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
If Mrs. Blake actually rammed into Tanya like that, the baby would be gone for sure.Even though she refused to believe it, Jace had already made it clear the baby wasn't his—it was Desmond's. If something happened to that baby, their family line would end for good.My heart skipped a beat, and before I even realized it, I was sprinting forward.Lena, who was closest to Mrs. Blake, moved fast too, grabbing hold of her just in time. "Mrs. Blake, you cannot do this."Tanya, who'd been silent until now, suddenly snapped. "Let her hit me! This is her own grandchild. If she kills it, her family line's gone for good.""You still claim that child's ours?" Mrs. Blake was wild with rage, her eyes blazing. "I'll beat it out of you right now and prove if it's really my grandchild.""Fine! Let's settle it right here!" Tanya shot back, just as furious.I didn't want to jump into this mess, but the baby was innocent—and it was Desmond's last link to this world.I took a deep breath and storm
Seeing Tanya refuse to accept reality, I couldn't help but sneer. "You don't believe me? Fine. How about this—I've known Jace for over ten years. We practically grew up together. I probably even know his bathroom schedule."I borrowed a line Steve used to tease me and Jace.Tanya's face paled, her body swaying like she might lose her balance. She shook her head, like if she just denied it enough, it wouldn't be true. "No, that's not possible. It's not like that.""Don't believe me? Go ahead, try it for yourself," I said, my voice cold and cutting.She didn't respond. She just stood there, staring at me, frozen in place. Then, without another word, she turned and stumbled away, her steps shaky as she walked off.I watched her retreat, but something about her erratic behavior stayed with me. After a few seconds of hesitation, I pulled out my phone and dialed Jace.I almost forgot he'd been dodging everyone's calls, going MIA."Rea," Jace's voice came through the line.He actually
"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