After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 294

Shirley felt her heart clench but kept her smile in place. “So, do you two talk much?”

Amy played along, acting curious. “I might run into her at the Nexus Dynamics event. You know her too?”

Shirley gave a small, awkward cough. “Actually, she’s my half-sister. We never really got along, so we’re not close.”

Amy pretended to be surprised. “Wait, you’re sisters?”

Shirley’s expression grew earnest, almost desperate. “Amy, can I ask you for a favor? Please, keep the Resonance AI thing between us. Don’t tell her.”

Amy raised her brows. “So, you don’t want her to know about it?”

Shirley’s cheeks flushed a little. “I’m sorry. Back then, I had no idea that USB drive was yours. If I’d known, I never would have touched it, let alone gotten this far with Resonance AI.”

Amy picked up her coffee and shrugged. “It’s progress. I don’t have anything to say about it.”

Shirley let out a breath she’d been holding. It seemed Amy wasn’t going to make a big deal out of her stealing the AI.

Amy changed the subject. “By the way, I heard there was a fire at the lab. Did you ever hear about that?”

For a moment, Shirley’s face went pale, her fingers twisting under the table. She forced a smile. “I was out of the country then. My mom was sick. But I heard the fire wasn’t too serious.”

Amy’s grip tightened around her coffee. The school had handled the incident quietly. Other than Catherine, no one knew how close Amy had come to being expelled because of that fire. Now, the person behind it sat there looking completely innocent, not a hint of guilt anywhere.

But Amy wasn’t rushing things. Some secrets couldn’t stay hidden forever. Some debts needed to be repaid.

“Shirley, I’ll see you at the engagement party tomorrow. It’s late. You should get some rest.”

***

At the Nexus Dynamics apartment, Lawrence was meeting with Nicol. Catherine had tried to wait up for him on the couch, but she’d fallen asleep.

She woke to the feeling of strong arms lifting her. Blinking sleepily, she saw Lawrence’s sharp jawline, his eyes full of gentle concern.

“Let me take you to bed,” he murmured.

Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded, barely awake, head resting on his chest as sleep pulled her back under.

Lawrence set her down gently on the bed. Her dark hair spread across the pillow, framing her delicate features. He brushed a hand over her brows, her nose, and finally, his attention lingered on her soft lips. He swallowed hard, then leaned down and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to her forehead.

“Good night,” he whispered.