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.
Usually, Hayden treats me pretty well, so I figured he wouldn't act any different with Demi, right?I mulled it over for a bit before deciding to head to Hayden's room, waiting a good twenty minutes just to be safe. He'd told me to wait ten, probably because he needed to shower and change.When he opened the door, I wasn't surprised to see his hair still damp and him dressed in loose clothes, hotel slippers on his feet."Come in," he said, as brief as ever.I immediately noticed his laptop open on the desk. Skipping the small talk, I went straight for it. "What's the new issue?""It's in a document on the desktop. Open it and take a look," Hayden replied, just as the kettle clicked off.I sat down and logged onto the desktop, expecting it to be all neat and organized, given his personality. But nope—it was a chaotic mess of documents and files.Good thing I'm not squeamish about clutter, or I might've passed out right then.Staring at the overwhelming sea of icons, I had no cho
As soon as those words left my mouth, a wave of embarrassment crashed over me.I cringed inwardly, thinking I'd been way too blunt. I bet Hayden felt super awkward, too.But instead of backing off, he just stared at me for what felt like forever before saying, "Oh."Just Oh?!Seriously, how was he so chill?I glanced up at him, watching as he slowly straightened up. Then he added, "Your eyesight sucks, and even after I showed you exactly where it was, you still missed it. How else was I supposed to help you without getting closer?"His logic was so on point that it made me feel like I was the one with the dirty mind.Hayden then casually walked over to the side, sat down, and picked up his tablet to work on something. I stole a few glances at him before taking a couple of sips of water, trying to get my brain back on track.Sure, there were a few minor issues in the document that Hayden had flagged, but nothing major.He could've easily handled them on his own. Even if he need
As soon as the word left my mouth, Hayden's grip tightened. His eyes narrowed, and for a split second, I saw something flicker in them before it disappeared.Then, just like that, he let go, and the pressure on my hand vanished.I quickly stepped aside, rubbing the spot where his grip had stung. "I made all the changes you asked for. Do you want to check them now?"Hayden didn't budge, still lounging in the chair with his eyes shut. "No need. You should get some rest.""Oh... Goodnight," I mumbled, turning to go."Kiki," Hayden suddenly called out.I froze mid-step. Did he just call me...?Kiki...That was my childhood nickname. The only people who ever called me that were my parents when they were alive, and Lena sometimes—but even she usually calls me Rea.But I heard him clearly—he just called me Kiki.I spun around, staring at him in shock. "What did you just say?""Nothing," he replied, still with his eyes closed. "Just... make sure you close the door properly."I star
When I woke up that morning, the dream was still fresh in my mind.It was the second time Hayden had appeared in my dreams, and I couldn't help but wonder—had we met before?I tried to shake it off, but I kept thinking about that dream of the boy carrying me on his back, the one with the mole on his shoulder. Hayden just happens to have a mole in the exact same spot.And then there was yesterday—he called me Kiki. I'm sure I heard it right, no mistake about it.I was lost in thought when Demi's voice snapped me back to reality. "Keira, when did you sneak back?"It was rare for Demi, the queen of sleep, to be up before her alarm.I knew what she was getting at and shot her a glare. "What do you mean, 'sneak back'?""Hehe," Demi giggled mischievously, "I thought maybe you spent the night with Mr. Hart.""What are you thinking?" I cut her off. "Why is your mind always in the gutter?""Come on, you're both adults and single. Isn't it normal for men and women to... you know?" Demi'
"Mr. Hart will pay, right?" Demi then turned to Hayden. "Is that cool with you, Mr. Hart?"I half expected Hayden to shut her down, but then he just said, "If she's up for it, sure."I was floored.Demi pinched my arm, her eyes wide with excitement, totally picking up on the weird vibe.Was Hayden just messing around, trying to stir up more drama?Before Demi could start gossiping, I forced a smile and said, "I'm not exactly broke, so I'm gonna pass.""Keira..."Hayden glanced at me, not saying a word.As we dug into breakfast, my phone buzzed. It was Ms. Brown, the landlord of the apartment across from mine. Figuring she had some news, I picked up. "Morning, Ms. Brown...""Keira, I hate to bother you this early," she said, her tone polite."No worries, what's up?" I replied, taking a sip of my milk."About that rental issue you mentioned, I spoke to the guy, but he wouldn't budge. He even refused compensation, so the situation's still tricky..." Ms. Brown's words had this w
The awkwardness was thick, but honestly, it was probably better that he knew.Hayden grabbed his phone, which he'd left on the table, and walked out. The second he was gone, Demi practically squealed, saying it was all over.But I didn't give it much thought. I never intended to pursue anything with Hayden, so whether he was mad or misunderstood the situation didn't really bother me.To me, Hayden was just a passing acquaintance. I had zero plans to get tangled up in another relationship. It wasn't like I was swearing off love because of one bad experience, but I just didn't have the emotional energy for it right now.After breakfast, I planned to drop Demi off at work before heading to a job interview.I'd only sent out my resume yesterday, so I was surprised when I got an interview invite this morning. The speed was unexpected, but hey, landing a job quickly sounded good to me.But as I reached the parking lot, I noticed Wayne's car parked there. He stepped out and opened the b
“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