The Gulfstream's engines hummed at cruising altitude, the cabin lights dimmed to accommodate the night flight to Singapore. James had retreated to the cockpit to confer with the pilots, leaving Alex and Sonia alone in the main cabin, the revelation of her connection to his parents hanging in the air between them.
"How long have you known?" Alex finally asked, his voice barely audible over the engine noise.
Sonia's fingers trembled slightly as she smoothed an invisible wrinkle from her skirt. "I didn't. Not consciously." She met his gaze with unflinching directness. "The memories were embedded in the neural implant—encrypted until triggered by specific circumstances."
"My mother placed you in my life." It wasn't a question but a statement laden with all the complex emotions he felt—betra
