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.
"And... hard," I teased, watching Hayden's jaw tighten.He didn't say a word, but I could feel the tension. His grip loosened on me, but his mood was obvious."Seriously, Hayden?" I tugged on his arm, pouting like a pro. "You're not actually mad, right?""No," he muttered, but his face said, 'absolutely yes.'"Come on, you're not the type to get all worked up over something like this, are you?" I tilted my head, trying to figure him out."I know exactly what you mean," he said, lifting me like I was nothing and plopping me right onto the hotel room's rocking chair.I laughed, wrapping my legs around his waist. "Oh, so you think you've got me all figured out, huh?" I tugged him closer.He swallowed hard, trying so badly to keep his cool, but the way his body stiffened under my touch? Oh yeah, I had him right where I wanted.He looked so serious, almost adorable in this new, flustered way. I couldn't help but push more."What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" I smirked, my legs sti
I wasn't sure what was happening over in Lena's room, but judging from earlier? Yeah, it was probably getting just as heated as things were with Hayden and me.Getting interrupted during that moment, especially their first time, would definitely leave a mark.I pressed down on Hayden, who was beyond ready. "Hold up a sec."His chest rose and fell, and his eyes were smoldering. "Hmm?"I nodded toward the door with a pout. "You hear that? Someone's trying to ruin the vibe next door."His gaze stayed locked on me. "So?""Come on, a hero's gotta step in when there's injustice," I said, already wriggling out from under him."And what about the injustice happening right here?" he asked, making me grin.I cupped his face and gave him a quick kiss. "Just hang tight, babe. I'll go handle the villain."I knew I sounded ridiculous, but honestly? That's how I felt with him—like a carefree kid.It's wild how true that old saying is: when you're with someone who really loves you, you just
Lena wasn't about to back down. "Totally. Nate's my boyfriend, so I'm sure you'll respect those boundaries."Her confidence? Unshakable. She knew her place, and she owned it.Retta held her gaze, clearly trying to push buttons that weren't getting pushed. After a few awkward seconds of back-and-forth, Retta finally gave in with a sharp, "Tell Nate to leave an hour early tomorrow. If he's late, no one's waiting."Like, okay, chill. We all knew she was just being dramatic.Lena smiled, all calm and collected. "Sure, we'll be up all night anyway."Honestly? I wanted to give Lena a standing ovation—she crushed that.Retta's flawless face finally cracked. She scowled, then stormed off in a huff.As Retta disappeared down the hall, I flashed Lena a thumbs-up from across the way.She pointed right back at me with a look that screamed, 'I can't believe you're staying right next door to us.'Lena: 1. Retta: 0. She handled it like a boss, and I was riding that high with her.Back in th
The thing I've been chasing for years... just dropped into my inbox like some sketchy mystery gift.At first, I was excited. But then confusion hit me.Why now? Why this random person? And how did he even know what I was looking for?The accident happened forever ago—over a decade. Why had this person been sitting on that missing page for so long? Was it even real? Or was this some kind of weird trap?A million questions ran through my head, but honestly, I couldn't let this go. No matter what.My hands were shaking as I typed back: [When can we meet?]No response.I waited, like, five seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Who even was this person? When did he add me?I checked his profile and realized he'd friended me a while back, and I'd even left a note: [Officer Sawyer.]Right. He had sent a friend request ages ago, but I'd forgotten about it.So, this was the officer in charge of my parents' case? My pulse picked up again, hard.I fired off another message: [Officer S
I woke up the next morning as soon as Hayden slipped out of bed. I wandered to the balcony, just in time to spot Nate getting into his car.He was holding Lena's hand—not in a full-on PDA way, but there was definitely something there. Like, they clearly had a night.Then, right on cue, Retta appeared, looking effortlessly chic in her beige blouse and white pants. Honestly, without her lab coat, she could've been straight out of a fashion magazine.She was obviously trying to catch Nate's eye, probably hoping to throw Lena off her game."Nate, good morning!" Retta called out, flashing her most charming smile, acting like it didn't faze her that Lena had totally stayed over.Nate barely glanced her way, just nodded. "We're all waiting on you."I had to grin. He wasn't giving her anything. He definitely knew about her little stunt last night.Retta's smile slipped for a second, and she shot Lena this look, like, 'How dare you tell him what I said.'Lena? Totally unbothered. She ju
“Hey, pretty lady, want to move this party somewhere else?” In the center of the dance floor, a man leaned closer to Lena with an inviting smile. Lena tossed her rarely unbound long hair over her shoulder, swaying slightly as she replied, “To your bed, perhaps?” “If that’s what you want,” the man said with a grin, moving even closer. Lena pressed a single finger to his forehead, stopping him in his tracks. “I think my bed would be more suitable.” “Your bed works too,” the man smirked. Leaning in closer, Lena gave a sly smile. “My bed happens to be a surgical table.” The man laughed, assuming she was teasing him. “So, what’s on the menu? Heart or liver?” “Heart and liver,” Lena replied smoothly, her finger pressing precisely on the corresponding points on his body. The man hesitated, clearly startled by her precision, but before he could react, Lena pushed him away with a flick of her finger. She had danced enough and left the floor, catching her breath. From the cro
Lena’s father and grandfather poured themselves some wine, but before they could take a sip, they were scolded. “When it’s time to talk, you’re mute, but when it comes to lifting a wine glass, you’re the most enthusiastic.” “Aaron, when you find a wife, don’t pick someone like your sister or your mom, or you’ll spend your whole life getting nagged,” Lena’s father teased, earning laughter from everyone at the table. Although the homecoming had started awkwardly, the evening turned out enjoyable, with a lively and pleasant conclusion. “Why don’t you both stay the night? Don’t leave,” suggested Mrs. Lane after dinner. Lena: “No way!” Aaron: “I’ve got work!” Their simultaneous refusals drew the attention of everyone at the table. Lena kept her composure, her face impassive as she explained, “I’m currently preparing for a fetal surgery on a pregnant patient. There’s a lot of prep work involved. I was supposed to work overtime tonight, but you called me here at the last minute.
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.