LOGINThe next day, Amelia got a call from Jasper."Mia, there's an important meeting you should know about. Nova Nine is getting ready to work with FutureDrive on Project 07. The government is holding a special meeting to review the project, and a lot of major players in the industry will be there."Amelia's fingers stilled.Project 07 was the main focus for both her and Christopher right now, so a government-led meeting like this was bound to matter."Got it. When and where?""Nine the morning after tomorrow, at the conference center in the city's tech park." Jasper added, "There'll be a lot of people there. Lincoln and Samantha are both going. Tania's on the guest list, too. It's basically an industry-wide event. A lot of companies will be there."Amelia frowned slightly."Alright. I got it."After they hung up, Amelia sat there for a moment, thinking. Then she called Christopher.He picked up almost immediately. In the past, he rarely answered her calls that quickly.His low vo
"Jasper, is all this putting a lot of pressure on you?" Winona asked.Jasper shook his head. "I just think if we're going to do this, we should do it right. I don't want you getting the short end of the deal.""Still, thank you." Winona looked at him. "For agreeing to help me, and for putting so much into this.""We're friends, aren't we?" Jasper smiled. "Friends help each other out."Winona thought about that. The more she did, the more his logic made sense. This really was more of a partnership than a relationship.She nodded. "Then I'll do my part, too.""Your part?"Jasper kept his eyes on the road, a faint smile on his lips. "I'll take care of the engagement. All you need to do is keep living your life the way you always have. Go out, have fun, do whatever you want. You don't have to feel tied down by any of this."Winona blinked. She hadn't expected him to say that."Even if you meet someone you like, you can still date him." Jasper's tone stayed calm. "This is just an
Jasper glanced at Winona, his expression serious. "We've known each other for years. Of course, your mom's going to be suspicious. Maybe I didn't do enough today to convince her I'm serious. That might be why she reacted the way she did."Jasper had never been the type to give up easily, especially when this arrangement affected Winona's reputation and her freedom.Winona felt a strange mix of guilt and gratitude, along with a faint flutter she couldn't quite explain. She looked at Jasper as he focused on the road and suddenly thought that this impulsive engagement might not be such a bad idea after all.Jasper's voice broke the silence. "By the way, I'm going to talk to my parents tonight."Winona turned to him. "About what?""Setting up a formal meeting with your family to talk about the engagement."His tone stayed calm.Winona stared at him, stunned. It took her a second to find her voice. "Wait... You're serious? I thought we agreed this was just to get our families off
Jasper could tell where the conversation was headed, so he kept a polite smile and waited for Nella to continue."But I still don't think you and Winnie are a good match," Nella went on. "You've been friends for years. You know each other too well, including all the good and bad. That's fine for friendship, but marriage is different."Winona opened her mouth to argue, but one look from her mother stopped her."I'm a little tired. I think I'm going to lie down." Nella set down her coffee cup and stood. Her tone had cooled considerably. "You two can keep talking. I'm going upstairs."The message was obvious. She wanted Jasper to leave.Winona's expression darkened as she watched her mother walk away.Jasper stayed calm. He gave the back of Winona's hand a light pat, silently telling her not to get upset."It's alright. If your mother's tired, she should get some rest."Jasper stood and gave Philip a polite nod. "Mr. Farrell, we won't keep you any longer. We'll come another day.
Amelia pressed her lips together, her expression turning serious. "If you've both really thought this through, then I support you."She had always thought Jasper was kind and dependable, and Winona was easygoing and sensible. If the two of them ever did end up together for real, she thought they would actually make a good couple.Winona laughed. "Don't read too much into it. We're just helping each other get our families off our backs. It's temporary."She picked up her coffee and took a sip. "Once things die down, we'll have a nice, clean breakup.""Jasper's a good guy," Amelia stated seriously. "We've known him for years. You know what he's like. He's reliable, responsible, and he always shows up when his friends need him. Maybe you should actually think about it."Winona nearly spit out her coffee. She quickly set the cup down. "Don't even start. Jasper and I have been bickering and messing with each other since we were kids. At this point, he's basically one of the guys. The
Winona raised a brow, a teasing smile playing at her lips. "What, are you worried I'll get the wrong idea and think you have feelings for me? Is that why you're setting the rules now?"She knew Jasper was a gentleman, but she couldn't resist giving him a hard time.Jasper smiled. "Are you trying to take it the wrong way?"Then he added, "I can't have everyone thinking you're my fiancée and then not act like one. You deserve the same respect and consideration I'd give a real fiancée. That's the least I can do."He knew the engagement was only temporary, but he still had to think about Winona's reputation.If they were going to pretend, he wouldn't let the arrangement put her in an awkward position. That was where he drew the line, both as her fake fiancé and as her friend.Winona stopped teasing and nodded. "Alright. I'm in."She trusted Jasper to know where the boundaries were. Whatever he did, he would be thoughtful about it and never make her uncomfortable.After a moment, sh
Nicole's face turned pale. "I have no idea where you got the data from, but the technology was developed singlehandedly by my team and me. There's no plagiarism to speak of. You're…you're slandering us!"Luke's heart turned cold.Amelia's data didn't look fake. This was confidential information
Amelia glanced at Nicole. "She's all tense from all the online comments."Winona shrugged. "If her conscience is clear, then I can only say that she has nothing to fear."Nicole's fear and paranoia seemed to hint at a guilty conscience."Christopher turned to look at you, and others called her a
Christopher said with a smile, "You won't rest till you see her in jail. You're angry at her because of me. You hate me, don't you?"Amelia's brows furrowed as she looked at him.Christopher tried to get to the crux of the matter. "Your anger might be appeased with her in jail. What plight do you
"I just don't want you bombarding or harassing me with calls," Amelia said. "If you have something urgent, you'll naturally find a way to contact me. Also, we won't have anything else to do with each other after this incident and after our agreement expires."They would go their separate ways and m







