Semua Bab The Spy Who Left: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Present DayAria's hands shake as she turns the key in the lock, her heart hammering against her ribs.The cottage feels like a sanctuary after the chaos of the past week. Tucked away in the Hudson Valley, two hours from Manhattan, it's the kind of place no one would think to look for a tech billionaire."Mama!"The sound of her daughter's voice washes over her like a healing balm. Three-year-old Sophie runs down the hallway, her dark curls bouncing, arms outstretched.Aria scoops her up, burying her face in those soft curls that smell like strawberry shampoo and innocence."I missed you, baby girl.""I missed you too! Mrs. Henderson made cookies, and we read three whole books, and I drew you a picture of a rocket ship!"Sophie's excitement is infectious, but Aria can see something else lurking behind those bright green eyes. The same eyes she inherited from her father."A rocket ship? That sounds amazing.""It goes to space where the bad people can't find you."Aria's blood runs cold

Present DayThe envelope arrives at 6 AM, hand-delivered by a courier who apologizes for the early hour.Aria knows what it is before she opens it.The legal papers crackle in her hands as she reads the header: "Petition for Modified Custody and Visitation Rights."Leon is taking her to court."Mama, why are you crying?"Sophie appears in the kitchen doorway, her stuffed elephant dragging behind her, dark curls messy from sleep.Aria quickly wipes her eyes and forces a smile."Just reading boring grown-up papers, baby. Are you hungry? We could make those Mickey Mouse pancakes you love.""The ones with chocolate chips for eyes?""Exactly those."Sophie claps her hands and climbs onto her chair at the kitchen table, chattering about her dreams while Aria mechanically measures flour and tries not to think about the legal nightmare that just landed on her doorstep.Leon is claiming "emotional distress" from being "denied access to his child."He's requesting joint custody, unsupervised vi

Present DayThe boardroom at Vale Tech feels like a war room.Aria stands at the head of the conference table, looking at the faces of people who've become more than employees over the past three years. They're her army."I need to know who I can count on," she says without preamble.David Kim, her chief technology officer, speaks first."Whatever you need, boss. Always.""This might destroy your careers. My personal life is about to become very public, very ugly. Anyone associated with me could get caught in the crossfire."Sarah Martinez, head of legal, leans forward."Dr. Vale, with respect, you gave me a chance when no one else would. Fresh out of law school, drowning in student debt, and you hired me anyway.""That's different.""No, it's not. You saw potential in all of us when the rest of the industry saw nobodies. You built this company on believing in people others overlooked."Murmurs of agreement ripple around the table."Now it's our turn to believe in you," David adds.Ar

Present DayThe phone call comes at 7:23 AM on a Tuesday morning.Aria is making Sophie's breakfast, humming along to the Disney playlist that's become their morning routine, when James Morrison's name flashes on her screen."He dropped the case."The words don't register immediately."What?""Leon withdrew his custody petition. All of it. He's requesting no visitation rights, no contact, nothing."The spatula slips from Aria's hand, clattering onto the kitchen floor."That's not possible.""I have the paperwork right here. Filed at 6 AM this morning."Sophie looks up from her coloring book, sensing the shift in her mother's energy."Mama? You look funny."Aria forces a smile."Just talking to Mr. Morrison, baby. Keep coloring your butterfly."She steps into the hallway, lowering her voice."James, this has to be a trick. Some kind of legal maneuver.""I thought so too. But his lawyer called me directly. Leon Hart is voluntarily terminating all parental rights."The words hit Aria lik

Two Months After the WeddingThe moving truck pulls away from the cottage, leaving tire tracks in the gravel driveway like evidence of change.Aria stands on the porch, watching Marcus carry the last of his boxes through the front door. His books, his research papers, his coffee maker that makes better espresso than anything she's ever tasted.The physical pieces of a life being woven into theirs."Mama, where do Marcus's dinosaurs go?"Sophie appears in the doorway, dragging a box that's almost as big as she is. Her face is serious, like she's been appointed supervisor of this entire operation."What dinosaurs, baby?""The ones he promised to get for emergencies. In case I forget mine places."Aria's chest warms. Even now, two months after their engagement, Marcus continues to think like a father. Planning for the small crises that matter most to a four-year-old."We'll make space for them in your room," she says, kissing the top of Sophie's head."And his coffee maker?""Kitchen cou