Chapter: Chapter 65LaylaSeveral months later, I stood in front of a mirror in my wedding dress while my mother fastened the last button at my back.For a while, neither of us said anything.Her recovery hadn’t been quick. There had been physical therapy, follow-up appointments with Dr. Bellamy and days when she became frustrated with what her body still couldn’t do. But those days had gradually become fewer.Now she stood behind me without anyone supporting her, her hands steady as she finished the final button.Our eyes met in the mirror.“You look beautiful,” she said.My throat tightened. “You’re going to make me cry.”“I haven’t even started yet.”“Mom.”She smiled, but her eyes were shining too.Marissa had disappeared a few minutes earlier to check on something outside, leaving us alone. I was grateful for it.Mom rested her hands on my shoulders.“There were days in that hospital when I wondered if I’d get to be here for this.”I turned around.“Don’t.”“I’m here.” She took my hands. “That’s the
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-29
Chapter: Chapter 64LaylaMom went home two weeks later.She still needed help getting around, and Dr. Bellamy had given her enough instructions to fill several pages, but she was out of Saint Catherine. The first time I walked into her room and saw the hospital bed empty, I stood there longer than I needed to.There had been a point when I couldn’t imagine reaching this side of it. Now Mom was home, my visits were no longer made beneath fluorescent hospital lights, and every follow-up with Bellamy had been encouraging.Life had settled enough that I had stopped waiting for something to disturb it.Harvey and I had settled too.I still spent some nights at Marissa’s, although she had begun referring to my room as my storage unit. Most nights, I ended up at Harvey’s. Some mornings we drove to work separately. Some evenings one of us worked too late. There were dinners with Sophie, evenings alone, hospital visits, and ordinary nights when we did nothing worth remembering.I liked those more than I expected
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 63LaylaA week after Mom’s surgery, Dr. Bellamy told us he was pleased with her progress.She was still at Saint Catherine, but she was spending more time out of bed and had started walking short distances with assistance. She tired quickly, and Bellamy warned us that recovery would take time, but if she continued improving, they would begin discussing when she could go home.Watching her cross the room with a nurse beside her shouldn’t have felt like such a huge thing.It did.Her steps were slow and careful, but they were hers.I stayed until after lunch, then kissed her goodbye and headed to Whitmore Capital.Peter stopped me shortly after I arrived.“I have something for you.”He handed me a folder and told me he and the team had started preliminary review on a company called Northwick while I was away. He wanted Annette and me to take over the analysis and determine whether there was enough there to warrant further diligence.I flipped through the first few pages. “When do you want
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 62LaylaMom was awake when I saw her the next morning.Only barely.Her eyes opened when I came closer to the bed, and it took a few seconds before they focused on me. She looked exhausted, her voice rough when she tried to speak.“Hi.”I took her hand carefully. “Hi.”“How long?”“Since the surgery? Not even a full day.”She closed her eyes again, and for a second my heart jumped before her fingers tightened weakly around mine.“Bellamy said everything went well,” I told her. “He’s happy with how you’re doing.”Mom nodded slightly.I stayed beside her while she drifted in and out of sleep. There wasn’t much conversation. She was sore, tired and still being monitored closely, but every time she opened her eyes and recognized me, something inside my chest loosened a little more.Dr. Bellamy came by later and confirmed that her recovery was progressing as expected. There was still a long way to go. They would monitor her closely before deciding when she could leave the hospital, and recov
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-26
Chapter: Chapter 61LaylaBy the time I reached Saint Catherine the next morning, Mom was waiting to be taken for her final scan.I pulled the chair closer to her bed and sat beside her. She looked tired, but better than she had when she was first admitted. The headaches were being controlled more effectively now, although her balance still hadn’t improved much.“How are you feeling?”“Nervous.”Her honesty made my chest tighten. I took her hand. “Bellamy said yesterday everything was still looking the way he expected.”“I know.”She knew all the reassuring things already. So did I. Neither of us needed to repeat them.A nurse came for her a few minutes later. I stayed until they wheeled her from the room, then went downstairs for coffee while I waited.Work had been surprisingly easy to step away from. Peter already knew about the surgery and had told me to take whatever time I needed. My assignments would be covered until I returned.That afternoon, Dr. Bellamy came in after Mom’s final tests were comp
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-26
Chapter: Chapter 60LaylaAdrian was waiting outside Kate’s building when we arrived.He had beaten us there by several minutes, but he hadn’t gone inside. He stood near the entrance with his hands in the pockets of his coat, his expression hard enough that I almost didn’t recognize the warm, easygoing man I’d met at Morrison.“You didn’t go up?” Harvey asked.“I thought I should wait.” Adrian looked at me. “Are you sure you want to do this?”“Yes.”He nodded and turned toward the building.Kate lived high enough that the elevator ride gave me far too much time to think. I still couldn’t reconcile the woman I remembered with the photograph on Harvey’s computer. Kate had been friendly when we met. Even after I learned how she felt about Harvey, she had never treated me badly.The doors opened, and Adrian led us down the hall. Kate answered not long after he knocked, and her expression changed almost immediately when she saw the three of us standing there.“Adrian?”“We need to talk.”Her gaze moved from h
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-24
Chapter: Chapter Seventy Three“Sir! You can’t go through there!”Damian barely registered the marshal’s warning as he hurried toward the pit lane exit. Beyond the garages, emergency vehicles were already racing toward the accident site, their lights flashing against the barriers.“That’s Serena Ellis in that car,” he said, attempting to move past.The marshal stepped directly into his path. “I understand, sir, but the circuit is under red flag conditions. Nobody is permitted onto the track without authorization.”“Then get me someone who can tell me what’s happening!” His voice came out harsher than he’d intended. Serena hadn’t answered the radio. The last image he’d seen was of her motionless inside a car that barely resembled the one she’d climbed into less than an hour earlier.“Damian!”Theo caught up with him, still wearing his headset. His face was pale, and he was breathing heavily.“They’ve dispatched the medical team,” Theo said. “Race control is coordinating the response.”“Is she conscious?”Theo shook
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-16
Chapter: Chapter Seventy Two“She’s gaining on second,” Theo said, studying the timing screen.Damian watched Serena’s car emerge from the final corner and accelerate down the main straight. She had maintained third place since her earlier overtake, and with several laps remaining, she was beginning to close the distance to the driver ahead.“Gap is down to one point four seconds,” an engineer reported.Theo adjusted his headset. “Tell her she’s making good time. No need to force an overtake.”The message was relayed, and Serena’s voice came through the team radio.“Understood. I’ll keep the pressure on.”Damian smiled faintly.She sounded pleased with herself, although he doubted she’d admit it until she was standing in the garage afterward, explaining precisely how she could have driven even faster.The thought was still on his mind when the trackside screen switched to Serena approaching the fastest section of the circuit.Her car swept through the first bend, accelerating toward a long straight that ended in
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-15
Chapter: Chapter Seventy OneDamian had read the safety report three times.Every critical component of Serena’s race car had undergone independent inspection. Laurent Motorsport had tightened security around its garage, restricted access to the vehicles, and introduced additional checks before anyone could authorize a car for competition.Theo Laurent had personally overseen the arrangements.None of it had made Damian feel better.From his position outside the garage, he watched the mechanics completing their preparations. Serena’s car stood beneath the bright overhead lights, its polished bodywork bearing the Laurent Motorsport insignia.The team had been preparing for this race long before the incident at Street Nation. Serena had received medical clearance, returned to training, and completed a supervised practice session without difficulty.The SN-R development program remained suspended while investigators examined the sabotage. Her Laurent Motorsport commitments, however, were entirely separate, and the t
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-15
Chapter: Chapter Seventy“I’ve approved the additional security measures at Street Nation, but I want to discuss the arrangements outside the facility with you.”Damian placed a document in front of Serena. Daniel Cho sat beside her, reviewing the recommendations from the independent investigators.Serena scanned the document. Additional surveillance, restricted workshop access, and tighter controls over who could approach vehicles scheduled for testing. None of it surprised her after what had happened to the SN-R.It was the section concerning her personal security that caught her attention.“A security detail?” she asked.“Discreet protection when you’re traveling between Street Nation, Ellis Atelier, and home. I’d also recommend having your building’s security reviewed, but I haven’t authorized anything involving your apartment or personal movements.”Serena looked at him. “And if I don’t want someone following me everywhere?”“Then we find an arrangement you’re comfortable with. I’m not asking you to surr
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-14
Chapter: Chapter Sixty Nine“The brake line didn’t fail on its own.”Serena looked across the conference table at Elena, who had just placed a series of photographs beside the engineering report.“What does that mean?”“It means someone interfered with it.”Daniel Cho stood beside the wall-mounted screen, his expression grim. Damian was seated opposite Serena, unusually silent.Elena enlarged one of the photographs. “We found damage to a hydraulic line in the braking system. Initially, we considered a manufacturing defect or damage sustained when the car entered the runoff. But the location and condition of the damage don’t support either explanation.”Serena leaned forward.“Someone cut it?”“Not completely. The line had been deliberately weakened. It held during the earlier runs, but under repeated braking pressure, the damaged section ruptured.”Serena stared at the photograph. She could see the small section Elena had highlighted, although the technical details meant little to her.The conclusion was unmista
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-12
Chapter: Chapter Sixty Eight“Are you sure you want to take the first run?”Serena looked up from the inspection sheet. Daniel Cho stood beside the SN-R, holding a tablet against his chest.“Unless someone has found a reason I shouldn’t.”“No. The team has completed the preliminary checks. I only thought you might prefer another driver to take it out first.”“Why would I?”Daniel hesitated, and Serena understood before he answered.The scandal.She’d noticed the change in the facility almost immediately. Conversations quieted when she approached, and two employees who ordinarily greeted her had barely managed a nod. Others had treated her exactly as they always did, which she appreciated more than she cared to admit.Daniel, at least, had the decency to look uncomfortable.“I’m asking because you’ve had a difficult few days,” he said.“I appreciate the concern, but I’m here to test a car. If it’s ready, I’d like to do my job.”He studied her briefly before nodding. “Fair enough. Elena’s waiting in the control roo
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-12
Masuk
