LOGINJasper continued, "Right now, you're the one who knows this system architecture best. I need to know if you're willing to take it on. If it's too much physically, I can assign someone else."Amelia's fingers rested on the words resident engineer in the document. She stayed quiet for a few seconds.Being based at FutureDrive would mean regular contact with Christopher. That was exactly what she had been trying to avoid.But Nova Nine hadn't come by this opportunity easily. This module was critical for future expansion, and she was the most suitable person for it."Okay." She looked up at Jasper, her tone steady. "But I'll need a week. I'll go after the procedure once I've had some time to recover.""No problem." Jasper nodded. "For the next few days, go to FutureDrive, get familiar with their setup, and do an initial handoff with their team. I'll handle the early follow-up work here."-The afternoon video meeting went smoothly. Amelia raised several key points about the system l
"Mom, I know you're worried about me."Amelia's voice softened. "But I've already made up my mind. I can't keep this baby. My life's stable right now. I have Evie, and I have Nova Nine. I don't want to throw everything off because of this, and I don't want Evie getting dragged into it."Claire was quiet for a long moment before she finally gave in. "Alright. I'll come early the day after tomorrow. Take care of yourself. Don't eat anything too heavy before the procedure. Get some rest.""I will. Thanks, Mom." Amelia's eyes stung, and a small warmth spread through her chest.After the call ended, she leaned back against the tree, her thoughts taking time to settle.What she had just said about Samantha stayed with her, and her brow slowly tightened.Samantha was carrying Christopher's child, and so was she.Sometimes, it felt like everything was repeating itself.Before, she had married Christopher, and Nicole had come between them, pregnant with his child. Now, she thought s
"So what do we do now? Do we adjust our strategy and deal with Lincoln first?" Nigel asked."No." Christopher shook his head. "Fighter 07 is still our core advantage. If Lincoln wants to go head to head, it won't be that simple. Set up a senior leadership meeting this afternoon. We'll go over a response plan. And move faster with our government partners. Don't give him any opening.""Understood." Nigel nodded and turned to leave.Christopher headed toward the hospital entrance, his pace steady. As he passed the end of the hallway where Amelia had disappeared earlier, he slowed.Without really thinking about it, he glanced down the corridor.It was empty. Only the faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air. Something in his chest tightened, leaving a hollow, unsettled feeling that kept getting stronger."Mr. Zephyr, the car's ready." Nigel's voice came from the entrance.Christopher pulled his gaze back, took a slow breath, and forced the feeling down before walking ou
After getting back from the hospital, Amelia barely made it to the bed before she fell asleep, but the rest didn't last. Her sleep was shallow and broken, filled with scattered, uneasy dreams.Sometimes Evelyn was there, clinging to her leg, looking up with wide eyes. "Mommy, why didn't the baby stay?"Then the scene would shift to the harsh glare of surgical lights. Other times, Christopher stood far away, watching her with something unreadable in his eyes, never stepping closer.When she woke at dawn, her pillow was damp, her forehead covered in cold sweat, and her chest felt tight, as if something heavy was lodged there.She washed up quickly, picked up her medical file, and left the house. Today was her final set of tests.If everything checked out, the procedure would be scheduled at a hospital in Northon. There would be no need to travel elsewhere.The hospital hallway smelled sharply of disinfectant. Amelia walked quickly, reviewing the freshly printed results as she hea
The fluorescent lights in the ER were harsh and glaring. Jasper helped Amelia onto a bench, her face so pale that it almost blended into the wall behind her. Damp strands of hair clung to her forehead, soaked with cold sweat.In the car, she had doubled over without warning, clutching her abdomen, her body shaking. Jasper wasted no time. He ran red lights the entire way to the hospital."Doctor, she's pregnant. She was planning a termination, but she suddenly had severe abdominal pain. Please take a look."Jasper caught the on-duty physician and spoke quickly.The doctor frowned and guided Amelia onto an exam bed. After a brief check and a look at her results, he returned with a serious expression. "Early pregnancy with abdominal pain, and you've had strong pregnancy reactions before. Your body is under a lot of stress. A procedure right now would carry a higher risk than normal."He paused, looking at her. "Are you sure you don't want to keep the baby? If you do, we can admit
Christopher pulled into the driveway of the villa. It was the house he had once shared with Amelia.A few of the motion sensor lights along the stairwell were out, leaving the space dim and unevenly lit as he made his way upstairs.He pushed the door open. A faint scent of gardenia drifted toward him. It had always been Amelia's favorite. Even after the divorce, he had never changed the diffuser.The living room looked exactly the same.On the TV console sat the only family photo they had ever taken together. In it, Amelia smiled softly, and Nathan was curled against Christopher's chest, his eyes bright with laughter. Evelyn stood beside Amelia, holding her hand.It was the family portrait Amelia had insisted on.Christopher lowered his gaze and stared at it. He had no sense of how much time passed.Suddenly, his phone rang.It was an international call from Caleb.Christopher answered. Caleb's voice came through right away. "Chris, I heard you started a new company and re
Amelia pondered for a moment.She hadn't given this much thought since she had been so busy recently. She didn't want to give deep thought to anything related to the Zephyrs."What do you think?" Jasper asked, his brows knitted.Amelia's mind was in a mess.Nicole had fallen, and Christopher was
Some people at the scene couldn't stand it any longer.Someone said coldly, "Your daughter failed to snag Christopher and even ruined his marriage. Quit being so shameless and clinging onto them.""Exactly! No matter how great a debt they owe you, it's all repaid. I've never seen such a greedy and
Amelia glanced at the bowl of chicken soup Christopher had set on the table, steam still curling from it.She looked away, her tone cool. "My resignation has already been processed."Christopher sat down. "I can reject it."Amelia frowned in confusion. Christopher was the CEO, and he never interf
The marriage wasn't even officially over, and yet Christopher and Nicole were already living together?Even though she had prepared herself, Amelia still felt like her limbs were weighed down with lead."Why aren't you saying anything?"Nicole moved her hand and glanced toward the door. In that i







