登入Amelia let out a small sigh, put her phone away, and forced herself to focus on work.At the same time, Christopher was alone in a hotel room.He hadn't left Rivendell the night before. Instead, he checked into a hotel not far from Amelia's place. He wanted to be close enough to feel near her, but he wasn't brave enough to knock on her door again.He leaned back against the headboard, eyes closed. At some point, he drifted off.In the dream, Amelia stood in front of him, her expression cold as she handed him two documents and asked him to sign.He had always trusted her, so he signed without reading them.His voice was distant as he told her not to let her or Evelyn bother him again. After signing, he handed the papers back and walked away.At a dinner party, someone pushed through the crowd and spoke to him."Mr. Zephyr, your wife and daughter were cremated today. Please go to the crematorium to collect the ashes."His heart skipped a beat. He refused to believe it.He drove
Christopher knew that leaving like this had hurt Amelia and Evelyn again, but he didn't know how to face them.He leaned against the cold wall in the hallway. Only after the tight pressure in his chest slowly eased did he push himself upright.He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.Then he pulled out his phone and called Nigel."Keep a close eye on Jayden. I want to know who he's been meeting with lately and whether there's been any unusual money moving around."Christopher's voice had returned to its usual cool edge, steady and unreadable."And keep track of Gerald's movements. If he's still in Rivendell, let me know right away.""Got it, Mr. Zephyr. I'll have people on it immediately."Nigel's voice came through the phone, sharp and efficient.After hanging up, Christopher stood there, staring down the empty hallway, his thoughts still unsettled.He knew he had been too harsh with Amelia just now, but he didn't know how else to face her. He was afraid his
"Your body hasn't even recovered, and we don't know if Gerald is still nearby. What if something happens to you out there?" Amelia said, worried.Christopher tried to shake her hand off, but he didn't have the strength.He could feel the warmth of her palm through the thin fabric of his sleeve. It seeped in, slow and steady, and the faint warmth it stirred only made the guilt hit harder."You don't need to worry about that." His voice was tired. "I can handle my own problems.""Christopher, can you stop being so stubborn?" Amelia's brows pulled tight. "You're not alone anymore. You have me, and you have Evie. We're both worried about you. Can you think about us for once?"At the mention of Evelyn, Christopher froze.He thought about last night, about her small voice asking if he was sick, and the way she looked at him, like she wanted him to stay.Something inside him gave way.He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all that was left was exhaustion and a quiet surrender
Amelia looked at Christopher and paused.The room fell quiet for a few seconds.Then she spoke, her voice calm. "Okay."As soon as the word left her lips, her eyes locked onto him. "But you need to tell me why you're trying to keep your distance from me. What's really going on in your head? Before this, Jessica told you to stay away from me, told you not to see me again. Is that why your mood's been off? Is it because of me?"Each question landed like a fine needle, pressing into Christopher's chest.His hand at his side tightened slightly as he took a slow breath. "I haven't sorted out my emotions yet. I'm not in a place to answer you right now."He had always been the type to plan everything. Every answer, every decision was thought through, measured out so nothing could go wrong.But now, with the weight of depression dragging him down and everything with the Zephyr family throwing him off balance, he couldn't give her a clear or steady answer.He was used to doing thing
Amelia came out of the kitchen with a bowl of heated chicken soup. The moment she stepped into the living room, she saw Christopher fast asleep on the couch.She slowed to a stop, gently set the bowl down, and walked over. As she looked at his pale, worn face, something tugged at her chest. A quiet ache spread through her.She reached out, wanting to smooth the crease between his brows. Her fingers hovered just above his forehead, then slowly pulled back, afraid of disturbing the rare peace in his sleep.Amelia turned and went into the bedroom, came back with a light blanket, and carefully draped it over Christopher.She crouched beside the couch, watching him in silence for a while before getting up to clean the dishes scattered around.Just then, the bedroom door creaked open, and a small figure peeked out.Evelyn stepped out in pink bear pajamas, rubbing her sleepy eyes, her hair messy. She was clearly woken by the noise from the living room.The moment she saw Christopher ly
Northon.Christopher was in the hospital, hooked up to an IV.Nigel walked over. He took a deep breath before saying, "Mr. Zephyr, your father went to see Amelia."Christopher's gaze went cold.He didn't say a word. He yanked out the IV and got to his feet.Nigel knew Christopher's condition. He had been running nonstop like this for too long. His body couldn't take it.But there was no talking him out of it. Nigel could only follow.By the time he got outside, Christopher had already driven off without him.Nigel clenched his jaw, jumped into another car, and took off after him.Christopher sat behind the wheel, his face pale. A dark bruise was spreading across his arm where the needle had gone in, but he didn't pay it any attention.He knew Gerald too well. If it meant finding Janice, the man would stop at nothing. Amelia was stubborn and blunt. If it came down to a confrontation, she wouldn't come out on top.Christopher ignored the doctor's warnings and the fact that his
Nicole covered her face with her hands. She took a deep breath and squatted on the floor, her mind in complete chaos.Nathan was lagging in his studies, while her company's projects were in limbo and going nowhere.She had to complete a project to make a profit. None of the projects could progress
Jasper nodded. "You just submitted your thesis, and you're less busy now. You should get some me-time if you can. Don't keep burying yourself in work."Amelia looked down as she continued tidying up the data. She smiled at Jasper's words."This work is my responsibility. It'll just be left there i
Tania took a deep breath."Mr. Chilton, it was a genuine lapse of judgment on my end. I was obsessed with ensuring that justice was served. I wanted to stand up for a child whose answers were stolen by another. Many people in this world try to succeed by underhanded means. I hate people like that,
Amelia would just take it that all her efforts raising this so-called son of hers had gone down the drain.All the children around him looked doubtfully at him. "Nathan, who are you talking about?" Nathan was surprised to see Amelia leaving without looking back. She would have rebutted him in the







