ANMELDENThe chamber gala was being held at a luxury hotel owned by the organization.The whole place was lit up, and the street in front had already been closed off. Only guests with event credentials were being allowed through that night.Miranda’s car pulled in, and after handing it off to valet, she headed toward the lobby.She was wearing a simple white gown with a perfectly fitted waist and slim heels. The look was elegant and understated, graceful without losing any of its polish.At the same time, Xena walked into the ballroom on Peter’s arm in a backless burgundy gown, instantly drawing attention from all over the room.Her eyes locked at once on the man standing near the center.Felix was talking with several senior members of the chamber. Sensing new arrivals, he looked up and saw Peter and Xena walking in. His eyes tightened slightly.Xena caught that tiny reaction at once, and a smug smile curved her lips.Did that mean he cared?She deliberately leaned closer to Peter and
To the sound of applause, Miranda took her seat. Someone suggested that Felix say a few words.“Chairman Gibson, what kind of support do you see the chamber offering the scientific community going forward?”Felix took the microphone. “The chamber has always been committed to supporting innovative research projects. For talent with real academic value, we will do everything in our power to support them.”His answer was clear and decisive.At the same time, his gaze settled on Miranda, making it obvious that she was one of the people he had in mind.That made Miranda look up as well, meeting his deep gaze head-on. Behind the gold-rimmed glasses, there was something else in his eyes too, something she couldn’t quite read.A little later, Felix left again and moved on to the artificial intelligence session.At lunch, Miranda ate with Dr. Lewis and several others, while Felix was busy hosting a group of guests. They happened to run into each other at the restaurant. From a distance,
Letting go didn’t mean starting over. Some wounds, once they existed, could never truly be erased.Miranda only reached out and gently smoothed Mia’s hair, then gave her a small smile without saying anything.Felix glanced at Miranda through the rearview mirror and happened to catch the soft, smiling look in her eyes.He knew Mia was right there beside her, and there was only one person who could make her drift off like that.As the sky outside gradually darkened, the look in his eyes dimmed with it.“I have a business dinner tonight, so I won’t be coming upstairs for dinner,” Felix said after getting out of the car.Miranda nodded, still holding Mia’s hand. “Okay.”Mia waved her hand. “Bye, Daddy.”Miranda took Mia into the elevator. That night, she patiently stayed with Mia while she practiced writing and drawing. Between work, she also wanted to spend more time with Mia.On Monday, the chamber’s official symposium was held as scheduled. Early that morning, Miranda drove ove
They made it to the school before five, with about ten minutes to spare before pickup.Miranda turned to Felix and said, “I’ll go get her. You wait here.”The way Felix heard it, she was really saying she didn’t want the two of them showing up together.“Okay,” he said gently.But after Miranda got out of the car, he felt a dull ache in his chest.Was she really that bothered by it?A little later, Miranda came back holding Mia’s hand. The moment Mia heard that Felix had come too, she started bouncing with excitement.“That’s great. I love it when Mommy and Daddy pick me up together.”“My dad came to get me,” a little boy nearby called out on purpose.“My dad came too,” Mia shot back, clearly not about to lose.Miranda froze for a moment. Looking at her daughter’s bright, carefree smile, she felt a sharp ache in her chest.In a child’s simple world, having both Mommy and Daddy pick her up was the happiest thing there was.Mia skipped happily to the car. Felix got out, bent
Three days later, Susan was discharged from the hospital. Under Dr. Smith’s careful treatment, her condition had improved a great deal. Taking everything into consideration, she would be recovering at home from here on out.Sienna came to Miranda’s office on her own initiative. “Miranda, my mom is being discharged today. Thank you for everything you’ve done during this time.”“I’m not the one who did the hard part. That was Dr. Smith’s team.” Miranda gave a small shake of her head.She had only been responsible for the research. The day-to-day treatment and care were the work of Dr. Smith’s team, and she couldn’t take credit for that.“No matter what, a huge part of the reason my mom and I even have a chance to be cured is because of you.” Sienna’s voice was sincere. “My mom, me, our whole family, we’ll never forget what you’ve done.”Miranda nodded to her. “Go home. Mrs. Gibson Sr.’s there by herself, so spend some time with her.”Sienna nodded. “Okay. And when you have time, br
Xena bit her lip, her eyes shimmering with tears. They were tears of excitement, of relief, of gratitude. She looked up at Peter and said, “You don’t have to wait until seven. I can answer you right now. I’m willing.”Peter smiled in satisfaction. “Good. You do have what it takes to be my woman.”Then he pulled a key card from his pocket and set it on the table. “Tonight. Ten o’clock. Presidential suite at this hotel. I’ll see you then.”Xena stared at the key card, then at Peter’s retreating back, her whole body trembling slightly.Was she finally about to break free of Felix?With Peter backing her, Roger’s company would be safe. Her shares would be safe too.If she couldn’t have Felix, then she would become his enemy.Xena sat alone in the empty afternoon tea lounge, gripping the key card so tightly in her hand she nearly snapped it in two.At ten that night, she stood in the presidential suite with a bathrobe wrapped around her, looking out at the city below. Tears of humil
Miranda nodded thoughtfully and continued discussing it with James for a while. The condition was so rare that even he did not know much about it.Just then, her phone chimed. She glanced down. It was a message from Leo.“Miranda, could I trouble you to pick up Vivian today? I have a meeting that
“Let go.” Miranda turned and yanked her arm hard. Felix’s grip was firm. No matter how many times she tried, she could not pull free. Anger surged instantly. She raised her right hand and swung it hard at Felix’s face.Slap.The sharp sound echoed down the hallway.Felix’s head snapped to the s
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







