MasukThe next second, Felix gently caught her chin between his fingers and tilted her face up.Then he lowered his head and kissed her.His lips pressed firmly against hers, carrying a force that left no room for escape and a longing he had held back for far too long.“Mmph…”Miranda’s protest was swallowed by the kiss.It was a forceful kiss, almost overwhelming.He kissed her deeply, drawing her in, refusing to let her retreat. There was a hunger in him that bordered on greed, as if he wanted to pour all the longing of the past few years into this one moment.For a few seconds, Miranda’s mind went blank.His familiar scent surrounded her completely. His arms were strong and hot around her, and his kiss was both dominant and achingly tender.As if it could melt everything.Miranda wasn’t made of stone.She was simply good at suppressing her desires and burying herself in work to distract from them.But now, deep in the night, reason seemed to slip out of reach, leaving only ins
The two of them talked for a while about work and everyday life.Sophie seemed to have something on her mind, but since Miranda barely mentioned Felix, she decided not to bring it up.Around nine that night, Mia came home.Mrs. Young quickly gave her a bath, and Miranda took her upstairs to bed. Since Mia had school the next day, Miranda couldn’t let her stay up too late.Having a child had made Miranda much stricter about bedtime.Before ten o’clock, Mia was already asleep.Miranda, however, was still wide awake.She couldn’t help thinking about Felix’s condition. She didn’t know if he had seen a doctor. It wouldn’t be good if he kept dragging out a low fever either.Miranda picked up her phone and texted him.“Do you still have a fever?”Felix replied quickly.“Still a low fever. Do you have medicine?”“I do. I’ll bring you a box. Take two pills,” Miranda replied.“Thank you,” Felix answered politely.Miranda had also asked Adrian to check on the equipment delivery. It
Felix’s words made Miranda stop.She frowned and looked at him.“What do you mean?”Felix looked back at her. Behind the lenses, his eyes were deep, with a faint, sly smile in them.“The Chamber has been pushing a major research-support initiative lately. Your work fits the criteria perfectly, and equipment purchases are included in the budget. All I did was say a few words and connect the right people.”In other words, the Chamber was paying for it.It had nothing to do with him.To him, it was nothing more than making a quick introduction.Miranda’s frown deepened.Her voice turned serious.“You don’t have to do this. I know you’re helping me, but I don’t want you getting into trouble either. Given our relationship, this is too sensitive.”After all, it was Chamber money being used to support his ex-wife’s research.People could easily talk.It could damage his reputation.Felix’s gaze remained calm. There wasn’t the slightest hint of guilt in his eyes.“You think I’m
At six o’clock, Zac’s car stopped outside the front gate.Miranda got in, and the car headed toward a high-end restaurant downtown.She hadn’t had much time to relax lately. As she looked out at the bright neon lights and the city skyline, her mood seemed to lift a little.“Mr. Gibson is waiting for you at the restaurant on the top floor,” Zac said. “This way, Ms. Stone.”Miranda took the elevator up to the top-floor restaurant.A server led her into a private dining room. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the entire business district glittered under the night sky.Felix was sitting on the sofa, waiting for her.“You’re here,” he said, looking up.There was a warm smile in his eyes.He had taken off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt, making him look a little more relaxed than usual. The glasses still rested on the bridge of his nose.Then he folded the arms of the glasses and slipped them into his shirt pocket.“Are you free after dinner?”
Miranda didn’t even have time to answer the call.Clutching her phone, she hurried downstairs, pushed open the door to Felix’s side of the house, and rushed up to his second-floor master bedroom.She was moving too fast.The moment she stepped into the bedroom, she crashed straight into a solid chest.Felix was clearly startled too. He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, stopping her from stumbling backward.Miranda looked up in shock and met his eyes.Felix was dressed in a charcoal-gray suit, his hair neatly styled. Aside from the slight pallor of his face, he had regained his usual cold, polished image as a businessman.But now, as he looked down at the woman in his arms, breathless and anxious, a faint smile flickered in his eyes.No matter how heartless her words sounded, her actions couldn’t lie.She still cared about him.Miranda stepped back.Felix calmly adjusted his cuff links. Clearly, he was getting ready to go out.“You’re still sick. Where are you going?”
Miranda had no choice but to help Felix into his bedroom.He sat down on the bed, then lay on his side facing her.“Can you stay?” he asked quietly.Miranda nodded.“Okay. I’ll stay. Go to sleep.”Only then did Felix close his eyes.After the past few days of handling the funeral, plus an entire night of fever, he was truly exhausted. Before long, his breathing grew deep and even.But even in sleep, his brows remained faintly furrowed, as if he was still worried about something.Miranda sat down in the armchair by the window. Resting her chin in one hand, she looked at the man on the bed, her emotions tangled.Outside, the rain was still falling.Soft. Steady. Restless.Just like her heart.Mrs. Gibson Sr.’s final words and Melanie’s remarks only made Miranda more certain of her decision.Some feelings were only temporary obsessions.Felix cared about her. Maybe there was still affection from their past between them, but she didn’t believe he truly couldn’t live without h
Leo looked at Mike with a hint of surprise. “A major general? You're remarkably young for such a high rank, Mr. Lloyd.”Mike recognized Leo’s name as well. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Lincoln. Your achievements in the shipping industry are quite well-known.”Leo gave a modest smile. “You flat
At eight that evening, Miranda asked Mrs. Young to stay downstairs with Mia while she took the video call in her study. Eugene’s old notebook sat open beside her.“Dr. Stone, thank you for taking the time to speak with me,” Dr. Smith said, adjusting his glasses as he flipped through a report on his
The text message came from an unknown number, but the tone made it obvious to Miranda who had sent it. It was Xena.Miranda stared at the message for a few seconds before replying, “Then keep your dog on a leash.”A response came almost immediately. “Miranda, aren’t you scared I’ll forward this to
“Well… I was planning to spend it quietly at home,” Miranda said.James smiled. “Celebrating with Mia?”“Yes. Just a small cake with her will be enough.”James nodded. “Alright. When you have time, we should have dinner together.”Miranda smiled back. “Sure.”At two o’clock, Miranda was analyzi







