Christopher's expression didn't change. "Fine."

He seemed completely unconcerned about Amelia's mood or temper.

Anna didn't say anything either. There had been times before when Amelia had made a scene, and she always ended up coming back to appease her husband.

Meanwhile, Nathan hadn't been satisfied with his milk bath. He only calmed down when Nicole came over to cheer him up, promising that on the weekend, he would get to see a real aerospace and defense tech exhibit.

Amelia had never let him climb high or go to the amusement park.

Nathan thought his mother was poor and not as rich as Nicole. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given him cheap pens for his birthday or made him a lopsided cake herself.

On the other hand, Nicole took him to see real planes and fighter jets.

The next morning, Nathan bounced out of bed and devoured breakfast.

Today it was clam chowder, something he had specially asked Anna to prepare the night before. Amelia had never let him eat seafood, always watching and scolding him. Now, he could eat whatever he wanted.

Meanwhile, Amelia had risen early, preparing a nutritious breakfast for Evelyn and sending her off to school.

Just as Amelia left, Nathan jumped out of the Maybach.

"Ms. Nikki is taking me to see real fighter jets this weekend! She even got me a bunch of toy clay to share with all the kids," he boasted proudly.

"This is way better than the cheap building blocks you gave me! If you want to play too, you have to beg me and Ms. Nikki to let you join.

"See? Without Ms. Nikki and Daddy, Mommy would never take you to see real fighter jets in your whole life!"

Evelyn's eyes were red, and her nose stung. She had made all those toys herself. Christopher liked Nathan, so she thought if she could just win his favor, maybe Christopher would finally let her call him Daddy.

Evelyn glared at him. "You don't like the toys I gave you, fine! But how can you say that about Mommy?"

"Mommy's just a country bumpkin," Nathan snapped. "Only you like her! From now on, neither of you should come home. The Zephyr family doesn't want you! And I'm going to have a new Mommy! Yesterday it was Ms. Nikki who put me to bed!"

After Amelia dropped Evelyn off, the sky had already turned heavy and gray, the kind that warned of rain at any moment.

She caught sight of the big letters on a bus stop poster across the street.

[Valoria Airshow, Welcome—]

Amelia froze. She realized that in her last life, this was exactly when the Aerospace and Defense Technology Expo was set to begin in Northon, a city in Valoria.

The Northon Airshow was one of the world's top five airshows, held every two years. That weekend marked the fifteenth edition. The exhibits spanned land, sea, air, space, electricity, and networks, including planes, missiles, drones, satellites, and all kinds of aerospace technology.

There were also massive fighter jet demonstrations.

Amelia stared at the poster, lost in thought.

If she hadn't given up and chosen to stay home as a dutiful wife, maybe she would have been there. Maybe one of the planes on display would have been her design. Maybe she would even have been an official presenter, explaining her creative process and her journey as a designer.

Science and technology could elevate a nation. That was the kind of honor few could achieve.

Amelia snapped out of her reverie, pulling up the airshow's official ticket site. Every single ticket had already sold out.

She had just slipped her phone back into her bag when a sudden downpour came crashing down.

Morning rush hour meant the school gates were jammed with cars, packed so tight a taxi was out of the question.

Her eyes landed on a coffee shop not far ahead. She dashed toward it, hoping to take cover.

The moment she pushed open the glass door, she collided head-on with a man coming out. A cup of steaming coffee spilled all over him, soaking his crisp white shirt with a dark, glaring stain.

"I'm so sorry, I'll pay for this," Amelia blurted, looking up to apologize.

Jasper Langley froze for a split second when he saw her, then a smile spread across his face.

"Mia, you haven't changed a bit. Back in the aerospace agency's simulator test, you splashed all that reagent on me, and now coffee. Some things never change."

Amelia blinked, surprised to run into Jasper here. He had been her senior and shared the same doctoral advisor, Alfred Hale.

Alfred was now the director of Institute 511, a major figure in Valoria's aerospace field. He was someone countless people dreamed of studying under.

Amelia glanced at his shirt. "You haven't changed either. You're still the same smooth talker. Your shirt probably won't come clean. I'll pay you back for it."

Jasper shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It's been ages since I last saw you. A rare coincidence like this calls for a chat, right?"

"I was actually planning to call you myself," she admitted.

Jasper raised a brow. "Then let's go to the institute and talk. I'll change first."

-

Amelia sat in the visitor reception area of the institute.

It had been a long time since she last came.

Everything looked so familiar, every corner filled with memories. Each moment from the past seemed vivid and alive.

This was the first time she had sat here as a guest, and her heart was a swirl of mixed emotions.

Jasper returned after changing and sat across from her, smiling. "So, what do you think? Has it changed much?"

"Technology moves fast. The institute has definitely grown a lot," Amelia replied.

"What did you want to talk about? Back then, you said you were going to be a pioneer in the aerospace industry. Then you dropped out, gave up on your research, got married, had a kid, and cut ties with all of us…"

Amelia looked down, guilt weighing heavily in her chest. She had never had the courage to face them, and she still owed them an apology.

"I heard the Eos X7 Eco-Restoration Unit has been a success, and it's going to be shown at the airshow this weekend."

She pursed her lips, then added, "I should apologize for leaving so suddenly back then."

"You're well informed," Jasper said with a small smile. "When you quit, our entire project stalled for a long time before it could move forward again."

"I—" The words tangled in her throat, a knot of regret tightening in her chest. "I'm sorry."

Apart from apologizing, she didn't know what else to say.

Because of her choice and recklessness, everyone else had been held up for so long.

But technology advanced quickly. Even while she'd been home raising her child, she had never really let go of her field. She had kept studying, quietly working on her own. She believed that if she returned now, she wouldn't be left behind.

"Honestly, no one here wants your apology," Jasper said gently. "What we want is action."

Jasper was hoping she would come back. This was where she belonged, where her brilliance mattered.

"Do you think I could see the airshow in person?" she asked.

"Actually, you completed most of Eos X7's design. It took all of us years just to finish what you started. Your talents are meant for the aerospace industry, not for family life."

He looked at her with a hopeful gaze. "Why do you want to go? Have you decided to come back?"

He set his cup down and leaned forward slightly. "Tickets to the airshow are nearly impossible to get. But if you really want to see it, call me. I'll take you inside."

Amelia pressed her lips together and nodded. "Yeah. I think I belong in the aerospace field too."

From the time she was a child, the sky and the stars had always been her dream.

Her dream had never been just to design airplanes. She yearned for the stars and the vast oceans.

Somewhere along the way, she had lost herself.

In her past life, during the airshow, she had stayed home with Evelyn to finish Nathan's homework. She thought Christopher had taken Nathan to the hospital. But later, on television, she saw him there—with Nathan and Nicole at his side.

Even now, she could still remember the look on Evelyn's face, the way her daughter's eyes had filled with envy as Nathan got to watch fighter jets soar across the sky. However, Evelyn hadn't complained or made a fuss.

As a mother, Amelia had failed her.

This time, she wouldn't let Evelyn stand on the sidelines, watching Nathan live the life she longed for.

Now that she had been given another chance, Amelia was determined to find herself again. She wanted to be Evelyn's support and pride.

Even if the professor didn't accept her when she went, she could still visit the exhibition and catch up with her former classmates. Meeting the big names in the field wouldn't be bad either.

At the very least, people in the industry would know she existed.

Jasper smiled gently, clearly pleased. "The institute has a new research project. We need a chief engineer and more people. But so far, no one's been the right fit."

Amelia knew exactly what he meant.

He was inviting her back.

She wasn't sure she deserved a title like chief engineer. But starting from the ground up? That, she could do.

"I'll send in my resume."

Jasper's gaze lingered on her, steady and searching. "But you should know, we require candidates to have a settled personal life."

Amelia froze. That rule hadn't existed before. Was it because of her, as a cautionary example?

"I'm preparing to file for divorce."

Jasper was momentarily taken aback. Back then, she had thrown herself into pursuing happiness and had even given up her career for it. He hadn't expected her to make such a decision now.

Before the silence could stretch, Amelia's phone rang.

"Mrs. Zephyr, Nathan suddenly broke out in hives. His stomach hurts too. We're taking him to the hospital. Can you come right away?"

"From now on, if something happens with Nathan, please contact his father," Amelia said evenly. "I'm not his mother."

The teacher frowned, assuming it was just another marital spat, a wife refusing to deal with her child out of anger.

"Mrs. Zephyr, his condition is serious. This isn't the time to argue. Please come right away."

"I'll send you his father's number." With that, Amelia hung up without hesitation.

She immediately forwarded Christopher's phone number to the teacher.

Jasper had already risen from his seat the moment he saw Amelia answer the call, politely giving her space.

When she finally looked up, he was standing by the window, looking down at the rain-soaked street below.

She walked over to him. "Thanks for today."

"Was that the end of the call?"

Amelia nodded.

Jasper studied her with quiet intensity. "Welcome back, Amelia."

She gave a small smile. "You should pray my resume makes it through."

The institute's standards were notoriously high, and she had been away from the field for so long. There was no guarantee her application would even pass the first round.

Jasper laughed. "If it doesn't, I'll hire you as my assistant."

-

By the time Christopher reached the kindergarten, there was a heavy downpour.

Inside, Nathan sat in the infirmary. His face was blotchy, his body covered in hives, and he was sobbing uncontrollably.

That morning he had felt an itch crawling over his skin. By noon, angry red welts had spread across his body and face.

When Evelyn overheard that her brother had broken out in hives, worry stirred in her chest. Amelia had always told her Nathan's body was weak, that every night he needed his herbal bath. Otherwise, his skin would erupt in painful rashes.

She held up her little umbrella as she made her way from the classroom to the infirmary. But the storm was too fierce, the wind tossing the umbrella from side to side until half her clothes were already soaked through.

When she stepped inside, Nathan caught sight of her. His small face twisted with fury. "Did you come here to laugh at me?"

"Mommy said you need your herbal bath every night or the rashes will come back. You should tell the doctor that—"

"I don't need you to tell me!" Nathan cut her off sharply. He snatched up the cup on the table and hurled it at her. "Mind your own business! I don't want to see you!"

The teacher rushed forward to stop him. "Nathan, stop that! Don't hit your sister."

"She's not my sister!" Nathan shouted, his voice hoarse with anger. "Everyone says she's not even part of the Zephyr family. She's an illegitimate child!"

Evelyn froze, her body stiff as her eyes welled with tears. "If you keep this up, Mommy really won't want you anymore!"

Nathan yelled back, his voice shaking. "I'm the one who doesn't want Mommy! She doesn't get to leave me. I'm the one leaving her. Daddy and I don't want either of you!"

Evelyn trembled with anger while the teacher tried to comfort her and calm things down.

She had only come because she was worried about her brother, yet all she got in return was his scolding and rejection. Biting her lip hard, she stayed silent.

A few moments later, Christopher stepped into the infirmary.

Evelyn had been there for a while already. The chill was beginning to seep into her bones after she braved the storm outside.

When she saw her father, her face lit up. She opened her mouth with joy. "Dad—"

But then she caught herself. She remembered he didn't like her calling him that. She was about to correct herself when Nathan's wailing rose into an earsplitting cry, cutting her off completely.

Nathan scrambled off the bed and rushed into Christopher's arms, his face twisted with misery. "Daddy, I'm so ugly right now. It hurts, and it itches everywhere."

His little face and body were covered in angry red rashes. If Nicole saw him like this, she'd probably think he was disgusting.

The teacher added softly that Nathan had already had several bouts of diarrhea that day.

Christopher's chest tightened at the sight of his son's condition. His face, his body, all covered in rashes. His heart ached for him.

He bent down and gathered Nathan into his arms. His voice was gentle as he said, "It's alright. Daddy's here. I'll take you to the hospital now."

Evelyn stood frozen, watching her brother cry and cling to their father, who held him close with such tenderness. A sharp ache spread through her chest.

She wanted to call out to him too. To call him Daddy. But before she could, Christopher had already turned and carried Nathan out of the infirmary.

It was as if he hadn't even noticed her standing there.

Evelyn's eyes followed the broad silhouette of her father's back as he disappeared with Nathan. Her nose stung, and she whispered to the teacher, "I'm so cold..."

-

Christopher strode toward the car with Nathan cradled against him.

His assistant, Nigel Larkin, hurried to keep up. "Mr. Zephyr, should we check on Miss Evelyn too?"

Nathan clung tighter to his father's neck and whimpered. "Dad, it hurts..."

Christopher's gaze stayed calm and unreadable, and his voice carried no trace of warmth. "There are teachers at the kindergarten to look after her. Why should I check on her when she's fine?"

Nigel fell silent.

That was true. Right now, Nathan's health came first.

-

Amelia's phone buzzed again not long after she parted ways with Jasper.

"Mrs. Zephyr, Evelyn caught a chill from the rain. She's burning up with a fever."

Amelia froze, and her entire body went rigid as her heart pounded wildly.

In her last life, Evelyn had died from pneumonia brought on by a high fever.

In this life, Amelia had already filed for divorce and taken Evelyn away from the Zephyr family. But was she still powerless to change her daughter's fate?

The moment she heard the words high fever, her entire body trembled. She didn't even know how she managed to run through the storm and reach the kindergarten.

When she saw Evelyn, the little girl was curled up on the infirmary cot, shivering.

Evelyn's flushed face was burning hot, her voice barely a whisper. "Mommy? I'm sorry. I heard Nate was sick, so I went to check on him... but I got caught in the rain."

"Silly girl, why are you apologizing?" Amelia's eyes blurred with tears. "Next time, don't worry about Nate, alright?"

She knew Evelyn was always trying to please Nathan and Christopher, hoping for her father's love.

Amelia could let Christopher go and walk away with a clean slate, but she could never stop her daughter from yearning for his affection.

"Daddy came earlier," Evelyn murmured, her voice tinged with hurt. "He took Nate to the hospital."

There was a quiet note of grievance in her tone, but Amelia understood. What Evelyn longed for most wasn't fairness. It was just for Christopher to notice her, even if he only said a single word to her.

Even one word from him could make Evelyn smile all night.

Amelia's heart clenched so tight it hurt. She gathered her daughter into her arms and whispered, "Sweetie, Mommy's taking you to the hospital."

At Northon Children's Hospital, Amelia explained to the doctor that Evelyn's health had always been fragile.

In her last life, Evelyn had wasted away waiting for Christopher and Nathan to notice her, living on nothing but cold leftovers until malnutrition took its toll.

From the very first day of her rebirth, Amelia had focused on nourishing her daughter. But a frail body couldn't recover in just a day or two.

The doctor examined her and found it was just an ordinary cold with a fever. He gave her a prescription for fever medicine and instructions to monitor her at home.

However, Amelia had lived through this once before. She would never take chances with her daughter again. "Doctor, I'd rather admit her for observation. I won't feel at ease bringing her home."

She was soaked to the bone from running through the rain to the kindergarten, but she ignored her own condition. She handled the admission paperwork, settled Evelyn into the hospital room, then went to the pharmacy to collect her medicine.

On her way back, she passed the VIP ward.

"It's all Mommy's fault. She didn't let me soak in a herbal bath, and now my rash is back again."

Amelia froze when she heard Nathan's petulant voice inside.

"Ms. Nikki, will you be my new mommy?"

Nicole laughed softly. "Then I'll have to marry your daddy first before I can be your mommy. Do you want your daddy to marry me?"

"I'll make him divorce Mommy right away so you can be my mommy instead!" Nathan said proudly.

Amelia listened from the doorway with a cold smile tugging at her lips. Nathan had no idea that Nicole was his birth mother, the very same woman who had abandoned him to Christopher years ago.

Nicole was shrewd, Amelia had to give her that. She had managed to protect her studies and her career, and still hold on to the man she wanted.

"I thought you wouldn't come to the hospital."

A low, detached voice came from behind her, laced with a faint edge of mockery.

Amelia turned and saw Christopher standing there in a sharp black suit, looking elegant and untouchable as always.

Once, she would have lit up at the sight of him and rushed to please him.

Now, all she felt was the sting of anger as she frowned deeply.

If it hadn't been for his years of neglect, Evelyn would never have stood waiting for him on that freezing, stormy night, burning with fever until pneumonia claimed her life.

Even today, he had walked out of the kindergarten with Nathan in his arms and left Evelyn behind, burning with a fever of her own. Whether he knew it or not, it didn't matter. If he had truly cared about his daughter, he would have noticed.

His gaze swept over her, taking in her rain-soaked clothes. "So this is what you've become after leaving the Zephyr family. Pathetic.

"Nate is inside. You can go see him if you want."

Amelia drew in a long breath, then let out a cold laugh. "He isn't my son. Why would I?"

Before he could react, she turned on her heel and walked away without a second glance.

In this life, she would never again pin her hopes on Christopher. She would never again wait for him to turn back and notice her and their daughter.

It was his indifference that had killed Evelyn in Amelia's last life.

She would never let history repeat itself.

Just then, Nicole opened the door. She caught sight of Amelia's retreating figure and asked, "Is Mia upset with me again? Is it because she doesn't like me being here?"

Christopher turned away and replied, "It's no big deal."

"The doctor said Nate's stomach is weak. The lactose intolerance is what caused the vomiting and diarrhea, and the dust mite allergy triggered the hives. His bloodwork also showed that he's completely stopped using the herbal baths for his allergies recently."

Nicole tilted her head, watching him. "If Mia refuses to come home, I can go over and give Nate his bath."

Christopher didn't refuse.

-

When Amelia returned to the room, Evelyn asked, "Was Daddy here? I think I heard him."

The way her daughter's face lit with hope made Amelia's chest tighten painfully.

How could she tell her that Christopher had come only for Nathan, not for her?

She sat down beside Evelyn and softly said, "Mommy knows you like Daddy, sweetie, but he's busy with work and doesn't have time to see you."

Evelyn looked down, her little hand twisted in the sheets. "Daddy doesn't like me, does he? No matter how hard I try to please him and Nate, they still don't like me. Is it because I'm not good enough?"

Amelia stroked her daughter's head. "Evie, you're more than good enough. You can't make the whole world love you, and no one is obligated to. So don't waste your heart chasing after the approval of others, not even your father's.

"If someone chooses to dislike you, that doesn't change who you are. You don't need to bend yourself just to earn their love."

For a four-year-old, these words were probably hard to fully grasp, but Evelyn could sense their weight. Amelia didn't want to repeat the past, and she refused to let her daughter keep longing for a father's love that would never come.

Evelyn lowered her head, tears blurring her vision. She half-understood her mother's words, yet her heart ached anyway.

Her daddy would come back someday, wouldn't he? All the other kids had their fathers.

Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as she hiccupped. "B-but Nate said I'm not really part of the Zephyr family, that I'm an illegitimate child... is that true?"

Amelia's chest tightened. "Don't listen to him. That's nonsense."

Her gaze darkened. Nathan was just a child, so someone must have whispered that poisonous thought in his ear.

Amelia had worked like a mule for the Zephyr family, only to have dirt thrown at her in the end.

It was easy to see just how hollow and unbearable those past years of marriage and family life had been!

-

Evelyn spent the night in the hospital. By morning, her fever had broken, and her condition was stable.

As she got out of bed and moved through the ward, she happened upon Nathan in the hallway, absorbed in flying a remote-controlled plane.

She looked up, her eyes widening. So this was Nicole's gift to him? It really looked amazing and incredibly cool.

Nathan spotted Evelyn in her hospital gown and immediately exclaimed, "Evie, you're a copycat! Even when I'm sick, you have to imitate me!"

"I'm not!" Evelyn protested.

Nathan snorted. "Too bad Daddy doesn't even come to see you."

He bent over the remote, maneuvering the toy plane toward Evelyn.

Just as the plane was about to crash down on her, Amelia swooped in, breakfast in hand, and scooped Evelyn out of the way. The plane smashed heavily onto the floor.

Evelyn's heart raced as she clung to Amelia. "Mommy..."

Christopher's coldness toward Evelyn—refusing to let her call him Daddy, favoring Nathan over her throughout the Zephyr family—had made her cautious, always watching everyone's expressions before acting.

Evelyn knew the truth. In the Zephyr family, no one cared for her except Amelia. She also knew she couldn't compete with Nathan, so she had learned to be well-behaved.

Amelia's chest tightened. She had failed in guiding her daughter. She had always assumed Evelyn was just shy, forgetting how lively she could be when no one else was around.

"From now on, no matter who bullies you, you stand your ground. I've got your back."

Nathan tightened his grip on the remote when he saw Amelia, sensing the fierceness in his mother's gaze.

Amelia looked at him steadily. "Apologize to Evie."

"I-It was an accident! It's not my fault she was standing there!"

With Christopher and Nicole both away, Nathan didn't have much courage to face Amelia.

Nathan hated his mother. She was annoying, and was always trying to lecture him and control him.

On second thought, Christopher didn't want Amelia or Evelyn anyway, and Nicole would always back him up.

He wasn't afraid of his unsophisticated, country bumpkin mother one bit!

Nathan gathered his courage and shot back, "If she ruins the plane Ms. Nikki made me, you can't even pay for it!"

Amelia lowered her gaze to the toy plane on the floor, her expression calm and indifferent. It was just a cheap little toy. Anyone could make one if they had the instructions. She didn't want to argue with a child over something so trivial.

But today, she had to stand up for Evelyn.

Amelia turned to Evelyn. "Fine. If he won't apologize, do whatever you want with him."

Amelia had always taught her not to hit or yell at people, that it was rude.

Evelyn's little hands itched with the urge to act. But if she hit or scolded her brother today, would her father hate her even more?

She thought back to what Amelia had told her last night—sometimes one had to have the courage to be disliked.

With that in mind, Evelyn stepped toward Nathan.

Nathan was startled.

Nicole returned with a pot of hot water and immediately took in the scene. She stepped forward, shielding Nathan behind her, then looked at Amelia sharply.

"Mia, why are you being so harsh with Nate? Can you even teach a child properly if this is how you act as a mother? It's just kids roughhousing. No need to make such a big deal out of it. You even scared Nate."

Christopher had just returned from buying breakfast, and he arrived just in time to hear Nicole's words. He looked at Nathan, trembling and cowering behind Nicole, and he frowned.

Amelia let out a bitter laugh, about to retort, but a cold, low voice cut through the tension from behind her.

"We don't need you here in the hospital. Take Evie and go back."