LOGINAmelia looked up at Christopher, her throat tight."Now that we know what happened to Mr. Guthrie and whatever Jayden's planning, we can't just sit around and wait."She took a steady breath, her voice firming with resolve. "This time, I'm not letting you push me away again. Mr. Guthrie deserves justice. Jayden needs to be stopped. And everything between us needs to be sorted out."She held his gaze. "Let's face it together. Okay?"After she said that, the room fell into a strange, heavy silence.Christopher stiffened at her words, then slowly turned away from her.His back was rigid, shoulders pulled tight; even his fingers were trembling faintly.Amelia watched him, the distance in his posture stinging like a sharp needle, but she forced herself to keep going."So you're saying no?" she pressed. "Then at least tell me this: if we get close again, who exactly is going to come after me? Jayden? Or the people behind him? You think shutting me and Evelyn out will keep us safe? Th
The air in the room felt frozen.Amelia stood there, completely still, staring at the man in front of her like she couldn't believe what she had just heard."I love you more than my own life."The words hit her again and again, heavy as a hammer against her chest.The confession had come too late, and it carried too much weight. It pressed down on her until it was hard to breathe. Tears welled up in her eyes, trembling but refusing to fall.She had only asked those questions because she had finally come to terms with something.Her failed marriage with Christopher had never been entirely his fault.Back then, she had known he was conflicted. She had known he had just lost his mentor and was being forced by his family.And still, she had held on to her feelings, stubbornly insisting on marrying him. She believed that, as long as they were together, everything would work itself out.She ignored the struggle in his eyes and the pain he carried into that marriage. Wasn't that kind
"We found a witness from back then. He was a crew member on the ship. He was too scared of retaliation to speak up all these years."Nigel's voice carried a heavy weight. "He said he saw Jayden arguing with Mr. Guthrie on the deck. It got out of control, and then Jayden pushed him into the water. After that, he staged it to look like an accident and paid people on board to keep quiet."Outside the door, Amelia went completely still. It felt like the blood in her body had frozen.So Jayden had caused Miguel's death.No wonder Christopher had suddenly walked away from research back then. No wonder he had always carried that quiet hostility toward Jayden. There had been something much deeper buried underneath it all.She pressed her hand against the cold surface of the door, her chest tight with shock and a creeping sense of fear.If Jayden could do something like that, even to a respected elder like Miguel, then what would he do to Christopher, her, and Evelyn?Inside the room,
"Why are you in such a rush to find Evelyn a dad?" Amelia asked Christopher.Her gaze was steady, open in a way it had never been before. She waited for his answer.Christopher's chest dropped hard. The question didn't feel warm to him. It landed heavy, thick with guilt. He couldn't meet her eyes. His fingers trembled slightly.Of course, he wanted to be Evelyn's father. He wanted to make up for everything he had missed. But he hadn't even managed the most basic thing. He hadn't been there. He hadn't protected them.So what right did he have to claim that role now?"I…" He opened his mouth, trying to speak, when his phone rang. The screen lit up with Nigel's name.Christopher frowned and answered immediately, his voice snapping back into control. "Yes?""Mr. Zephyr, something's happened. Can you come over right now? There's something important you need to hear."Nigel's voice came through tense and urgent, noise humming faintly in the background.Christopher's expression tig
The moment Keith leaned in close to Amelia, Christopher's grip tightened around his pen until his knuckles turned white, a sharp ache twisting in his chest.But he didn't say a word. He just watched.He knew he didn't have the right to interfere in Amelia's life anymore.What she said yesterday, about facing things together, kept echoing in his head. They stirred something in him, something warm and painful all at once, leaving him no choice but to bury everything under silence.Darell cleared his throat and called the meeting to order."Today, we're focusing on the supply timeline for the drone's core components, along with next week's field testing schedule."He turned slightly. "Mr. Zephyr, how's resource coordination on your end?"Christopher pulled his gaze away, his voice calm and even. "The infrared modules have already been delivered to the Academy's storage facility. The composite material samples will arrive tomorrow. As for the test site and equipment, everything's
Christopher froze for a second. He didn't say a word.An odd, heavy silence settled between him and Amelia.Amelia studied the tight line of his jaw, then asked again, softer but more direct, "Are you still hung up on whether you're going to accept Evelyn as your daughter?"The question caught in his throat. His Adam's apple bobbed as his gaze drifted toward the bedroom door.From inside, there was the faint rustle of Evelyn flipping through the pages.He looked back at Amelia, his voice firm, leaving no room for doubt. "Of course, I accept her. She's my daughter. She has been since the day she was born."The words landed in Amelia's chest like a stone dropping into still water. The tension she had been holding onto finally loosened.She stepped closer until there was barely a two-foot distance between them, her voice dropping to a quiet murmur. "Then what's really bothering you lately? Is it Jayden or the car crash? Whatever it is, can't we face it together?"Christopher's bod
"Mom, who is it?"Nathan walked out with a toy aeroplane in hand. His face fell the moment he saw that it was Amelia.He had to apologize to Evelyn earlier today, and was humiliated in front of his whole school! Was she here to laugh at him?"Get out!" Nathan shoved Amelia hard. "We don't welco
Nicole turned to leave.Christopher was efficient as usual.The takeaway from Nightingale's Mist was delivered to Nova Nine's Technology department in less than half an hour. Everyone had a share of it.It was Nightingale's Mist, after all; one of Northon's most famous private kitchens.Everyone
Nicole prided herself on her cultured upbringing and tried hard to keep up appearances. "I'll ask Chris and get to the bottom of this." She then held Nathan's hand. "Let's go."To that, Amelia scoffed.At first, she had wanted to tell them amicably to move out instead of being so hostile about i
Caleb was looking back at them, a glass in hand.Jasper's interest was piqued.Last time, Caleb called Jasper and was rejected. Instead of being disheartened, here he was again, looking fully prepared as he approached them.It was obvious that he was sincere in his desire to collaborate with them







