Wayne told me I'd been out for three days. He'd been here the whole time, so Hayden must've come too. He'd said on the phone he was coming right away."Drink some water," Wayne said, holding a cup to my lips.I took a sip, my voice scratchy as I asked, "Where's Hayden?"Wayne's face stiffened just a little. "Drink first."Those words made something click in my mind, making my throat ache even more. "He didn't come, did he?"Wayne sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "He came.""Then where is he?" If I'd been unconscious, shouldn't he have been here? Or... was this his way of punishing me for pushing him away?"He left," Wayne said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Probably off dealing with the people who hurt you."His teasing tone helped ease some of the tension, but thinking about how dangerous those people were sent my heart racing. "Did he go alone? When did he leave?""I don't know the details, but don't worry," Wayne said, sounding sure of himself. "If he got you bo
"Rea!" Jace reached out and grabbed my arm.I glanced at the bandage on his head, then over at Wayne, who'd come in with him. "I think something's happened to Hayden."Wayne frowned, clearly not buying it. "What do you mean? How do you know?"I didn't, not for sure. "I called him. He sounded busy, said he'd call me back, but... he hasn't. Not once.""Why didn't you call again?" Jace asked, a little sharp.I hadn't. I just waited, trusting he'd call like he said."I'll call him." Jace pulled out his phone, dialing.It rang forever until finally, "Mr. Johnston."Jace stood close enough that I could hear everything."Hayden, where are you?" Jace asked, no hesitation."On a plane."My breath caught.Jace glanced at me. "A plane? Where to?""Back to Kehlmark." Those two words crushed me.I reached for the phone. "Is something wrong?"Hayden didn't answer. My hand shook. "Hayden, talk to me! Did something happen? Are you lying about Kehlmark? Where are you?"I couldn't believ
I froze, staring at that single word: [Okay. ]My brain couldn't even process it at first, so I just kept re-reading the messages I'd sent him."What the hell is he thinking?!" Jace cursed, dialing Hayden's number again. This time, it went straight to voicemail.My vision blurred as I stared at the screen. Without a word, I turned and walked to the window, looking out at the dark sky.I heard footsteps behind me, but I cut them off. "Leave me alone for a while, please."Jace and Wayne knew I was hurting. Neither said a thing. I heard the door click softly as they left.The moment they were gone, the tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over. I didn't know if I was crying because Hayden had agreed to the breakup so easily or because of the crushing betrayal.I'd waited for him, hoping he'd come see me. But he left—without a word, without even seeing me. Sure, I'd been asleep for three days, but how had things gotten so cold in that time?Maybe he'd been hurt saving me and
News? What news?I stood there, stunned. No one had mentioned anything since I woke up.I yanked the door open, and both Jace and Wayne immediately turned toward me."What news?" I demanded, cutting straight to the point.They exchanged a quick look, clearly scrambling for a way to dodge my question.But I wasn't giving them the chance. "I heard everything."Wayne's expression darkened. He pulled out his phone.Jace looked like he wanted to stop Wayne, but I shot him a glare that kept him silent."She should know. It'll help her clear things up with Hayden," Wayne said, unlocking his phone and handing it to me.On the screen was a screenshot of an article. The headline read: [Golden Blood Type Lovers—Girlfriend Saves Her Lover with 800CC of Blood. 'Now, your body flows with my blood.']The headline was pure melodrama, and to make it worse, there was a picture of me holding Jace's hand during the blood transfusion. I had just been trying to comfort him, nothing more—but the wa
"Then you should go back, but not like this. You can't go alone in your condition," Jace said, glancing at Wayne. "You go with Rea."Wayne nodded. "Alright."I wanted to argue, but I knew better. In this state, they weren't letting me go by myself."What about you?" I asked, eyeing the bandage on Jace's head."I'm waiting for Steve. Once he's out, we'll head back together." Jace's answer made sense.Steve was stuck in a foreign country and had been through hell. If he walked out and no one was there for him, it'd crush him. But seeing Jace like this? That'd just make it worse."If Steve sees you like this, he'll blame himself," I warned."It's fine. I'll make up an excuse. I won't mention the accident," Jace said, still set on his plan.There was no point arguing, so I asked, "Can Steve still compete when he's out?""We don't know yet. Depends on his club and what Quartz Cue says," Wayne added.Deep down, I knew Hayden could handle this. No one would know better than him.Bu
I kept my eyes on Wayne, and his reaction told me everything."Rea," he said softly, "don't overthink this."Overthink? I wasn't, not until now.The way he said it just made me think harder. "Matthew and Lindey knew too, didn't they?" I asked, though deep down, I already knew the answer.They'd raised me for years—no way they wouldn't know my blood type."They took you in, cared for you like their own. Of course they knew," Wayne said, sounding like he was trying a little too hard to make it all seem fine.Right. It wasn't weird they knew. What was weird? The fact they never told me."Why aren't you saying anything? Please, don't take it the wrong way. My parents have always treated you like their own daughter. There's no hidden agenda," Wayne added, his voice sounding almost desperate now.But you know that saying—the more you explain, the guiltier you look?Yeah, that."Wayne, honestly, I hadn't thought much about it before you opened your mouth. But now?" I raised my brows
I'd only really taken a good look around this hospital room twice—once when I was searching for Hayden, and now, while trying to figure out what to pack.Wayne crouched in front of me, his voice soft. "Rea, how are you feeling? Any discomfort?"I was about to shake my head when a knock interrupted us. Jace walked in with the doctor."Let the doctor check you over. If anything happens on the plane, it'll be hard to deal with," Jace said, his gaze briefly flicking to Wayne. I noticed the slight crease in his brow.As the doctor moved closer, Wayne stood up and stepped aside, naturally giving him room.The doctor listened to my heartbeat, took my blood pressure, and ran through a full exam. "You're recovering well," he finally said. "Everything looks normal.""Thank you, doctor," Jace said, sounding genuinely grateful.Wayne chimed in, "I'll walk the doctor out. I need to pack, too. Jace, stay and talk to Rea."The door clicked shut behind them, and just like that, it was me and J
I didn't say a word.Jace leaned closer. "Rea...""Don't you think it's kinda low to say something like that right now?" My words cut through the air, stopping him cold.He froze, staring at me, his face turning red—shame and defeat written all over it. "Yeah... I've let my feelings cloud my judgment before. Hurt Desmond."And now, after you risked everything to save me, I've messed things up between you and Hayden too."And here I am, shamelessly trying to take advantage of the situation by saying something like that..."He shook his head, disgusted with himself. "I'm not just a bad person—I'm not even worthy anymore."Without another word, he turned and left.When Wayne and I headed to the airport, Jace didn't show up to say goodbye.At the airport, Wayne handled check-in while I sat quietly in the waiting area, feeling... hollow. So hollow it was like my soul had detached, floating somewhere far off. I had no idea where I was going or what I wanted anymore."Miss, are you
"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