"Fine, Fabian. You'd better keep your word."

That night, to make amends, he cooked dinner himself—a whole table full of dishes.

But the next day, everything fell apart.

I had taken the day off from the Pruitt Research Center. Then, around noon, my assistant called.

"Professor Pruitt, something's happened with your paper. You've been accused of plagiarism!"

I gripped my phone, my head buzzing.

"Plagiarism? That's impossible."

Those papers represented countless hours of painstaking work and dedication. Several of them were at the cutting edge of the field—concepts I had pioneered myself.

How could anyone accuse me of plagiarism?

There was no time to think. I rushed to the Research Center.

But before I even reached the entrance, I froze at what I saw.

Fabian was carefully opening a car door, then ceremoniously scooping up a girl in a white dress, carrying her bridal-style.

"Professor Morton, I'm so sorry to trouble you." Doris had her arms wrapped around his neck, gazing up at him with starry eyes. "I'm so clumsy—I twisted my ankle. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered you like this."

Fabian looked down at her, his gaze soft as it rested on her face.