After dropping the call with James, Andrew decided to return home as it was obvious that James was done with Jackson, and there was nothing he’d say to him at that point that could change his mind.He had been with James long enough to know that despite being the carefree and loud one, when he decides to give up on something, there is hardly any amount of talking that can change his mind.And Andrew knew he couldn’t blame James either—especially not after everything they’ve been through because of Jackson. But as Hailey walked him back to his car that night, Andrew could tell from the way she folded her arms and avoided his eyes that something was bothering her.He paused beside the car door, his gaze fixed on her as though trying to find out what was bothering her from the looks on her face. “Hailey,” he said softly, “You look like someone with a thousand thoughts fighting for space in your head. What’s going on?”Hailey shook her head quickly, forcing a weak smile. “It’s nothing,

The following morning, while Jackson was adjusting his tie before the mirror, his tablet lighting up with encrypted notifications from Sophia and Thomas Rouke, the elevator suddenly chimed behind him.“Jackson?” He heard Bella call out his name.He turned sharply, startled, his expression darkening the instant he saw her. He couldn’t remember agreeing to meet up with Bella that morning, causing him to wonder what could have been the reason for her visit that morning, even if it wasn’t new to him that Bella had developed the habit of visiting him anytime.“Why didn’t you call to notify me that you were coming?” he asked, his tone clipped, almost impatient.Bella blinked, taken aback by the coldness in his voice. “This isn’t the first time I’ve visited you unannounced,” she replied quietly, trying to keep her tone calm. “You’ve never had a problem with that before.”Jackson gave a dismissive shrug. “I know that, but I think that doesn’t stop you from calling when you intend to visit. A

The ride to Atlas facility felt longer for Jackson that morning, and despite the engine’s power humming beneath him, Jackson’s thoughts remained tangled and heavy. He drove through the secured underground passage until the scanners recognized the biometric signature of his car.From the entrance, he could already attest to the fact that Atlas was indeed, proving to be everything it has promised to be even if this was just the prelude to what the real deal would be like in a couple of days to come.He descended deeper into the earth, going past layers of reinforced alloy, quantum locks, and energy seals until the path opened into the private induction wing which Sophia had mentioned in the message she had sent to him the previous night.A soft chime sounded, and the floor beneath the coupe lit up with white circuits, directing him toward a glass-paneled docking bay.He parked, stepped out, and immediately felt the cold air of the chamber. It was sterile, crisp, and unnaturally still

After a few more minutes, Jackson left quietly, making his way through the dim tunnels, past the biometric gates, past the guarded checkpoints until he finally emerged above ground. He couldn’t say for a fact what he had gained from the meeting so far, except for the fact that he would be involved with Elara once again.As he started the engine of his car, the city lights reflected faintly against the windshield, blurred by the fog of his thoughts, and for a brief moment, the reality of now being alone dawned on him.He drove aimlessly for a while, letting the road stretch in front of him as he didn’t want to go back to Sky Tower—at least, not yet. The silence there would only make the ache louder since Copper was no longer there.A thought occurred to him to put a call through to Copper, to at least make him understand why he was actually doing the things he was doing. But he shove it aside, believing that even if he placed a call to Copper, he probably won’t answer as it was very ob

Lorraine didn’t hear a single word after that. The voices in the room blurred into one long, muffled hum, like she was underwater. Her hands felt loose and numb, and her legs threatened to give out. And to avoid anyone suspecting, as she could already tell that the doctor was, she backed away from the doorway, slow at first, then faster, her breathing thin and jagged.She slipped down the hall, pushed open the restroom door, and locked herself inside.The moment the lock clicked, her body folded.She stumbled toward the sink, catching herself with both hands before her knees hit the tiles. A broken sound escaped her throat. Not a sob. Not a gasp. Something in between. Something raw.Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her with wide, and terrified eyes as the fluorescent light above flickered, giving her face a haunted, stuttering glow.Her mind spun like a wheel that had lost its axis.“You’re the one who switched the injections.” She could hear her own mind talk back at her a