Enzo. Let me take that for a while," she said with a mischievous smile.


    Before I could protest, she had my phone in her hand. She nced at the screen and then back at me. "You can enjoy the evening without constantly checking your phone. Besides, you''re heading back to the middle of nowhere after this, right?"


    I hesitated, torn between my desire to keep my phone close and the need to maintain a professional image. M''s expression was a mixture of teasing and sincerity, and I finally relented, taking my phone back and cing it in my pocket.


    "I''ll try to check it less," I replied, forcing a smile. I couldn''t deal with a confrontation tonight. Not before I had a chance to consider every option. And especially not before I found out what was going on with Nina.


    M looked pleased with my response, and she leaned back in her chair. "Now," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "Let''s get to know each other a little, Mr. Rivers."