Mag-log inThree 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
Felix’s car disappeared around the corner. He kept one hand on the wheel, but his mind was elsewhere. A tangle of conflicting emotions churned inside him.He wanted her to be happy.And yet he was jealous of the man who could make her happy.But no matter what, he would protect her in his own way until Mike came back safely.At a romantic rooftop cafe, Xena was waiting for someone.A little later, Peter walked in through the entrance. The spacious afternoon tea lounge was completely empty and silent because he had reserved the entire place.And today, Xena was the only woman he had invited.That feeling of being indulged by wealth, of being singled out like this, had returned to her again.She had missed it.“Mr. Warren, you’re here.” Xena stood and went to greet him.The moment he stopped in front of her, she reached out and gently adjusted his tie for him, her movements smooth and natural, as if she had done this many times before.Peter froze for a second, then simply let
After a long stretch of work, it was already two-thirty.Feeling a little drowsy, Miranda picked up her coffee and took a sip. As she looked out the window at the view beyond, Mike’s face came back to her. It had been seven days now, and there had still been no word from him.No messages. No calls.She had thought about reaching out to the Lloyd family, but she didn’t know what standing she had to contact them. What she and Mike had was still private. Until their relationship had been made public, she couldn’t just reach out to his family on her own.But she really was worried about him.Miranda was sitting there lost in thought when a low male voice suddenly came from behind her.“Worried about him?”Startled, Miranda turned and saw the man who had somehow entered without her noticing. She frowned. “Next time, knock before you come in.”Felix’s face stiffened slightly. His voice dropped a little. “Sorry. Your office door was open.”Miranda went back to her desk and asked, “Do
“All right, I’ll let you go then,” Leo said before hanging up.A little later, Hayden called too. “Chairman Gibson, congratulations. It’s been a while, and now you’ve got another title to your name.”His tone carried a trace of teasing, but there was curiosity in it too. “The last time I saw you, your hair was only starting to turn gray. How did it go completely white this time?”“I liked the color, so I dyed it,” Felix said. He was in a good mood today, and even sounded a little more playful than usual.Hayden laughed. “If I were ten years younger, I might actually want to try that myself.” After laughing, he grew more serious. “My wedding is on May fifth. Don’t forget to come.”Felix had, of course, already received the invitation. He had just been so busy lately that the last time they spoke, the conversation had been cut short.“I’ll be there. Congratulations. I’ll make time to come celebrate with you.”Hayden hesitated for a few seconds before speaking again, his tone turni
Miranda nodded. She had been working upstairs, and she had barely spent any time with Mia all evening. Carrying the plate of fruit, she headed toward the study on the first floor.The moment she stepped inside, she heard Felix’s gentle voice explaining something, followed by Mia’s curious question.“Daddy, does this look good?”“It does. Press a little harder here, and it’ll look even better.” Then Felix added in his usual low, patient voice, “That’s right. Just like that.”Miranda stepped into the study and took in the warm scene in front of her. Something complicated stirred in her chest. Mia was completely focused, her little face full of concentration, while Felix watched her with a quiet, approving smile.Mia noticed her and turned right away. “Mommy!”Felix looked over too, his eyes falling on the plate in Miranda’s hands. “Mia, have some fruit and take a little break first.”“Okay.” Mia nodded happily.Miranda set the plate down on the small table by the desk. Mia exci
Miranda let out a cold laugh. “No one forced him to be here.”With or without Felix, the meeting would have gone exactly the same.Coco glanced at her, surprised by how sharp Miranda became whenever Felix was mentioned. She kept quiet after that. Clearly the rumors about Miranda wanting to reconci
Miranda’s car pulled out first. Felix had to make a left turn, but he kept his eyes on her taillights. His grip on the steering wheel tightened.At the cafe, Miranda met Sophie for their usual catch-up. They talked about work and life, and the conversation eventually shifted to Miranda’s recent acc
Hayden sent another message. “Xena, when are you coming back? Do you want me to fly over and keep you company?”“No need. I’ll be back in two days,” Xena replied.Hayden stared at the message, and a wave of disappointment washed over him. He knew Xena only wanted the person she cared about at her
Leo’s smile froze for a moment. Then he let out a quiet sigh. “Is it because your marriage with Felix ended so badly? Did it make you lose faith in marriage altogether?”Miranda thought for a few seconds before shaking her head. “It is not just that. Yes, the marriage was painful, but the truth is







