MasukFelix had lost his father, and with that loss came responsibilities he could never put down.Susan was living with a genetic condition, and Sienna and Mia might have inherited the same risk.On top of that, he carried enormous pressure at work.He had to keep making money, keep planning every move, and never allow himself to truly relax. Even if it meant taking risks in the market, he still had to earn enough to hold everything together.And now, Mrs. Gibson Sr.’s illness had pulled every nerve in him tight all over again.Felix never seemed to like showing weakness in front of others. He always presented himself as strong, steady, and reliable.But today, in this moment, Miranda saw his real exhaustion and vulnerability.Half an hour passed.Miranda’s shoulder was starting to go numb, but she didn’t move.Even in his sleep, Felix’s brows remained slightly furrowed, as if he wasn’t resting peacefully.Almost without thinking, Miranda raised her hand and lightly brushed her fi
After a while, Mrs. Gibson Sr. woke up.When she saw Felix, Sienna, and Miranda by her bedside, she tried to smile.“You’re all here. I’m fine. I’m just getting old. My body isn’t what it used to be.”“Grandma…”Sienna crouched beside the bed and took Mrs. Gibson Sr.’s hand. She was the first to break down, tears spilling over.Miranda’s eyes stung too.Felix sat down by the bed and held Mrs. Gibson Sr.’s thin, frail hand. His voice was a little hoarse.“Grandma, just listen to the doctors and get some rest. You’ll be all right.”“Silly boy. Growing old, getting sick, and leaving this world are all part of life.”In the end, Mrs. Gibson Sr. was the one comforting him. Her gaze moved to Miranda and Susan.“All right, now. Don’t look so sad. I’m not leaving yet.”But her calm acceptance only made everyone’s hearts ache even more.“Grandma, the doctor said you just need to rest and recover. You’ll be discharged soon,” Miranda said gently as she stepped forward.“All right. I’
In the middle of the night, Miranda was drifting in and out of sleep when she thought she heard a car outside.But she wasn’t sure if it had been real or part of a dream.The next morning, Mia washed up, got dressed, and went downstairs first. After Miranda finished getting ready and came down, she heard Mia talking to Mrs. Young.“Mrs. Young, where’s Daddy? Why isn’t he home?”“Your father had something to take care of early this morning,” Mrs. Young replied.Miranda walked downstairs and asked, “Did he leave early this morning?”Mrs. Young turned around.“No. Mr. Gibson left in the middle of the night. Around two, I think. I got up and checked the time.”Miranda frowned.So she hadn’t been dreaming last night.Felix really had gone out in the middle of the night.“Mia, I’ll take you to school. Come on.”Mia nodded and followed her out.The school was only five minutes away. After dropping Mia off, Miranda was just about to drive to the lab when her phone rang.It was Fe
For a moment, Miranda didn’t know how to refuse. She was afraid of hurting Mrs. Gibson Sr.’s feelings.“Grandma, lunch is ready. Let me help you out,” Miranda said.Mrs. Gibson Sr. suddenly took a breath, as if she was a little tired. She sat down on the sofa and said, “You go ahead. I’ll sit here a little longer.”Miranda wanted to stay with her, but Mrs. Gibson Sr. waved her off with a smile.“Go on. I just want to look at my favorite pieces for a little while longer.”Miranda did not disturb her after that.She stepped out of the collection room and gently closed the heavy wooden door behind her. Still, a sense of unease lingered in her chest.Why did it feel as if Mrs. Gibson Sr. had been saying goodbye?Or was Miranda overthinking it?When Miranda reached the dining room, Felix and Susan were talking about something, while Mia played nearby.“Grandma hasn’t come out yet?” Felix asked her gently.“She said she wanted to stay in the collection room for a little longer, so
“Thank you,” Miranda said softly.She sat down, picked up the spoon, and gently stirred the ginger tea in her mug.Felix sat across from her with no intention of leaving. He simply watched her quietly, his gaze soft, almost like the moonlight hanging outside the window.Miranda scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to her lips.The warm ginger tea settled in her stomach, warming her from the inside out.“Does your stomach still hurt?” Felix asked with concern.Miranda shook her head.“It’s okay.”“Is it because you’ve been under too much stress?” Felix asked. “I remember your cramps weren’t this bad before.”Miranda lowered her eyes.“Yeah. It’s probably stress.”She quietly finished half the mug. Just as she was about to get up and pour herself more, Felix picked up her mug first and refilled it for her.Miranda had always liked ginger tea. Without realizing it, she finished the whole mug.Then she noticed the pair of eyes across from her.He had been looking
Miranda really was not feeling well.There was a dull, heavy ache low in her abdomen. Maybe it was because she had been under too much stress lately. Her cycle had been irregular, and now her cramps were worse than usual.A few minutes after the car pulled away, Felix’s voice broke the silence.“Don’t let what those reporters said get to you.”Miranda didn’t turn to look at him. She only gave a quiet hum in response.Felix’s fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.After a moment, he drew in a breath and brought it up himself.“About Xena, is there anything else you want to ask me? I’ll tell you everything. I won’t hide anything from you.”Miranda said nothing.Clearly, she didn’t want to talk about it.“I’m sorry,” Felix said, his voice low. “No matter what my reasons were back then, what I did hurt you. I made you endure all those rumors and all that pain. I don’t have the right to ask for your forgiveness, but I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you
Miranda slipped her phone back into her bag and walked over to Felix and Mia building sandcastles.“Mama, look. Daddy made this castle for me,” Mia said, pointing proudly at a small mound of sand.Miranda smiled at her. Since it was rare for her to take Mia out on a holiday like this, she tried he
Miranda gave a small, apologetic smile. “Sorry, James. The decision came together pretty suddenly. I just haven’t had the chance to tell you yet.”James let out a quiet sigh. He knew how stifling it must have been for her to work under Felix’s lab, so he could not blame her.“I get it. I really do
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







