Hmph! He didn't want me anymore, but he was still playing these games.Clearly, he still had feelings for me. Maybe Lena was right—I needed to play my cards right."Mr. Shane, I've got plans tonight, but let's do dinner tomorrow," I offered, keeping it casual.Ron's face lit up. "Great! Sounds perfect. Hayden, you in for tomorrow?""I'm busy," Hayden replied, ice-cold, shutting it down.Ron looked like he might argue, but I jumped in. "Mr. Shane, I'm taking you somewhere tomorrow that you've never been.""Really?" Ron raised a brow. "Someplace I haven't been? Has Hayden?"He never missed a chance to rope Hayden in. I knew why—Ron was terrified of crossing him, knowing Hayden was the true heir to the Hart family empire.Just then, the elevator arrived, and Hayden strode out without a glance at Ron.Ron glanced between us, looking like he wanted to say something, but switched gears quickly. "Ms. Kay, I might not survive until tomorrow at this rate," he joked, hurrying after Hayd
Even though Hayden had recorded Steve's last match for me, it just wasn't the same as being there."I'll save you the best seat," Steve said with a grin."You've got this!" I threw him a quick fist pump through the screen.He nodded. "Take care of yourself too.""Mhm, I'm about to eat something and crash," I mumbled, feeling exhaustion creeping in.I hadn't slept well last night, but somehow pushed through today. Now? I was ready to pass out. As soon as the call ended, I tossed my phone aside and stared at the dark kitchen.It would've been nice if Hayden were here to cook, but nope—he was keeping his distance, playing that proud game. Wonder how long that'll last.That thought lingered as I finally drifted off, completely wiped after almost twenty-four hours awake. When I opened my eyes again, sunlight streamed through the windows.Even after all that sleep, I felt groggy. I turned over, burying my face in the pillow, but the moment I moved, pain shot through my whole body. "O
"Ms. Kay, you're here! I thought you weren't coming," Ron said, striding in with a bag just as I was checking if breakfast had somehow disappeared into thin air."Ta-da! Breakfast!" he announced.At that moment, it clicked.Breakfast had arrived all right—just not the one Wayne sent.I gave Ron a look, waiting. He didn't usually bring me breakfast without some kind of reason.Sure enough, as he set the food down, he said, "I got called in at five this morning, and I was starving, so I, uh, ate the breakfast on your desk. This one's a replacement."Oh, please. Like I was buying that.But I was too tired to start anything. "You didn't have to replace it. I already ate."Total lie. I hadn't eaten at all; I'd barely had an appetite the past few days. And when I did eat, I just felt queasy."Come on, I can't let you skip breakfast. Unless... you're saying my choice isn't good enough?" Ron asked, giving me a smirk. "This is custom-made, just for you."I cracked a smile. "Custom-mad
Honestly, I did want to eat what Ron brought. But if I gave in, Hayden would think his little peace offering worked, that he'd secretly made it up to me.I couldn't let him have that satisfaction. I'd make sure he stayed worried, unable to swoop in and fix things for me.Luckily, I had some snacks stashed in my cabinet. Just as I was reaching for one, the office phone rang.I grabbed a snack with one hand, the phone with the other."...What? How bad? I'll be there right away."By the time I hung up, the snack was forgotten, and I was already on my feet, ready to go.One of my subordinates had called—he was struggling to negotiate a project, and it had escalated fast. Not only was the other side giving him trouble, but things had gotten physical.This was serious.When someone on my team gets bullied, it's like they're picking a fight with me. I grabbed my keys and headed over."Ms. Kay, I swear, I didn't go into their women's locker room. They're setting me up," my injured sub
"Ow! Seriously, it hurts!" The guy on the ground was whining, his hand still trapped under Wayne's foot.Wayne, totally calm, pressed down harder, his gaze fixed right on me. "You okay?"I shrugged, glancing at the shattered remains of my phone. "I'm fine. But my phone? Total goner."Wayne glanced down at the mess."Mr. Johnston... Mr. Johnston..." Sandor, who'd been lurking nearby, practically tripped over himself running over. He half-reached toward Wayne, but stopped, clearly not daring to actually touch him."Dad, help me!" The guy on the floor groaned, grabbing at Sandor with his free hand.One word—"Dad"—explained everything. No wonder this jerk acted untouchable; his dad clearly had his back."Mr. Johnston, please, could you just go easy on my son?" Sandor begged, practically wringing his hands.Wayne didn't even look at him. The guy on the floor let out another yell, and Sandor was practically spinning in panic. "Mr. Johnston! Please!"Wayne, unfazed, just turned to hi
"Yeah, no thanks—wouldn't work with you even if you paid me," I shot back.By the time Wayne strolled out, I was already leaning against my car, waiting. He'd saved me from that trainwreck of a meeting, and I wasn't about to bail without a proper thanks."Waiting to say thank you?" Wayne smirked, all smug.I grinned. "If you hadn't stepped in, I'd probably be in the hospital right now.""Doubt it," he replied with a lazy grin. "That kick you threw? Brutal. Even if his intestines aren't in a pretzel, he's feeling it."I laughed, remembering my infamous "Flying Legs" days back in school when I had a reputation for taking down jerks with a single kick."Guess your skills haven't dulled," Wayne said, amused.I wasn't in the mood for a trip down memory lane, though, so I switched it up. "Didn't expect you to be working with this company too.""Jace actually set it up awhile back. I'm just here for a site check," Wayne said, shrugging.I just chuckled, letting the conversation drift
What?!I blinked, totally thrown. Pregnant?! Where on earth did that come from?He was so close I could catch that clean, familiar scent of his. It made my breath catch, and this dull ache bloomed in my chest.Only now did I realize just how much his absence had hit me. The breakup had been like a slow-brewing cocktail—quietly simmering, only to knock me flat when I least expected it.But no way was I letting him see that. I forced a smirk, trying to play it off. "Mr. Hart, did you wake up from some wild dream or something?"His jaw tightened. "Just answer me."He wasn't playing around.Of course, the answer was no.I'd definitely know if I were. But why did he even think this? Did he hear some wild rumor? Or maybe he was worried a baby would make things messy?The more I thought about it, the more it ticked me off. Part of me wanted to watch him squirm."And what if I said yes?" I shot back, letting the words hang in the air as I watched his face.Hayden's eyes narrowed, an
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come around asking if I was pregnant and insisting on driving me to the hospital. Like, excuse me?He'd hurt me before, sure, but this? This was a whole new level. One sentence, and he'd just crushed me.But I wasn't about to quit my job just because we broke up. Thankfully, I had some fieldwork lined up, so I could avoid the office without raising any flags.Three days into fieldwork, Yuna called. I wasn't sure if she knew about the split, but I really hoped we were still good."Keira, I'm in trouble. Can you help me?" She sounded panicked, like two seconds from crying."Whoa, slow down. What's going on?""I'm at the library, reading, and my period just hit out of nowhere—my skirt's totally stained!" she said.I let out a sigh of relief. Here I was, expecting some disaster."Could you bring me a skirt? I'll send you my location. Meet me in the restroom when you get here," she added, her voice way stronger than it used to be.And by her tone? She cl
"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