“Mm.” Zac nodded, showing little reaction. He wasn’t buying Emma’s sweet act. The two of them had never gotten along well, and now they walked side by side in silence. The carpeted hallway muffled their footsteps, creating an awkward tension between them.Zac eventually broke the silence. “How’s your recovery going? You seem a bit weak, and you’ve got some sweat on your forehead. You should really focus on resting and eating well until you’re fully recovered. Don’t overexert yourself.”He didn’t particularly like Emma, but he knew how much Justin cared for her. If anything happened to her health, Justin would likely hold him, the attending doctor, responsible. And that would mean extra work and overtime for him. Justin was unreasonable when it came to the people he cared about, especially Emma, who was practically his one true love. Zac just hoped Emma would have some sense and stop pushing herself with her fragile, undernourished body. He wasn’t thrilled to see her out and ab
“Who…who bit you?” Emma’s voice trembled as she asked.Justin was at a loss for words, his face tense. He shot a glance at Zac, silently pleading for help. Zac, who had been enjoying the unfolding drama, raised an eyebrow in surprise.“Seriously, man?” Zac thought. “You ditched Emma, your supposed one true love, to sneak off with another woman and even got bitten as proof? Now you want me to cover for you?”Justin’s gaze didn’t waver, clearly hoping Zac would jump in.With a resigned sigh, Zac figured he would better step in. That was what good friends were for, after all. Adjusting his silver-framed glasses, he flashed a small smile and looked at Emma. “Emma, that mark on Justin’s neck? Yeah, that was me,” he said casually. “Hope you don’t mind,” he added with a hint of amusement.Justin’s eyes narrowed, shooting Zac a glare that could cut steel. “I needed you to cover for me, not make it worse!”Zac, unfazed, avoided Justin’s gaze, feigning innocence. “Hey, it was the best
After finishing with the iodine, Zac wrapped the bite mark with a large adhesive bandage. “You two really know how to make things complicated, don’t you?” he muttered, tossing the packaging and used swabs into the trash.Justin’s face darkened in irritation. “Is that it? You just came here to nag?”“Alright, alright, I’ll drop it,” Zac conceded, raising his hands in mock surrender.Just then, Zac’s phone pinged with a message. He checked it, a grin spreading across his face, “Hey, didn’t you get a bunch of sparklers for Emma? Where’d you stash them? I could use a few.”Still in a foul mood, Justin wasn’t interested in gossip. He gave a quick nod towards a suitcase, barely looking up. “The code’s four zeros.”Zac opened the suitcase, found the sparklers, and pocketed a few. “Thanks,” he said, making his way to the door. As he left, he looked back and added, “And, uh, you might want to change that shirt. There’s blood on it.”Although Zac wasn’t a fan of Emma, he couldn’t just le
Emily accepted the bag. “Thanks.” She hadn’t expected Sean to be so quick. She had only just added him on her contacts, and he had already arranged for the medicine to be delivered. Without fuss, she took the bag and sent him a quick thank-you message on her phone. As she opened the bag, she noticed it didn’t just contain anti-inflammatory ointment. There were also packets of cold medicine and some sleep aids. Cold medicine? Tonight was as warm as summer, unlike the past few days when it had been cooler at night. The water wasn’t cold either, so she didn’t see the need for it. But the sleep aid was thoughtful. After her accident, she had developed a lingering fear of water, and being suddenly pulled into the pool had shaken her. This might help her settle before bed. She was impressed at how thorough Sean had been.The doorbell rang again, and when she opened it, there stood Sean, holding another bag of medicine with a smile. “Sean!” Emily exclaimed, surprised. She had tho
Sometimes, the three of them played cards together, but other times, Helen would slip away to meet up with the new guy she had just met.Over the past couple of days, Emily had gone out of her way to avoid Justin, and luckily, they hadn’t crossed paths again.In the parking lot, Helen’s car was still damaged from the accident and had been towed for repairs. Sean offered to arrange a car and driver to take them home.Helen was impressed. “Wow, Sean! I didn’t expect this. You’re really stepping up!”Sean had been quick and generous with the compensation, and arranging a car for their ride home was a nice touch. After spending these last few days with him, Helen, who wasn’t one to hold a grudge, had completely forgiven him.Sean flashed a bright smile, his youthful face beaming. “It’s the least I could do.”He called his friends over to help load Emily and Helen’s suitcases into the trunk. If he hadn’t had plans with his buddies, he would have driven Emily home himself.Emily and H
“Let me help you pack, Justin,” Emma offered cheerfully.“Alright,” Justin replied casually, though he felt a bit uncomfortable letting someone else handle his things. He didn’t want to make her feel self-conscious by saying anything, so he just let her go ahead. It was just a few clothes, after all.Once Justin’s suitcase was packed, Zac arrived with his own luggage to meet up with him. The three of them headed out together.On the way, Zac was constantly checking his phone, grinning from ear to ear as he responded to messages, clearly in a great mood. When they reached the parking lot, Zac and Justin said their goodbyes, each heading to their own car, as their routes back were different.Justin acknowledged him with a nod. Carrying both his and Emma’s suitcases, he walked over to the car. His bodyguard, William, pulled up, got out, and took the luggage to load into the trunk.“Mr. Yates, the car is ready,” William announced.Justin nodded. William opened the back door and wai
Justin didn’t offer any explanations, and Emma didn’t ask for any. They both understood the unspoken things between them, and as long as Justin chose her, that was all that mattered.Over the past few days, Justin had been by her side almost constantly. Aside from necessary work obligations and sleeping separately at night, they had spent nearly all their time together. However, there was one thing that left Emma feeling unsettled.Despite being together, they hadn’t made any real progress physically. The most they had done was hold hands or share a few light embraces. It wasn’t that she was in a rush to take things further. She still had other matters to address first. What truly bothered her was that Justin hadn’t clearly defined their relationship.Without an explicit confession or being officially declared as his girlfriend, she felt like she was stuck in a gray area. To her, it was essential to secure a defined role as his partner. Only after Justin acknowledged her publicly
Justin looked at Emma’s thin face, his brows furrowing with concern.“She’s way too skinny,” he thought.Glancing at his watch, he said, “I’m out of time. I need to go.”“I’ll walk you out,” she offered.Emma walked him to the elevator, watching as the doors closed and he disappeared from view. She returned to her apartment, shut the door, and immediately pulled out her phone.The first thing she did was search for hospitals online, deliberately avoiding Lichfield Hospital. She found a public hospital and booked an appointment for a Hymenoplasty. The confirmation appeared on the screen, and she let out a satisfied chuckle, her eyes glinting with a hint of triumph.Meanwhile, back in the car, Justin leaned back in the seat, exhausted, as William drove. Justin rubbed his temples and sighed deeply, clearly worn out. He hadn’t been sleeping well these past few nights. Every time he managed to fall asleep, he would dream either about Emily falling into the pool, with him unable to r
“The building at the heart of the island is a massive wedding chapel,” the staff member explained cheerfully. “The first floor is for the ceremony itself, the second for the banquet. The third floor is reserved for dressing and makeup, and from the fourth floor up, it’s all accommodations. The very top level is the bridal suite.”The more he spoke, the deeper Haley’s frown became. Something wasn’t adding up.“So this is an all-inclusive wedding venue?” she cut in.The man chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, no, no. This place isn’t open to the public. Mr. Yates built it exclusively for his wife. Just the two of them. One couple. That’s it.”Haley was at a loss for words.Even Alex, the more clueless of the twins, caught on. His eyes sparkled as he tugged at Haley’s hand. “Mommy! Uncle Justin built this place for you! It’s so romantic!”Five years ago—around the time he and Chase were born—their dad had already been planning a wedding for their mom.Suddenly, Alex didn’t feel quit
At 8 p.m., Haley arrived right on time for Jacob and Miss Scott’s engagement banquet.Up on the stage, under the warm wishes of both families and to the sound of dreamy background music, the soon-to-be-wed couple exchanged rings. They followed it up with a string of romantic clichés about love at first sight. Then, under the applause of the guests, they shared a passionate kiss.Just as Sam had said, Haley didn’t need to do much—just show her face. She had no interest in watching the Yates and Scott families put on this show. The whole thing was clearly a political alliance, a calculated marriage meant to secure control over RC Corporation—the very company she was now temporarily leading.She set down her untouched wine glass, smoothed her gown, and quietly left the venue.The car headed toward Mistletoe Villa. Haley sat in the backseat, eyes distant. Sam was in the front passenger seat. Noticing her exhaustion, he pulled out a tablet from his briefcase and said,“President, t
Chase and Alex had settled into a daily routine of their own. Every morning, they accompanied Zac to the hospital to visit Justin. In the evenings, they went home together after work.The world kept turning. It didn’t slow down just because Justin had slipped into a coma.At RC Corporation, Haley was also adjusting. With Sam’s steady guidance, she was slowly getting the hang of the job. Day by day, her grasp of the responsibilities sharpened, and her confidence grew.Everything was moving forward.“President,” Sam said, stepping into her office. “Here’s the compensation proposal for the demolition site. It’s part of the land marked for the international project. The plan was finalized under the former president’s direction, and we just got the government’s approval. We need your signature to release the funds so construction can begin.”He handed her the file, efficient and precise as always. Sam never once got her title wrong. He took his role as assistant seriously.Haley glanc
Haley’s voice was steady and sincere. “It’s true—corporate management and project leadership aren’t my areas of expertise. But from what I understand, RC Corporation is currently working on a major international venture. The overseas partner is Prolux Corporation, based in Merika State.”She paused briefly before continuing. “Prolux Corporation’s CEO is Wilfred—my brother. I also hold shares in Prolux. I believe that makes me a strong bridge between RC Corporation and our international partner, and someone well-positioned to temporarily lead the company.”What?Wilfred was her brother?The shock hit the room like a thunderclap. Whatever doubts they had about her qualifications or lack of experience suddenly evaporated. With a backing like that? No one could ignore it.Compared to her powerful connections, Harry’s passionate speech felt like hot air. All skepticism faded. All except Harry voted in favor.For now, it looked like Haley had secured her position as president—solid a
After finishing his pitch, Harry looked around the room.“I believe that under my leadership, we can take RC Corporation to even greater heights. I’m not doing this for personal gain,” he added, his voice earnest. “My nephew suffered a terrible accident and is now in a vegetative state. I’m simply stepping in as acting president until he wakes up. When that day comes, I’ll hand everything back to him, no questions asked.”Harry silently remarked, “Wake up? A person in a vegetative state doesn’t just wake up in three to five years.”Once he got his hands on full control, that precious nephew of his would never wake up—at least not while he was in charge.Victory was within reach. Harry curled his lips into a satisfied smile, ready to accept the applause.But no one clapped.Instead, Haley’s voice rang out, calm and clear. “I have a document here. Before his accident, Justin gave specific instructions to his assistant, Sam. Should anything happen to him, all authority—his positio
Sam, worried that Haley might change her mind, borrowed the assistant’s office from Zac’s team and quickly printed the new contract. Then he brought it back to the hospital room.Only when he saw Haley sign her name did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. It was done—the company now had someone in charge.*The next morning, Lily arrived at the hospital right on time for her shift. Haley took the boys home to Mistletoe Villa, had breakfast, showered, and got into Sam’s car for her first official day at RC Corporation.Sam followed closely, looking like he feared she might bolt at any moment.In Justin’s office, he handed her a tablet and began briefing her with practiced efficiency. “President, you have a board meeting in fifteen minutes. It’s your formal introduction as acting president. Most of the shareholders are cooperative, but Vice President Harry Yates may try to stir things up.“You’ll want to be ready with a few prepared responses. Don’t worry. I’ll be right there w
“If the time runs out and I’m not back,” Haley said gently, “just call out to the bathroom. I’ll answer you right away.”“Okay… but come back soon, Mommy,” Alex said quickly. “If you fall or anything, call for me. I’ll get the housekeeper to help.”“I will,” Haley promised with a small smile.She understood why Alex was so nervous. It all went back to the kidnapping. He was afraid something would happen again.After her shower, she returned to find Chase and Alex already curled up on the bed, one on each side. She pulled them close and they all slept in together until noon.That evening, after dinner, Haley got ready to head to the hospital to switch shifts with Lily. She hadn’t planned on taking the boys, but they begged until she gave in.As they reached the hospital room and were about to go in, Haley paused. She could hear someone inside, talking in a soft, rambling tone. She couldn’t quite make out the words, but for a second, from the voice and the silhouette, she almost
Twelve hours had passed. Justin lay still on the hospital bed, his expression peaceful. He was so still that, if not for the rise and fall of his chest, he could have been mistaken for dead.Haley had spent the entire night at his bedside, with Chase and Alex by her side. It was not until early the next morning that Lily arrived with Alexander to take over.Lily shared several facial features with Heidi. It was clear they were sisters, although Lily looked a bit younger.No one felt much like talking. They simply nodded in greeting. One group stepped into the room, while the other quietly made their way home.Back at the house, everyone was already up and gathered at the breakfast table.“You’re back, sis!” Helen called out, gesturing for them to come eat.She didn’t mention anything about what happened. After all, Zac had already told her everything the night before. She hadn’t expected Justin to go that far to save her sister. It completely changed how she saw him.Looking at
Everyone had cleared out. Anxious to see their dad, Alex dragged Chase into the hospital room first. Only Haley remained in the hallway, quietly standing just outside the door. She didn’t go in right away.She didn’t know how long she had been there when Sam approached, holding a folder.“Miss Haley,” he said softly, “before Mr. Yates left to rescue you, he signed this.”He opened the folder and held it out to her. “If anything happened to him, he wanted all of his assets—his shares in RC Corporation and everything else—to be transferred to you.”Then he offered her a pen.All she had to do was sign, and everything would legally be hers. Every share. Every cent. She would become the new Chair of RC Corporation.It was a staggering amount of wealth—something most people wouldn’t even dare to dream of.But Haley barely reacted. Her face stayed calm. She didn’t even glance at the documents.“He’s going to wake up,” she said quietly, pushing the folder back. “It’s just a coma. H