That evening, I left home. Hayden wasn't around—his windows were completely dark.By the time Wayne called, I was already at the train station, sitting in the waiting room.I decided against flying. Took the high-speed rail instead. Sure, it was a couple hours longer, but I liked the idea of staying grounded. It felt safer."Rea, your car's fixed. Where are you? I can drop it off," Wayne's voice came through, warm as always.I glanced around the station—people were either glued to their phones or zoned out. "Just leave it at the shop. I'll pick it up later."There was a pause. I could feel his concern before he spoke again. "The mechanic said your car was tampered with."My stomach dropped, even though I knew it already—it was me who arranged the whole thing."Seriously?" I faked surprise."Has anyone else driven it recently?" Wayne asked, sounding more worried now.I bit my lip, trying to think fast, but Wayne jumped in before I could. "Whoever did it wasn't trying to hurt yo
This place was seriously a hidden gem, like the perfect spot for a low-key getaway.I was zoned out, taking in the courtyard's beauty, when a soft voice snapped me back. "Um, miss, are you looking for someone?"I turned to see a girl, probably around my age, standing there in a simple white dress. Her long braid draped over her shoulder, and her eyes? They sparkled like the place itself."You're Miss Hart, right?" I asked, already knowing I was right.She looked surprised. "Yeah, that's me. Are you here to see... my brother?"Yep, definitely Hayden's sister. She didn't exactly look like him, but they both had that annoyingly good-looking thing going on.While Hayden had this rugged, tough vibe, Yuna's was softer—like she was made of sunshine and fresh air."Yeah, I'm a friend of Hayden's," I said with a smile, reaching out my hand.Yuna hesitated for a sec, like she wasn't expecting me, but then shook my hand with both of hers, all polite. "I'm Yuna Hart."She seemed a little
"Thanks for loving my brother, for accepting him!"Yuna's voice was soft but full of emotion as she handed me the tea with this careful, almost formal gesture. Her eyes shimmered like she was holding back tears.My chest tightened a bit, but I still grinned. "You act like Hayden's unlovable or something."Yuna gave a little pout, and I took the tea from her, sipping it. The taste hit me—sweet, light, and almost magical. Way better than anything I'd had before."Keira, Hayden doesn't look for girlfriends because of me," Yuna said, her voice quieter now. "He's scared that whoever he marries might not like me... might hate me for being sick."I could tell she hesitated, unsure if Hayden had even told me. She was probably worried that knowing about her illness might change how I saw him—like it'd be too much baggage or something.I took another sip, letting the warmth settle inside me. "Do I seem like the kind of person who'd judge someone for being sick? Especially someone as sweet
Yuna looked at me with bright, hopeful eyes. "Keira, do you have a plan?"I hesitated.There were options, sure, but could I really take a chance even Hayden wasn't willing to? If the surgery worked, everything would be great.But if it didn't... the thought of Hayden never forgiving me was the least of my worries. The real fear was breaking his heart in a way that couldn't be fixed.Yuna must've picked up on my hesitation because her face fell. "You don't have a way, do you? Hayden's too scared to try 'cause it's too risky. I get it. No one can be sure it'll work with how bad things are for me."She sighed, but then gave me this weak smile, like she was trying to shake off her own sadness.It wasn't that she was great at hiding her feelings—it's just that she didn't want to drag me down with her."It's fine. I'm happy with my life as it is. However long I live, I'm gonna make the most of it. Who knows? Maybe I'll surprise everyone and live to be a hundred," she joked, though he
Yuna's face changed completely. She looked panicked and grabbed my hand, shaking her head like crazy."Keira, no! It's not like that... Hayden's never liked any other girl. You're the first!"Seeing her so freaked out, her lips turning pale, I realized I'd probably gone too far. I couldn't scare her like this—her heart wouldn't take it.I gently tapped her on the nose, trying to lighten the mood. "Relax, okay? I know. Hayden already told me he's never had a girlfriend."Yuna nodded, still looking a little anxious, and added, "He's never liked any other girl either."She was so sincere, so pure, like she couldn't even lie if she tried. It made me wonder, 'When she does fall for someone, will she be able to handle it if the guy isn't as honest as she is?'The world isn't as simple as Yuna. Relationships, with all their messy emotions and complications, might be tough for her to figure out.I couldn't help but feel a little protective of her, even though I knew I was jumping the gu
Yuna was Hayden's little sister, but honestly, she was more like his kid since he pretty much raised her.Their bond was so strong, it made sense why someone as tough as Hayden got all protective and worried when it came to her.Yuna shared a bunch of stories about them, like how Hayden built this courtyard himself, brick by brick.She also mentioned how he used to take her fishing and grill the fish, always bragging that his cooking was top-tier—he'd perfected it just to make sure she ate well.As Yuna shared more stories, I started to understand Hayden better—like, in a way that really tugged at my heart.All his little quirks came from carrying the weight of responsibility and loneliness for so long.Yuna eventually drifted off mid-conversation. Watching her sleep, I suddenly had the urge to call Hayden, to tell him that from now on, I'd take care of him for a change, instead of him always looking out for everyone else.But the feeling passed, and I didn't follow through.In
Yuna was so lonely, she practically begged me to stay.I only had two days off, but to spend more time with her, I asked Ron for an extra two.But all good things would come to an end, and eventually, I had to go.Before I left, Yuna packed me some flower tea brewed with morning dew and food steamed with flower pollen and petals. She was determined to give me everything she cherished most.I could tell she'd grown really attached to me, and that made me feel a kind of responsibility I couldn't quite explain."Keira, come visit me when you have time," Yuna said, avoiding my eyes.I could see the tears welling up, though she tried to hide them.She was this perfect mix of fragile but incredibly strong on the inside."Okay," I said quietly, not trusting myself to say much more.I felt the sting in my nose too, worried I might start crying before she did.Goodbyes are like the softest blades—they cut the deepest."I've already asked a friend to contact the doctor. Once it's all
I had no clue what Jace was after, so I kept quiet, letting the silence stretch. But of course, he didn't wait."My parents can't stand Tanya, especially my mom. Do you think... maybe you could say something nice about her to help out?"Seriously?Was he for real? Asking me to talk up Tanya? Either he'd lost it or he thought I was a total doormat."If you really want me to say something, it's not gonna be anything good," I shot back, not even pretending to be calm."Rea, I—""Jace, I'm not a saint. I'm definitely not the bigger person here. And Tanya? She means nothing to me. So why would I go out of my way to say something nice about her?" I snapped.Jace's voice cut through the silence again, "Are you acting like this because you're jealous?"I let out a dry laugh. "Oh, so that's what this is about? You're fishing to see if I'm jealous? Well, let me save you the trouble—I'm not. Actually, I'm kinda relieved. Relieved I figured you out sooner rather than later."Jace sighed o
"Got it!" Lena responded cheerfully. She washed her hands before sitting back down, picking up the utensils Aaron had prepared for her, and diving into her dumpling-and-dipping-sauce breakfast combo. "Uncle, why aren’t you eating?" She had already eaten two dumplings before realizing he hadn’t touched any. "I’m not hungry." Three words. Which meant he hadn’t eaten yet. "There’s too much food. I can’t finish it all by myself. Eat some too," Lena said casually as she picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and held it up to his mouth. She did it so naturally—until she realized what she had just done. Aaron froze for a second, surprised by her gesture. The moment of hesitation made her realize too—wasn’t this kind of inappropriate? She was just about to pull her hand back when— He leaned in and took the dumpling straight into his mouth. Lena’s face flushed red in an instant. She hurriedly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and focused on eating. Meanwhile, Aar
She was shocked to see him here so early. Especially today—a day when everyone was celebrating the new year, spending time with their loved ones—and yet, he was here. With her. Lena wasn’t made of stone. She felt it. A warmth, an unspoken emotion that settled deep in her chest. "Uncle, why are you here so early?" She walked over, hands casually tucked into her coat pockets. "I didn’t want you to go hungry," Aaron replied simply, lifting the bag of food in his hand. He glanced at her break room. "Open the door." She unlocked the door and stepped inside, with him following close behind. Her break room was small—a single desk and chair, a narrow bed, and a tiny wardrobe. Nothing extra, nothing unnecessary. "Sit down, Uncle," she said naturally, settling onto the bed while motioning for him to take the chair. Aaron placed the food down and asked, "Did you sleep at all?" "I did," Lena replied. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she thought of that dream—and let o
"If it weren’t for my goddaughter, I wouldn’t even bother with you," Lena said, gently rocking the baby in her arms. "Right, little Aurora? Your godmother just adores you." "Come on, Aurora, it’s time to eat," Lena said as she carefully placed the baby in Keira's arms. Although it was her first time, Keira wasn’t embarrassed. She followed Lena’s instructions, trying to breastfeed for the first time. But the process was… painful. And since her posture was incorrect, neither of them got it right—Keira ended up covered in sweat from struggling, and her baby still hadn’t eaten properly. Panic set in. Anxiety crept up her spine. "What do I do?" Keira asked, her voice tight with unease. "It’s okay. This happens at first. Let’s transition with formula for now," Lena reassured Keira before glancing at Hayden, who had been standing there the whole time, watching anxiously—and sweating just as much as Keira was. "Go make your daughter a bottle," she told him. Hayden, the man wh
That conversation… Lena shuddered. Yeah, she had definitely come back too early. It was best to leave now before she ruined the mood for those two inside. Not wanting to hear any more, she quickly turned to leave—only to smack her leg against a nearby chair. The pain was real, but worse was the noise it made, drawing attention to her presence. Inside the room, Hayden—already feeling awkward from Keira's teasing—froze. The sound from outside made him even more uncomfortable. Keira couldn’t hold back her laughter. The moment Keira burst out laughing, however, pain shot through her lower abdomen. "Ah—ow!" Keira gasped. Hayden immediately panicked. "What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?" Hearing her cry, Lena rushed in as well. "What happened?" "I laughed too hard and pulled my stitches," Keira explained, gripping Hayden’s hand tightly. Lena glared at Keira. "You’re a mother now, and yet you’re still acting like a child. Do you have any idea what condition you’re in?"
"It’s fine. I can do it," Hayden said naturally as he picked up the basin and went to fetch warm water. The moment he stepped out, Lena turned to scold Keira. "You went through so much pain to give birth to his child. Why would you feel bad about letting him do something for you?" "It’s not that I feel bad—I just feel embarrassed," Keira whispered in defense. Lena rolled her eyes. "So dramatic." Keira shot her a glare in return. "Just wait until it’s your turn. When your husband has to handle your private matters, you’ll understand how awkward it is." The moment the words left Keira's mouth, she saw Lena’s face turn red. Lena quickly hugged the baby and turned away. But Keira caught it. Something was off. "Wait… why are you blushing?" Keira asked suspiciously. "I am not blushing," she denied immediately. What Keira didn’t know was that her words had triggered the memory of Lena's ridiculous dream—where she had been lying on the delivery bed, cursing Aaron while gi
The moment she finished cursing, Lena jolted awake. She sat there, dazed. What kind of ridiculous dream was that? She had assisted in delivering countless babies before, but this was the first time she had ever dreamed of giving birth herself. And not only that—she had dreamed of giving birth to Aaron’s child? That was beyond outrageous. Absolutely absurd! What a way to start the new year. That dream was anything but beautiful. Lena ran a hand down her face, shaking off the lingering unease. She quickly got up, poured herself a glass of water to calm down, and then left the break room. Back in the hospital room, Hayden was feeding Keira. Keira was perfectly capable of eating on her own, but he insisted on feeding her, saying that she was in a special period and should be treated like a queen. That this was the time to learn how to be spoiled properly. Fine. If this was how he wanted to make up for the suffering she endured giving birth to their daughter, she’d give
Keira looked at Lena and smiled as she followed up on Hayden’s words. "You’re family. It’s different." Lena shot her a subtle glare before stuffing the red envelope into her pocket and saying, "Give me the rest. I’ll hand them out for you later." Hayden passed her the prepared stack of red envelopes, and as she took them, she asked, "What about the other departments?" Hayden and Aaron exchanged a glance and chuckled. "Of course. Every medical staff member in this hospital gets one." "President Hart, you’re too generous," Lena said, giving him a thumbs-up. With that, she took the envelopes and left. Aaron glanced at the time. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back now." "Mm. Happy New Year!" Hayden said, offering his holiday wishes. "Happy New Year to your whole family," Aaron replied, adding a few extra words that made both Hayden and me instinctively turn toward the baby in the bassinet. From today onward, we were officially a family of three. Outside the h
When Keira returned to the hospital room, she was greeted by a sight that made her pause. The room was decorated with fresh flowers and balloons, and beside her bed, there was a small cart filled with various gift boxes. The atmosphere was so festive that if someone walked in, they might have thought it was a birthday party rather than a postpartum recovery room. "What’s all this?" Lena asked on Keira's behalf. "A reward for my wife," Hayden answered, his hand still holding Keira's as he gazed at her with deep affection. "She went through so much. This is my way of thanking her." Keira smiled faintly. "I don’t need any of this." "Whether you need it or not is one thing. Giving it to you is my choice," Hayden said, pressing a kiss onto Keira's fingertips. "Even if everything I have already belongs to you, I still want to give you more." "Such a loving husband—honestly, what more could a woman ask for?" Lena teased before patting Keira's hospital bed. "But if President Hart r
Elder Mitchell wasn’t buying it. "That just means you guys didn’t really want to give anything. If you truly wanted to, there’s no such thing as a gift that can’t be delivered." The two old men started bickering again, but Hayden ignored them. Instead, he kept his eyes on the infant bathing room. Before long, the nurse finished bathing the baby and carried her out. Hayden reached out to take her, but the two elders immediately moved to get closer. He blocked them without hesitation. "Don’t you know old people’s eyes are toxic? You shouldn’t be staring at her for too long." Elder Hart: "…" Elder Mitchell: "…" With that, Hayden carried the baby and walked away. The two old men trailed after him, hoping to catch another glimpse, but Hayden wasn’t about to give them the chance. "Congratulations," Aaron, who had been standing nearby, offered his well wishes. "It’s a daughter. Take a look," Hayden said, his pride practically radiating off him. Aaron lowered his gaze to the