LOGINAt five that evening, Miranda went home and took a shower. Mike had been worried that if she stayed away from Mia for two days, Mia would start to worry, so he told her to head home first. His mother could stay with him at the hospital.Miranda had just finished blow-drying her hair when she heard Mia’s bright, cheerful voice downstairs.“Daddy, look! Mommy’s shoes. Mommy’s home!”Mrs. Young came over with a smile. “That’s right. Your mom is back. She’s upstairs taking a shower.”Felix had just stepped inside. He set Mia’s backpack down on the couch and rubbed a hand over her hair. “Daddy’s heading out.”“Okay, but you have to come pick me up for school on time tomorrow morning.”“I will.” Felix gave her little head another gentle pat. Just as he was about to turn and leave, footsteps sounded from the second-floor stairs.He looked up on instinct.Miranda was coming down, her hair still half dry and loose over her shoulders.Fresh from her shower, dressed in soft, understated
Miranda smiled, and in that moment, the mood in the hospital room turned light and sweet. Outside the window, the sunlight was warm and bright.A few seconds later, Kevin pushed the door open and walked in. Mike asked Miranda to wait outside first. After about twenty minutes, Kevin came back out. There was clear anger on his face, but the moment he saw Miranda, his expression softened again.“Miranda,” he said, “Mike told me everything that happened last night. I’m taking this very seriously. You went through a terrible ordeal. You’re one of the most important talents in the research field, and I can promise you this will not happen again.”Miranda said gratefully, “Thank you for your concern, Mayor Lloyd.”He smiled gently. “I’ll leave Mike in your care.”There was a meaningful hint of amusement in his eyes as he said it.Miranda’s face warmed a little as she watched him leave.When she went back into the hospital room, Mike said, “Don’t worry. Uncle Kevin is going to handle th
In the hospital room, Miranda was peeling fruit for Mike when she heard a knock at the door. She assumed it was a nurse coming in to change his dressing, so she turned toward the door. The fruit knife nearly slipped from her hand.She stared at the man walking into the room.It had only been one night, but his hair had turned completely gray.She just looked at him without speaking. Something in her chest twisted, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.Mike’s gaze also lingered on Felix’s hair for a brief moment before understanding quietly settled in.Felix walked to the bedside with his usual calm composure and set the fruit basket on the nightstand. “How are you feeling, Mr. Lloyd?”“Much better. Thank you for asking, Mr. Gibson.” Mike gave a small nod.Miranda finally pulled herself back to the moment and stood. “Did something happen, or is it...”“Everything is fine,” Felix said in a low voice.His eyes fell on her face. The handprint had faded, but there was stil
Felix nodded and took Mia’s hand, leading her over to the table.Just then, his phone buzzed with a message.“Mr. Gibson, Ms. Stone has some minor injuries and a sprained ankle. Mr. Lloyd has a puncture wound to the shoulder and will need to stay overnight for observation.”Felix let out a quiet breath and typed back, “Keep them safe.”In the hospital room, Miranda sat beside Mike’s bed, staring at the thick bandage wrapped around his shoulder. Her tears started falling again.“This is all my fault. If you hadn’t tried to save me, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt this badly.”Mike lifted his good hand and gently wiped away her tears, a comforting smile on his face.“It’s really nothing. I’ve had worse injuries than this back in the service.”Then he tried to lighten the mood.“Besides, if I got to play hero and save you, it was worth it.”Miranda shot him a look, just as he had hoped.“You’re still joking at a time like this?”But Mike’s expression turned serious.“Miranda, p
Miranda suddenly grabbed Felix by the front of his shirt and pleaded hoarsely, “Felix, save him! Please, hurry. Get him to a hospital.”“I’m fine, Miranda.” Mike tried to reassure her. It was obvious she was badly shaken.Felix turned and signaled sharply to his men. “Bring the med kit. Now.”One of the bodyguards immediately brought it over. They moved fast, pressing gauze to Mike’s wound and wrapping it tightly. Mike cooperated without a word. Right now, stopping the bleeding mattered most.Felix’s gaze returned to Miranda. It moved over her face, then the rest of her, silently checking for injuries.Finally, he asked in a rough voice, “Are you hurt?”Miranda shook her head, but her eyes never left Mike. The fear and concern in them were impossible to hide.Mike was looking at her too.For a moment, the two of them seemed to see no one else.“Your injury...” Miranda asked softly, her voice trembling.“It’s nothing serious.” Mike gave her a faint smile, then lifted his eyes
Miranda lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the blinding headlights. She stared at the figure walking toward her through the glare, and even before she could make out his face, she knew who it was.Mike.Then she caught the cold flash of a knife in one of the kidnappers’ hands, and panic ripped through her.“Mike, don’t come any closer!”Mike reached the doorway just as the headlights from the vehicle behind him spilled into the warehouse, lighting up Miranda where she sat on the ground. Her collar had been torn open. A handprint stood out on her cheek. Her hair was a mess. One look was enough to tell what she had just been through.Fury exploded in Mike’s eyes. His fists clenched so hard they cracked, and a terrifying edge came off him all at once.The four kidnappers had thought only one man had shown up. But the second they felt the force of his presence, all four of them realized he wasn’t going to be easy to handle. They exchanged a glance and tightened their grips on thei
Samantha watched Felix’s figure disappear down the hallway, then turned toward the glass wall of the lab where Miranda was focused on her work. A quiet sigh escaped her.Inside, Miranda was instructing her team on adjusting the parameters when she noticed Samantha gesturing for her to come out. Han
“Yeah!” Mia said innocently. “She told me she’s going to take me to the amusement park next time.”When the light turned red, Miranda stopped the car and looked at Mia seriously. “Mia, if someone gives you a gift, you have to ask me first before accepting it, okay?”“But Aunt Xena isn’t just someo
Miranda smiled. “Of course I’d love to.”In the kitchen, Leo tied on an apron with practiced ease. His fingers moved confidently as he chopped vegetables. Miranda stood beside him rinsing greens, and they worked together in quiet rhythm.She hadn’t expected him to be such a good cook. Leo explaine
That night, Mia stayed over at Felix’s again. Miranda knew Mia loved the cheerful, festive atmosphere that came with the holidays.For the past few days, Miranda had spent nearly all her time in the lab, and the house still looked bare. There were no decorations, no color, and no warmth. She made a







