Eleanor frowned, not entirely convinced by Byron''s assurances. She decided to take a closer look at this robot herself before making any judgments.


    After hanging up the call, she returned to the living room, where she found her daughter delighting in the robot''spany. Evelyn tilted her head, her voice sweet and clear as she asked, "Wiz, I want to hear Daddy tell me a story."


    The robot''s eyes flickered twice beforen''s gentle voice resonated from its speakers. “What story would you like to hear, Evelyn?"


    Evelyn''s face lit up, and she pped her hands with excitement. "Wow! It''s really Daddy telling me a story!" she squealed. "I want to hear The Little Mermaid!"


    Standing to the side, Eleanor''s brows knit together. She couldn''t help but notice that the robot was usingn''s real voice. Still, she had to admit this was a form of fatherly presence, even if it was unconventional.


    "Wiz,e here. Follow me," Evelynmanded with an air of importance.


    Evelyn marched to the sofa, with the robot trailing obediently behind her. Once she''d plopped down, Wiz stood in front of her, its eyes glowing softly asn''s recorded voice began to narrate the fairy tale, warm and maic.


    Suddenly, Eleanor''s phone rang. She nced at the screen-it wasn. Stepping out toward the front porch, she answered.


    "All of the robot''s monitoring features can be disabled. Its only purpose is to keep Evelynpany,"n said, sounding tired. "You don''t need to worry about me invading your privacy."


    "You''d better keep that promise," Eleanor replied icily.


    "I promise,”n said, his voice hoarse. "This model uses thetest emotional interaction system. When you''re busy, it can keep Evelynpany for me."


    A swirl of emotions caught Eleanor off guard. She looked back through the window and saw her daughter beaming at the robot, clearly enchanted. Even if she still had doubts, she couldn''t bring herself to refuse this gift.


    "If you''re still uneasy, you can switch off the monitoring functions when you''re home, and just use the smartpanion mode,”n added. "There''s a manual with all the instructions. Look it over."


    Eleanor ended the call and turned to see Evelyn twirling around Wiz. The robot''s digital eyes curved into cheerful crescents, its pink casing glowing warmly under the lights. Its rounded shape made it look nothing like the cold, mechanical bots in science fiction movies.


    "Mommy, Wiz is amazing! I really love this present from Daddy," Evelyn called out.


    Seeing her daughter''s genuine happiness, Eleanor finally smiled. "It is special, isn''t it? Let''s make it your new friend."


    "Yeah!" Evelyn agreed, hugging the robot.


    That night, Evelyn drifted off to sleep, still buzzing from excitement. Later, when Eleanor came downstairs for a ss of water, she found the robot standing quietly in the corner of the living room. Its eyes shimmered with a gentle blue light, like a loyal guardian watching over the room.


    Eleanor stood there for a long moment, just watching. Atst, she decided to let go of her reservations. What mattered most was her daughter''s happiness.


    With Wiz''spany over the weekend, Evelyn was happier and more engaged than ever. The robot was like a patient little tutor, answering Evelyn''s endless questions and helping her learn new things.


    Monday arrived. Eleanor dropped Evelyn off at preschool, then drove to Meridian Dynamics, her security detail following close behind.


    Today, York and his team were scheduled for a day-long technology exchange at Meridian Dynamics.


    Almost as soon as Eleanor arrived at her office, Laird poked his head in. "Eleanor, VP Chase would like you toe downstairs in a bit to help wee Dr. Windsor."