The crowd's gasps echoed around me as I watched Tanya inch closer to the edge of the rooftop.I didn't scream, but my heart jumped to my throat. Seeing her teeter like that made my skin crawl. It was like my whole body was on high alert, even though I wasn't the one standing up there.This wasn't about her, though. It was about the sheer horror of watching someone flirt with danger like that.I knew what it meant. Jace had made it to the roof.I couldn't hear a word from down here, just watching helplessly, until someone nudged me. "Miss, your phone's ringing."Snapping out of it, I grabbed my phone. Jace. Why would he be calling me now? Unless...It had to be Tanya making him do it.I answered. Jace's voice was tight. "Rea, can you bring my dad up here?"I could've gone, but why did he need Matthew, too? His health was shaky, and whatever Tanya had planned, it wouldn't be good for him. I couldn't let her drag him into this mess.Glancing up at Tanya, wobbling on the edge, my
Tanya's scream ripped through the air, loud enough to make my ears ring."Don't provoke her," a firefighter warned again, but Jace waved him off.Jace knew, just like I did, that Tanya didn't actually want to die. This was all a show, a desperate act to make everyone believe she was at her breaking point.Sure enough, after her outburst, she shot a wild look at Jace and me. "You think I'm bluffing, don't you? You think I'd never actually jump, that this is just about money. Well, today, I'll show you—either I'm serious, or this is all just a game."She took another step back, inching closer to the edge.My heart raced. Even if she didn't want to die, one wrong move, and she would. The whole thing was way too real.I glanced at her swollen belly. I didn't know exactly how far along she was, but it had been over six months since Jace and I broke up. That baby had to be at least six or seven months in.Tanya might be playing some twisted game, but that baby? Totally innocent. My ch
Tanya suddenly shook her head. "I don't care! I need an answer, Jace—are you gonna marry me or not?"Jace's jaw tightened. He could've easily said yes just to chill her out.But nope. Instead, he hit her with the truth. "Tanya, I told you, I'll compensate you, but marriage? That's not happening."Even the firefighters gave him a 'Dude, seriously?' look.Tanya's eyes filled with desperation, and she practically screeched, "The only thing I want is you!""You set me up, and you're responsible for Desmond's death. The fact that I'm not holding you accountable is because you're carrying his kid," Jace said, his voice as cold as ice.Yeah, Jace was never one to back down from blackmail, not even as a kid. His mom always said he was stubborn as a rock."The child? It's always about the child!" Tanya pressed a hand to her belly. "So that's it? I'm just some baby factory to you?"You care about this baby, don't you? "If you don't agree, I'll end this right now!" and started hitting her
The baby was born prematurely—seven and a half months.He lay in the incubator, nearly translucent. Just looking at him made my heart ache.Lena couldn't say if the baby would make it. It was all up to fate now.Tanya didn't actually succeed in jumping, but her baby sure paid the price. And she didn't get out unscathed either. Her uterus ruptured, she bled out like crazy, and they had to do an emergency hysterectomy just to keep her alive. Barely.She was lucky to be alive.Honestly, I didn't care about her anymore. But the baby... that poor kid. Desmond's parents didn't even acknowledge him, and now he was fatherless. With Tanya as his mom? Yeah, the future wasn't looking too bright. If she cared even a little, she wouldn't have kept putting him at risk with her wild decisions.When Hayden showed up at the hospital to get me, he looked... furious. Lena bumped me with her shoulder. "Uh-oh, your man's pissed."Yeah, I saw it."You're still tangled up in this Jace mess," Lena mut
Lena smiled. "Sure.""Oh wow, that was fast. Did you even ask Prof. Neumann?" I teased.Lena waved it off. "Don't ask."I caught on immediately. "Sooo, just the two of you tomorrow?""Yeah, but we wouldn't mind a double date," Lena winked, turning to walk away.Watching her leave, I knew she didn't want Nate going anywhere, but she'd never admit it. Stubborn, as always."We should treat them to a nice dinner tomorrow. Maybe set up a little... surprise," I whispered to Hayden.He blinked. "What surprise?"I leaned closer. "A luxury presidential suite."Hayden didn't go that far, but he did set up dinner at Seavora's fanciest restaurant. Classy move."Mrs. Hart, you and your hubby are really pulling out all the stops," Lena laughed.Ever since Hayden proposed, Lena had started calling me the future Mrs. Hart. It still made me blush."Prof. Neumann saved Yuna's life. This is the least we can do," Hayden said, nodding at Nate.Nate, looking sharp in a tailored suit, was a far
Wait, what? Kept the Johnstons waiting?It wasn't just what Kylian said that threw me off—it was the fact he said "we" while talking to Hayden.Lena shot me a confused look, but I stayed quiet, holding my breath, waiting for Hayden's response.There he was, in his perfectly tailored suit, looking all sharp and in control, like a guy who's used to making big decisions. Kylian—who was supposed to be the heir of the Hart family—suddenly seemed like the sidekick."If it's that hard, just make the decision yourself," Hayden said coolly.Kylian looked relieved. "Then I'll finalize things with them today," he said. "When will you be free?"Hayden's brow furrowed. "Not anytime soon."Kylian blinked, clearly thrown off by the brush-off. Just as he was about to say something else, Hayden cut him off. "I'm having dinner with my fiancée and friends. We'll talk later."And with that, Hayden walked away, leaving Kylian standing there with his hand half-raised, before he just let it drop, tot
I glanced out at the glittering skyline. "Let me guess. You're thinking if something was gonna happen between Nate and Retta, it would've by now. So, there's no room for you, right?""Exactly! When I liked Nate, he liked me back. We've always been in sync, even if we weren't together," Lena said, totally confident and glowing.Whether she was really feeling it or just talking herself up, I didn't want to crush her vibe. So, I nodded. "You guys are totally soulmates."Then, a mischievous thought popped into my head, and I nudged her. "So, have you and Nate taken things to the next level yet? You know, soulmates and body mates?"Lena's face turned bright pink. "Not yet.""Wait, is it him? Or are you holding back?" I asked, way too curious now."Something just... I don't know, isn't right yet."She knew she could tell me anything, no judgment."Ohhh, I know!" I grinned. "How about Hayden and I book you guys a suite tonight? If the mood's right, everything else will just click."L
Hayden and I ended up snagging the room right next to Nate's, which worked out perfectly because, let's be real, I was dying to see if Lena was gonna spend the night with him. I didn't really care about staying at the hotel—just straight-up nosy.The second we got to our room, we made a beeline for the balcony. I wasn't even all the way outside before I caught Nate's voice floating over."Lena, have you ever thought about working abroad? With your skills, you'd kill it overseas," he said, voice all soft and serious.I crouched down, peeking over the edge. Sure enough, there they were—Nate had his arm around Lena, both leaning against the railing, staring at the city lights."I haven't really thought about it... until tonight," Lena's voice was quieter than I'd ever heard it—like a totally different person from the cool doctor I knew."Would you consider it?" Nate asked, still soft.She didn't answer right away, so he kept going. "If you wanted, I could help set things up for you.
Lena’s mother’s face flushed with embarrassment at the questioning but quickly retorted, “Aaron, what kind of talk is that? Lena is my daughter. I gave birth to her and raised her. How could I possibly harm her?” “Then what do you call what you’re doing today?” Aaron’s voice and gaze were both ice-cold. “Your sister is just worried that Lena hasn’t moved on from Nate,” Lena’s father chimed in, trying to mediate. “That’s right, Aaron. Your sister and brother-in-law would never hurt Lena. Besides, the Goodwick family isn’t bad. It’s just that from the moment you two walked in, you’ve been giving them attitude, making sharp remarks at every turn,” added Aaron’s father, who had been silent until now. As the person in question, Lena couldn’t remain silent any longer. “Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, I know you all care about me and want the best for me, but I really don’t want to start a new relationship right now. That doesn’t mean I’m stuck in the past with Nate, though. Can you just
“Yes!” Lena and Aaron replied in unison. Mrs. Goodwick froze for a moment, then gave an awkward laugh. “You two are uncle and niece, having grown up together, but now that you’re adults, you should have your own spaces. What if Mr. Ace brings a girlfriend home? It wouldn’t be convenient, would it?” She certainly knew how to mind others' business. “I don’t have a girlfriend, so there’s no inconvenience,” Aaron replied flatly, blocking her attempts at argument like swatting away a fly. “But men and women are different,” Arthur said, his gaze toward Lena taking on a peculiar edge. “Only dirty-minded people think that way,” Lena shot back without hesitation. The back-and-forth between Aaron and Lena left no room for the Goodwick family to save face. Their expressions darkened considerably. Mrs. Lane had to step in to smooth things over. “It’s just that Lena had some trouble with a medical dispute recently. We were worried about her safety, so we let her stay with her uncle fo
“Lena, you’re back! Aaron…” Mrs. Lane immediately waved at Lena, signaling her to come over quickly. Lena had a sinking feeling and didn’t step forward. Just then, Aaron walked over and stood beside her, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. As his sleeve brushed against Lena’s hand, the accidental touch gave her a sudden boost of courage. What was there to be afraid of? With Aaron here, her mother wouldn’t dare go overboard. It was a confidence she had grown up with—so long as Aaron was around, her mother was nothing more than a paper tiger. To this day, Lena couldn’t quite figure it out. Aaron wasn’t even biologically related to the family, yet everyone seemed to hold him in unusually high regard. Whatever he said, no one would dare contradict. It was precisely because of this unique favoritism that Lena often rode on his coattails, benefiting from his influence. “Chairman Goodwick, Mrs. Goodwick,” Aaron greeted the unfamiliar guests first, acknowledging the fa
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s completely healed,” Lena said as she sat down. “Any new issues or discoveries today?” “None,” Nate replied, his dark, deep gaze lingering on her with a complex expression. Lena noticed but pretended not to. She had no intention of asking. When she lowered her head to focus on work, Nate withdrew his gaze. For the rest of the day, he didn’t say another word to her. This behavior was unusual for him. Ever since he returned to promote his research project, Nate had always carried himself with humility, desperately seeking her forgiveness. But today, he acted like just another colleague, a completely different person from before. Although this change was what Lena had hoped for, she couldn’t help but feel unsettled. What had brought on this sudden shift? She thought back to the incident yesterday when she had asked Nate and Aaron to leave while her wound was being treated. Could it be that her uncle had said something to Nate? On the drive bac
Aaron didn’t give Nate an answer, but silence itself was an answer. Lena’s test results came back negative: no traces of snake venom were found in her system. The wound had been treated, and in the end, it turned out to be a false alarm. “Sorry, Uncle,” Lena said apologetically. “I ruined your camping trip.” When she had been bitten by the snake, her screams were so terrifying that they startled everyone else. The others quickly packed up and left, bringing the camping trip to an abrupt, messy end. “It’s fine. You can make it up to everyone another time,” Aaron replied in a way that defied all expectations. Shouldn’t he be comforting her? He didn’t play by the rules, and Lena decided she wouldn’t either. “I’m not making it up to anyone. If anything, you owe me, Uncle.” “How would you like me to compensate you?” This time, he sounded more reasonable. Lena blinked mischievously. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” After saying that, she sigh
Nate stared at her face, carefully observing her expression and movements. He had a rough idea of her condition but still asked, "Bitten on the ankle, right? Let me see the wound." As he spoke, he bent down. However, before he could touch Lena, she was moved away. Nate looked up at Aaron. "Mr. Ace, even if the snake isn’t venomous, its teeth carry a lot of bacteria." Aaron’s response was as sharp as ever. "Oh, so you can see the bacteria and have a chat with them, asking them to leave? Or can you wipe them out with your bare hands?" Without waiting for Nate’s reply, Aaron scooped up Lena and walked off. Nate crouched there for a few seconds, stunned, before standing up and following quickly.-Lena was seated in a chair as the doctor lifted her leg. Just as Nate reached out to roll up her pant leg, Aaron had already done it. Nate had no choice but to awkwardly withdraw his hand. The doctor began cleaning the wound with disinfectant. Meanwhile, Aaron gently placed his hand
The black Cayenne roared through the night, the driver pushing the car to its limits as if his foot might break through the gas pedal. Yet, Aaron wasn’t satisfied. "Faster," he barked. "There’s no need to rush. Safety first," Lena said, her voice calm despite her pale complexion. As a doctor, she knew the basics—judging by the snake that bit her, it was likely just a common green snake, non-venomous. Despite her reassurances, Aaron remained tense, his entire body rigid. The driver, responding to the urgency, raced toward the hospital with record-breaking speed. What should have been a twenty-minute drive was reduced to eight. By the time they screeched to a halt, the driver’s legs were trembling from the adrenaline rush. It was the first time in his life he had experienced such an intense, heart-pounding ride. Aaron didn’t wait for the car to stop completely. He leapt out, carrying Lena straight into the emergency room. "Doctor, she's been bitten by a snake," he said urgently.
"Then why are his photos identical to yours?" Keira demanded. Lena didn’t answer immediately. She understood what Keira meant, opened her social media app, and found Aaron’s post. Sure enough, he’d shared the exact same photo as hers. To make things worse, the comments underneath included a particularly mortifying one from her mother: [You’re with Lena, huh?] Her mother probably didn’t mean anything by it, but the comment still felt inappropriate. As Lena silently cursed her mother’s lack of tact, she noticed another reply under that comment. This one, from Aaron himself, read: [Wherever she goes, I’ll take her with me and make sure she’s well taken care of. Don’t worry, Sis.] Lena was absolutely speechless. These two siblings were a perfect match: one was clueless, and the other oblivious. Her mother, as an older woman, could be excused for her lack of social awareness. But Aaron? Why was he commenting like this, knowing full well that their mutual friends could see it?
Lena hastily withdrew her hand, but her movements were too abrupt. As she stepped back, she tripped over the support pole of the tent and fell backward. Just as she braced herself for a painful landing, Aaron’s long arm reached out and caught her waist, pulling her into his embrace. Her cheek pressed against his chest, and the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat filled her ears, blending with her own erratic pulse. This suffocating feeling... It was almost intoxicating. It reminded her of the time she had accidentally walked in on him while he was showering. Awkward. So awkward that she didn’t even know how to extricate herself, nor did she have the courage to pull away from his arms. “You’re already an adult, yet you’re still so clumsy,” Aaron scolded lightly, his voice coming from above her. Then he released her and added, “No wonder your mom worries about you so much and insists on you staying at home.” Lena’s suffocating embarrassment was instantly eased by his rem