Yes, I was reminding him. I didn't want him getting any ideas. But I wasn't in the mood for a fight either, so I matched his serious tone."Jace, I flew all the way here. Do you really want to start an argument right now?"He went quiet, his lips twitching like he wanted to say something snarky, but all he said was, "Give me your luggage."I handed him my suitcase without a second thought, and we walked out of the airport together in silence.Since he didn't bring up Steve's situation, I decided to. "So, what's going on with Steve? What's this fight about?""He's still in detention. No visitors allowed right now," Jace said, making me frown.So my trip here was basically pointless? The whole reason I came was because Jace said Steve was losing it, and I thought I could help."But I'm working on it. You'll see him soon," Jace added, switching up the vibe.I ignored that and pushed for more info. "Why'd Steve get into a fight?""It happened during practice. The guy's name is Dan
Jace let out a short laugh. "So, you really do resent me, huh?""I wouldn't go that far," I said, though we both knew there was some truth in it. "But yeah, there's definitely a bit of an imbalance. You wasted ten years of my life—my time, my emotions." Since we were already on the subject, I wasn't holding back."And what about my ten years?" he said quietly, his voice low. "Rea, I loved you all those years, too. I gave you my heart."I met his eyes for a second, then looked away. "I'm not denying that. But the second you slept with Tanya, everything you gave? Gone. You wiped it all out yourself."Jace's jaw clenched in frustration. "Even criminals get parole, chances to redeem themselves. Why can't I get one?""Because with me, there are no second chances," I said just as the food arrived.He clearly wanted to keep talking, but I wasn't having it. "If you want me to actually eat this, drop the past."His eyes darkened, but he stayed quiet.We ate in near silence, neither of u
I was sitting on the hotel balcony, staring out at the rain when Hayden's video call flashed on my screen.There's something about a foreign city that makes everything feel kind of...lonely. Especially when it's pouring.As I sat there, the conversation I'd overheard played on repeat in my head. And suddenly, Jace's weird questions about Hayden made sense. Not to mention why Kylian had been acting so weird around him.Hayden wasn't just some regular guy.He was from that Hart family.I thought he was just your average guy-next-door, and now it turns out he was some secret heir to a filthy rich, powerful family. Like, for real?What was this? Some undercover billionaire thing? Was he scared I'd stick around just because of his money?A bitter laugh escaped me as I grabbed my phone, which had been buzzing nonstop at my feet.Hayden's face filled the screen—handsome as ever. "Kiki, I can explain."He must've seen the call log. Of course he knew I overheard everything."Explain w
My chest tightened. "Alright, what time tomorrow?" I asked."Not sure yet. Just keep your phone close," Hayden paused, then, more casually, "Have you eaten?""Yeah, I ate with Jace," I replied, totally innocent, no hidden meaning behind it.There wasn't any reason for him to think otherwise. After all, he's the one who had Jace looking after me.Sure enough, Hayden didn't make a big deal of it. He just moved on. "What did Jace say about Steve?""He said he's working on getting me in to see him, but nothing beyond that," I replied, keeping it simple."Jace knows Steve's teammates pretty well. He might be able to get some leads from them," Hayden added. I didn't say anything, and he didn't push it.Silence settled between us. It felt strange—this had never happened during our calls before.I broke it, glancing out the window. "It's raining here. Like, really hard.""I can hear it," Hayden said, and that's when I realized—I'd had my phone facing up the whole time. He wasn't even
[Contact me as soon as possible.]That was Cedric's reply.I quickly typed back, [Okay,] but as soon as I hit send, something felt... off.He said "as soon as possible", and it hit me with this weird sense of urgency. Why was it so pressing?I tried sending another message: [If it's more convenient, you can send me photos or any documents you have.]No response. It was like my message just disappeared into the void.That's how it always went with this police officer—dude was elusive. Unless he reached out first, it was nearly impossible to get a hold of him.Thinking about my parents' accident, that unsettled feeling only grew darker.That night, I couldn't sleep.I didn't know if it was the unfamiliar place or all the stuff swirling in my head, but I tossed and turned for hours.The next morning, Jace noticed instantly. "Rough night?" he asked."I'm fine," I snapped, way too defensive.It was pride talking—that breakup kind of pride where you don't want anyone, especially
Hayden didn't push the conversation further. He must've sensed that I was still upset.When I finally saw Steve, he was in a prison jumpsuit, his once stylish hair shaved down to almost nothing. I'd never seen him like that before. It almost brought tears to my eyes.Steve had clawed his way up to success, earning a spot in Jace's circle purely on his own. But now, everything he worked for could be destroyed."Steve," I called softly.He looked up and smiled. "What are you doing here?"That smile—same as always, like nothing could break him. No matter what, Steve always had a bright smile for me, like his world was all sunshine.I couldn't speak for a moment, and he laughed. "What? Do I look so bad you don't even wanna talk to me?"I shook my head. Jace said Steve had been in a bad place, but here he was, still smiling like nothing was wrong. But I knew better. He was putting on a show, hiding his pain for my sake."You'll always be handsome," I teased, playing along.He let o
As I stepped out of the holding room, Steve's desperate shouts were still ringing in my ears.Jace wasn't wrong—Steve's emotions were a mess. One second he was frantic, the next totally defeated. But his last words stuck with me the most: "Rea, I can't stay here. I'm innocent."It broke my heart.The moment I stepped outside, Jace was already heading my way. He took one look at me and reached out, steadying me. "You look pale. Did Steve say something?"Thinking about Steve's warning, I said, "Let's get in the car. I'll explain on the way."Steve had told me to leave as soon as possible, and I got why—Quartz Cue probably had eyes on us. He was scared someone would see me, and I'd be next in line for trouble.Jace rushed me into the car, handing me a bottle of water. "Take a second."I ignored the water and said, "Steve says he's being framed." I ran through everything Steve had told me, ending with, "He said these people are ruthless. We might not be safe here either—"Before I
With a final shudder, the car came to a halt, and the world fell into this suffocating silence.It was so still, it felt like time itself had stopped.For a second, I didn't even realize I was still alive. When I tried to move, nothing happened. My body just... refused.I tried harder and heard a faint groan. "Don't... move..."Everything was still dark. Not because it was night, but because my eyes were covered—blood? Dirt? I had no idea."Jace," I called."I'm... here," Jace's voice came from right in front of me, but it was weak and fading."Get off me, I can't breathe," I muttered, trying to wriggle out, not even registering how hurt he might be.Jace shifted, just enough for me to pull my face away from his chest. That's when I saw the mess—the car was wrecked, crushed beyond recognition. The driver wasn't moving, blood everywhere.Panic flooded my chest. "Jace! Jace!" I shouted, my heart racing as I looked at him.His face was smeared with blood.This was bad. Jace was
Aaron meant what he said—he truly didn’t bother Lena again. It was as if life had reverted to how it was when he’d gone abroad. Lena even started wondering if he had left the country again, until she received a call from Briana. “Your uncle is going to announce his true parentage this Sunday. Your grandparents haven’t been eating well these past few days. Come back and keep them company, will you? You’re the only one who can cheer them up,” Briana said. Hearing this made Lena feel uneasy. Knowing Aaron’s intention to sever ties with the Ace family, she found herself perplexed. Hadn’t he already given up on her? If so, why was he still doing this? Unless... he had always wanted to cut ties with the Ace family, regardless of her. “Why would he do this?” Lena murmured under her breath. “What did you say?” Briana asked, not catching her words. “Mom, has uncle… been in the country this whole time?” Lena asked cautiously. “Of course. Where else would he go? His career here ha
“To put it simply, when I’m with him, my heartbeat isn’t the same. I know what that means. But our relationship is what it is. Even if there’s no blood relation, it’s still not possible,” Lena admitted, finally revealing her feelings. Her ties and concerns all revolved around Aaron’s identity. “What if he could handle everything? Including your parents and grandparents?” Keira pressed further. Lena gave a bitter smile. “And could he stop others from gossiping?” “Are you living for others? Who doesn’t talk about others, and who hasn’t been talked about behind their back?” Keira tried to reason with her. “Rea, humans are social creatures. It’s impossible not to care what others think,” Lena sighed, blowing at her bangs and sending them flying upward. At that moment, Nina ran over, her face brimming with joy. “I found a drawing on a leaf!” She held up a leaf and pointed to it. “Doesn’t this look like a turtle lying down?” She wasn’t wrong—it really did look like a turtle.
Keira knew Sasha had no ill intentions, but what about others? In this society, there were very few who genuinely wanted the best for you. Even if they wished you well, they rarely wanted you to do better than them. Had she been too high-profile lately? Did she provoke envy and jealousy? Actually, she hadn’t done anything to promote herself—not even for this little courtyard. But she couldn’t control the guests who came here and spread the word. Maybe the stalker Hayden mentioned showed up because of this. Sasha only left in the afternoon, but Nina refused to go no matter what. She insisted on staying with Keira. Since Keira had already promised to take her out to play, she let her stay. Besides, Nina was well-behaved and not mischievous. Her lively energy brought a unique vitality to the courtyard. When Lena arrived, Nina stood at the entrance and greeted her adorably, “Welcome!” “Oh my, where did this little beauty come from? Is your boss hiring child laborers now?
After Keira's checkup, Hayden returned. The first thing Keira did was look him over from head to toe, relieved to find he hadn’t acquired any new injuries. “Did you get anything out of him?” “He confessed he was broke and was looking to steal some money,” Hayden replied. “That simple?” Lena was skeptical. Keira doubted it too, and judging by Hayden’s expression, he wasn’t convinced either. She looked at him, seeking confirmation. “Do you think that’s all there is to it?” “This man does have a prior record of theft and robbery,” Hayden said. “I let him go but had someone tail him. We’ll investigate further by tracking his contacts.” With that, he took the checkup report from Lena. Lena explained, “It’s nothing serious, just pregnancy-related. Make sure she gets foot massages, soaks her feet, and avoids standing too much.” After the checkup was completed, Keira arranged for Lena to visit them later at the courtyard and left with Hayden. - When they arrived at the courty
“What happened? Did you get into a fight?” That was Keira's first reaction upon seeing Hayden’s injury. Lena glanced at his wound. “Come over and sit down. I’ll take care of it for you.” “It’s nothing,” Hayden brushed off the offer and turned to Keira instead. “You were right. Someone was watching us from the courtyard.” Keira's heart skipped a beat. “What? Did they follow us to the hospital?” “Yes, I caught them. I’ll get to the bottom of this soon.” A cold, menacing glint flashed in Hayden’s eyes—something Keira hadn’t seen in a long time. The fact that he was injured meant whoever had been following them wasn’t ordinary. A shiver ran down Keira's spine. But at least they’d caught the person. “How’s the checkup? Is everything okay?” Despite the situation, Hayden’s first concern was still his wife. Knowing he had just dealt with the stalker, Keira decided not to mention the additional tests Lena had ordered. “It’s fine. With Lena here, what could possibly go wrong?”
Aaron had a knack for handling people, never revealing all his cards at once. "I'm pursuing Lil' Lena," he said calmly. Ron's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. A few seconds later, he finally reacted, and everything became clear. Lena had asked him to play the role of her boyfriend. Out of respect for her privacy, he hadn’t pried into the reason. Later, he’d asked Hayden, who simply told him to go along with it and not ask too many questions. Now he understood—it was because Aaron was pursuing her. “You’re already aware of my situation with her,” Aaron continued. “This process won’t be smooth, so it’s a good idea for her to use you as a stand-in boyfriend for now.” Ron understood perfectly. His role was to act as a cover, fooling the fake mother-in-law like yesterday while giving Aaron and Lena space to start a secret relationship. This was precisely Aaron’s plan. He wanted Lena to first accept him, to spend time together, and build their connection before
This question—"Willing?"—kept echoing in Lena’s mind. It haunted her so much that she spent yet another sleepless night. Her answer was clear: she couldn’t. She knew Aaron had made his move and wouldn’t give up easily. But she simply couldn’t agree. And if she didn’t say yes, there was nothing he could do about it. Besides, she truly saw him as her younger uncle—there was no way she could see him as a boyfriend. “Dr. Lane, not sleeping well lately?” the hospital director asked as soon as he saw her. One glance, and he could tell she looked exhausted. “A bit of insomnia,” Lena admitted honestly. “Is it because you don’t have a boyfriend? Want me to introduce you to a few?” The director, ever so responsible, even took it upon himself to worry about her personal life. Lena glanced at the sparse hair on his head and chuckled. “Director, I’ll find someone myself. No need for you to concern yourself.” Aaron hadn’t gotten an answer from her, nor had he pursued her aggressively
"I've thought about it, and I have a plan. I’ll make them accept it. This is something I need to consider. You don’t have to worry," Aaron said with a tone of responsibility. Lena fell silent. A few seconds later, she replied, "Even if they accept it, I can't... Uncle, I’ve always seen you as my uncle and never felt anything else." Ron’s apartment was on the fifth floor, giving Lena a clear view of his face. His expression was slightly tense as he continued looking up at her. Though she couldn’t see his eyes, she could still feel the depth of emotion in them, and the loneliness he must have felt after being rejected. Lena lowered her gaze, unable to watch any longer. "Uncle, we have such a good relationship, don’t ruin it, please." "Do you know how many years I’ve liked you?" Aaron suddenly asked. Lena’s heart skipped a beat. How many years had he liked her? Did that mean he’d had feelings for her all along? But he had never mentioned it, and she had never sensed it. He
"Cough, cough..." Lena started coughing uncontrollably as Ron casually spoke. Even a real son-in-law wouldn’t start calling his girlfriend’s mother "Mom" right away, let alone someone pretending to be one. Lena stared at him blankly, and Ron winked at her with a gesture that seemed to say "Don’t worry." He then turned to speak to Briana on the phone. "Mom, I’ve been with Lena for a few months now. She’s been too shy to introduce me to you because she was afraid you wouldn’t approve of me... Yes, yes, we’re basically an underground couple." Lena rolled her eyes in disbelief. What kind of nonsense was this? She tried to grab his phone, not wanting to hear any more of his fabrication, but Ron dodged and continued speaking to Briana. "Mom, I’m really her boyfriend, not fake... Otherwise, why would she be here with me so late at night, right?" Ron certainly had a way with words, and Lena realized that asking him to pretend to be her boyfriend might be the best decision she’d made