After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 28

After breakfast, Lawrence got up to clear the dishes, moving quickly and efficiently. Not long after, he headed upstairs, and when he came back down, he was wearing a sharp, dark suit. Gone was the laid-back vibe he had in the kitchen. Now he looked cool, serious, and all business. It was like he’d become a totally different person.

Catherine blinked, a little stunned. Since when did her husband look so much like the boss in a drama?

“I’m heading out,” Lawrence said, grabbing his car keys.

“Drive safe, okay? And take it easy,” Catherine called out, stepping naturally to the door, just like any wife seeing her husband off.

Lawrence paused for a second. He looked back at her, nodded, then turned and walked out.

She listened as his car pulled out of the driveway, then checked the time. There was no time to waste. She rushed upstairs, changed clothes, grabbed her bag and laptop, and hurried out. She had her own business to deal with. The sudden appearance of the fake ‘Resonance AI’ meant her whole team had been called back to the country.

She needed to hold a meeting.

She caught a taxi to a plain-looking office building downtown, where her secret team had set up a temporary base. Catherine took the elevator to the top floor and pushed open the meeting room door. Inside, three people were already waiting—two guys and a woman, all young, sharp, and full of energy.

“Catherine!” they called out as soon as she walked in.

Lenny, Lyman, and Naomi.

“Let’s get started.” Catherine set down her bag and took the seat at the head of the table. She didn’t waste any time. “Lenny, tell me exactly what we know right now.”

Lenny nodded and turned on the projector. A poster from The James Group flashed onto the screen, filled with scattered details about ‘Resonance AI’.

“The James Group has been really tight-lipped. There’s barely any public info we could dig up,” Lenny said, his voice serious. “But even with what they’ve shown, at least eighty percent of their so-called ‘Resonance AI’ matches ours.”

Catherine could feel the disappointment weighing on the team.

Catherine let out a slow breath, closed her laptop, and stepped outside. Waldo’s voice, rough with alcohol and frustration, carried through the yard.

“Catherine, how could you treat me like this?” His voice was raw. “I know you still care. I messed up. Please, come back to me. I’m begging you.”

Thankfully, there weren’t any neighbors close by, or someone might have called the cops.

Catherine walked over to the gate and looked through the iron bars. Waldo stood outside, tie hanging loose and hair a mess, looking every bit as drunk as he sounded. His assistant waited a few steps behind him.

“Waldo, please go,” Catherine said, her brow creased, voice firm through the gate.

Waldo had been standing with his head down, but when he heard her, he looked up fast, hope flaring in his eyes. “Catherine! You’re finally willing to see me?”