Mag-log inAfter making the rounds with Mrs. Lloyd among several prominent society women, Miranda happened to look up and spot Xena. She was standing beside Peter, holding his arm and leaning in close to whisper something in his ear.Miranda understood right away.Xena had found herself a new backer.And judging from the way Peter had acted during the chamber election, it was obvious he was deeply unhappy about Felix taking the position.Xena hadn’t gotten close to him by accident. She had gone to him with a very clear goal in mind.About halfway through the evening, Felix stepped onto the stage as host to give his remarks. Under the spotlight, his silver hair caught the light with a cool sheen, but it did nothing to lessen the force of his presence.“Thank you all for being here tonight. As the new chair of the chamber, I will continue working to promote business growth and technological innovation, and to support outstanding talent...”Miranda was lowering her head to sip her champagne
Felix’s eyes stayed on Miranda the whole time. His voice was gentle. “Don’t misunderstand what just happened.”Angie immediately got the message and stepped back. “Miranda, I’m going to check on my mom. You two talk.”That left the two of them alone on the terrace. The night breeze moved softly around them, but Miranda had nothing to say to him.She turned to leave as well, but behind her came his low voice, threaded with something that sounded almost like pleading.“Miranda, could we maybe...”“Chairman Gibson.” Miranda turned back, her clear gaze meeting his directly. “Some lines are better left uncrossed.”That title hit him hard.A sharp pain suddenly spread through Felix’s chest. He grabbed the railing on instinct, his eyes squeezing shut behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his brow tightening with pain.Miranda had already turned to go, but she heard the movement behind her and stopped.“What’s wrong?” she asked despite herself.Felix pressed a hand to his chest and forced
Felix only turned his head slightly. Under the lights, his eyes swept over her, cold and sharp, with a clear note of irritation at being interrupted.“What do you want?”Xena let out a bitter laugh. “I stayed by your side for ten years. I gave blood for your mom for ten years. And in the end, you still won’t even look at me properly? I just want to know one thing. What does she have that I don’t?”At last, Felix turned to face her. His eyes were like blades of cold steel.“You are not even worth comparing to her.”Xena let out a pained, mocking laugh. “How heartless. But fine. I don’t care about your love anymore. I’m Xena Spencer. I don’t need you to survive. There are still men who want me, men who’ll treat me well. I’ll be just fine without you.”Felix had no interest in responding. He acted as if her words were nothing but empty air.Xena gave a bleak smile. “Aren’t you even curious why I’m with Peter Warren?”“That’s your choice. It has nothing to do with me.” Felix’s voic
Felix’s eyes dimmed slightly at that. As a server passed by, he reached for a glass of whiskey from the tray and walked back toward the center of the room.“Miranda, we meet again,” Angie said with a smile. Though she was only three years older than Miranda, she came across as much livelier and more playful.“Ms. Lloyd.”“Just call me Angie.”The moment Mrs. Lloyd arrived, several society women immediately came over to greet her. Before long, she was surrounded. She turned back to Angie and said, “You go chat with Miranda for a while. I’ll come find you two in a bit.”Miranda and Angie moved to a quieter corner. Miranda tried to hold back the question weighing on her, but in the end, she couldn’t stop herself from asking.“Angie, has Mike been in touch with the family at all lately?”Angie shook her head, a trace of worry flashing through her eyes. “Not yet. But don’t worry, he’s always like this when he’s on a mission. Do you miss him?”Then Angie smiled and added reassuringly
The 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,
Miranda headed toward the elevator and responded lightly, “Yes.”Felix followed her inside. He reached out and pressed the button for the twenty-seventh floor.The air in the elevator felt heavy and tense. When they reached the twenty-seventh floor, Felix stepped out.Miranda returned home, tidie
Fiona’s pen scraped harshly across the page, leaving a deep, jagged mark through her notes. She lifted her head and glared at Miranda, who was calmly explaining her ideas. A tight, burning jealousy churned in Fiona’s chest.“I believe synaptic regeneration theory,” Miranda said in a steady, profess
Miranda handed the backpack to Felix. His dark, steady gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds.She didn’t look like someone who had barely slept. In fact, there was a healthy glow to her. Fresh from waking up, her complexion was warm and rosy.Miranda watched as Felix carried Mia into the ele
Mrs. Young was startled. She had not expected Felix to bring this up on his own. “Yes,” she said. “Mia did undergo a lung lavage procedure.”“Why didn’t you notify me?” Felix’s gaze sharpened. “You should have told me.”At the time, Mrs. Young was still working for him as his housekeeper. As his e




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