Leo stared at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. Then, to my surprise, he burst into laughter.
"Good one, Elara! You almost had me there," he said between chuckles. "You? Dr. Wilson? The revolutionary scientist everyone's trying to find?"
I kept my face neutral. "I'm serious, Leo."
He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Come on. Next, you'll tell me you're actually the Queen of England in disguise."
His dismissal stung more than it should have. This was exactly why I maintained my separate identities – people couldn't see past their preconceptions of me as "just Elara," the illegitimate daughter, the office analyst.
"Think what you want," I said, crossing my arms.
Leo's laughter subsided, his expression turning serious. "Look, I get it. You're embarrassed about your connection with Victor Prescott. But you don't need to make up wild stories."
"What are you talking about?"
