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
Her words hit me like a curveball."Lindey, I've already resigned, and I've got another interview lined up today.""What? That fast?" Lindey looked genuinely shocked."Honestly, I decided to leave the day Jace and I didn't get our marriage certificate," I said, meeting her gaze without flinching."Working with Jace after everything would just be... weird. Even if Jace didn't want me to quit, I was planning to leave after the amusement park project wrapped up," I explained, trying to keep things simple.Lindey shook her head. "It doesn't have to be like this, Rea. If it's awkward, you could transfer to another department or even a different branch. Just put some space between you two.""I get that you're worried I might struggle somewhere else, but I really want to see what's out there," I said, making my point clear.Tears welled up in Lindey's eyes again. She shook her head, whispering, "How did it end up like this? If you can't be my daughter-in-law, I can accept that, but now
As far as the conversation had gone, Lindey couldn't push any further, no matter what she was thinking.She nodded, saying, "Rea, you're like a daughter to me."But if she really saw me that way, there was no way she'd be okay with setting me up with Wayne. Then again, maybe it was Wayne's idea—he did confess his feelings to me, after all."Alright, maybe we could have a small ceremony when Wayne and Jace have some free time. I could officially become your and Matthew's goddaughter," I suggested, watching Lindey's expression falter for just a split second.It was clear she wasn't thrilled about making me her goddaughter.In Kehlmark, godfamilies were basically like extended family, with all the same social rules. If I became Lindey and Matthew's goddaughter, dating one of their sons would be straight-up incest.But I couldn't just ignore how kind she'd been to me for the past decade, and I wasn't about to let doubt mess that up."Okay," Lindey finally agreed.I drove her back t
I looked Jace straight in the eye. "What do you want? Here to demand some kind of compensation? Or maybe you're planning to sue me for, I don't know, assault?"His voice dropped, all cold and CEO-like. "What do you take me for?""I'm here to apologize. I was impulsive and reckless yesterday. You were right to hit me," he said, catching me completely off guard.I glanced at the bandage peeking out from under his cap and just nodded. "Good that you realize it."Jace let out this bitter laugh. "Rea, I've noticed you've become... a bit more ruthless."How exactly was I being ruthless? I didn't bother asking. Instead, I said, "What you did was wrong.""Yeah, I know. Yesterday was on me. And getting too close to Tanya, ignoring your feelings—that was on me too. Letting her stay in the penthouse I got for you, that was just messed up. Even giving her my sup card was wrong," Jace continued, reflecting on his screw-ups.I had no idea where he was going with this, but he didn't stop. "I'm
I got to the interview spot at eleven sharp. The office was kind of out of the way—not in the downtown area, but like a twenty-minute drive from my place, on the edge of the city.I'd already done some digging on this company. They were into lighting development and had even put in a bid for the amusement park's lighting gig, though they didn't end up getting it.Actually, when the amusement park had those lighting issues, I thought about hitting them up to help sort it out.These two things made me keep an eye on the company, and as luck would have it, they were hiring for a job that matched what I was good at—marketing and promotion.I applied to them first, and they were the first to call me in for an interview.The company had rented out an office building—not exactly as fancy as RiverwaveCorp Tower, but it still took up three floors. I rode the elevator to the right level and followed the signs to the HR office.As soon as I walked in, someone greeted me with a smile. "You m
Lena’s mother’s face flushed with embarrassment at the questioning but quickly retorted, “Aaron, what kind of talk is that? Lena is my daughter. I gave birth to her and raised her. How could I possibly harm her?” “Then what do you call what you’re doing today?” Aaron’s voice and gaze were both ice-cold. “Your sister is just worried that Lena hasn’t moved on from Nate,” Lena’s father chimed in, trying to mediate. “That’s right, Aaron. Your sister and brother-in-law would never hurt Lena. Besides, the Goodwick family isn’t bad. It’s just that from the moment you two walked in, you’ve been giving them attitude, making sharp remarks at every turn,” added Aaron’s father, who had been silent until now. As the person in question, Lena couldn’t remain silent any longer. “Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, I know you all care about me and want the best for me, but I really don’t want to start a new relationship right now. That doesn’t mean I’m stuck in the past with Nate, though. Can you just
“Yes!” Lena and Aaron replied in unison. Mrs. Goodwick froze for a moment, then gave an awkward laugh. “You two are uncle and niece, having grown up together, but now that you’re adults, you should have your own spaces. What if Mr. Ace brings a girlfriend home? It wouldn’t be convenient, would it?” She certainly knew how to mind others' business. “I don’t have a girlfriend, so there’s no inconvenience,” Aaron replied flatly, blocking her attempts at argument like swatting away a fly. “But men and women are different,” Arthur said, his gaze toward Lena taking on a peculiar edge. “Only dirty-minded people think that way,” Lena shot back without hesitation. The back-and-forth between Aaron and Lena left no room for the Goodwick family to save face. Their expressions darkened considerably. Mrs. Lane had to step in to smooth things over. “It’s just that Lena had some trouble with a medical dispute recently. We were worried about her safety, so we let her stay with her uncle fo
“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