LOGINThe next day, Miranda woke naturally around noon.When she opened her eyes, the curtains in front of the windows hadn’t been fully drawn. A strip of golden sunlight slipped through the gap, bright enough to tell her it was already midday.She turned over.The space beside her was empty, but the sheets still held a little warmth.The soreness in her waist reminded her all too clearly of how reckless the past two nights had been.Two nights.One whole box.He really was…Miranda buried her face in the pillow, her ears burning.Just then, she heard footsteps from the direction of the bathroom.Miranda immediately turned onto her side again and pretended to be asleep.The mattress beside her dipped.Felix’s scent surrounded her, clean and fresh from the shower.“Awake?” His voice sounded beside her ear, carrying a smile. “Want to sleep a little longer?”Miranda’s voice came muffled from the pillow.“No. We should get ready and head back.”Felix’s lips brushed her earlobe, h
During all those years when Miranda had known nothing about Mia’s genetic condition, Felix had been protecting them in his own way.From beginning to end, he had never crossed the one line Miranda couldn’t accept.And that was what gave them a chance to begin again.Felix rubbed his forehead lightly against hers, one arm wrapped around her waist. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, like a large, wounded dog begging to be forgiven. All his claws were tucked away now. All he wanted was to be loved, touched, and trusted.“From now on, I’ll tell you everything. I won’t hide anything from you. If I ever do it again, then let me…”Before he could finish, Miranda covered his mouth with her hand and stopped him in a low voice.“Don’t say things like that.”Felix lifted his eyes to hers.Then he kissed her palm, slowly and tenderly.Miranda’s heart softened.“Okay,” she said softly. “Let’s try again.”Felix froze for a second, as if he could not quite believe she had answere
“Lights,” Miranda murmured against his lips.Clearly, she was not rejecting his closeness.She just preferred the dark.Understanding flickered through Felix’s eyes. This had always been her habit.He wanted to turn off the lights, but at the same time, he was afraid that if he gave her even a second to think, she would change her mind, go back to her room, and hide from him again.Felix let out a low breath.“My room.”He lifted her into his arms, his voice trembling with barely restrained excitement.The moment they entered the guest room, he shut the door behind them, cutting off almost all the light from outside. Only the faint glow from a streetlamp in the distance filtered in, just enough for her to make out his outline.He began kissing her right there by the door, urgent and hungry, until Miranda was finally laid gently on the bed.In the dim room, Felix had already undone the top few buttons of his shirt. His breathing was unsteady, and there was something almost dan
Miranda hadn’t spent real time in nature for a long time, and for a moment, she found herself staring at the view in a daze.Felix put her suitcase in the primary bedroom, while his own suitcase was left outside the guest room.Miranda saw it but said nothing. She pushed open the door and walked into the primary bedroom.She needed a moment to sort through her thoughts.Then again, there wasn’t much to sort through.The conference was over. Felix had booked the place. Everything seemed to have happened naturally, one step after another. She hadn’t refused, and in a way, that silence had given him an answer.As if everything had simply fallen into place.Miranda opened her suitcase, took out her makeup remover and toiletries, and went into the bathroom for a shower.Outside the door, Miranda could hear Felix on the phone.After listening for a moment, she realized he was talking to Mia.Mia had probably assumed they would be home tonight and called to ask about it.Through th
Miranda’s hand paused around her water glass.She looked up at the man across from her, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.“Of course not. I’m just not that picky about food.”Felix thought about it and realized she was right.Miranda had never been picky. She was simply disciplined and self-controlled, even with food. In that sense, she was exactly the same as she was at work.Felix ordered a few dishes to share, all based on Miranda’s tastes, then added a dessert he thought she would like.Dinner was quiet and pleasant.When dessert came, Miranda picked up her spoon and took a bite. It was lightly sweet, not too rich, and exactly the kind of thing she liked.Felix’s gaze rested on her as he quietly drank his coffee.For a moment, the atmosphere between them was peaceful and warm, wrapped in a faint, gentle sweetness.After dinner, they took a walk down a nearby historic street lined with old brick storefronts and warm streetlights.By the time they returned to the hotel,
Felix caught that tiny smile from across the table, and the corners of his mouth curved too. Just like that, his whole mood brightened.After breakfast, the two of them headed to the main conference hall.At the opening ceremony, a senior official from the National Science and Technology Council and two National Academy fellows gave speeches one after another. The audience was filled with young leaders from different fields, and the atmosphere was energized and inspiring.Miranda and Felix were not seated together.As a special guest representing the investment world and a leading young entrepreneur, Felix sat near the front. Miranda, attending as a representative from the biomedical field, was seated on the other side of the hall.When the morning session broke for refreshments, conversation immediately rose all around them.Miranda was discussing the earlier presentation with another researcher when a warm hand suddenly settled on her shoulder.She looked up and saw Felix stan
Felix slid into the back seat, his fingers tapping twice against his knee. He checked his watch. “Go to the city museum.”Gavin pressed down on the accelerator and headed straight in that direction.About half an hour later, Mike’s car arrived first. He and Mia walked with Miranda across the wide
Mrs. Wood felt a warmth in her chest. Miranda really did think about other people first.“Alright, I will head out now. Eat a little more,” she said with a cheerful smile before stepping outside.Miranda had barely eaten at noon, and she was starving. She had just taken a bite of the pastries when
But Miranda knew Felix had probably only been humoring Mia. In his heart, Mia had never mattered as much as Xena.Miranda crouched down and straightened Mia’s collar. “Your dad is very busy. He was probably held up at work.”Mia’s lips pushed into a pout, the disappointment plain on her face. “I r
“The new drug’s clinical results look promising. We are still a little short of what we ideally hoped for, but every patient responds differently. Three early-stage patients have already made a full recovery, and that alone is a miracle.”Miranda nodded and steadied her emotions. When it came to he







