로그인Amelia's voice wasn't loud, but it stayed steady and precise, controlled down to the last detail. There was nothing in it that gave her condition away.Christopher sat at the head of the conference table at FutureDrive, his eyes fixed on the screen. His gaze lingered on the gray camera icon next to Amelia's name.His brow tightened slightly."Does Nova Nine have any additional input on the technical integration timeline?"He spoke without looking away, his tone even.Amelia paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts. "We think the third phase could be extended by about a week. The main concern is production time for the core components. It would help reduce the risk of quality issues later."Her voice dipped as she finished. The strain in her throat caught up with her, and she had to stop to take a sip of water.Christopher's frown deepened.He thought about her voice on the call the night before. It sounded rough and strained. Maybe she really was sick.The meeting continue
Amelia tightened her grip on the phone, her nails pressing into her palm.She knew Christopher wasn't wrong. FutureDrive had no shortage of potential partners. Nova Nine, on the other hand, couldn't afford to lose this chance.She took a steady breath, pushing down the discomfort and the frustration, and kept her voice even. "Understood. I'll send it in 30 minutes."After the call ended, she forced herself out of bed and walked to the desk, opening her laptop.The nausea kept building. She worked through the numbers, stopping every so often as a wave of dry heaving hit, her body tensing as she tried to push through it.Thirty minutes later, the revised contract was sent to Christopher's inbox, right on time.Amelia closed the laptop. The moment she let go, her strength gave out. She fell back onto the bed and slipped into a heavy, restless sleep.Inside FutureDrive, Christopher was still in his office, the updated contract open on his screen.He went through it carefully.Th
After a while, Amelia spoke slowly."FutureDrive is the kind of opportunity every company wants. You could line them up from the tech park all the way into downtown."Her tone stayed steady. "The Fighter 07 project is too big to pass up. The technology, the resources, the government backing, every one of those is something Nova Nine needs right now. For Evie's future, and for me to stay on my feet, I have to push through, even if I'm running on fumes."Jasper looked at her profile, her jaw set tight, and felt both concern and a quiet sense of resignation.He knew her too well. Once she made a decision, nothing could change her mind."I'll help you." He let out a breath and gave in. "Come over to my place tonight. I've got everything set up there. I'll work with you. It's better than you trying to carry all of this by yourself."Amelia turned and gave a small nod.That night…Jasper's studio was brightly lit. The glow from multiple screens reflected across their faces, and the
The two sides hit a stalemate, and the tension in the conference room slowly tightened.Amelia stayed quiet, listening as the discussion circled back on itself. Her mind kept moving, turning over every point, looking for a way through.Then a sudden wave of nausea rose in her throat. She covered her mouth, her face draining of color almost instantly."Ms. Sinclair, are you okay?"Jasper caught it right away. He reached out to steady her, concern clear in his voice.Amelia shook her head, grabbed the glass of water in front of her, and took a deep drink, forcing the feeling back down.She took a breath, lifted her head, and looked at Christopher. "I'm fine. Let's keep going. On the equity split, I have another proposal…"Christopher had been watching her the entire time, taking in every detail.His brow tightened slightly, his tone even. "If you're not feeling well, we can reschedule.""No." Amelia waved it off. "Let's finish what we came here to do."He held her gaze for a mo
Amelia nodded and took Evelyn's hand, leading her into the apartment building.Jasper stood there until they disappeared into the elevator, then turned and headed toward the small grocery store by the front gate.He knew that despite her calm exterior, Amelia carried more pain than she ever let anyone see. All he could do was stay by her side.-Christopher was still sitting in his car, staring at the spot where Amelia's car had disappeared, unmoving.He drew in a slow breath and closed his eyes, trying to push down everything building inside his chest.It took a while before he opened them again. He then started the engine and pulled out, driving in the opposite direction.-At the tech park office tower, a new company had just moved in.FutureDrive Technologies' name stretched across the top floor, bright against the glass facade. The windows reflected blue sky and drifting clouds, along with the city's growing anticipation for a new player in aerospace.This was the compan
Amelia's gaze met Christopher's for a brief moment. His eyes were as dark and unreadable as ever.She pressed her lips together, then looked away without hesitation. She reached up and gently ruffled Evelyn's hair. "Let's go home."Jasper took Evelyn's backpack like it was second nature, opened the rear door, and made sure both of them got in safely.He walked around to the driver's side. Before getting in, he glanced back at Christopher's car.The windows were up, hiding whoever sat inside, but the weight of that gaze still seemed to come through the glass.Jasper didn't linger. He looked away and started the engine.The car pulled away from the school.Inside, it was quiet.Jasper checked the rearview mirror. In the back seat, Amelia had her head slightly lowered, listening as Evelyn talked about her day, like nothing had happened at the gate."He didn't come here by accident," Jasper said, breaking the silence. His tone stayed even. "Not with this timing. He just announce
Amelia might be the person-in-charge, but it wasn't ultimately her call. She didn't have the ultimate decision right."Yes," Nicole said with a nod.At the very least, Christopher was backing her up and giving her his full support. She didn't have anything to fear."Chris, I need to ask you somet
Tania even called to check in on things. Such a grand occasion was a great opportunity, after all.Left with no other choice, Nicole had to stand and wait outside. She could only try to peek at the people glowing onstage.She felt worlds apart from them, separated by an insurmountable chasm. It wa
Nicole's heart started racing. If Amelia really were in charge of the new tender project, she would surely be biased against her! The only chance she had might be taken away from her.Nicole felt like all the roads before her led to a dead end. She felt trapped. She couldn't see the way out, no m
"I don't know Mr. Zephyr's whereabouts. He left after the meeting ended and didn't tell me where he was going," Nigel said. "You can always call him to ask him if you want to know where he is."Nicole gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the phone.She had no choice but to hang up.If she







