When fate plays its hand

“A breakup?” Miranda asked, surprised.

“You don’t know?” Silas asked.

She shook her head.

Silas sat closer and lowered his voice as he prepared to share some juicy gossip. “When Paul got back from Moonville, two days barely passed before he fired Elizabeth,” he began.

The mention of this triggered a flurry of fragmented memories in Miranda’s mind, and her expression shifted to something more subtle and unreadable.

“Maybe Bryan loved her too much, so breaking up felt like losing a piece of himself. Give him time to adjust, and he’ll eventually figure things out,” Silas said.

Miranda nodded lightly and replied with a hum. She didn’t add to the conversation. Whatever the situation, it wasn’t her place to comment on someone else’s private matters.

When the sun dipped below the horizon and night began to set in, Miranda was done debugging the program.

Silas wasted no time testing the program. 30 seconds later, he exclaimed, “It’s back! Everything’s working again,”

Sandy jumped from her seat, visibly relieved. “Thank goodness! No more entering data by hand. I don’t know how I survived today.”

He glanced at his watch and said, “It’s getting late. Miranda, you’ve been working on this all day–thank you! Hey, Paul-”

“Huh?” Caught off guard, Paul paused for a few seconds before responding.

“Miranda helped us so much. Don’t you think you should do something to show your appreciation? At the very least, treat her to dinner,” Silas suggested.

Paul nodded. “You’re right. I should.“,

“Great! I’ll book a place right now.”

Paul agreed with a simple hum.

There was no reason not to bring Silas and Sandy along when treating Miranda to a meal When the four arrived at the restaurant, the dishes were just being served. They sat down and began their meal.

Halfway through, Miranda excused herself to the restroom. On her way back, she received a call from Sawyer and stood in the hallway to answer it.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’ve already checked with the research department, and they’re working on the type of thermosensitive material you mentioned,” he said.

Miranda’s eyes lit up upon hearing that.

He continued, “But I can’t guarantee that this material will meet your requirements. I’d suggest visiting in person to test the parameters yourself. That way, you’ll know for sure- assuming you’re free, of course.”

“I’m free,” she responded.

C

Sawyer paused momentarily before adding, “It’s in Zettenburg, and it’ll take several days to go there. Are you sure you want to go in person? I’m fine either way.”

Even if Miranda wasn’t sure, she had to go. “Yes.” She nodded. “When do we leave?”

She heard him say something on the other end and smiled faintly. “I’m looking forward to the trip to Zettenburg as well… Let’s meet at the airport tomorrow at 10:00 am… We’ll talk more then.”

After ending the call, she walked back with a lighter step. novelbin

Unbeknownst to her, Paul, who had gone to settle the bill, had overheard everything.

She was going to Zettenburg with Sawyer? Had they gotten close enough to take trips together? His expression darkened as his mind churned with questions.

After dinner ended, Miranda got into Paul’s car. He was unusually quiet the entire drive.

She was lost in thought while mentally planning her upcoming trip to Zettenburg, so she didn’t speak either.

What was the weather like there? How many clothes should she pack?

Miranda spent the entire journey sorting out the details of the trip. When they arrived at the building’s entrance, her plan was fully set.

Just as they were about to enter the building, Paul suddenly stopped and called out to her, ” Miranda Sutton…”

Startled, she turned slowly. “Dr. Jefferson? Is something wrong?”

He had never addressed her so formally before–not by her full name, Standing partly in shadow, his expression was difficult to read. “Why Sawyer?”

“Huh?” Miranda was taken aback.

“At first, I thought Sam would be my biggest rival,” Paul began. “But when he turned out to be your cousin, I felt relieved. I thought that if I stayed by your side long enough, I’d eventually be the only one left. I thought that one day if you decided to be with someone, the first person you’d see would be me.”

He paused and said, “But now, it’s neither Sam nor me. It’s Sawyer. I don’t understand. Can you tell me why?”

Miranda was dumbfounded. “D–Dr. Jefferson, what are you talking about?”

Paul slowly raised his head, and the streetlamp happened to cast light across his face. She could see the intensity in his eyes for the first time—a blend of depth, longing, and something unmistakably vulnerable.

“You still don’t understand? Then, let me make it clear.” He looked at her eyes and enunciated every word. ‘Miranda, I like you. I’m madly in love with you to the point where it’s driving me

insane.”