"Twenty-five percent is outrageous," M thought, shaking her head at the offer. The algorithm had evolved significantly since its early days, and she hadn''t been involved in its recent development. epting such arge share would surely upset the core team, and it would createplications for Forrest as well.


    Sensing her hesitation, Forrest tried to reassure her. "This ising from my own shares," he exined gently. "You don''t need to feel any pressure."


    That only made her more determined not to ept. M pressed her fingers to her temples, feeling a headacheing on as she searched for the right words. "Forrest, I appreciate your generosity, truly," she began. "You''ve already done so much for me—offering me a safe ce to stay, helping me n my escape, and getting involved in... Well, suffice it to say, I''m already indebted to you. I can''t possibly ept this."


    She stood up quickly. "Julian''s asleep, and I can''t leave him alone for too long. I should head back."


    Forrest watched her leave, the room falling into silence once more. His smile faded slightly as he gazed at the scattered papers on his desk. After a moment, he let out a soft chuckle. "You''ve turned me down again," he murmured to himself.


    He walked over to his desk, retrieved a small leather notebook, and flipped it open. Most of the pages were nk, except for the first two, which had numbers written in red ink: 1, 2. He turned to the third page and carefully wrote the number 3, then set the notebook aside. Removing his silver-rimmed sses, he leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The third time," he sighed, the sound echoing softly in the study.


    Back in her room, M''s heart was still racing. She locked the door, checked on Julian to make sure he was sleeping peacefully, and then copsed onto the rug, feeling utterly drained.


    The thought of what had transpired in the study left her anxious. It wasn''t just about the shares or the potential dividends. She understood that Forrest''s offer carried deeper implications. Despite the chaos of the past, did he still hold onto those feelings?


    Regardless of his intentions, M had just emerged from a disastrous marriage, one that wasn''t even fully dissolved yet. She wasn''t ready, nor interested, in entering a new rtionship.


    She buried her face in her hands, letting out a long sigh. All she wanted was to leave the country as soon as possible. Now that Forrest''spany had gone public and was stabilizing, it was only a matter of time before she could slip away without fearing Montgomery Holdings'' influence.


    Once she was abroad, with miles and time between them, maybe Forrest would move on. Or perhaps she was overthinking it. After all, given the tumultuous past, it was unlikely anyone would still cling to such feelings. Forrest had been nothing but respectful and appropriately distanttely, behaving like a true friend.


    Her thoughts spinning in circles, M shook her head, deciding it was best to maintain a respectful distance. Once she was overseas, everything would settle down.


    Resolute, she pushed the thoughts from her mind, set an rm, andy down beside Julian, finally drifting into sleep.


    Around two in the morning, the rm went off. M groggily opened her eyes, choosing to stay awake rather than risk dozing off again. Sure enough, a few momentster, Julian began to stir. Still asleep, he climbed out of bed and started wandering aimlessly around the room-sleepwalking once more.