Was Hayden actually stunned by how I looked?I'd always seen him as this guy with an unshakable inner strength, like nothing superficial could get to him. But I guess even the toughest guys have a weak spot when it comes to beauty.Maybe there was some truth to that saying, "Men are creatures of sight."Seeing that I had Hayden's full attention, I decided to push it a little further. I tossed my wavy hair back, all flirty-like, and noticed his gaze deepening. His face even seemed to grow colder.The sudden shift in his expression was hard to read, and I wasn't about to waste time trying to figure it out. I got straight to the point. "Are you going to agree to it or not?""Agree to what?" he asked, his eyes already shifting away from me.I smiled.Wasn't he the one who hung up on me last night, saying we'd talk when I sobered up? And now he's acting like he didn't know what I meant?I could tell he wasn't being serious—just teasing me."To be my boyfriend, temporarily," I repea
I smiled. "I've made myself clear. We're not on the same page, so let's just drop it.""But you need a boyfriend, right?" Hayden shot back."Yeah, I do. But I'm not about to mess around with someone like you. I'll figure something else out," I said, noticing the way his expression darkened.I expected him to stop me or at least try to meet me halfway, but I totally misjudged the situation. He didn't say a thing."Goodbye. That was out of line," I mumbled before spinning around and getting into my car. As I drove off, it felt like I was fleeing the scene.I didn't pull over until I was sure he couldn't see me anymore. My heart was racing, and I had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Regret hit me hard—I'd been so impulsive after drinking last night.I could've asked Steve to pretend to be my boyfriend. Involving Hayden was a huge mistake.But what's done is done. No point in dwelling on it now.After pulling myself together, I drove to a flower shop, picked out a bouquet,
"In a few days, it'll be Matthew's birthday. You're coming, right?"Lindey's words caught me off guard, reminding me that Matthew's birthday was indeed coming up.Even if she hadn't brought it up, I wouldn't have forgotten. I had reminders set for everyone's birthdays in the Johnston family. Living with them, I always tried to make sure everything was perfect, just to keep everyone happy.I wasn't exactly treated like an outsider, but I still walked on eggshells, always worried that one wrong move might make them think less of me or, worse, dislike me.Lost in thought, I didn't answer right away, so Lindey added, "Rea, you know we've always thought of you as our daughter. Every year, we've appreciated your gifts and well wishes on our birthdays. If you don't come this year, Matthew will be really disappointed."I hadn't planned on going, but I'd already arranged for a gift to be delivered.Now that she was asking directly, it was hard to say no, especially with Jace acting like a
"Really? But who could it be? Your parents have been gone for so long, and their old friends have probably forgotten all about them. They haven't even mentioned your parents in forever, let alone visited their graves." Lindey's words hit harder than I expected.The whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing? Yeah, it's pretty real.Before, it didn't really get to me, but hearing Lindey put it so bluntly? That stung."Maybe it was just a mistake," Lindey suggested, trying to make me feel better.I glanced at the tombstone, where my parents' names and photos were etched so clearly. How could anyone possibly make a mistake like that?It was the kind of thing you'd say to a kid to stop them from freaking out."Maybe," I echoed, just going along with Lindey's words to avoid dragging the convo out any longer.I'd already confirmed the flowers weren't from Lindey or Matthew, and it didn't seem likely they were from any of my parents' old friends. That left one option: this bouquet was def
Later that evening, I was halfway through my second cup of coffee at a café when my blind date, Pete Bundy, finally showed up.Pete wasn't overweight or balding. His light blue shirt was clean, and he looked pretty much like his profile had described.I wasn't catfished, but Pete's tardiness definitely knocked down my first impression of him. Luckily, I wasn't actually interested in dating him. I'd only hired him to deal with Jace."Sorry I'm late," Pete apologized."No problem. I'm not really here for a date anyway. I'm looking to hire a guy to pretend to be my boyfriend," I said bluntly.Pete froze. "Hire a boyfriend?""Yes. I'm not interested in a real relationship, but I urgently need a boyfriend for my current situation," I explained, laying it all out for him.Pete remained silent, and I thought he might be upset. So I added, "I'll pay you.""Seems like you have money," Pete said, squinting slightly as he looked into my eyes.That reaction, the kind that showed excitemen
"Not many times. My main goal with these dates is to find a like-minded partner," Pete said, and I almost rolled my eyes.Like-minded?Pete's idea of a "like-minded partner" probably meant someone who was also into making money off this, so they could hustle together.People said it was tough to find a job these days, but if you were clever, there were plenty of ways to make easy money, sometimes without spending a dime upfront."So, are you sure you wanna hire me as your boyfriend, or do you wanna try dating me for real?" Pete asked again.I pressed my lips together, staying silent. He took a sip of his coffee, all smooth and graceful. "Usually, a smart girl would go for dating. That way, you don't have to pay anything. And if it doesn't work out, you can always break up later.""If everyone did that, wouldn't you be losing out?" I stirred my coffee."Not everyone gets the option. If someone has certain requirements, I'll weigh their situation before deciding," Pete explained.
No answer. A chill crept down my spine.But now wasn't the time to chicken out. I forced myself to sound braver than I felt. "Who the hell are you?""It's me, Pete!"Footsteps followed, and then he added, "Your date from the café earlier."Wait, what?Of all people, Pete? After just one coffee date, he was out here creeping on me? That made this whole thing even creepier.The hallway was pitch black because the lights were out. I could barely see a thing, just some vague shapes barely lit by the moonlight sneaking in through the window.He wasn't close enough for me to see his face yet.I gripped my key tight, ready to defend myself if I had to. "Why are you following me?""Don't freak out, okay? I'm not here to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you got home safe. It's late, and it's not exactly safe for a girl to walk alone at this hour," he said as he finally stepped into view.I almost laughed at that.Like, seriously? Stalking me in the dark was supposed to make me fe
Hayden had been popping up in my life a lot lately, but this was the first time he'd actually shown up at my doorstep. "What do you want this time?""I agreed," he said, throwing me off for a second.Agreed to what?"To pretend to be your boyfriend. To be your temporary boyfriend," Hayden clarified.I was taken aback, especially since he'd turned me down before. "Why did you change your mind?""If I didn't, you'd just keep going on ridiculous dates and end up being stalked again like today, wouldn't you?" Hayden's tone started off resigned, but by the end, there was a sharp edge to it.I couldn't help but notice the mix of frustration and concern on his face, barely visible in the dim light. It was almost... amusing."Aren't you going to be miserable, doing something you don't even want to do?"He caught the teasing in my voice and took a step closer. Instinctively, I stepped back, only to bump into the railing behind me—no escape.He leaned in, his arm trapping me between the
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