After sending that, I added: [Some young hottie.]Then I just stared at my phone, waiting. One second, two seconds, three seconds... still nothing.Um, what?Was he mad? Or just ignoring me?My fingers hovered over the screen, almost typing, "Hey, you good?" but then deleted it. Twice.If he was gonna flip out over some random guy sending me flowers, then what would be next? Would he go all possessive like Jace did?Back in high school, I had guys coming up to me all the time, and Jace acted like I was his personal property. Even when I was working at RiverwaveCorp, people flirted without knowing I was engaged, and he was the same—super jealous, always overreacting.He'd get so mad. He wouldn't just get on the guy's case but also make it my fault for being, I don't know, "too friendly" or something.To keep the peace, I'd end up avoiding any guy friends who might set him off.I swore I'd never let that happen again.So, I tossed my phone aside and got back to work.About ten
Lindey hadn't mentioned Jace and Tanya would be joining us.If she had, I definitely wouldn't have shown up.It's not that I'm scared to face them—I just didn't want to lose my appetite."Rea, you're here! Now we're all set," Lindey said with a bright smile, pulling me in for a quick hug.It's hard to be mad at someone with a smile like that, but I still couldn't help saying, "Lindey, I thought it was just gonna be the two of us.""It was supposed to be, but then..." Lindey shot a quick glance at Jace and Tanya and pouted. "I ran into them by chance."By chance? Really?I'm not a kid. Did she really think I'd buy that?But if I walked out now, it'd only embarrass Lindey and make me look like I was still hung up on Jace.So I forced a sarcastic smile. "Wow, what a coincidence.""We must be intruding on Mrs. Johnston's time with you," Tanya chimed in.If she knew she was intruding, why didn't she just leave? But no, she sat there comfortably.When I first met Tanya, I actuall
I didn't touch the pumpkin milk drinks and waited to see what the waiter would do.But before the waiter could move, Jace picked up both glasses. He set one in front of me and held the other, turning to Lindey. "Mom, your blood sugar's high. I asked them to make peanut milk for you instead."Lindey looked like she wanted to argue, but Jace was already placing the second glass in front of Tanya.Tanya gave him a weak, almost fragile smile.She looked so pitiful that even I felt a little uncomfortable, and I was sure any guy watching would've been tempted to play the hero.Lindey must've noticed too, because she didn't say anything else.Then the dishes started arriving, all my favorites. Lindey piled food onto my plate like I was incapable of serving myself, making it impossible to keep up.Meanwhile, Jace and Tanya sat there like extras in the background, completely ignored.I felt embarrassed for them.If I were in their place, I'd probably end up with a serious case of indig
Hayden and Ron? Together?And that last name... Hart?All these thoughts slammed into my brain like a freight train.I'd had my doubts before. I'd tried to connect the dots, but they both played it off like I was imagining things. But now, seeing them here, there was no denying it."Hayden!" I called outBoth Hayden and Ron turned toward me.I was half-crouching by the pond, so they didn't see me at first. Ron even nudged Hayden and said, "Who's calling you? I thought I heard—"Before he could finish, Hayden spotted me and walked over. "You almost fell in," he said, reaching out his hand. I thought he was going to help me up, so I started to grab it.But instead, he just scooped me up like I weighed nothing and carried me away from the pond. "Aren't you supposed to be having lunch with Mrs. Johnston? What are you doing here?"Seriously? We were at a restaurant. What did he think I was doing here, feeding the fish?Being swept up in his arms like that left me a little flustere
Jace's tone was harsh."Jace, I get it. Your mom doesn't like me, and nothing I do is gonna change that. I'm sorry you're stuck dealing with this because of me," Tanya said, finally realizing the truth.Her apology was way too humble, almost like she was beating herself up.But what had she actually done wrong? If anything, she was guilty of loving him too much, putting up with all this drama just to be with him."It's my choice to deal with this crap, but stop making it worse," Jace snapped, sounding more annoyed than ever."Wait, Jace, what are you talking about? I don't get it," Tanya said, her voice turning softer, almost like she was trying to appear more delicate."What's going on with Brad?" The way Jace said it made it clear he was blaming her for something."What about Brad? Did he mess up again? Did you have to clean up his mess?" Tanya asked, her voice a little shaky.Jace scoffed. "You really don't know?""Jace, seriously, I have no clue what you're talking about,"
"Excuse me, could you two let me through, please?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.Jace didn't budge, his gaze locked on me. Tanya glanced at me before silently stepping aside, gripping Jace's arm like she thought I'd snatch him away or something."Rea, come on, let's eat," Lindey called out the moment I stepped into the private room, her smile warm and inviting.I slid into my seat, playing dumb. "Why's it just the two of us?""It was always supposed to be just us. Someone else decided to crash the party, completely clueless," she said, her disdain for Tanya—and probably Jace, too—couldn't have been more obvious.I chuckled softly. "If you keep this up, it's gonna put a strain on things with Jace."I wasn't trying to be all noble or anything; it's just that Matthew and Lindey had always been good to me. I genuinely wanted their family to get along."This is on him," Lindey said firmly, not backing down one bit.I'd said my piece, so I let it go and decided to j
I'd failed miserably as a daughter. I knew my parents died in a car accident, but I didn't know a single detail about what happened that day.Lindey's expression shifted, and she gently grabbed my wrist. "Rea, we agreed not to talk about this anymore. It's in the past.""I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle it. Please, just tell me," I said, squeezing her hand back.Her hand trembled slightly. "It's over. Why bring it up again?"I stayed quiet for a few seconds. "Lindey, they were my parents. The only family I had."My parents grew up in an orphanage, and when they were gone, I became an orphan too.Maybe my words got through to her. After a long pause, Lindey finally spoke. "When Matthew and I got to the crash site, your mother was already gone. Your father was barely hanging on. He grabbed Matthew's hand and could only say your name..."Lindey choked up and stopped, and I felt a lump in my throat too.It was like ripping open an old wound, and now I understood why Lindey had b
Lindey put down her cutlery and turned to face me. "Yes, the contract was just about to be signed."It was the same contract I'd found in my father's notebook."Was it because of the accident that it didn't get signed?" I asked, my voice shaking.She nodded.My breath hitched, and I felt like a storm was brewing inside me. Then Lindey sighed. "That contract was supposed to be the first for your father and Matthew's joint venture."Wait, what?I had always thought it was just my father's deal. But Matthew was involved too?"Alan and Matthew worked so hard to lock in that partnership with Thorsten Drago from VastReach Group. They did everything—went fishing with him, raced cars, and he even made them go skydiving," Lindey said, shaking her head at the memory. "Thorsten came from a tough background and was known for playing people."But Alan and Matthew knew they had to secure that deal to make their mark, so they did whatever it took, even risking their lives just to keep him hap
"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