I spun around, and my jaw dropped.Behind us, all the people who'd been biking around were now riding with streamers trailing behind them. I squinted, trying to read what they said, but before I could make out the words, the bikes picked up speed, and Hayden slowed ours down.When we were surrounded by the bikes, the words became clear: Kiki, marry me.My heart stopped. I whipped around to Hayden, wide-eyed.He just looked calm, like this whole thing wasn't a surprise at all."Wait... are you seriously proposing right now?" I blurted, my heart racing."Yep," he said, super casual. "I'm taking you home for good. That way, no one else can try."I knew who he meant—Wayne.Before I could even react, I heard someone yell, "Come on, Hayden! Get down on one knee already!"I followed the voice and spotted Yuna, perched on one of the bikes, grinning like she'd just pulled off the prank of the century.That's when Hayden hopped off our bike, circled around to me, and, like magic, pulle
I knew exactly what I had asked Steve to look into, but this wasn't the time I'd imagined getting an update. My head was spinning with everything that had just happened, but now this uneasiness crept in, making my eyelid twitch."What did you find?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady."The info you had wasn't the full story. There's a final conclusion you missed," Steve replied, sounding just as confused as I felt.I took a slow breath. "Were you able to find it?""No," Steve said, and suddenly his tone got more serious. "The officer who handled the case died shortly after your dad's accident."A cold shiver ran through me. "When?""One month after the investigation was closed."For a second, I couldn't even breathe. Steve's voice cut through the panic buzzing in my head. "Rea... you there?"I jumped in, my mind racing. "Do you think his death was connected to how my dad's accident was ruled?""I've thought about that," Steve admitted. "But officially, it's listed as sudd
I had Steve check it out instead of just waiting for Hayden's conclusion. I mean, it was his dad driving that day, and I couldn't shake the feeling he might lie to protect him.Now, though? Yeah, I was totally overthinking it."You're thinking the brakes failed that day, huh?" Hayden asked.We were officially together now, so no more dodging the truth. "Yeah. I need a real answer, though. Like, no guessing."Hayden went quiet for a second, then asked, all soft, "Rea, if—and I'm just saying if—the brake thing had something to do with my dad, would you... would you leave me?"The words hit like a punch in the gut, tightening my throat like someone was choking me. I knew why he asked, but honestly? I hadn't thought about it. It was too scary to even go there."Hayden, I really don't know."There was a part of me that believed—even if the accident was tied to his dad—that Hayden wasn't his dad. I couldn't blame him for something his dad might've done. But just because I could think
Jace's face froze, his eyes locking onto mine like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then, his gaze dropped to my hand, still laced with Hayden's.No one said a word for a few awkward seconds. Finally, Hayden cleared his throat. "Mr. Johnston, morning."Morning? The sun wasn't even up yet.That seemed to snap Jace out of his trance. His jaw clenched, and he looked straight at me. "Rea, I need to talk to you."I could've said no, but I didn't. Some conversations had to happen, even if they sucked."Hayden, go on upstairs. I'm in the mood for some milk," I said, super casual, like I was asking my husband to pick up groceries or something.He gave a small nod, adjusting the coat around my shoulders. "It's cold this morning."He stepped into the elevator, leaving me alone with Jace, who just stared at the floor numbers like he was trying to burn a hole through them. When the doors finally shut, Jace turned back to me. "When did you buy the apartment?"I used to think he bough
I was so mad at him. He'd gotten so drunk, he didn't even remember asking me to pick him up.Back then, Jace had stared at me, all dazed, and after a beat, he leaned in and kissed me—soft and sweet. Then, like always, he ruffled my hair. "Silly girl," he'd said.That morning sky? It was just like now, barely light. He was still buzzed, full of that restless energy he always had when he drank too much. "Wanna hit the hilltop for the sunrise?" he asked, eyes sparkling.Classic Jace. Whenever he drank too much, he hated going to bed, always saying the room spun the second he tried to lie down. So, I'd usually drive him around until he calmed down.That night, I drove us to the hilltop. We sat on this big rock, leaning into each other, watching the stars disappear as the sky shifted from dark to gray. Then, the sun started peeking out, flooding everything with that soft, pink light.He ended up falling asleep on my shoulder, staying there until the sun was high enough that the heat wo
Jace didn't continue, but I already knew. "She wants to be your wife, right?"Jace's head shot up, surprise all over his face like I'd cracked some big secret."You know her pretty well," he said after a beat, his tone dripping with sarcasm.The jab wasn't subtle. He was implying I'd been keeping tabs on Tanya—because, yeah, she'd stolen Jace from me. Classic."You're overthinking it," I shot back, keeping my cool. "I don't care about her. But she's so obvious. Her obsession with money and fancy things? Kinda hard to miss."Right as I finished, the sky started to change. I used to think night slowly turned into day, but it was like someone flicked a switch. The sky just... lit up, fast and sharp. No wonder they call it the breaking of dawn."Jace, an amusement park's worth a lot, sure. But compared to being the CEO's wife? It's pocket change." I watched his expression—he blinked, clearly not expecting me to go there.Yeah, the Johnstons gave me a whole amusement park, but Jace's
Jace looked at me, clearly still not getting it."Tanya was just the final straw," I said, giving him a tiny smile.I remembered something I'd heard before: 'If you can laugh about it, you're over it.'"Rea, I don't get it. Fine, blame me for what happened with Tanya, but before that? I was good to you," he insisted, like he just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that I'd checked out long before."I'm not saying you weren't good to me," I shrugged. "But did you ever stop to think about how I treated you? Or were you too busy looking in the mirror?" I asked, keeping my voice light.He stared at me for what felt like forever, then dropped his head. "I didn't appreciate you. That's how I lost you.""What's the point in rehashing this now?" I said, steering things back to Tanya. "Let's talk about her. You worried your parents won't be cool if you're serious about her?""Serious? With Tanya?" Jace snapped. "Do you think I'm a complete idiot?"Okay, valid question, but I kept th
The amusement park opening and all the gossip about me blew up for three days, then faded, like everything does online. Scandals come and go faster than you can blink.Those three days were the perfect chance for Tanya to make a move, but she didn't. Jace was right—she didn't dare release the video. If she did, she'd lose everything.But she wasn't backing down that easy.What I didn't see coming? She pulled the whole "jumping off a building" stunt.I was sitting with Matthew in his hospital room when a nurse burst in, breathless about someone trying to jump off the roof.My scalp prickled at the thought."It's a pregnant woman," she said, already gossiping. "Maybe it's prepartum depression or something."Right then, my phone buzzed. Jace.I had a sinking feeling. "Hello?""Tanya's on the roof. She's going to jump." His voice was tense, heavy.I froze. Tanya had done a lot, but this? This was her gambling with not just her life, but her baby's too.Matthew was watching me, s
"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