LOGINAmelia 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.
"Mr. Langley, why don't I take Amelia home? You've been busy all day. You should get some rest."Lincoln stepped over, his eyes going straight to Amelia.He carried a small bag. Inside were the things for a hangover drink.Jasper's hand tightened on Amelia's arm. He met Lincoln's gaze, polite but steady. "No need, Mr. Spencer. I'll take her home. She's had a lot to drink. It's easier if I handle it."Lincoln paused, taking in the way Jasper had shifted slightly in front of her.He understood. Jasper didn't trust him around Amelia like this. As a friend, he was drawing a line.Lincoln let out a small sigh and didn't press it. He handed the bag to Jasper. "Then I'll leave her with you. Have her drink this when she gets home. It'll help.""Thanks." Jasper took it and guided Amelia toward the parking lot.Amelia leaned against him, catching fragments of the exchange through the haze, but she didn't focus on it. To her, it didn't matter who took her home. It was just help.What she
Amelia lifted her glass again and finished another half.For the next half hour, she barely paused.Some came to congratulate her, some to sound out potential deals, and some simply wanted to meet the woman who had carved out a place for herself in a male-dominated field.She kept the same polite smile. Her glass rose again and again, and the wine followed. Color crept into her cheeks. Her focus started to blur.Jasper had been watching from across the room. When he saw how much she'd had, he stepped in and pressed a hand over her glass before she could raise it again."Amelia, that's enough. You just got out of the hospital. Your body can't handle this."She shook her head, eyes unfocused, trying to pull her hand free. "I'm fine… It's a big day. People came to congratulate us. I can't just shut it down…""Being happy doesn't mean you ignore your limits." Jasper's voice hardened. He took the glass from her and handed it off to a server. "You've had enough. Any more and you're g
"Chris and I just got here and haven't gone inside yet. Why don't you show us around and introduce us to a few people from Corvex Solutions?"Her tone was casual, as if Amelia were there to be summoned, not the one who had just closed the Nova Nine deal.Amelia's fingers tightened slightly around the documents. Her expression didn't change. When she spoke, her voice was calm and final."Sorry, I can't. I have something to take care of and need to leave. You can ask the event staff to guide you."She turned to go, not interested in staying."Wait." Samantha stepped in front of her, her voice sharpening. "Is that how you treat your guests, Ms. Sinclair? We came to your signing event, and you won't even walk us in? Could it be…"She let the pause hang, her gaze flicking between Amelia and Christopher as she tried to stir things up. "Does seeing Chris with me bother you? Are you jealous?"As soon as she said it, several guests passing by slowed down and looked over, curious.Amel
Amelia went to her car to grab the materials she needed.She had just stepped into the parking lot when something caught her eye. Under a streetlight stood a familiar figure.Christopher.He wore a dark gray suit. A cigarette burned between his fingers, smoke rising in thin strands into the night. His face was partly hidden in shadow, unreadable, but the way he stood there made it clear he was waiting for her.Amelia slowed for a fraction of a second, then kept walking as if she hadn't seen him. She had no intention of greeting him.She had already drawn a line between them. There was no reason to stop."Amelia."His low voice came from behind her, with a tight edge he didn't quite hide. Her grip on the documents tightened. She stopped anyway and turned. The streetlight cut across her face, calm and composed. She said nothing, waiting for him to speak first.Christopher stubbed out his cigarette and dropped it into a nearby trash can, then walked toward her. He stopped a few
Christopher turned his attention to the document on his desk and said flatly, "I've never noticed."Nigel pursed his lips but said nothing more.Christopher's response wasn't surprising, to say the least. He had never cared about Amelia and naturally wouldn't pay attention to how she had changed.
Caleb arched a brow. "Why not? Especially if there are benefits to gain."He was a businessman, and profit was key.Luke surveyed Caleb from head to toe. "Nova Nine's capital injection this time will never bring them success. They don't even have a complete production chain. Investing in their p
Their accusations sounded exceptionally piercing to Amelia.She couldn't deny that Nicole's academic qualifications and abilities were outstanding.Nicole's competence aside, Amelia had to see for herself that Nicole genuinely wanted to work here instead of trying to make a statement out of pride.
Nicole immediately spoke up for Nathan."Chris, we should be fair in dealing with children. We should identify who's in the right and who's in the wrong.""Did you hit her?" Christopher asked, looking straight into Nathan's eyes.His intimidating gaze sent a chill down Nathan's spine. His dad lik







