LOGINFelix 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
Even if she didn’t ask him herself, the Lloyd family would eventually have to come to him for the same thing. Since that was unavoidable, Miranda decided she would rather be the one to ask.“I know this is sudden, but...” She forced herself to continue. “If you’re willing to help, I’ll agree to one condition of yours. As long as it’s something I can do and it doesn’t go against my principles, I’ll do it.”The moment the words left her mouth, heat rushed to her face. It felt too much like a transaction, one that had placed her squarely in the weaker position.At her words, something in Felix’s eyes darkened instantly, like a stone dropped into still water, sending ripples through the depths. He took a small step closer, narrowing the distance between them, and looked at her with a slow, searching intensity. When he spoke, his voice was low and measured, edged with something dangerous.“Any condition?”The sudden shift in his tone, and the way he stepped closer, clearly rattled Mi
“Miranda, I just asked some contacts overseas about it,” Raymond said. “The Helios chip from Andrell involves their newest classified technology, so the approval process is extremely strict. They also have quota limits for distributors worldwide. If we apply under the lab’s name, the wait would be at least a year, and even then, there’s no guarantee we’d pass final review.”A year?Miranda’s heart sank at once. She could wait.Mike could not.Was all of their progress really going to stall because of a chip?“There’s no other way?” Miranda asked, brushing her hair back, urgency creeping into her voice.“There’s one possibility...” Raymond hesitated. “If someone with enough influence were willing to step in and guarantee it, and if they could use higher-level business channels. I’ve heard Gibson Corporation has had a long-standing strategic partnership with Andrell. Mr. Gibson might be able to make it happen.”Miranda’s mind went blank for a few seconds.But Raymond was right. F
A little while later, Felix’s phone rang. He stepped outside to take the call. Miranda looked up at him, and Felix met her eyes calmly.“Nothing important,” he said.What he meant was clear enough.Nothing mattered more right now than staying with her while she finished the IV.Miranda’s mind felt strangely blank. She had been overworking herself for too long, and now that she had a fever, her head felt even foggier than usual. At least she had made it through the meeting. Dr. Zeller and the others could now move forward with a clearer plan for Mike’s treatment.Half an hour later, the nurse came in to remove the IV. Miranda pressed the cotton to the back of her hand, but maybe because she had been sitting too long, the moment she stood up, a wave of dizziness hit her. She closed her eyes on instinct, and Felix was already there, steadying her by the arm.“Can you walk?” he asked quietly.Miranda nodded and gently pulled her arm free. Felix watched as she moved ahead of him, h
“I can.” Miranda answered softly and got up to leave the conference room.When they got back to the hospital, the doctor told her she needed to stay and finish an IV and then run some bloodwork. Fortunately, it was not a viral fever. Her body was simply protesting the strain she had been putting it under lately.Miranda sat in the quiet infusion room with the IV running into her hand. A little while later, Felix came over and handed her a cup of warm water.The air-conditioning in the hospital was cold. Even with a fever, Miranda felt chilled. She wrapped her arms around herself as discreetly as she could, trying to fight off the cold.Felix noticed without saying anything. He got up and stepped out for a moment. When he came back, his suit jacket was draped over one arm. He settled it over her shoulders.The warmth of the jacket immediately blocked out the chill from the air-conditioning. Miranda paused. This time, she didn’t refuse it. She only said softly, “Thank you.”Felix s
Xena’s expression tightened as well. Hayden leaned in to explain, “Felix is discussing work matters with Miranda.”Sienna bit her lip. “What kind of ‘important work’ has to be discussed right now?”Just then, staff members began seating a row of senior guests in the front. It was clear that the
After a long day at work, the most comforting thing for Miranda was Mia’s bright, sweet smile. And every time Mia hugged her and called her ‘Mommy’ in that soft little voice, Miranda felt truly needed and deeply loved.Mrs. Young handled all the meals and housekeeping with meticulous care, turning
Dr. Lewis went on stage to deliver his part of the presentation. Once he finished, Miranda stepped down and took a seat beside James. She sat quietly, composed and elegant, like a lily settling into the evening light. Ten minutes later, the conference concluded smoothly.Miranda could not leave r
Xena smiled faintly. “She’s doing great. She won’t let me down.”Moments later, a staff member entered the backstage area to inform Fiona that Felix had arrived. She took a deep breath, clutching her script with trembling hands. The countdown to the presentation began.On stage, the host opened wi







