Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 71 - Chapitre 79

Charles had read the hospital report so many times that he could almost recite its contents from memory.It didn’t make the information any easier to accept.Alice had been pregnant when she disappeared. She had been admitted to a private hospital under a false identity, and someone had gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal her whereabouts. Then, according to the documents, she and her baby had died.But Charles couldn’t believe it.He sat behind his desk, staring at the report while the shattered glass from his earlier outburst remained scattered near the wall. His jacket lay across the back of his chair, his tie hung loosely around his neck, and his phone had been vibrating intermittently for the past several minutes.He ignored it.Every time he closed his eyes, he imagined Alice alone in that hospital, carrying a child he hadn’t known about. Had she been frightened? Had she called for him? Had she waited for him to notice something was wrong, only to realise that he wouldn’t co

The first article about Phoenix appeared on a Wednesday morning.Alice discovered it while eating breakfast, with Ethan sitting beside her in his high chair and attempting to convince her that a piece of toast belonged on the floor rather than on his plate.“Mama,” he announced proudly, holding the toast over the edge.“That belongs in your mouth, young man.”He looked at her, considered her argument, and dropped it anyway.Alice sighed, rescued the toast, and reached for her phone. A message from her assistant was waiting.Miss Alice, the business article has been published. They didn’t interview you, but they’ve written about Phoenix’s recent growth. You should take a look.Curious, Alice opened the link.The article discussed Phoenix’s expanding technology division, its growing collection of mobile games, and the increasing interest other companies had shown in its products. It described Phoenix as a promising young company with an unusually private leadership team. There was no ph

Alice had always known that running a company would be difficult, but she had not expected one of her greatest challenges to be convincing people to stop trying to discover who she was.When Phoenix had been small, anonymity had been easy to maintain. The company relied on selected representatives, written proposals, and a reputation built through its work rather than its founder’s identity. Alice preferred it that way. She wanted Phoenix judged by its products, employees, and value—not by her name or face.Success, however, made privacy more difficult.Three days after Phoenix declined a business publication’s interview request, a technology company invited Phoenix to discuss a promising collaboration: a digital platform combining communication, entertainment, scheduling, and payments in one application. The project could expand Phoenix’s reach, strengthen its technology division, and create new positions. Alice knew opportunities like this were rare.Unfortunately, the company had i

Alice stared at the invitation on her desk. Phoenix was about to celebrate its first anniversary.Twelve months ago, the company had been little more than a foundation Wayne had prepared for her. Now it had a growing team, products people used, and a gaming division whose latest release had attracted unexpected attention.There were still problems—slipping deadlines, untimely bugs, and developers spending astonishing amounts on equipment they insisted was essential.But Phoenix was alive.More importantly, it was hers.A knock interrupted her thoughts.Miriam entered with a folder and a suspicious smile.“Before you ask, no, I haven’t approved the anniversary budget yet,” Alice said.“You haven’t even seen it.”“I know your expression.”Miriam set the folder on her desk. “The team submitted proposals for the celebration. They want something memorable.”Alice opened it. The first called for a large venue, elaborate decorations, a catered dinner, and live entertainment. The second was o