LOGINThen Amelia asked Evelyn, "Would you like to move into a bigger house? One with your own studio and a little garden where you can plant your favorite sunflowers?"Evelyn's eyes lit up, and she nodded hard. "Yes! I want a house with a studio."Amelia looked at the excitement in her daughter's eyes, and warmth spread through her chest.Moving would be a hassle and would probably disrupt the rhythm of their lives for a while, but if it gave Evelyn a safe place to live, it would be worth it.-The next day…Amelia asked Jasper if he knew anyone who could help.Before long, her phone rang just as she was frowning at the listings on the real estate app.It was Winona."I just heard from Jasper that you're looking for a new place?"Amelia said, "Yeah. I'm still looking. I haven't found anything suitable yet.""What are you still looking for?" Winona said. "The villa next door to mine is empty. It was renovated not long ago, and the furniture and appliances are all there. You can ju
Amelia lowered her eyes."I don't think there's anything left for us to say."Her voice was quiet.Christopher watched her in silence, his gaze heavy, as though he were searching for a crack in her calm expression.He opened his mouth. In the end, he only nodded slowly and said nothing.They stood there facing each other, neither of them speaking.For a moment, time seemed to stop.Amelia could still feel Christopher's eyes on her, carrying something complicated she couldn't quite read. But she didn't look back, and she didn't stay.A few seconds later, she turned and walked toward the elevator with steady steps.Christopher remained where he was, watching Amelia approach the elevator. The doors slid open, then closed, cutting her from view completely. Only then did he finally look away.He raised a hand and pressed his fingers to the space between his brows. A tight, lingering ache spread through his chest.The elevator rose quickly. Amelia leaned against the wall, closed h
Amelia's mind went blank. All she could think about was getting out of the parking garage and finding somewhere with people.Panicked, she ran toward the corner by the elevator lobby, barely watching where she was going.The second she rounded the corner, she crashed into someone's chest.A pair of hands caught her by the arms and steadied her. A familiar scent wrapped around her.It was Christopher.Amelia's heart was pounding so hard that it almost hurt. Still shaken, she lifted her head, her face pale. Cold sweat was beading along her forehead, the fear in her eyes not yet gone.Then she instinctively looked back.The figure that had been following her was gone. Only the empty garage stretched behind her, washed in harsh white light, with nothing moving in sight.Christopher looked down at her, his brows drawn together. "What's wrong?"Amelia's fingers were still trembling around the strap of her bag. She took a deep breath and forced her voice to stay steady. "What are you
Two nights of constant tension had left Amelia exhausted. The faint blue shadows under her eyes were nearly impossible to hide, even with concealer.She sat with her eyes closed for a moment, then pushed the car door open and stepped out, dragging herself toward the elevator lobby.The elevator doors slid open. A stranger stood inside, dressed in a black hoodie, his head lowered so his face was hidden.Amelia's heart skipped. She stopped short, hesitated for a few seconds, then forced herself to step in.The air inside the elevator felt heavy. Only the faint hum of the car filled the silence. The man kept his head down, his fingers picking absently at the hem of his hoodie. Amelia's unease sharpened by the second.She stared at the numbers changing on the panel, silently counting the floors and willing the elevator to move faster.At last, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened.Amelia stepped out at once. She had just begun to breathe again when she saw Jasper waiting by the
Amelia lay there with her eyes open, staring at the ceiling as one possibility after another took shape in her mind.The deal with Corvex Solutions had just gone through. Could a competitor be trying to scare her?Or had Samantha done something after their argument earlier?Or was she reading too much into it, and none of it meant anything?The thoughts kept circling, tightening Amelia's chest.She picked up her phone, ready to call Jasper, then saw the time. It was 2:30 a.m.She set it down again. Calling now would only wake him, and if she was wrong, she would sound paranoid.She drew a breath and walked quietly to Evelyn's room. Right now, she needed to see her little girl.The door was slightly open. Amelia pushed it wider. Evelyn lay on her side, her cheeks flushed. Her lashes rested against her skin, her breathing slow and even. She was still holding the blind box figure she had opened the night before.Amelia stepped closer and crouched by the bed, brushing a strand o
Late that night…Amelia drifted in and out of sleep. A dull buzz filled her head, like pressure building behind her temples. Each wave was sharper than the last.She forced her eyes open. The room was pitch-dark.She turned toward the window, trying to fix her gaze on the distant lights outside, hoping it would ease the pounding.Then, from the corner of her eye, she caught a tiny red light blinking in the corner of the garden below.Her heart skipped. She instinctively held her breath and fixed her gaze on it.Two seconds later, it disappeared, as though it had never been there.Amelia blinked and rubbed her eyes. Maybe she had drunk too much. Maybe her vision was off.She told herself she was just exhausted. Nothing more.The headache pressed harder, and her throat felt dry. She pushed the covers aside and stepped onto the cold floor, heading for the living room to get water.She had just reached the bedroom door, her hand hovering over the handle, when she heard footsteps.
Before Yvonne could make it to the empty seat, someone beat her to it.Christopher.Yvonne's face fell. She looked begrudgingly at Gerald.Gerald chuckled helplessly. "Wait for your turn. I'm sure you'll have plenty of chances in the future."When Christopher sat down, Amelia could smell a famil
"Mr. Langley is holding onto information filed with the government. The system and technology existed 15 years ago. Ms. Sinclair retrieved this information and resolved a challenging bug. She innovated upon the initial project."As Mr. Warren spoke, Jasper walked onstage and projected the informati
Preparation for the launch of Institute 511's satellite was underway.Jasper had given a heads-up after returning from the desert, where he had conducted extreme environment testing. It was something that everyone in the nation was paying close attention to.This satellite was a new journey for th
Christopher's voice was too calm and mild, as though he didn't quite regard this entire matter as important.Panic rose in Nicole's throat, but she didn't know where it came from.Christopher told her to plead with Amelia so easily.However, that seemed like the only way right now.They couldn't







