That evening, over dinner, Felix casually told Miranda he would be out of town for a week on a business trip. She didn’t ask where he was going. But when Mia heard she wouldn’t see her father for a whole week, she burst into tears and refused to eat until he promised to bring her back gifts.
For the next week, Miranda balanced work with caring for her daughter. The lab’s setup progressed even faster than she had anticipated.
By Friday, after dropping Mia off at school, she headed straight to the main building of Atlantis City Medical University for a scheduled meeting.
The moment she stepped into the lobby, her eyes landed on a familiar figure speaking with someone near the entrance. Her heart skipped a beat.
James Moore.
He wore a light tan trench coat, and as he spoke, he habitually adjusted his gold–rimmed glasses. A warm, easy smile tugged at his lips.
Sensing someone watching him, he turned toward the gaze and their eyes met.
A rush of emotion warmed Miranda’s eyes. James walked toward her with a smile. “Mira, we meet again.”
Miranda quickly composed herself. “Hi, James.”
He studied her with a quiet smile. “I didn’t notice it before, but you really take after your father–especially your eyes.”
Miranda smiled back. “What brings you here?”
“I heard Corona is launching the world’s largest genetic testing base. I couldn’t resist coming to see it for myself and I’m also here to complete my onboarding.”
Miranda’s eyes lit up. “You’re joining the team?”
James hodded, adjusting his glasses. “Yes. I’ve decided to be part of this project.”
“Welcome. I’m glad we’ll be colleagues.”
His smile deepened. “It’s a privilege. I once worked with your father, then we were classmates the full circle.”
i now coworkers–it’s quite
Just then, down the hallway, two women stood chatting with folders in hand. One of them, Fiona, was openly staring at James, eyes wide with admiration.
“Don’t tell me you’ve already fallen for that handsome guy,” her colleague teased, nudging her.
Fiona flushed slightly. “Do you even know who that is?”
“Who?”
“That’s James Moore–the medical prodigy from Merika.”
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
“Wait, is that Miranda Stone talking to him? How do they know each other?”
Fiona’s gaze–turned cool as she looked at Miranda. Lately, Miranda had been showing up at every meeting. She really had become part of the research team. But everyone quietly speculated that she had only gotten in because of her father’s influence.
But in the world of medicine, it all came down to ability. Fiona was certain Miranda would be pushed out sooner or later.
At the meeting, James received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the entire research team. The fact that such a young
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medical prodigy had willingly returned to joint the project was both surprising and exciting
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Afterward, Lucas turned to Miranda and said, “Mira, we’re planning a welcome party for Dr. Moore on Saturday night. You’ll be there, right?”
“Of course,” Miranda said with a smile.
“With him on board, we’ve got a huge boost in confidence.”
Just then, James finished speaking with several senior members and walked over to join them.
Lucas chuckled. “Dr. Moore, I’ve got to run, but let’s talk more and have a few drinks at the welcome party tonight.”
“Of course,” James replied with a nod.
Then, turning to Miranda with genuine curiosity, James asked, “How did you come up with the idea of extending CAR–T cell survival in the solid tumor microenvironment to over 90 days?”
It was the very topic Miranda had been researching for the past six years.
“Based on some data my father gave me, I formed a hypothesis. But for now, it’s just theoretical. We still need experimental validation,” she explained.
James’s eyes filled with admiration. “Miss Stone, I read your report. Many of your ideas are highly innovative and testable. If you want to know why I came back to Corona, it’s probably because of you.”
Miranda was taken aback. James quickly added, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I mean your research caught my attention.”
Miranda smiled. “Well, I’m glad we’ll be working together.”
That evening, Miranda made a colorful little wind chime for Mia, with dangling stars that tinkled softly in the breeze. Mia loved
- it.
Just then, a car pulled up outside. Mia jumped up with excitement. “Daddy’s home!”
By the time Miranda stepped out, Felix was already holding Mia in his arms.
“Did you miss Daddy?”
“Of course I did! Daddy, where’s my present?”
Felix turned back to his car and took out a plush toy from the trunk “Do you like it?”
“Wow! I love it!” Mia’s eyes sparkled as she nodded eagerly.
Felix glanced at Miranda. “I’ll bring you something tomorrow.”
“There’s no need,” Miranda replied coolly.
Felix’s expression darkened slightly, but he said nothing more and went to find scissors to open Mia’s gift.
Miranda headed upstairs. There was still a pile of work waiting for her. With Felix keeping Mia occupied, she could finally catch
- up.
During dinner, Felix said to Mia, “Grandma and Great–Grandma are back in the country. Do you want to visit them tomorrow?” Miranda paused. “So his business trip was actually to bring them home?” she thought,
Mia’s eyes lit up. “Really? Can I stay at Grandma’s house?”
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“Tomorrow’s the weekend. I’ll take you over,” Felix said, zipping up her puffy pink coat.
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Miranda figured he must have brought them home early for the New Year, planining for them to stay in Corona after the holiday.
Later that night, after tucking Mia into bed, Miranda stepped out of the room and heard Felix walking out of the master bedroom, speaking softly on the phone. His tone was low and coaxing
“Don’t be scared. I’m on my way now. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Moments later, she heard his car pulling out of the driveway.
“A few minutes away? That must be Xena’s place,” she thought.
The next morning at breakfast, Mrs. Young casually mentioned, “Sir came home around two a.m.”
She quickly glanced at Miranda to gauge her reaction.
Miranda just smiled. “Is that so?”
Right then, Felix came downstairs, and Mrs. Young rushed into the kitchen.
Miranda tied Mia’s hair into a neat, adorable style and dressed her in a pink down jacket. Their beagle, Gigi, ran in circles around her, tail wagging happily.
“Daddy, can Gigi come with me?” Mia asked, blinking her big eyes
Felix crouched down and zipped up her coat. “Grandma’s house is really big. What if Gigi gets lost? Let Mommy take care of her for a couple of days, okay?”
Mia looked a little disappointed but agreed in the end. Felix drove off, and Miranda watched the car disappear down the street.
“Mrs. Young, I won’t be home for lunch or dinner today,” Miranda said, turning back. “No need to prepare anything for me.”
“Understood, ma’am,” Mrs. Young replied.
The lab was hosting a welcome dinner for James that evening, so Miranda would be eating out. At noon, she planned to swing by the lab and grab a quick lunch at the university cafeteria.
When she arrived at the medical school building, she had just stepped out of the car with her bag when she ran into Lucas.
He walked up excitedly. “Mira, great news. Several reputable companies have submitted letters of tent to collaborate with us!”
Miranda smiled and nodded. “That’s great. I really appreciate all your hard work.”
“It’s no trouble at all. By the way, is your husband interested in the pharmaceutical industry? Would he be open to investing in our project?”
Miranda paused for a moment. Her first instinct was to keep Felix far away from the lab. After thinking for a second, she replied, “He’s probably not interested. He tends to focus on tech and oil investments.”
“Well, if you get the chance, maybe you could pitch our project to him. Who knows, he might change his mind.”
“Sure, I’ll mention it.” Miranda agreed on the surface, but deep down, she hoped Felix would never find out about the project at
all.
By 5:30 p.m., the whole team had set out for the dinner. Lucas had reserved a private dining room at a high–end hotel restaurant.
Miranda had been delayed writing a proposal, then hit traffic caused by a car accident. She didn’t arrive at the hotel until around 7 p.m. Lucas called just as she entered the lobby.
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“I’m here in the lobby. I’ll be right up,” she answered.
As she stepped into the elevator hall, her footsteps froze.
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Xena stood in front of her in a champagne–colored evening gown, sultry and elegant, clearly dressed for an upscale event. Standing beside her, tall and familiar, was none other than Felixher husband.
The elevator doors opened, and Xena and Felix stepped inside together.
“So he dropped Mia off with his mom just to spend the weekend alone with Xena?” Miranda thought.
She no longer had feelings for him, but seeing his infidelity up close still left her deeply disgusted.
When Miranda entered the private dining room, the food was already served. Lucas greeted her warmly, “Mira, there you are! We’ve been waiting for you. Come sit next to Dr. Moore–you’ll need to give him a proper toast later.”
She took the seat beside James, drawing a few envious looks. Fiona was there too. She had hoped to sit next to James but had been gently asked to move by Lucas. It turned out that seat had been reserved for Miranda all along.
Sitting under the warm lights, Miranda looked poised and graceful while James appeared calm and charming. They made a striking pair.
Fiona watched them with barely concealed jealousy, but she comforted herself. Once they really got to work, her medical expertise would easily outshine Miranda’s. She wasn’t in any rush.
Lucas stood up and raised his glass. “First, the establishment of our lab is an exciting milestone. Let’s toast to the one who made it all possible–our very own Miranda Stone. Without her, none of this would have happened.”
“A college dropout came up with this proposal?” Fiona scoffed silently. She was convinced Miranda had simply recycled one of her father’s old plans.
But Miranda stood and clinked glasses with her colleagues, her demeanor calm and composed. Despite her youth, she carried herself with quiet confidence, humility, and grace.
Lucas lifted his glass again. “And next, let’s toast our guest of honor tonight–our brilliant medical prodigy, Dr. James Moore. Welcome to the team!”
Everyone raised their glasses once more. James adjusted his glasses and returned the toast with quiet poise.
Since most of the group was young, the conversation flowed easily, full of laughter and animat scussion about the lab’s
future.
By 9:30, the dinner had wrapped up, and the group gradually dispersed. James decided to ride back to the hotel with Miranda.
The two chatted as they walked toward the elevators. Just as Miranda pressed the button, the doors slid open with a soft chime.
Standing inside was Felix.
He had one hand casually tucked into his pocket. A soft spotlight inside the elevator lit up his face, highlighting his sharp features and chiseled bone structure. Felix’s dark, unreadable eyes landed on Miranda and James just outside the doors.
“Mr. Gibson. What a coincidence,” James greeted him calmly and without haste.
Felix gave a polite nod in return.
“Go ahead, Miss Stone. Goodnight,” James said with a faint smile. He chose not to enter, clearly not wanting to make things awkward for Miranda.
“Alright. Goodnight,” Miranda replied, giving him a small wave before stepping into the elevator.
Inside, she and Felix said nothing. The silence stretched all the way down to the lobby. When they exited, Miranda walked ahead.
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of him.
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Since she had driven herself, there was no need to go home with him. She headed to the parking lot, unlocked her car, and pulled out smoothly onto the road.
But just as she reached the entrance to their residential complex, she felt a sudden warmth in her lower abdomen. Realizing she had just started her period, Miranda pulled over near a shopping plaza and went inside to buy supplies.
When she got home, Mrs. Young greeted her at the door. “Ma’am, you’re back. Would it be alright if I took the night off? My daughter’s not feeling well.”
Miranda nodded immediately. “Of course. Go take care of her.”
“Thank you so much,” Mrs. Young said gratefully.
Once alone, Miranda headed upstairs, took a hot shower, then came back down to make herself a cup of honey water. She returned to her room and sat at her desk, ready to work on her research proposal.
Time slipped by. Before she knew it, it was well past midnight. Just as she rubbed her temples from exhaustion, she heard the front door open downstairs.
Felix was back.
With Mia away for the night and Mrs. Young off on leave, it was just the two of them in the house. The thought made Miranda uncomfortable. She considered heading to bed early just to avoid him.
Her bedroom was on the second floor. As she made her way down from the third floor, she ran right into him on the stairs.
“You’re back,” she said, forcing herself to acknowledge him.
Felix didn’t respond. He brushed past her, the familiar scent of Xena’s perfume lingering in the air. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she said nothing and returned to her room.
Closing the door behind her, she went straight to the bathroom to wash up. She brushed her teeth and got ready for bed, planning to wind down with a book.
Twenty minutes later, just as she set the book aside and turned off the lamp, the door creaked open.
Felix walked in, wearing a black robe. His damp hair was pushed back from his forehead, clearly f h from a shower.
“What do you want?” Miranda sat up at once, a guarded look flashing in her eyes.
“Mia’s not home. There’s no need for us to sleep separately,” Felix said flatly.
