Chapter 3

On the other end, Eve sounded like she was crying. "Michael, Ms. Bennett doesn't like me. I wanted to go back to the office, but it's raining. I think water got into my system, and now my program's malfunctioning. I'm not feeling well."

Michael shot up in bed, grabbed his coat, and was about to rush out the door.

But as if something suddenly occurred to him, he spun around and dragged me off the bed. "Claire, this is all your fault. If it weren't for you, Eve wouldn't have run out into the rain.

"If so much as a hair on her head is harmed, I'll make you pay dearly."

He clamped down on my wrist, practically dragging me out to the car as we sped off to find Eve.

Thanks to the GPS tracker, Michael found her huddled in a corner at a deserted bus stop, soaked through.

He rushed over like a madman, umbrella in hand, and pulled her tightly into his arms. "Don't be scared. As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you."

Eve rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I think I short-circuited. I could only call you."

Michael hugged her tighter. "It's alright. I promise, nothing's going to happen to you."

He carefully tucked Eve into the car, made sure her seatbelt was secure, then turned and shoved me out without a second thought.

The rain soaked me to the bone, drenching my hair and clothes instantly.

He towered over me, his eyes icy and merciless. "This is all your fault. If you hadn't made Eve feel unwelcome, she wouldn't be in this mess. If anything happens to Eve, you'll regret it."

His gaze lingered on my baby bump. "Don't think because you're pregnant, you can get away with anything. You can walk home. That's your punishment."

The car door slammed shut, the engine roared, and the car sped off into the rain, abandoning me in the storm.

As I watched the car vanish into the rain, my nose burned, and my tears fell, blending with the downpour.

It was true. She was his creation, a perfect replica of his first crush, while I had stayed by his side for a full ten years, yet could not even compare to being a mere replacement.

I gently rested my hand on my belly and felt a faint movement from the little one inside me.

It had been four months now. I can already sense their presence.

I was sorry to baby. I couldn't let them be born into a home that was destined to be unhappy.

I couldn't help sneezing, and instinctively wrapped my arms around myself.

My drenched pajamas stuck to my skin, and I shivered uncontrollably on the empty bench at the bus stop.

Michael had dragged me out so fast that I didn't have my phone or my wallet. I didn't have a single dollar.

The rain kept pouring down, the streets were totally deserted, and the last bus was long gone.

I had no idea how long I'd been sitting there, soaked and shivering in the rain, until a black Maybach slowly pulled up in front of me.

The door opened, and a familiar figure walked over, umbrella in hand. "Ms. Bennett, what are you doing out here?"

"Mr. Sawyer?" I looked up, dazed, barely able to process who it was.

He was James Sawyer, CEO of Sawyer Innovations, and Emily's brother.

He was Michael's archrival in the business world.

We'd crossed paths a few times before, back when I tagged along with Michael to parties.

James stood at the edge of the rain, his dark suit perfectly tailored, giving him a sharp, confident look.

He glanced at me, taking in my sorry state, and his brows knitted slightly. "I happened to see your resume. Guess you're having a rough time. Come on, let's get you out of here."

He stepped aside, holding the umbrella out for me, his voice calm and reassuring. "Ms. Bennett, please, get in."

I hesitated for a moment.

The rain was coming down harder, and the cold was seeping through my wet clothes.

"Thank you." In the end, I climbed into the car with him.

The heater hummed softly, and he handed me a clean blanket.

"Thank you." I pulled the blanket tighter around me, my fingers still trembling.

"Don't mention it." James started the engine, his eyes lingering on my pale face. "Did Michael really leave you out here all alone in weather like this?"

I stayed silent, not sure what to say.

Was I really supposed to tell him my husband left his four-months-pregnant wife out in the rain at two in the morning because of a robot?

James didn't seem to need an answer from me.

He drove steadily, and after a while, he finally spoke up. "I heard Michael's company rolled out a new bionic robot, called Eve, right?"

I stiffened.

"Was it modeled after Emily?" James asked, his voice calm, but it stabbed me right in the chest.

I nodded, my throat tight. "They are exactly the same."

"Did he let that robot move into your house?" James pressed.

"Yeah." I lowered my gaze to my baby bump. "When I refused, he got really angry."

Then, as if I'd finally found someone to talk to, I started pouring out everything that had happened these past few days.

I told him Eve had walked into the house and deliberately thrown herself down the stairs to frame me. To punish me, Michael had tied me, someone terrified of heights, to a roller coaster for a full hour.

I told him about waking up in the hospital and overhearing Michael and Jessica's conversation.

I told him how Michael planned to hand the baby over to Eve after it was born, then lock me away at Riverside Manor.

James never interrupted me.

He kept his eyes on the road, his profile looking especially calm in the dim light.

It wasn't until I'd finished talking that he slowly pulled over beside a 24-hour coffee shop.

"Wait here for a minute." James unbuckled his seatbelt and headed inside the shop.

A few minutes later, he returned with a cup of hot milk, handing it to me. "Here, drink this. It'll warm you up."

I wrapped my hands around the cup, letting the heat seep into my frozen fingers.

I took a small sip; the sweet warmth slid down my throat, and for a moment, the chaos inside me eased.

I whispered, "I didn't think you'd actually believe me." "I mean, it's a robot, and Michael's been your business rival for years anyway.

"Honestly, saying all this out loud, I probably sound like I'm trying to come between you two, or like some jealous, hysterical woman."

James turned to look at me, his eyes steady.

"I believe you," he said, his voice calm and certain.

I was stunned.

James said, his voice growing softer, "First, you have no reason to lie to me. Second, I know my sister.

"Emily would never say something like, 'I'm not here to break up this family. I'm here to join it.'

"She's proud and stubborn. If she wants something, she'll fight for it openly. She'd never act all pitiful or try to play the victim."

He paused, a flicker of pain in his eyes. "In that fire, Emily ran in to save Michael.

"If she were still alive and found out Michael had recreated her with a robot, and let that machine take her place and her face to hurt another woman, she'd be absolutely sick to her stomach."

I wrapped my hands around the cup, my fingers quivering.

"What are you going to do next?" James asked.

"I'm going to have an abortion," I said.

James looked genuinely surprised.

He'd thought I couldn't stand that robot, Eve, and wanted her out of the picture, but he never expected I'd go this far.

To outsiders, it looked like I was so in love with Michael that I'd lost myself, willing to give up everything for him.

When he first heard Walker Group had created Eve, he'd considered going to see the robot modeled after his sister.

But after hearing everything I'd been through, he suddenly saw things in a whole new light.

Michael was out of his mind.

He was so far gone that he couldn't tell a robot from a real person, destroying his wife's dignity in the process.

"Well then." James restarted the car. "If he's relying on a robot, you can do the same."

I stared at him, confused.

James smiled at me. "The AI lab at Sawyer Innovations began preparing a project called the Guardian Series three years ago.

"It's not about recreating someone who's gone. It's about building smart companions that can learn, adapt, and step up to protect their person when it really matters.

"Their emotional core is all about loyalty and empathy, not trying to copy the complicated nature of human feelings."

He shot me a sideways glance. "Originally, this project was designed to help elderly people living alone and those dealing with psychological challenges.

"But now, maybe it's time to create a personalized model for you."

"A personalized model?" I murmured.

It wasn't long before I came face-to-face with my very own exclusive robot.

It could take care of all the housework, pick up on your mood, soothe you gently, and had impressive combat skills to boot.

Most importantly, it was totally loyal and would never, ever hurt a human being.

"Now, you can choose a look," James said. "If you want it to have the exact same appearance as Michael, that's doable. It'll take an extra week."

I shook my head. "No, that's not necessary. Do you have any models already available?"

"Of course."

"Then give me the best-looking one."