Chapter 25
Chapter 25:
Grayson rolled his eyes. “You’re so dramatic. I’ll buy her a doll tomorrow.”
“She doesn’t want a doll,” Isolde said. “She wants a father. But we’re fresh out of those.”
She took Effie’s hand. “Come on, Effie. We have work to do.”
They walked past the SkyLine booth to a smaller table in the corner.
ISSDC — International Space Settlement Design Competition. Registration Open.
Isolde took a photo of the registration details with her phone. She would not risk filling out a form here.
“We’re in,” she told Effie quietly.
Effie looked back at Grayson, who was laughing with a donor, ignoring her completely.
𝗗іs𝘤𝗈𝗏𝖾r ոе𝘄 𝗌to𝗿іеs 𝗈𝘯 𝘨a𝗅𝗇𝗈v𝗲lѕ.c𝗈𝘮
Effie turned back to Isolde. Her face hardened. The sadness evaporated, replaced by a cold determination that mirrored her mother’s.
“I’m going to build a better plane,” Effie said. “And I’m not going to let him ride in it.”
Isolde smiled. It was a fierce, dangerous smile.
“That’s my girl.”
They walked out of the Javits Center into the cool night air. Behind them, the SkyLine party raged on, celebrating a stolen victory. Ahead of them, the city lights blurred into a runway.
Isolde checked her phone. She sent a quick, encrypted text to Arland.
Register a new team for the ISSDC. Name: Athena Project. Lead designer: Sophia. Assistant: E.C. Keep it anonymous.
She hailed a cab. The game was on.
The morning air in Central Park was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and exhaust from the nearby avenue. Isolde walked slowly, her hand gripping Effie’s small, cold fingers.
They had left the hotel early. Too suffocating after the humiliation at the product launch the night before. Effie was quiet. She wore her favorite leggings and a hoodie that was slightly too big, clutching a book on origami she had bought from a street vendor. Her eyes were downcast, focused on her sneakers hitting the pavement.
“Look at the ducks, Effie,” Isolde said, pointing toward the pond. Her voice sounded thin to her own ears.
Effie didn’t look up. “They’re just swimming in circles, Mommy.”
Isolde felt a pinch in her chest. Even the ducks were a disappointment today.
They rounded a bend near the Alice in Wonderland statue. A small crowd had gathered. Cameras were clicking.
Isolde stopped. She tried to turn back, but it was too late.
Grayson was there.
He was sitting on a park bench, legs crossed casually, wearing a cashmere sweater that probably cost more than Isolde’s entire rental car. Belle was next to him, laughing at something he said, her head thrown back in a pose that was perfectly calculated to catch the light.
And Kaiden.
Kaiden was running around them, holding the limited-edition metal plane Grayson had refused to give Effie last night.
“Higher, Kaiden! Smile for the camera!” a photographer shouted.
It was a staged family outing. A PR stunt to clean up the image after the awkward questions at the launch. #LancasterPerfectFamily.
Kaiden stopped running. He saw them.
.
.
.