I didn't move right away. Hayden was already on the scissor lift, calling out to me, "Come on, let's go up together."I squeezed the lollipop in my hand, debating.He added, "We still need to check the adjustments."It was the same excuse he used earlier to get me up there, but what had I actually seen last time?"This is work time. Don't use work as an excuse to mess with me," I warned."Oh," he said, acting all innocent, but he stayed put, clearly waiting for me.With no real way out, I got up and started walking toward him. Just as I was about to step onto the lift, he reached out to help me, but I pulled away.But the second I put one foot on the lift, it wobbled, and I instinctively grabbed his arm.My face heated up instantly with embarrassment, but he just looked around and muttered, "We should get this lift checked out. Why does it keep shaking?"I had nothing to say to that.This time, though, Hayden didn't pull any stunts. Once we were on the lift, he got straight t
I got back to the office, and Jace was already there."Mr. Johnston, here's my resignation letter," I said, handing him the paper I'd been holding onto for way too long. "I already submitted it through HR on my phone."Jace barely even looked at it before flicking it onto his desk. "You're really taking this too far," he said, his eyes ice-cold.He thought I was just being dramatic, but honestly, I'd never actually caused any trouble.When I first moved in with the Johnstons, I was basically a guest who didn't have the right to make waves. And when I started catching feelings for Jace, I definitely wasn't about to stir the pot.Before my parents' accident, I was that spoiled kid who could throw a fit if I didn't get my way. But after moving in with the Johnstons, causing a scene just wasn't in my DNA anymore."Do I look like someone who causes trouble? When have I ever caused you any?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.Jace opened his mouth like he was going to say something, bu
Jace's grip on me tightened. "I already explained it—I was drunk and confused.""If you can make that mistake once, you can make it again. And we both know, some mistakes are unforgivable," I shot back, my voice firm."Stop acting like you're so perfect," Jace snapped, his voice sharp with anger.Seeing him like this just made the disappointment sink in deeper. I couldn't believe I'd ever been stupid enough to fall for someone like him."Rea, you just want to leave me so you can mess around with other guys. Don't think I don't see what you're up to," he continued, trying to twist everything.I was so tired of this fight. "If that's what you believe, fine. I know your pride can't handle being betrayed, so why don't you just let go of me? Let me get as far away from you as possible and make things easier for both of us."I was desperate to escape this toxic mess, but my words only made Jace angrier. Suddenly, he leaned in, trying to force a kiss on me.I turned my head away, disgu
"Smashing his head wasn't enough! You should've just killed that son of a bitch! He didn't want you when you were right there in his bed, but now he tries to force himself on you? You did the right thing cracking his skull!" Lena raged, ditching every bit of that cool, composed elegance you'd expect from a top-tier OB-GYN."He's just bitter. He always thought I'd never leave him, and now that I'm really done, he's losing it," I said.Lena agreed with me and added, "Yeah, now he's probably realizing he's madly in love with you and can't stand the thought of you with someone else."Wasn't that the truth?First Wayne, then Tanya—both sent over to keep me from working with Hayden, making it impossible to finish the last few tasks at the amusement park.But Hayden promised he'd handle it, so I knew he would."Rea, listen to me: if Jace even thinks about messing with you again, you hit him back. Every. Single. Time. Once he's scared of you, he won't dare try anything again," Lena advis
"Your resignation is invalid," Wayne's words were commanding.I knew he could make that happen if he wanted. Even if he couldn't, he could just get Matthew to overrule Jace. But that wasn't what I wanted.So, I decided to shut that down. "Jace already signed off on it."Jace was the one running RiverwaveCorp now, not Wayne.There was silence on the other end. After a few seconds, Wayne asked, "Where are you?"Only Lena and Hayden knew where I'd moved, but Wayne had a way of figuring things out. He was the kind of guy who remembered every detail, so he might even guess where I was.But I wasn't about to tell him. "I've been all about the amusement park for the last two years. Please help wrap up the last bits.""Rea...""Wayne, don't. Just don't."I hung up and turned back to the oat porridge bubbling away in the pot. It smelled pretty good.No fancy dinner tonight, though—I hadn't bought groceries, so oat porridge was all I had.I sat down with my laptop, spooning oat porrid
In the end, I couldn't stand the idea of the amusement park being anything less than perfect. This place was my dad's dream—a promise he made before he died in that car accident. I needed it to be flawless, so I agreed to help.But now, instead of being an official part of the team, I was just some unpaid consultant, working behind the scenes.Whatever, as long as the amusement park turned out amazing in the end.Besides, I had nothing better to do. Staying busy was way better than just sitting around.That evening, I headed to the Holiday Inn to meet Hayden about the amusement park project. As I was leaving, I noticed the door across the hall was locked up tight. The idea of some random guy moving in there soon gave me the creeps.Then it hit me: why not rent that apartment?Luckily, the landlord's name and number were right on the door. I called her up right away, but when I pitched my idea, she hesitated. "Well... I already took a deposit from someone else. I can't just back o
This really happened, but the guy who called him a "dumb husky" got kicked out of the circle by Jace ages ago. Jace didn't stop there, either—he made sure that guy couldn't even stay in Seavora.Jace was petty like that. Lucky for everyone, he didn't have much real power or influence; otherwise, anyone who crossed him would be totally screwed.A guy like him would've been a sneaky, backstabbing minister in ancient times, whispering in a king's ear.Tanya's face got even more grim. She knew that by trash-talking Jace like this, I was indirectly insulting her too.Her face flushed with anger. "How can you talk about him like that? After all, he was a man you once loved. The least you could do after breaking up is not to slander him. I can't believe you're like this."Defending Jace right now, huh?"Decency?" I gave her a faint smile. "That should be reserved for people who deserve it. You were making out with your husband's close friend while you were still married, and then while
Tanya stood there, completely speechless, her humiliation written all over her face.But honestly, she kind of deserved it."Ms. Twain, if there's nothing else, you should head back early. You're carrying a 'one-of-a-kind' after all. If something happened, that wouldn't be good," I added, not to mock her but as an actual heads-up.'She decided to keep this baby, so she must have her reasons. But she should be more careful, not hanging around places like the amusement park. Unless, deep down, she doesn't actually want this baby.' That thought hit me like a punch to the gut as I looked at Tanya's face.But she was too lost in her shame to show any emotion.I'd said what I needed to say and got my anger out, so I turned to leave."Do you really not love Jace anymore? Do you really not want to be with him?" Tanya's voice called out behind me.I smirked, not bothering to turn around. "Yeah, I'm giving him to you."I was giving him to her, but I seriously doubted she could keep him.
“Lena, you’re back! Aaron…” Mrs. Lane immediately waved at Lena, signaling her to come over quickly. Lena had a sinking feeling and didn’t step forward. Just then, Aaron walked over and stood beside her, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. As his sleeve brushed against Lena’s hand, the accidental touch gave her a sudden boost of courage. What was there to be afraid of? With Aaron here, her mother wouldn’t dare go overboard. It was a confidence she had grown up with—so long as Aaron was around, her mother was nothing more than a paper tiger. To this day, Lena couldn’t quite figure it out. Aaron wasn’t even biologically related to the family, yet everyone seemed to hold him in unusually high regard. Whatever he said, no one would dare contradict. It was precisely because of this unique favoritism that Lena often rode on his coattails, benefiting from his influence. “Chairman Goodwick, Mrs. Goodwick,” Aaron greeted the unfamiliar guests first, acknowledging the fa
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s completely healed,” Lena said as she sat down. “Any new issues or discoveries today?” “None,” Nate replied, his dark, deep gaze lingering on her with a complex expression. Lena noticed but pretended not to. She had no intention of asking. When she lowered her head to focus on work, Nate withdrew his gaze. For the rest of the day, he didn’t say another word to her. This behavior was unusual for him. Ever since he returned to promote his research project, Nate had always carried himself with humility, desperately seeking her forgiveness. But today, he acted like just another colleague, a completely different person from before. Although this change was what Lena had hoped for, she couldn’t help but feel unsettled. What had brought on this sudden shift? She thought back to the incident yesterday when she had asked Nate and Aaron to leave while her wound was being treated. Could it be that her uncle had said something to Nate? On the drive bac
Aaron didn’t give Nate an answer, but silence itself was an answer. Lena’s test results came back negative: no traces of snake venom were found in her system. The wound had been treated, and in the end, it turned out to be a false alarm. “Sorry, Uncle,” Lena said apologetically. “I ruined your camping trip.” When she had been bitten by the snake, her screams were so terrifying that they startled everyone else. The others quickly packed up and left, bringing the camping trip to an abrupt, messy end. “It’s fine. You can make it up to everyone another time,” Aaron replied in a way that defied all expectations. Shouldn’t he be comforting her? He didn’t play by the rules, and Lena decided she wouldn’t either. “I’m not making it up to anyone. If anything, you owe me, Uncle.” “How would you like me to compensate you?” This time, he sounded more reasonable. Lena blinked mischievously. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” After saying that, she sigh
Nate stared at her face, carefully observing her expression and movements. He had a rough idea of her condition but still asked, "Bitten on the ankle, right? Let me see the wound." As he spoke, he bent down. However, before he could touch Lena, she was moved away. Nate looked up at Aaron. "Mr. Ace, even if the snake isn’t venomous, its teeth carry a lot of bacteria." Aaron’s response was as sharp as ever. "Oh, so you can see the bacteria and have a chat with them, asking them to leave? Or can you wipe them out with your bare hands?" Without waiting for Nate’s reply, Aaron scooped up Lena and walked off. Nate crouched there for a few seconds, stunned, before standing up and following quickly.-Lena was seated in a chair as the doctor lifted her leg. Just as Nate reached out to roll up her pant leg, Aaron had already done it. Nate had no choice but to awkwardly withdraw his hand. The doctor began cleaning the wound with disinfectant. Meanwhile, Aaron gently placed his hand
The black Cayenne roared through the night, the driver pushing the car to its limits as if his foot might break through the gas pedal. Yet, Aaron wasn’t satisfied. "Faster," he barked. "There’s no need to rush. Safety first," Lena said, her voice calm despite her pale complexion. As a doctor, she knew the basics—judging by the snake that bit her, it was likely just a common green snake, non-venomous. Despite her reassurances, Aaron remained tense, his entire body rigid. The driver, responding to the urgency, raced toward the hospital with record-breaking speed. What should have been a twenty-minute drive was reduced to eight. By the time they screeched to a halt, the driver’s legs were trembling from the adrenaline rush. It was the first time in his life he had experienced such an intense, heart-pounding ride. Aaron didn’t wait for the car to stop completely. He leapt out, carrying Lena straight into the emergency room. "Doctor, she's been bitten by a snake," he said urgently.
"Then why are his photos identical to yours?" Keira demanded. Lena didn’t answer immediately. She understood what Keira meant, opened her social media app, and found Aaron’s post. Sure enough, he’d shared the exact same photo as hers. To make things worse, the comments underneath included a particularly mortifying one from her mother: [You’re with Lena, huh?] Her mother probably didn’t mean anything by it, but the comment still felt inappropriate. As Lena silently cursed her mother’s lack of tact, she noticed another reply under that comment. This one, from Aaron himself, read: [Wherever she goes, I’ll take her with me and make sure she’s well taken care of. Don’t worry, Sis.] Lena was absolutely speechless. These two siblings were a perfect match: one was clueless, and the other oblivious. Her mother, as an older woman, could be excused for her lack of social awareness. But Aaron? Why was he commenting like this, knowing full well that their mutual friends could see it?
Lena hastily withdrew her hand, but her movements were too abrupt. As she stepped back, she tripped over the support pole of the tent and fell backward. Just as she braced herself for a painful landing, Aaron’s long arm reached out and caught her waist, pulling her into his embrace. Her cheek pressed against his chest, and the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat filled her ears, blending with her own erratic pulse. This suffocating feeling... It was almost intoxicating. It reminded her of the time she had accidentally walked in on him while he was showering. Awkward. So awkward that she didn’t even know how to extricate herself, nor did she have the courage to pull away from his arms. “You’re already an adult, yet you’re still so clumsy,” Aaron scolded lightly, his voice coming from above her. Then he released her and added, “No wonder your mom worries about you so much and insists on you staying at home.” Lena’s suffocating embarrassment was instantly eased by his rem
“Don’t randomly go into the tents. Some employees brought their families or significant others. It’d be awkward if you interrupted them,” Aaron reminded from behind her. “Wow, Uncle, how considerate of you—allowing employees to bring their families,” Lena teased, her tone light. She walked through the array of pitched tents, but with so many scattered around, she had no idea which one belonged to Aaron. Still, since he insisted she find it herself, she was determined to try. Approaching one tent, she suddenly heard muffled voices inside—intimate murmurs between a man and a woman. The woman’s hushed voice carried a hint of urgency. “Be gentle, don’t let anyone hear…” Even though Lena was a gynecologist, her cheeks flushed uncontrollably. She couldn’t help but think that if she had brought a stash of "protection" tonight, she might have made a small fortune. Meanwhile, Aaron stayed back, standing a short distance away and watching her from afar. In the moonlight, she looked l
“Reconciled with Nate?” In the quiet car, Aaron’s voice broke the silence as he glanced at Nate standing motionless in the rearview mirror. “No,” Lena denied softly. “He came back this time because of you, didn’t he?” Aaron asked as the car turned a corner. His hands moved fluidly on the steering wheel, the motion revealing a gray-gold watch on his wrist. The watch’s polished edges caught the light streaming through the window, casting a fleeting glimmer. Lena’s gaze lingered on the watch, her thoughts momentarily drifting. If she remembered correctly, she had given him a watch as a coming-of-age gift years ago. It had cost her all her savings back then. But that was over a decade ago. Surely, the watch she gave him would have broken by now. This one likely just resembled it—or maybe she was remembering it wrong after so much time. “Hm?” Aaron’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, his eyes briefly flicking to her. Lena quickly recovered. “He came back for a research pro