Page 195 of Triplet Babies for my Ex's Best Friend

“It means she may have responded correctly.”

“But the aircraft didn’t register it in time?” I ask.

“Or the logs were altered to make it appear she didn’t.”

Oh.

The office seems to lose oxygen.

I sit back slowly. “Ethan.”

He doesn’t look at me. His attention is locked on the screen like if he looks away, the truth might vanish. I stand and move around the desk before I can overthink it. He remains seated,one hand on the trackpad, the other curled loosely near the papers.

I place my hand over his.

He freezes. Then his fingers turn, just slightly, catching mine. “She fought it. I knew she would have.” He turns to look at me. “She would’ve known what to do.”

My throat tightens. “Then maybe now you can prove that.”

“I might be able to now,” he admits. “You may have found the thing I missed.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Ethan

By six o’clock,I’ve reconsidered going to the gala twelve times.

Addy is getting ready, Oliver is with Diane two floors below, Captain has been bribed with a treat puzzle he will almost certainly solve in under four minutes, and I'm standing in my bedroom adjusting my cufflinks as though the alignment of silver and fabric can restore order to a situation that has steadily moved beyond control.

It cannot.

Still, habit persists.

The gala isn't merely social. It's an industry event, a demonstration, a statement to investors, partners, regulators, and competitors that Strong AeroTech remains exactly what it has always claimed to be.

Precise, innovative, reliable.

The AI stabilization system is meant to be the centerpiece.

I dislike every part of it.

The patch, the timing, and Bryce inserting himself into the situation immediately after reappearing in my life.

A week ago, I would’ve called it a coincidence.

Now I’m not sure what to call it.

Every time I think about Bryce lately, I see Addy crying in my hallway.

I see the way she tried to hold herself together while he stood there looking annoyed by the inconvenience of consequences.

But the past week has been consumed by code, comparisons, old records, new inconsistencies, and the increasingly difficult task of not drawing conclusions before the evidence permits it. Jeffrey has been careful. Sara has been relentless. I've slept badly.

And Addy found the timing discrepancy. The thing I missed.

Then the bedroom door opens.

I look up, and for several seconds, every structured thought I possess simply stops functioning.