Chapter 1

My daughter's birthday party was supposed to be my proudest moment.

Instead, my husband handed my speech to our live-in tutor.

"The person I want to thank the most is my teacher, Ms. Amara Vance," my daughter, Leila, announced to the room. "She cares for me like a real mother. I love her so much!"

My husband, Zane Miller, led the applause with a beaming smile. He pulled them both into a sweet, lingering hug.

In that moment, I realized they were the real family of three. I was just the intruder.

I didn't make a scene. I simply left a signed divorce settlement on the desk, waiving all my rights to our assets.

I turned my back on them and joined a classified national defense project. I would be gone for twelve years.

After all, compared to a family that didn't want me, my country needed me more.

...

"Are you absolutely certain about this, Lyra?" the Director asked, his voice heavy with gravity. "This mission lasts twelve years. Once you enter the facility, there is zero contact with the outside world. What about your husband and daughter?"

Director Harrison looked at me with genuine concern.

I didn't hesitate for a single second. "I'm certain. I've already divorced my husband. His new woman will take good care of my daughter. I have nothing left to consider."

The Director was stunned into silence.

"The position you applied for is in the technical research department," he continued. "You'll be in a radiation suit all day, and the mental toll will be massive. Can you really handle the physical exhaustion?"

I gave him a tired but confident smile. "Of course. I've been training my body and my willpower for this moment. You don't have to worry about my stamina."

The Director bit his lip, trying to think of more obstacles to make me change my mind.

I saw right through him. "No matter the difficulty, I will overcome it. I understand your worry, sir, but we both know no one else can fill this role right now."

"No one else has reached my level of expertise in this field," I added calmly.

My own mentor had disappeared into a similar mission years ago. I didn't even know if we would ever cross paths again.

The Director's eyes grew misty. "I'm just worried about you. This kind of research takes a brutal toll on the body."

"If you've truly made up your mind, then we are honored to have you," he finally said.

Being chosen for the Phoenix Project was an honor most scientists would die for.

My mentor hadn't been home in decades. She spent every waking hour working for the future of our nation, and I was ready to do the same.

My resolve felt like iron.

"The project will succeed," I said firmly. "If I fall, my students will take my place. There will always be thousands more like me."

I booked a one-way ticket to the research site. The Director walked me to the gates.

"At the very least, go say your final goodbyes to your family," he suggested.

I thought about it for a moment and eventually nodded.

When I left the institute, my bank account was credited with over three million dollars as a preliminary grant.

I planned to donate every cent to charity. I wasn't leaving a penny to Zane or Leila.

I decided to call my daughter one last time.

She didn't love me, and strangely, I was grateful for that. It made leaving her much easier.

Still, she came from my own body. I felt I owed her one last attempt at a conversation before I vanished.

On the way home, I bought the expensive Lego set she had been begging for.

Consider it my final act of motherly love. From this day forward, my love belonged only to my country.