Chapter 181 Chapter 181: Isolde brushed the hair out of Effie’s eyes. “No, sweetie. Daddy doesn’t hate you. Daddy is broken. His brain is sick. He can’t see things clearly p> “Like when the computer has a bug?” Effie asked. “Exactly like that,” Isolde said softly. “A very bad bug
Chapter 180 Chapter 180: Skin tore. Blood welled up instantly, bright red against her white socks. Effie screamed. It wasn’t a cry for attention. It was the raw, unguarded cry of genuine pain. Grayson, no more than ten feet away with Kaiden in his arms, turned around. He saw Belle
Chapter 179 Chapter 179: The lawn was dotted with picnic blankets and gourmet food stations. Employees mingled, sipping champagne, doing their best to relax while their boss quietly judged them. Isolde sat on a blanket near the edge of the woods, well away from the main tent. Effie sat beside
Chapter 178 Chapter 178: Nelson watched them go, his face grim. “That man,” he muttered to Arland, who had just arrived with a first aid kit, “is trading a diamond for a handful of gravel p> “He’s blind,” Arland said, kneeling beside Isolde. “Isolde, we need to clean that knee.
Chapter 177 Chapter 177: “That,” he said, his voice low and full of reverence now that they were off-mic, “was the most elegant piece of flying I have seen in a decade. Welcome home, Sophia p> Isolde managed a weak smile. “Thank you, Professor p> She stepped down from the
Chapter 176 Chapter 176: Isolde sat at the console. The chair was uncomfortable. She positioned her cast-heavy right arm on the desk, using the fingers that protruded to hover over the enter key. Her left hand — the burned one — hovered over the command cluster. “Begin p> The screen
Chapter 175 Chapter 175: “Damn it,” Arland hissed. “That’s a second-degree burn. On your good hand p> “She did it on purpose,” Isolde whispered, pressing her forehead against the mirror. “She knows I need this hand for the test. My right arm is useless p> Arland reached into his pocket
Chapter 174 Chapter 174: As they passed, Belle stumbled. It was theatrical: a sudden lurch to the side, aimed directly at Isolde. Isolde saw the move coming a split second before it happened. She instinctively tried to pivot away, a fighter’s reflex. But the dead weight of the cast threw
Chapter 173 Chapter 173: “Ms. Smith,” the woman said in a neutral tone, then leaned in slightly, her voice dropping. “The Administrator has arranged a live system stress test for tomorrow. 2:00 PM. Professor Nelson will be proctoring. He asked me to ensure you were available.” A pause. “Ms. Carson
Chapter 172 Chapter 172: Isolde didn’t flinch. She finished capping her pen, the click sounding like a gunshot in the small space between them, and looked up, her eyes cold and clear. “Technology evolves, Daron,” she said, her voice steady. “But the laws of physics tend to stay the same.
Chapter 171 Chapter 171: “That’s not radar-absorbent coating,” she said, her voice clear and carrying over the crowd. “That’s standard polyurethane paint. Real RAM coating is matte gray and toxic to the touch p> Belle pulled her hand back as if burned. “What? No, it’s p> “And,” Isolde continued, stepping
Chapter 170 Chapter 170: He knew Belle hadn’t designed a thing. He knew he had stolen it from Isolde’s server. He remembered her warning about the “flying oven” — and the way she had looked at the contract, signing away her seat with that cold, terrifying smile. A knot of
Chapter 169 Chapter 169: She looked at her reflection in the dark screen of a monitor. The tired woman from the elevator was gone. In her place stood an engineer. A creator. A fighter. She was ready. The basement lab at Carson Dynamics was cool and smelled of ozone and
Chapter 168 Chapter 168: Isolde slung her bag over her good shoulder and looked at him. “Knitting involves patterns, Daron,” she said coolly. “Something you struggle with — like the pattern of your failures p> Daron’s smile faltered. “Enjoy the Summit,” she said, her gaze sweeping over him as though
Chapter 167 Chapter 167: He stood and buttoned his jacket. The transformation was instant — he was no longer the desperate man in the Queens house. He was the triumphant CEO of SkyLine. “I have one condition,” Isolde added, her voice cold. “Name it p> “Belle can have the seat.
Chapter 166 Chapter 166: Belle’s eyes went wide. She leaned forward. “Hey — is that my painkiller p> Isolde paused, her fingers hovering over the bottle. “What p> “That bottle!” Belle pointed. “The hexagonal pills. Oxy-Neurol. Gray, you told me I lost my prescription on the jet! You said the
Chapter 165 Chapter 165: Her phone buzzed. A text from Harper: The micro-drone prototypes are ready for the booth. Coded and calibrated. Everything was falling into place. Isolde realized then that she had run out of road — and had started building a bridge. Grayson had systematically tried to close
Chapter 164 Chapter 164: Isolde sat in a plush armchair in her own office, her arm propped on a pillow. The doctor had given her antibiotics and a stern lecture about stress. Ellyn and Effie were safe in the penthouse, with two of Arland’s security guards posted discreetly in the
Chapter 163 Chapter 163: “It was a business trip,” he said, his voice tight. “A retreat. Belle was there as a strategic advisor p> “Strategic advisor,” Isolde repeated, testing the words. “Does a strategic advisor require renting out an underwater restaurant for a romantic dinner? Or is that simply a
Chapter 162 Chapter 162: Isolde didn’t answer. She dried her hair in brisk, aggressive strokes, then tossed the towel onto the back seat. “Just say what you want, Grayson,” she said, staring out the window. “So I can say no and we can get on with our lives p> “I