I smiled to myself—so it was her.Thorsten must have told her my name.When Sasha arrived, I was lounging in the garden, soaking up the sun. She strutted up to me in full "rich wife" mode, her posture screaming arrogance. "Keira Kay, you've got some nerve making me come all the way here to find you.""You've got it wrong," I replied, completely calm. "You came because you wanted to see me."Sasha's perfectly made-up face twisted into an ugly scowl. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"She stood there, casting a shadow that blocked my sunlight. I had to admit, from my angle, her hourglass figure was... impressive.It wasn't hard to see why a guy like Thorsten would be attracted to her. Even I could appreciate her appeal—both visually and practically.I smiled. "I have no idea. Is your daughter looking for a playdate?"If it weren't for Milly, Sasha and I would never have crossed paths, and we definitely wouldn't be here having this conversation.Funny enough, it had also been ri
Sasha sounded sincere.I could tell she was lonely—otherwise, why would she be coming at me with all that attitude one minute and trying to be my friend the next?"I don't have many friends. Thorsten doesn't let me make any," Sasha said, stepping closer. "But I can tell he treats you differently. So, if I become friends with you, he might be okay with it."I didn't respond to her."I really don't have any ulterior motives. I just want to be friends. And Milly really likes you; she talks about you all the time," Sasha added, pulling the "my kid likes you" card."I know you probably don't think much of me," she continued, her voice softening. "But can't we at least try? For Milly's sake?"Gone was the cocky attitude from earlier. Now, she seemed almost... vulnerable, like she was pleading.I gave her a polite but firm smile. "I'm busy. I don't have time for new friends."It wasn't that I wanted to be cold, but getting involved with Thorsten's women? That was a mess I didn't need
I held Hayden's hand, silently trying to give him strength.Nate had warned us the surgery would last at least six hours. After three hours of waiting, Hayden suddenly got a nosebleed.It was his anxiety breaking through, and it hit me just how much Yuna meant to him."I'll get you some water," I said. We hadn't had a thing to drink in hours.The night before, Yuna couldn't eat because of her surgery prep, and Hayden, in solidarity, hadn't eaten either."I'm fine," he muttered, still trying to be the strong one. "You should rest a bit and come back later."I nodded and headed to the hospital's convenience store to grab some water.On my way back, I was surprised to spot Wade leaning against the wall near the surgical floor, staring at the ground, looking completely lost in thought.Considering what I had seen in Narelle's room two days ago, I was sure she must have passed. Wade shouldn't be here.But there he was, standing quietly, like a shadow.I glanced around. This floor
Hayden had just cracked open a water bottle and taken a sip when the OR doors flew open. Retta rushed out, looking serious. "Who's the patient's family?"She was assisting Nate in the surgery today."I am!" Hayden jumped to his feet so fast he almost lost his balance.I caught his arm and walked with him toward Retta. "What's happening?""There was major bleeding during the surgery. You need to prepare yourselves." She handed him a consent form.Her words hit like a truck, freezing us both."How bad is it? What's happening now?" Lena, still in her scrubs, walked up, right on time. She wasn't even supposed to be here, but had to fill in last minute."We're doing blood transfusions and trying to find the source of the bleeding," Retta explained, passing another form to Hayden.He didn't move, his hands frozen with fear.I had no clue what to do, so I glanced at Lena.She shot me a look, silently telling me to grab the form.But before I could, Hayden snatched it up himself. He
As I did, I caught a glimpse of Retta. Her face was tight with jealousy, fists clenched at her sides. The envy was written all over her, and it made my chest tighten.Before I could think, I said, "Prof. Roane."Retta snapped out of her daze. She looked at me, her voice icy, almost robotic. "The patient will be moved to recovery in thirty minutes."Then she turned and walked away, frustration practically radiating off her.I nudged Hayden and whispered, "She's jealous."Relieved about Yuna, Hayden squeezed my hand. "Yeah, Prof. Neumann handled that perfectly."Wait, what?I blinked, looking between Nate, still wrapped around Lena, and Hayden, who just nodded like he was in on something.It hit me then—Nate's little PDA wasn't just about loving on Lena. It was a clear message to Retta, who clearly had a thing for him, setting boundaries. And at the same time, it reassured Lena where she stood.Hayden didn't need to spell it out; guys just get each other in ways we sometimes mis
Three days later, Yuna was moved out of the recovery room.No signs of rejection, no discomfort—her recovery was going faster than even Nate expected."It seems like someone else's heart suits her just fine," Lena said with a touch of admiration."Maybe the heart's original owner wasn't ready to leave just yet," I joked, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers.The thought lingered in my mind, so I leaned closer to Lena and whispered, "Do you know anything about the donor?"Lena gave me a quick, sideways glance. "That's confidential."I knew that, of course. I wasn't asking to pry—just amazed at the fact that someone's sacrifice had saved Yuna's life. It was the kind of selflessness you don't see every day.The door to the recovery room swung open, and Yuna was wheeled out.Even though Hayden and I had visited Yuna a few times over the past days, seeing her finally come out of that room felt completely different.This wasn't just a door from the recovery room—it was the start of he
Even though Yuna's surgery was a success, her recovery still came with risks, so she needed round-the-clock care. Hayden hired a caregiver, but only for the daytime. At night, he stayed by her side.So lately, I hadn’t spent much time with Hayden—after all, we both had work during the day.To my surprise, Hayden said, "I'll go.""But what about Yuna—" I started, but he cut me off."I'll take care of it," he said in that reassuring way."I haven't spent enough time with you lately," he murmured, pressing his forehead against mine. His words made my heart ache a little.Wasn't that the truth?He'd been with Yuna every night, and of course, that meant there wasn't much time for us.I couldn't really be jealous of that—but still, I felt a little neglected.The game Steve invited us to was in Ferndale, a few hours away, so Hayden and I flew out. When we landed, we were surprised to see someone holding a sign with my name. Hayden and I exchanged a look, but the driver quickly explai
Hayden's tone was serious, and for a second, my teasing mood completely evaporated. I looked at him closely—he seemed worn down, probably from dealing with Yuna's recovery and now this drama with me.I softened a bit, pulling him closer. "Steve and I are just friends, that's why I can joke about him. There's literally nothing to worry about."The second the words left my mouth, I realized they came out wrong. I didn't mean to say there was nothing to hide—it wasn't about hiding anything. I just didn't care because it wasn't that deep.Hayden's face relaxed a little. "I know," he said quietly, "but it still bothers me."And yeah, I got it. If he were talking about some girl non-stop, I'd probably be annoyed too. Heck, I might've kicked him out of the car by now."Sorry, that was wrong of me," I apologized quickly, feeling a little guilty.Hayden's expression softened, but there was still a glint in his eyes. "Saying sorry isn't enough around here," he said, his tone teasing but wi