e lab. Sparks flew from the console in front of Ava Reed, the light from the monitors flickerin

taking he

idn't care that her system was crashing, that her life was tied to it. A

r algorithm could heal anything!"

!" she had cried, tears streaming down her face as she fought to stabilize the

any human warmth. "If it weren't for you, Chloe would have fini

f out of jealous rage. A rage sparked by a stupid, archaic Thorne family tradition: whoever fixed Liam's paralyzed system had to marry him. Ava had fixed

ens went black. The pain in Ava' s chest exploded,

she

es sho

hrome. Sunlight streamed through a floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking a sprawli

m Thorne. He looked younger, his face etched with frustration and gloom

orne family had brought her here, the brilliant but reclusive tech genius, to fix th

perate Mrs. Thorne, stood besid

so glad you could come. As we discussed, my son Liam's... condition is a matter of

the wheelchair and felt a thrill of challenge, a desire to prove

h her die without a flicker of remorse, and a faint, knowing sm

said, her voice

iece of broken hardware. She didn't even glance at the diagnostic re

ed the preli

front of him, meeting

em is beyo

ghtened. "What

chilling precision, "it's a catastrophic failure.

ck of data pads off a nearby table. They

do what you're famous for?" he roared, his face turning a dark shade of r

ply watched him, her expre

e wreck when I see one. You can hire every tech in the world. T

rned t

refully composed face was cracking, revealing the raw desperation beneath

ooked at the woman who, in another life, would stand by a

orne, are not about m

sunlight, Ava felt a weight lift from her soul. She could h

it. But she also knew what would happen if she did. She knew about t

ved would not only fix his system but also cement her place by his side forever. In the last life, Chloe

weetheart's "love" over sound science. He would let her plug that unstable

was a genuine s

her phone buzzed. It was an

asked. It was calm, deep, and ca

t

ht be able to help me. My system was damag

s integrity and sharp mind. In her past life, he had faded into the background after th

ead end. But now, a new path was