He didn't flinch. Just stood there, staring."Do you know me?" I asked, not even bothering with a smile."No."I gave him a once-over. He wasn't exactly the kind of guy you'd notice right away, but the more I looked, the more attractive he seemed. Today, he'd swapped the hoodie for a light blue T-shirt, looking clean and laid-back. Casual, but in a way that worked for him."So, we just keep bumping into each other for fun, huh?" I shot back, not buying his "no" for a second."We don't know each other," he said. "But you look a lot like someone I know."I couldn't help it—I laughed. Really? That line was so old, it could've been my grandma's.Seeing the mockery in my smile, he blushed. "I'm serious. I can show you."Before I could say anything, he pulled out his phone and swiped a few times. When he held it up, my breath caught. Staring back at me was a girl with a bright smile, her hair in a perfect bun. She looked like me—like, freakishly close. The only real difference was a
If they unplugged the oxygen machine, she'd be gone forever."You should go be with her, you know, for her last moments," I whispered."I know, I'm going," Wade looked up at me. "Sorry for bothering you.""I still hope for a miracle."He didn't say anything else. Just turned and walked away, leaving me staring after him, feeling something... different. Not like last night."What are you staring at? I've been calling your phone, but you didn't pick up," Hayden said as he walked over, grabbing the flowers from my hands.I wasn't sure how to bring up Wade to Hayden, especially since I hadn't mentioned running into Wade last night. And Wade's story was so complicated.But mostly, I felt this weird sadness settle in me—Wade's words echoing in my head: 'She might not make it much longer.'"Hey, what do you think it means when two people who aren't even related look a lot alike?" I asked."People are made of genes. With so many people in the world, it's normal for some to have simila
And it seemed like they'd been watching for a while.Which meant they'd seen all the little affectionate moments between Hayden and me. Great.I wasn't sure if I was imagining things, but their expressions didn't seem all that pleasant.Since we'd run right into them, avoiding a greeting wasn't an option.Hayden and I walked over, saying hello to Lindey, Matthew, and Wayne.Lindey was the first to smile. "Rea, Hayden, what are you two doing here?"I glanced at Hayden. "We're visiting a friend."I left it vague, not mentioning Yuna. Hayden was big on protecting his sister's privacy, and I knew if Matthew or Lindey found out she was in the hospital, they'd want to visit. Explaining that to Yuna would get complicated fast. Best to keep it under wraps.Then I turned to Matthew. He was leaning on Lindey, looking pale and clearly not doing well."What happened to Matthew?""He's—" Lindey started, but Matthew cut her off. "Just high blood pressure, nothing serious."Lindey gave him
My face stiffened at Yuna's question, but Hayden lightly knocked her on the forehead. "What are you, a census taker?"Yuna pouted. "I was just asking."I turned to Hayden. "All the tests are done. Why don't you take her to get something to eat? I need to check on something."Of course, Yuna, ever curious, asked immediately, "What are you checking on?"But Hayden understood right away, smoothly guiding her away. "You didn't used to talk this much. Did being here turn you into a chatterbox?""I'm just afraid I won't get the chance to talk this much later," Yuna said softly, her words hitting us both like a punch to the gut. Hayden went silent, and my heart twisted painfully.So, Yuna was scared—scared she might not make it through the surgery."Don't be ridiculous," Hayden said gently, tapping her head again.Yuna clung to his arm, and they slowly walked away until they disappeared from view. Only when I couldn't see them anymore did I turn back to go find Matthew."Rea!" Lindey
Brad's sentence cut off with a scream as I tossed my coffee right in his smug face.He shot up, dripping, wiping at his soaked shirt. "What the hell, Keira? Are you out of your mind?!"I held up my now-empty cup. "Next time you pull crap like that, I'll crack this over your head—and then hand you over to the cops. Enjoy that chat."Brad stood there, a mess in his white T-shirt, coffee dripping from his hair in sad little clumps. Honestly, two words: total loser.Still, he wasn't done being obnoxious. "You think this is gonna scare me? You've got it all wro—"I didn't stick around for the rest. I turned on my heel and walked right out of the café.Wayne caught up to me. "Who was that guy?""Tanya's brother," I muttered, pulling a wet wipe from my bag to clean the coffee off my fingers. "He's been annoying me for a while.""Does he pull this often?""A few times," I said, tossing the used wipe into a trash can.Wayne didn't press any further, and honestly, I didn't feel like ge
"Keira, you're really clingy with Hayden," Yuna teased, giving me a playful smirk. I felt a little awkward, but then she added, "But I really like it.""You little brat," I shot back, pretending to glare at her. She just giggled.I stepped out of her hospital room and glanced down the hall. Empty. Hayden must've found somewhere quieter to take his call. After a second, I headed toward the stairwell.As I got closer, I heard Hayden's voice."...The shop's gone, but the mechanics should still be around. Track them down... Yes, it's necessary. I need to give Keira an answer, and clear my dad's name."When I heard that, my chest tightened.I'd been debating whether to reopen the investigation into the brake failure that caused the accident. I hadn't told Hayden, but it seemed like he'd already started digging into it.His call ended, but before I could step forward, his phone rang again. I paused.The stairwell door was cracked open, and through it, I saw Hayden holding a cigarette
My heart dropped. "Did something go wrong with the tests?"Lena shook her head, her hands tucked into her white coat pockets. "No, it's the donor—there's an issue on their side."I frowned. "What?""The donor's a brain-dead patient. The family had agreed to donate, but now they've changed their minds."I got it. The donor was a match. If they backed out, Yuna would have to wait. Again.And who knew how long?"Do we know why?" I asked.Lena pursed her lips. "No clue. The details are confidential. We just got the notice."I thought about Yuna, how excited she'd been. This would crush her."So, Nate called Hayden away for this?""Probably," Lena said, giving me a light nudge. "Don't worry. Nate will figure something out. But for now, the transplant's on hold.""Yeah, well, if she can't stay in the hospital for surgery, maybe we could, like, discharge her and take her out for a bit," I said."Your future sister-in-law, your call," Lena teased.I nudged her back. "Speaking of,
My period had just started."Wait up!" I called after Lena, jogging to catch up. "You totally jinxed me—now my period's here. Can I borrow some of your stuff?"Lena didn't miss a beat, pulling the key to the break room out of her pocket and handing it to me. "Help yourself."We got into the elevator, heading to her department, but before we even arrived, shouting echoed down the hall."You shameless bitch! You married my son, and now you're running around with another man. You killed my son! And now you're pregnant with some bastard child and have the audacity to claim it's ours? You think we're stupid? You just want Desmond's compensation money!"...Lena rushed ahead, but I froze in place for a second. That voice... Why did it sound so familiar?I really needed to grab some pads and get to the restroom, but my curiosity got the best of me, and I found myself drawn toward the noise instead."This baby is Desmond's. Once it's born, we can do a paternity test and prove it," I he
Peter's expression darkened at Hayden's playful jab, but Hayden merely smiled lightly, as if relishing the discomfort. "From what you’ve said, Mr. Mitchell, you must be quite the romantic," he teased. The tea began to boil, releasing a rich fragrance into the air. Hayden had done his homework on Peter. Despite his dignified reputation, Mr. Mitchell had married three times, fathered no children with his wives, and even had an illegitimate child with a mistress. This mistress had borne him a son and then tried to leverage the child to gain the title of "Madam Mitchell." Peter, stubborn and prideful, refused her demands and even sent people to take the child by force. But the mistress, knowing Peter’s methods, preemptively entrusted the child to someone else. When Mitchell’s men came to seize the boy, an explosive argument broke out. In a fit of rage, Mitchell struck her, and in defiance, the mistress stabbed herself in the chest, intending only to scare him. Unfortunately, the blad
When Hayden arrived at the teahouse, Ron glanced at his watch and tapped it meaningfully before saying in a low voice, "The man’s been waiting for half an hour." "Getting impatient?" Hayden asked casually, his tone devoid of concern. His attire was simple and understated, nothing to draw attention. If not for his sharply defined features and the naturally aloof aura he carried, his outfit would have rendered him almost invisible in a crowd. "No, not at all. I’m quite patient," Ron replied with an exaggerated expression of innocence, as though pleading not to be falsely accused. Hayden gave him a glance that seemed to say, Then why bother pointing it out? "But arriving this late does come across as impolite, doesn’t it?" Ron added, his tone that of a model citizen, someone who might have been a class leader or an exemplary student back in the day. "I did it on purpose," Hayden replied, cutting him off with five simple words that silenced Ron. Hayden pushed open the door an
"Because this love didn’t give me the happiness I imagined," Lena explained with a faint smile. "It’s like going to the supermarket, picking out a snack you’re excited about, and then finding out it doesn’t suit your taste. After that, you just don’t like it anymore and won’t bother with it again." Her metaphor was strikingly apt. "And what does the happiness you imagine look like?" Aaron asked, as though playing the role of a persistent interviewer. Lena, softened by the alcohol, answered obediently, "I don’t know. But whatever it is, Nate didn’t give it to me." Aaron observed the peaceful resignation in her expression and pressed further. "Do you still believe in love? Do you still want to start a new relationship?" "Of course," Lena said, finally lifting her gaze to meet his. Her eyebrows arched into a cheerful expression. "I’m not the kind of person who gets scared off by a bad experience. If I meet someone who makes my heart race again, I’ll love them boldly and passiona
He was waiting for her? What for? "Uncle, you didn’t skip dinner, did you?" Lena’s first thought was his meal. In truth, he hadn’t eaten. After receiving her message, he had been uneasy all evening, unable to focus on food. "You didn’t eat? I’ll make something for you," Lena assumed his silence was confirmation. "There’s no need," Aaron refused. "Then why were you waiting for me? Is something wrong?" In Lena’s view, Aaron would never wait for her without a reason. He gazed at her, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "You’ve been drinking?" She nodded, flashing him a sweet, soft smile. She even gestured with her hand, "Just a little." Aaron stepped closer, his tall frame looming over her with an intensity that made her feel small. Though the light above bathed his eyes, they remained dark and inscrutable, filled with a depth that was hard to read. Lena sensed something was off. "Uncle, what’s wrong?" She looked into his deep, clear eyes, untouched by any impurity.
"Should we drink a little today?" Lena asked. Nate nodded. "Let’s have a drink." They warmed a bottle of wine and ordered a few small dishes. Neither of them spoke, simply sitting quietly, gazing out at the river and the occasional boats passing by. "Lena," Nate called her softly. Lena turned to look at him. The warm yellow light above cast a gentle glow on his nose, brows, and lips. His gold-rimmed glasses exuded elegance, and the texture of his shirt spoke of refined taste. Even after their breakup, Lena had to admit that Nate was precisely her type. In all her life, among all the men she had met, only Aaron and Nate could truly be called attractive in her eyes. Even Hayden and Jace were merely "not bad." It wasn’t that her standards were excessively high—it was simply that if someone didn’t resonate with her, no matter how perfect they were, she wouldn’t care for them. "Thank you," Nate said softly. Lena was momentarily stunned, assuming he was referring to their wor
Recently, Lena had been in a constant state of distraction. Aaron's decision to sever ties with the Aces weighed heavily on her mind. He hadn't told her the reason, only saying that she would find out in due time. She could live without knowing why, but she feared the fallout. When the truth came to light, she worried her grandparents and her mother would crumble under the weight of the news, collectively breaking down. Aaron had assured her he would handle everything, but she didn’t trust that he could shield the family from such devastation. Most importantly, she couldn’t understand why he would choose to leave the Aces. Could it really be, as the old saying went, that someone else’s child was like an ungrateful wolf? If it were anyone else, she might believe it, but this was Aaron. She couldn’t bring herself to believe he would be so heartless, so ungrateful. And yet, he had said it to her himself. It felt so unreal that Lena wondered if she had imagined it all. This tur
Mrs. Lane finally pieced together all the questions Lena had asked her and understood everything. Gabriel furrowed his brow and looked at Lena. "Is this really what you think?" Lena stayed silent. She did have those suspicions, but seeing how her mother had reacted so strongly, she began to wonder if she had been overthinking it. Aaron, who had already figured out the situation, looked at Lena and spoke up. "She must have misunderstood something." And he knew it was his fault. "She’s just an ungrateful brat! She doesn’t appreciate the kindness she’s been given and can’t stand seeing me be good to someone else," Mrs. Lane fumed again. Gabriel wiped away her tears gently. "Alright, maybe she was just joking with you." "Ask her if she was joking! Look at the things she’s been asking me—let her tell you herself!" Mrs. Lane pointed an accusing finger at Lena. "Big Sis," Aaron called out softly, "I’ll take Lil' Lena out for some fresh air." Without waiting for a reply, he r
"You’ll find out soon enough," Aaron’s answer echoed in Lena’s ears, leaving her restless and unable to sleep. The next day, Mrs. Lane arrived with chicken soup for Aaron and a bag full of fresh produce. "These vegetables are from a village I visited. They’re all organic, no chemical fertilizers," she gushed proudly. Lena's gaze followed her mother’s every move, scrutinizing her intently. Wherever she went, Lena's eyes followed, making her incredibly uncomfortable. "What are you staring at me for? It’s creepy," Mrs. Lane said. "Mom, why are you so good to my uncle?" Lena finally asked. "He’s my brother. Isn’t it normal for me to care for him? You think everyone’s as heartless as you?" Mrs. Lane scolded her, throwing in an insult for good measure. Lena didn’t retaliate to the insult. Instead, she pressed further, "It’s normal, sure, but the way you care for him doesn’t feel like how you’d treat a brother. It feels more like..." She paused before continuing, "Like how you’d
Keira chuckled softly. "Well, a DNA test isn’t a bad idea. At least then you won’t have to worry about being related to Mr. Ace if you two get together." Lena's eyebrows shot up instantly. "What nonsense are you spouting? Do you want me to hit you?" "Go ahead. If you break anything, you’ll have to compensate me," Keira said smugly, knowing full well she had a trump card—her precious little one growing inside her. Their playful banter caught the attention of the people in the room. They exchanged amused glances. "The things girls find joy in are beyond us," one of them said with a smile. "Let’s hope they stay happy forever," Aaron added, just as his phone began to ring. Glancing at the caller ID, he nodded at Hayden. "I’ll take this call." Aaron walked toward his study. Hayden also pulled out his phone, while Lena and Keira moved to the sofa. Keira recounted Lena’s gossip to him. "Hayden, do you think I could be the person the Mitchell family owes a debt to?" "It’s not