LOGINMiranda and Raymond headed to the parking lot. Raymond had come by taxi, so he got into Miranda’s car and went with her to the lab.By the time they arrived, the chip had already been delivered. Miranda and Raymond immediately began working, moving with tight, controlled focus. After the first tense run, the chip performed perfectly, delivering the processing power the brain-computer system required.Miranda braced both hands against the edge of the table. Her face looked calm, but her heart was already pounding.Just then, her phone rang.She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Dr. Zimmer, Mike’s attending physician. A sudden sense of dread closed around her heart.She immediately stepped out into the hallway and answered, her voice tightening without her meaning it to. “Dr. Zimmer.”“Dr. Stone, just now, Mr. Lloyd’s vitals started fluctuating sharply. There are signs of cardiopulmonary failure. We’re trying to stabilize him, but the situation is not looking good.”Mir
Miranda went over from home and met up with Raymond there.As soon as they arrived, one of Ben’s assistants came over to greet them. “Dr. Stone, it’s been a while.”“Good to see you again, Colin,” Miranda said.“The chip has already been sent up to the testing floor,” he told her. “Come with me. We’ll go up and watch the test.” Then he added, “Mr. Gibson will be here shortly as well.”Miranda nodded and followed him upstairs.By the time they reached the top floor, the researchers in white lab coats were already preparing for the test around a massive circular platform. Miranda’s eyes went straight to the precision shockproof case at the center, the one that would soon be opened.Just then, the automatic doors to the testing area slid open without a sound.A tall, cool figure stepped inside, surrounded by several senior executives from DE Corporation.Felix had arrived.The moment he entered, the project lead stepped forward to report. “Mr. Gibson, the Helios chip has arrived
The doorbell rang, pulling Felix out of his thoughts. He got up, walked to the door, and opened it to find a delivery driver standing there with the food.Felix took the bag and carried it to the dining table. After glancing upstairs, he unpacked the dishes and set everything out neatly before heading upstairs to call Miranda down.She was staring at the screen, focused on a string of data, so deep in thought that she hadn’t even noticed someone standing in the doorway.Under the warm glow of the desk lamp, Miranda rested her chin on one hand, completely absorbed in the sea of numbers before her. Her profile looked soft in the light, a few loose strands of hair falling by her face, her brow faintly furrowed.For a moment, the sight overlapped with an old memory in Felix’s mind, the image of her sitting quietly in the library, lost in a book.The emotion stirred up by those memories hit him all over again. He drew in a breath, forced everything back down, then lifted a hand and kno
Felix’s brows drew together slightly. He hadn’t said any of that because he wanted another thank-you from her. He had only wanted her to understand that the chip would be back in the country as quickly as possible, and that she didn’t need to keep having nightmares over it.Miranda poured herself a glass of water, then took a disposable cup from the side and poured another. Carrying it over to him, she held it out.Felix took it naturally.Miranda picked up her phone from the couch, replied to Mrs. Young’s message first, then placed a delivery order from a nearby restaurant. Looking toward Felix on the sofa, she said, “I’m going upstairs to work for a while. If the food gets here, could you get it?”“Of course.” Felix nodded.Miranda went upstairs with her water in hand. Her long hair fell loose all the way to her waist. Even though the fever had broken, there was still a trace of weakness in her steps, and her slender frame looked almost fragile beneath the loose T-shirt.An
Felix tucked the blanket more securely around her, stood by the bed for a few moments longer, then finally turned and went downstairs.He didn’t leave.Instead, he sat down on the couch in the living room. Outside, the night grew darker. He called Sienna and asked her to keep Mia overnight, without explaining why.After hanging up, Felix set down his phone. The city lights outside the window cast a dim glow across the hard planes of his face. The back of his hand still seemed to hold the damp trace of her tears. He pulled out his phone again and sent instructions for his private jet to fly straight to Andrell’s Danesia facility and bring back the newest upgraded Helios chip.He had given her his word.And when he gave his word, he meant to keep it.Miranda woke at nine-thirty, drenched in cold sweat. She touched her face and found her cheeks still damp, the tracks of tears not yet fully dry. Letting out a quiet breath, she sat there for a moment.The dream had felt too real.In
“Mr. Gibson, are you at Cloudcrest Residence?”“I am.”“I’ve been calling Ma’am, but she hasn’t answered. I just wanted to let her know I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”Felix had assumed Mrs. Young was already home. If she wasn’t back yet, and Miranda wasn’t answering her phone, then had something happened?He immediately pulled open his door and headed quickly for the elevator. At the same time, he said to Mrs. Young, “Give me the door code. I’m going upstairs to check on her.”There was a pause on the other end. “Well...”“Mrs. Young, Miranda’s sick. She just had an IV earlier. We really don’t want anything happening to her,” Felix said, his voice turning serious.Mrs. Young sounded startled. “Ma’am is sick?” Then she gave him the code.Felix hung up, reached Miranda’s door, entered the code from memory, and pushed the door open. As he had expected, the living room was dark, and the whole place was silent.“Miranda,” he called softly as he strode toward the stairs and headed
Miranda frowned slightly. “Mrs. Gibson, I would rather not discuss my personal life.”Susan paused, realizing only then that she no longer had any right to pry into Miranda’s private affairs. She let out a quiet sigh.“You are right. I should not have asked.” She gave a small nod toward the house.
It was said that Haley was hosting a grand birthday party for Vivian this year.Knowing that, Sienna stopped worrying. She was certain Miranda would not be there tonight.She headed to the boutique to meet Susan, determined to look stunning this evening.After returning home, Miranda helped Mia g
Later that afternoon, once Miranda and Samantha finished the report, her phone buzzed. She expected another work message, but when she looked at the screen, she paused.Mike had texted her.“Miranda, I’m having a package delivered today. Please make sure you receive it.”Miranda blinked, surprise
Miranda had long grown used to Felix’s behavior. His arrogance, his certainty that he was always right. Six years of marriage had shown her exactly who he was.She turned her attention back to Mia, who was still chasing fireflies. Later that night, Mia wriggled happily under the covers until she fi







