LOGINThe next morning, Mrs. Young returned at eight and began packing up the everyday items around the apartment.When Miranda came downstairs, Mrs. Young couldn’t help studying her carefully. Miranda looked perfectly normal.Mrs. Young thought to herself that things like this really couldn’t be rushed.That day, Miranda stayed home and packed with Mrs. Young.They didn’t need to move the large pieces of furniture. They only had to pack the things Miranda and Mia used day to day.At ten in the morning, Miranda was busy packing books from the shelves.She couldn’t reach the top row, and just as she was thinking about getting a chair to stand on, a low male voice sounded behind her with a hint of amusement.“Need help?”Miranda froze, then turned and saw Felix standing in the doorway.“No.”After saying that, she stepped onto the chair and reached for the books on the top shelf herself.Felix immediately walked over and stood beside her, taking the books as she handed them down.M
Felix suddenly stood.Miranda thought he was finally leaving, but instead, he walked around behind her.Before she could react, his hands settled gently on her shoulders and began massaging her neck and shoulders.Miranda’s body stiffened instantly. Almost by instinct, she wanted to pull away.“Don’t move. Relax,” Felix said softly.His pressure was neither too light nor too heavy. It was just right, easing the tension from her shoulders.Miranda felt some of the tightness loosen.In the end, she relaxed her tense nerves. Her brows drew together slightly, and the words of refusal caught in her throat.They had once been intimate in every way.But three years had passed, and what had once felt familiar now felt strange.Still, after all the misunderstandings between them had been cleared up, Miranda no longer disliked him.She simply needed time to get used to this kind of touch again.Miranda closed her eyes and let his hands move over her shoulders.The room was quiet, wi
Felix smiled.“Sure. I’ll take her for a couple of laps after dinner.”Felix cut off the most tender piece of salmon and placed it on Miranda’s plate.Miranda glanced at the braised short ribs beside her. After a brief hesitation, she picked up a piece and looked at Felix.“Pass me your plate.”Her arm wasn’t long enough to reach him comfortably, so Felix smiled and held out his plate for her, accepting the small gesture of care.But when his intense gaze fell on her, Miranda immediately regretted serving him food.“Eat,” she said quietly. “Stop looking at me.”Felix lowered his eyes at once, though the smile at the corner of his mouth didn’t fade.Her words were like a command, and he obeyed them with surprising ease.After dinner, Miranda started clearing the table. When Felix saw that, he reached over to help.“It’s fine. Take Gigi out. I can handle this.”“I’ll help you,” Felix said.After Miranda put away the leftovers and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, Felix
On the way back, Felix turned on some music.The two of them didn’t talk much. Miranda was thinking about work, and Felix didn’t disturb her.By the time they arrived at the underground parking garage of her apartment complex, it was right around five.As Felix stepped out of the elevator, he turned to Miranda and asked, “Can I invite myself over for dinner tonight?”Miranda thought for a moment, then nodded.“Okay.”Felix smiled as he backed out of the elevator, clearly in an excellent mood.When Miranda returned home, Mrs. Young came over and asked, “Ma’am, will Mia be coming home for dinner?”“Mia is having dinner at the Gibson estate tonight, and she’ll be staying there,” Miranda said. Then she added, “Please make enough for one more person tonight.”Mrs. Young’s eyes lit up at once. She seemed to guess something immediately and asked with a smile, “Is Mr. Gibson coming up for dinner?”Miranda nodded.“Yes.”“All right. I’ll start preparing now,” Mrs. Young said happily
Felix brought over two bottles of water.He opened one and handed it to Miranda. She took it and had a sip.“When are you planning to move in?” Felix asked after taking a drink from his own bottle.Miranda thought for a moment.“I’ll start packing tonight and see if I can move in sometime tomorrow or the day after.”Mia was starting school soon, and the apartment they were staying in now was about thirty minutes away from here. It would be inconvenient to take Mia to and from school every day.“Okay,” Felix said. “You focus on packing. I’ll handle the move. I’ll be moving in around the same time anyway.”“Okay.”Miranda nodded, then glanced at her watch.“We should go back.”“I want to stay a little longer,” Felix said in a low voice. “Will you stay with me for a while?”Miranda froze.The question seemed to shift the atmosphere between them in an instant.Her fingers tightened slightly around the water bottle. Something seemed to pull at her heart, making it ache faintly.
The next morning, Miranda spent time playing with Mia on the lawn.They had to return to Hamilton early the next morning, and in two more days, Mia would be starting school.They spent their final day at the resort. It still felt as if they hadn’t had enough time there, but the next morning, the cars were ready to take them back to the city.That afternoon, Miranda brought Mia home, feeling a little tired. She also wanted Mia to settle down and get ready for school.Over the next two days, Miranda was busy joining class groups and connecting with Mia’s teachers.On the third day, after dropping Mia off at the Gibson estate, Felix invited Miranda to inspect the renovated house.Since there hadn’t been many structural changes, most of the work had been in the furnishings and decor. Everything had been chosen from high-quality materials, and the style followed Miranda’s preferences. It was simple and elegant, with a warm, lived-in feeling.Miranda stood in the newly refreshed livin
Miranda had taken Leo’s call because Vivian had suddenly broken out in full-body hives. Mrs. Lincoln was extremely worried. After rushing back from the hospital, she insisted that Leo call Miranda to ask for advice.Miranda went over the test results with him, asking about allergy screenings and po
Felix’s move had unexpectedly shifted Zion’s view of him so dramatically.“Uncle Zion, you might be giving him too much credit,” Miranda could not help saying.Zion chuckled on the other end of the line. After a few more words, they hung up.The return trip was on a commercial flight. Ben took go
Miranda picked up her phone. “You have one minute to leave, or I’m calling the police.”Xena’s smile froze. “Miranda, I’m not here with bad intentions.”“You approached Mia as my ex-husband’s mistress, and you’re telling me you mean no harm? I don’t mind blowing this whole thing up and letting eve
“Thank you, Vivian.” Mia beamed as she accepted the flowers. The two little girls hugged each other happily.“You did an amazing job tonight,” Leo said, smiling warmly. “I’m very proud of you.”“Thank you, Uncle Leo,” Mia replied politely.Miranda also nodded gratefully. “Thank you for the flower







