After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 17

His tech company was stuck, and everyone was waiting for Resonance AI to turn things around. He saved Shirley first, not out of love, but because he was terrified that if she died, the secret behind Resonance AI would be lost forever.

Years ago, when Catherine had walked into The Blair Estate holding Waldo’s hand, introducing him to everyone, Shirley was instantly drawn to the man. Waldo was handsome and carried himself with an arrogant confidence that was impossible to ignore. From that moment on, Shirley fell hard. For five years, her crush only grew deeper, turning into an obsession she couldn’t control.

Last night, when she saw Catherine and Waldo announce their engagement, jealousy completely overtook her. She hadn’t even thought before she pushed Catherine into the sea. Shirley had convinced herself that if Catherine disappeared, Waldo would finally be hers. But the moment Catherine fell, she grabbed Shirley’s wrist with surprising strength, dragging her down too.

Even now, remembering that night made Shirley shiver.

Waldo had jumped in and saved her first. For him, it had always been about weighing the options. Between love and profit, he chose profit every time. If that stranger hadn’t shown up and pulled Catherine from the water, Catherine would have been lost to the ocean forever.

Still, things hadn’t turned out that badly. Catherine was alive, but her love for Waldo was gone. She had moved on so quickly, marrying some guy Shirley had never even heard of. It felt like fate was finally on Shirley’s side.

Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, her heart racing as she answered. “How is it?”

“Shirley, we got the results. We did it. We’ve replicated Resonance AI.” The voice on the other end was young and full of excitement.

Shirley’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. “Are you serious? It’s done? Does it match the original specs?”

She could claim the title of Resonance AI’s creator. She’d done her homework. The original owner must have died, otherwise, why had no one come forward after all these years? Something so valuable wouldn’t just sit around unused.

Her mentor had always refused to reveal the true creator’s name, but he had passed away last week from cancer. It didn’t matter anymore. The project was hers now.

There was a brief pause on the line. “Shirley, we found a small bug in the replica. It’s a tiny vulnerability, but the stability isn’t perfect yet…”

“That’s not going to be a problem,” Shirley interrupted. “Get ready for the demo. At the James Group launch, I want the world to finally see the real Resonance AI.”