The Second Life of Stella Rossi

Cole w

ttack, they said

ce, a place she rarely entered. It was all sleek

o be sorting his a

ypted drive on his minimalist desk.

g, pricked at her. Ethan was no

Vance, the daughter of his deceased mentor, his ward. A sw

rive

n't bu

as C

outing, Chloe sleeping. Videos of her, year

no

' s w

age is a transaction, a means t

th hitched. Th

e, her sacrificed ambitions in a

violently on the

s Amidst AI Catastrophe: Flagship Pr

g cars. A pile-up.

any was

rs called. The

rtune, his company shares –

s left wi

ot no

The company's massive liabi

was thick with grief, bu

fin, a portrait of Ethan – hands

they

ictims. Faces contort

respon

e k

rde

er. Hands grab

d in her hea

marble floor rush

funeral portrait, his pain

thought seared thr

hance, Ethan... I'

kne

, li

d, sitting b

nlight streamed t

own

against her ribs. A

ohol and something els

back to her. Dressed in a sh

awake," he said,

ndsome face a mas

ake, Stella. A regrett

reeling. Last night? W

alcohol-fueled encounter. One she, in that other life, had foolishly hop

the wedding plans," Ethan continued, his ton

it was all wrong, ye

ding. This was weeks

n, the betrayal, the vi

he wa

The trauma of her death had bu

e surprisingly steady. "I w

, a humorl

ur tactics? What is it this time? A bigger ring?

worst in her, twis

everything. Her dreams of astrophysics, her own identity, all laid at

ed Chloe.

dull ache, but now it was ov

s not a tactic. I' m serious

something unreadable in his c

idn'

phone, her fingers

t his name, past the names of society

old astrophysics pr

ne rang

really you?" Dr. Sharma' s voic

ed tears. "It' s me. I... I was calling about Projec

harma' s voice, brim

r top candidate, you know. The project is launching in five day

e d

ddenly grave. "It' s a ten-year commitment. Minimum. No ou

Away from Ethan, away

for herself. To r

was watching her with a mixt

s was a game.

into the phone, her voic

hung

g. "What was that all

aze, her own now

re, Ethan. A future tha

be his doorm

e. This time,