LOGINThe glass on the desk toppled from the force of the blast and crashed to the floor.Outside the window, shrill alarms went off one after another, mixed with screams and cries.On the other end of the call, Felix’s voice changed instantly.“Mira, what happened?”Miranda crouched down to pick up her phone, her voice tense.“I think… I think there was an explosion downstairs.”With that, she took her phone to the window and looked out.Sure enough, thick smoke was billowing below. People were scattering in every direction, running for their lives.Then another explosion went off.The glass windows buzzed violently from the impact.“Get away from the window,” Felix said sharply. “Listen to me. Stay in your room for now. Don’t go out. I’ll have the security team come upstairs to find you immediately.”Miranda’s heart was pounding. The hand holding her phone trembled slightly.“Okay. I’ll stay in the room,” she promised.“I’m contacting them now. They’ll get you somewhere safer.
Miranda had been working on the documents for so long that her head felt heavy and foggy.She stood, then leaned into Felix’s arms.Felix wrapped one arm firmly around her waist and slipped the other beneath her knees, lifting her easily into his arms before carrying her toward the master bedroom.The moment they stepped inside, he lowered his head and kissed her.Outside the window, the night grew deeper.The bedroom light was warm and soft.Felix seemed to have a particular fondness for keeping the lights on. Miranda had complained about it more than once, but he clearly had no intention of changing.Spring had arrived.Everything was coming back to life.And somehow, everything felt especially beautiful.*Time passed quickly, and before long, May arrived.The weather had turned warm and bright.Everything had gradually fallen into place.Haley’s condition was now stable, and she had already been discharged from the hospital. Just last week, Miranda had taken Mia and F
Professor Carter’s voice was aged, but warm.Felix gently squeezed Miranda’s hand, silently encouraging her.Miranda stepped forward and said, “Professor Carter, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Miranda Stone, Eugene Stone’s daughter.”Professor Carter looked up at her, his gaze gentle, almost grandfatherly.“You look like him,” he murmured. “Very much like him. Especially the eyes. There’s strength in them.”Felix greeted him as well.“Professor Carter.”Professor Carter nodded kindly and patted the chair beside him.“Come sit, both of you.”Of course, Professor Carter knew who Felix was. Over the years, Felix had invested in many research projects. To Professor Carter, he was a man with vision, judgment, and a rare understanding of what science needed.Then Professor Carter turned his attention back to Miranda, his eyes full of warmth.“Tell me about your research, Miranda.”Miranda nodded.She started with the foundation of her theory and explained her work step by step.
Miranda smiled, then grew serious.“The Aurora Prize has strict nomination rules. You can’t nominate yourself. It has to come from someone who’s qualified to submit a nomination.”“I know.” Felix nodded. “Only certain people are eligible to nominate candidates. I’ve already reached out to a few of them. Dr. Zeller and Dr. Lewis are both willing to recommend you. They’re leading names in the field.”Then he paused, a faintly mysterious smile in his eyes.“But more importantly, guess who else agreed?”Miranda blinked.Seeing the look in his eyes, a thought suddenly came to her.But she didn’t say it out loud.“Just tell me.”“I think you’ve already guessed,” Felix said. “Your dad’s former mentor, Professor Sam Carter.”Miranda’s breath caught.That name carried enormous weight in the medical world.Sam Carter was one of the pioneers of neuroscience in the country, and one of the few scientists here who had ever been nominated for the Aurora Prize in Medicine.More importantl
Half an hour later, Haley was taken back to the patient ward.A treatment like this would need to continue for at least another three months.Leo came to Miranda’s office afterward. When he saw Felix sitting on the couch, he greeted him first.“Felix, you’re here too.”Felix nodded.“How is Mrs. Lincoln?”“She remembers.” Leo looked at Miranda. “Miranda created another miracle.”Miranda’s expression remained calm.“I’ve always believed in this theory.”Back when she used the brain-computer interface to wake Mike, the theory had already taken a major step toward maturity. It only needed the right opportunity and the right set of parameters.And now, Miranda had found that stable singular point.Leo looked at her, the gratitude in his eyes too deep for words.“Thank you,” he said. “I owe you a huge favor.”Miranda smiled.“If we’re talking about favors, I owe you plenty too.”Felix brought over two glasses of water. He handed one to Leo and gave the other to Miranda.Mira
A few days after New Year’s, Miranda was already back at work.Haley’s condition couldn’t wait.The lab was quiet, filled only with the low hum of the machines. Adrian, Aiden, and Coco had all cut their holiday break short and come back to help.Leo stayed with Haley in the patient area.“Miranda, everything’s ready.”Adrian came out of the equipment room with a checklist in hand.“The brain-computer interface has been adjusted, and the neural signal collection equipment has been calibrated.”Miranda nodded and took the checklist from him, reading through it carefully.“Good. Let’s begin.”She walked over to Haley and crouched down so they were at eye level.Haley seemed a little better today than she had a while ago. Her eyes were still somewhat unfocused, but at least she was not resisting.“Mrs. Lincoln, we’re going to run a few tests, okay?”Haley looked at Leo.Leo came over and helped her stand.Fitting the brain-computer interface took some time. Miranda handled it
Seeing Mia happily clutch the dinosaur toy, Miranda’s suspicions hardened into certainty. That night, Xena hadn’t just answered the call, she and Felix had been together. For all Miranda knew, they might even have been sharing the same bed.“Ms. Stone, Mr. Gibson said he’ll be staying for dinner, s
Mrs. Lloyd’s voice carried just enough to be heard clearly by the people nearby. Xena’s fingers tightened around her champagne glass, her nails digging into her palm.“The researcher behind the treatment? So it’s her. Incredible,” one guest exclaimed.“Yes. My son was gravely ill at the time, and
After walking Miranda downstairs, Leo asked if she was heading home to pick up Mia. He wondered if she could also bring Vivian over for dinner since he was tied up for a while.“Of course. You can pick her up at eight-thirty,” Miranda said readily.Having the girls together made mealtimes livelier
Miranda had expected that Felix would not agree to a divorce so easily, but she was prepared for that. She picked up her bag and said, “Then we’ll have to settle this in court.”She started to leave, but Felix rose and caught up with her. In a few strides he was at her side, gripping her wrist. His







