LOGINAmelia met Jasper at the restaurant.He tapped a finger against the section on technical sharing, his brows drawn tight. "Corvex Solutions wants in on optimizing the core algorithm. We can't give in on that. That's Nova Nine's foundation."Amelia nodded, about to respond, when her phone rang. Evelyn's name lit up the screen.She answered. Her daughter's soft voice came through right away. "Mommy, Nathan is treating us to something good. Come over, okay? It's that family restaurant we went to before.""I'm working right now," Amelia said gently, though a trace of guilt slipped in. "Go ahead and eat with Nathan first, alright?"Over the past few days, she had been so busy coordinating with Corvex Solutions that she barely had any time for Evelyn."No, you have to come." Evelyn's tone turned coaxing. "Nathan said we should wait for you."She hesitated, then added, "And… it seems like he has something he wants to tell you."Jasper smiled and nudged her arm. "Go. I'll review the det
The office came alive in an instant.The same people who had been speaking with Amelia moments earlier crowded around the cart, reaching for desserts and offering thanks."Thank you, Ms. Bloom. That's too kind.""I've been trying to get these forever and never could. Ms. Bloom, you're amazing."Someone even turned back to Amelia. "Ms. Sinclair, you don't have to worry about us. With Ms. Bloom here, the project will be fine."Amelia stood there, watching. The shift was almost ironic.A few limited-edition desserts were enough to change the mood of the room. It didn't take much to win people over.She didn't stay. She turned and headed for the elevators.By the time she reached the first floor and the doors opened, she saw Christopher standing near the entrance.He wore a dark gray suit and held a paper bag.When he saw her, he stepped forward and held it out. "I got you some herbs that help with recovery. You just had surgery, so you should get some rest."Amelia glanced at t
Amelia ran a hand through Evelyn's hair, her tone gentle but steady. "You get to choose your own friends. That includes Nathan. You grew up together. There's nothing wrong with spending time with him. All I want is for you to be happy. If you enjoy being with him, don't hide it. Just be honest about it."Evelyn's eyes lit up, her smile returning. "Really? Then I can hang out with Nathan more often?""Of course." Amelia nodded. "Just be careful when you go out, and call me if anything comes up.""Okay!" Evelyn cheered. She threw her arms around Amelia and kissed her cheek. "You're the best!"Amelia held her, something in her chest softening.What happened between adults shouldn't fall on a child. Evelyn had the right to choose her own friends and grow up without carrying that weight.Amelia realized she had been holding on too tightly to the past and, without realizing it, had overlooked her daughter's feelings.That night, after helping Evelyn with her bath, Amelia watched the
Amelia had just gotten home. She slipped off her coat and hung it by the door when she heard quick footsteps running toward her."Mommy!" Evelyn threw herself into her arms, her face bright with excitement. "Look at the clothes I bought."She pulled back and spun in place, showing them off."They look great." Amelia smiled, running a hand through her soft hair. The simple touch eased most of the day's fatigue. "Did you go by yourself?"The smile on Evelyn's face dimmed. Her eyes shifted, and she lowered her head."I… I went with Nathan."She stared at the floor, the tip of her shoe tracing small circles.She had been wrestling with this for days. Amelia never mentioned Nathan, and the last time they ran into him at the park, Amelia had only nodded politely, her tone distant.Evelyn knew Nathan was Nicole's son. She had also heard bits and pieces about what had happened between Nicole and Christopher.She was afraid Amelia didn't like Nathan. She was worried that Amelia would b
The next day after school, Evelyn headed for the sporting goods store near campus, her steps light.The cash in her bag felt heavy, folded neatly, and tucked deep inside. It was the money her mother had given her for sports day. She had counted it three times the night before putting it away.She stopped at the entrance and reached into the outer pocket of her bag, only to find it empty.Her heart dropped.She hurriedly took off her backpack and searched every compartment. Her pencil case, notebooks, and storybooks were all still inside. Everything except the cash.Her face went pale as tears gathered in her eyes.She remembered clearly putting the money in the outer pocket of her backpack that morning. How could it be gone?Had she dropped it somewhere, or had someone taken it?She stood frozen at the door, stamping her foot in panic. Amelia's gentle smile flashed through her mind.Amelia had been so busy, and she had still given her the money to buy what she needed. And now,
"You're the one who didn't want Mommy in the first place," Evelyn continued. "She said she doesn't want to see you."Evelyn remembered everything.Back then, Nathan kept insisting Amelia was just a stepmother and that she treated him badly.Nathan's face flushed almost instantly, his eyes watering. He sniffed, his voice shaking. "I know I made the wrong choice. I just… I didn't understand back then."He hesitated, then reached for her hand. Evelyn stepped back and avoided him."Evie, you're my sister. We grew up together. We're even in the same grade now. Don't you believe me?"Evelyn lifted her chin, her round eyes steady. "I don't, and I'm not doing anything that would make Mommy upset."She bit her lip, then continued, "Even Daddy doesn't want you anymore. Why would Mommy? You were the one who kept saying she treated you badly because she's not your real mom. Now, you're back. It's not because you suddenly care. It's because things aren't going well for you, and now you reg
"Yes, we'll get married eventually. It's just a matter of time."Nicole would wait for a grand wedding to come.-The next day, news continued spreading like wildfire online and showed no signs of stopping.When Amelia arrived at Nova Nine, she saw Winona scrolling through the news."You're her
"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
Someone had heard what Luke said.They couldn't stand such mockery coming from him. Mrs. Zephyr was seated right there and didn't do a thing. She didn't deserve to be mocked and ridiculed that way! As if Luke knew a lot!After the Zephyrs' centennial celebration, many people found out that Chris
His cold aloofness made panic rise in Nicole's chest.All the more she felt uncertain of his stance.Her grip tightened over her phone.She pursed her lips and tried to ask as indirectly as she could, "Rumors are rife online. Are you or the Zephyrs affected?""Hmm?" Christopher said lazily as he







