LOGINAmelia gently laid Evelyn on the bed, tucked the blanket around her, then returned to the living room and saw a message from Jasper on her phone.[The rumors are completely under control. Get some rest.]She replied with a simple "Okay," set the phone down, and stepped out onto the balcony.Amelia drew in a deep breath. For the first time in a long while, her heart felt quiet.-After Evelyn fell asleep, Amelia sat on the living room couch with two sets of documents in her hands, one from the Academy of Aerospace and one from Nova Nine Technologies.She hadn't been at the Academy for that many years, but she had poured so much of her effort and ambition into that place.The drone project was about to enter a crucial stage. If she stayed with it, the future could open up in ways she had once dreamed about.But the moment she thought about the pace of frontline research, her heart sank.Endless overtime. Frequent business trips. Technical problems that could explode without warn
The morning the statement went live, Amelia woke to Winona's call.Winona's excited voice burst through the phone."Get online right now. Jasper is unbelievable. He buried the rumors overnight!"Still half asleep, Amelia rubbed her eyes and opened her phone.On the trending page, several topics sat near the top."Aerospace Engineer Amelia Sinclair Addresses Recent Rumors""Sources Confirm Nathan Is Not Amelia Sinclair's Biological Son"Jasper's team had released a long, carefully worded statement, and major outlets had already picked it up. The post included the paternity report, Christopher's statement from back then, and scanned copies of the legal notices. The evidence was so complete that no one could really argue with it.In the comments, people who had insulted her before were now apologizing one after another. The tide had turned completely. Some users had even started digging into Samantha's past behavior, questioning whether she had been the one who started the rumor
"I keep feeling like their goal isn't just to humiliate me," she went on.Jasper picked up the glass of water from the table and handed it to Amelia, his expression growing more serious. "You're right. They're trying to destroy your reputation in public."Something that only circulated in a small circle was exposed on purpose. That means whoever did this knows your past and knows exactly where to hit you."Your position as an engineer at the Aerospace Institute depends heavily on public trust and personal integrity. If they manage to make a moral scandal stick, it could damage your work and your future."He paused, then continued, "Have you considered that this might not be Samantha acting alone?"You hold a senior role at the Academy of Aerospace. You're young, and you're leading a core drone project. Your career is just taking off."In a field like this, if you take someone else's opportunity or get in someone's way, they may come after you."Amelia's hand stilled around the
Samantha never would have guessed Amelia's boyfriend was Jasper.Christopher's hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles going pale.He looked at Jasper's arm, draped so easily around Amelia's shoulders, then at the relaxed smile on her face. Something sharp twisted in his chest.He had thought she had made up the boyfriend thing to get out of an awkward moment. He hadn't expected there to be someone real.With anyone else, he might have told himself it was fake.But Jasper was different. Jasper was entirely possible."Mr. Langley?" Samantha forced down her shock, her voice careful and probing. "What brings you here?"Jasper looked toward the two of them in the car. His expression stayed calm, almost unreadable, but his tone carried a cool distance. "I'm picking up my girlfriend from work. Is that a problem?"The words landed like a slap across Samantha's face.Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say more, but Christopher stopped her with one look.He looked at
Jasper continued, "As for seeing each other in person, we don't need to go out of our way unless there's a reason. Too much of that will just give people something else to talk about."He and Amelia talked it through piece by piece, and the mood in the living room gradually eased. Watching Jasper plan everything so carefully, Amelia felt the tightness in her chest loosen bit by bit.With a friend as reliable as Jasper helping her, she knew the storm those rumors had caused would pass soon enough.Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Evelyn came running out with her workbook in her hands. "Look, I finished my homework! Can we play blocks now?"Jasper immediately tucked away the serious expression and smiled at her. "Of course. Let's build the biggest castle we can."Evelyn ran over happily and pulled Jasper toward the pile of blocks in the living room. Amelia watched the two of them together, warmth filling her chest.She knew the future might still bring all kinds of trouble
Jasper watched the fog slowly clear from Amelia's eyes. His voice softened, gentle as an afternoon breeze."I know letting go isn't easy. You were tied to him for a long time, and Evie is part of that. But at some point, you have to move forward. You can't keep living inside old memories."He paused, leaning forward slightly as he held Amelia's gaze. "And you need to remember something. You're not alone in this. Winona and I are here. Whatever happens, all you have to do is ask, and we'll help."Amelia looked at Jasper's steady expression, and warmth moved quietly through her chest.She had known Jasper for so long, and he had always been like this. He never tried to take up space in her life, never pushed himself into the center of anything. But whenever she was in trouble, he showed up right away and gave her the kind of support that made the ground feel solid again.When she had been buried under stress over the project funding, Jasper had quietly connected her with relia
Amelia stood up to say goodbye to everyone.Some of her colleagues were slightly tipsy, and Jasper had to drive them home.Amelia intended to hail a cab to the hospital instead of troubling Jasper further.The summer night was exceptionally hot and stuffy, but the sky looked dark and gloomy from
Those eyes that resembled Christopher's were filled with innocence and joy. It stood in stark contrast to the coldness and distance in Christopher's eyes.Amelia hugged Evelyn tight. In this life, she would never neglect her daughter.At the dinner after visiting the grave, Christopher didn't turn
Christopher sat right next to her and noticed that she seemed to be taking notes of what was shared on stage during the press conference."Can you understand what's going on?" he asked.Amelia furrowed her brows and turned her notebook away from him, not letting him look at her notes."She's just
Amelia reached out to rub her temples.She lowered her head and said weakly, "It's all over, and there's no need to keep harping on what's already happened. I'm almost fully recovered now."Her priority right now was to make sure the project was progressing well. She had to get it on track as quic







