Chapter 1

Sebastian Blackwood was furious at her cold tone. "Now that you know what happened, why haven't you come to the hospital? Ethan broke his leg and was terrified by the accident. He needs his mother right now! He's cried until he's lost his voice, and he's been calling for you nonstop!"

Victoria Blackwood was silent for a second. Then she calmly turned a page in her book. "He'll stop crying when he's done. Children need to learn how to face problems on their own. I'm reading some research materials right now, so I have to go."

"Victoria!" Sebastian shouted.

Victoria hung up without another word and unplugged the phone.

That evening, Sebastian came home in a rage.

Victoria was completely absorbed in a pile of thick research papers and handwritten notes. She didn't even notice he had returned.

The anger that had been building inside him, mixed with the frustration of being ignored for days, finally made him lose control.

He stormed over to her desk and threw the thickest research book onto the floor.

His voice was icy. "Ethan is still in the hospital, and you can sit here reading this stuff like nothing happened?"

The sudden noise startled Victoria. She looked up at him.

Sebastian was a handsome man. In his military uniform, he looked even taller and more imposing. He carried himself with natural elegance and the firm, commanding presence of a career military officer.

In her past life, Victoria would have panicked under his angry gaze. She would have rushed to explain herself, desperate to calm him down.

But this time, she remained perfectly calm.

She simply leaned down to pick up her research book.

Sebastian snapped at her to stop. Then, without warning, he kicked the book toward the coal stove burning in the corner. "Don't pick it up!"

His eyes burned with anger. "All you do these days is read these research papers. I know you're preparing to join the National Institute for Physical Sciences. It's your dream, and I've never said I wouldn't support you. But do you know what's changed at the institute? The moment you join, you'll be assigned to a top-secret research project. It could take three years, ten years, or even longer to complete!"

He pointed at her, his voice rising. "What will happen to this family while you're gone? What about Ethan? He's only four years old! He ran outside and got into that accident today because you haven't been taking proper care of him. You're so obsessed with your research that you've forgotten your duties as a mother!"

Victoria slowly straightened up. She looked into his furious eyes and asked softly, "And?"

Sebastian's temples throbbed with anger at her stubborn attitude.

"And?" he repeated. "Fine. I'll give you two choices. First, give up your place at the institute and stay home to take care of Ethan. Or..."

He paused, staring coldly into her eyes. "We get divorced."

Victoria quietly studied the man she had loved for her entire life in her previous one. He was also the man who had cost her years of happiness.

Sebastian had been an outstanding military commander from a young age. He was handsome, highly accomplished, and had earned plenty of military honors. Many female service members and daughters of military families on base admired him. Victoria had been one of them. The first time she saw him, her heart had raced. From that moment on, she had eyes for no one but him. She had loved him so much that she was willing to lower herself just to keep him happy.

But now, as she looked at him, she felt nothing.

"I understand," she said quietly. "Don't worry. I'll make the right choice."

Sebastian suddenly felt a little nervous.

Something about her calm voice and steady gaze made him uneasy. For a brief moment, he almost believed she might actually agree to divorce him.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

Victoria would never do that. He knew how deeply she loved him and their son, Ethan Blackwood.

Back when their families had tried to set them up, her eyes had lit up every time she looked at him.

After they married, she had taken excellent care of him and doted on Ethan.

She had even given up the job she loved most to become a full-time housewife for their family.

Sebastian was certain she would never agree to a divorce.

After all, she loved him very much.

He also believed his harsh words had finally gotten through to her. She was probably ready to abandon her plans to join the institute and return her attention to the family.

Relieved, he softened his tone. "Since you understand, stop wasting your time on all this useless research. I earn enough to support this family and give you a comfortable life. You don't belong in a place like that institute."

He rubbed his forehead and continued in a tired voice, "I'm going to take a shower. Let's visit Ethan first thing tomorrow morning."

With that, he took off his military jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair before heading into the bathroom.

But the jacket slipped off the chair and landed on the floor. A small black-and-white photograph fell from its inner pocket.

Victoria picked it up.

The girl in the photograph was young and beautiful, with a bright, captivating smile. Her name was Caroline Winslow.

The edges of the photograph were worn, suggesting that Sebastian had handled it often, running his fingers over it again and again.

Suddenly, Sebastian rushed over and snatched the photograph from Victoria's hand. His face had turned dark, and his movements were almost frantic.

"Caroline asked me to get this photograph developed a while ago, but I forgot to give it back to her. That's why I still had it in my pocket."

It was an obvious lie.

People usually had several photographs developed at once. No one would get just one picture developed and then keep it so carefully in the pocket.

As soon as Sebastian finished speaking, he seemed to realize how weak his excuse sounded.

He looked annoyed with himself and appeared ready to offer another explanation.

But Victoria had already turned away. "I know. I didn't say anything. Go take your shower."

Sebastian froze. Looking at her calm expression, he felt uneasy all over again.

He couldn't understand why she didn't seem to care at all.

This wasn't the Victoria he knew.

He couldn't help adding, "Victoria, Caroline and I have been over for a long time. Don't read too much into it."

"I'm not." With her back to him, Victoria began gathering the scattered papers on her desk.

The more calmly she acted, the more uneasy Sebastian became. He couldn't explain what felt wrong, so he finally returned to the bathroom, still troubled by his doubts.

Just then, the telephone in the living room rang.

Victoria walked over and picked it up.

A serious, excited voice came through the receiver. "Hello, may I speak with Victoria Blackwood? This is the National Institute for Physical Sciences. After several rounds of screening and a final evaluation, we're delighted to inform you that you've been officially selected to join Project Spark, our top-secret research team! Congratulations!"