Just as I opened my mouth to call back, Hernan leaned close, voice low in my ear. "If I let him in, what makes you think I wouldn't just take both of you?"He was trying to mess with my head, make me too scared to fight back."Rea?" Jace called again, his voice sharper now, more urgent.I couldn't just sit there. So I did the first thing that popped into my head—I bit down on his hand, hard.Hernan jerked back, his grip loosening just enough for me to break free. I bolted for the door, yelling, "Jace, help—!"But then I felt a chill against my neck, and before I could react... everything went black.***When I woke up, the room was pitch-black, with just a few dim floor lights casting eerie shadows. I was lying on a soft bed, wrapped in blankets.The last few minutes before I'd blacked out hit me in a flash. Heart pounding, I threw back the covers, checking my clothes.Seeing I was in a random set of pajamas, a chill ran through me. I barely had time to process it before the d
"Hernan!" Hayden's voice came through, cold and menacing.Weirdly enough, hearing him made me feel... safe? I wanted to yell, 'Get me out of here!' but I forced myself to stay calm. The more freaked out I looked, the more power Hernan would have.Hernan just laughed, setting the phone up on a stand before grabbing his wine like this was some kind of twisted FaceTime hangout. "Your girl's quite the catch—so beautiful, so charming. Real nice.""She's not my girl anymore," Hayden shot back.Ouch. I knew it was true, but hearing him say it like that still hurt."Oh, not anymore?" Hernan clicked his tongue, fake disappointment all over his face. "Looks like I need to update my sources.""If you're done, I'm hanging up," Hayden replied, and his indifference was like a punch to the gut.It's not like I expected him to come to my rescue, but... he didn't even sound worried. Here I was, thinking I was some kind of pawn in this twisted game, but apparently, that was just me holding onto s
"Haddy really is a heartless one," Hernan let go of me, his voice dripping with mock sympathy.I shot him a look, feeling my blood boil. And before I knew it, I just snapped. I grabbed the closest thing to me and hurled it at him. "See? I was never his girl! What a jerk. Total... idiot."I don't normally curse—like, ever. But in that moment? I didn't even care who I was mad at anymore. I just needed to say it.Shouting all that—the anger, the frustration, the hurt—it actually made me feel lighter, like I could finally breathe again. Like I was throwing off this weight I'd been carrying around for way too long.Hernan didn't flinch. He just stood there like a wall, taking it all.By the time my arms were too weak to move, I crumpled to the floor, curling into a ball. I felt empty, like every ounce of energy had been drained from me.Eventually, Hernan walked out. But as the door clicked shut behind him, I caught a voice from outside."You seriously think she's the one who's gonna
Snooker? Yeah, right. This was just his way of keeping me locked up like some kind of hostage while he tried to force Steve into winning.It was clear now—I wasn't getting out of here until after the game.Fine. If I had to stick around, I might as well make it count.Honestly, I'd already calmed down. The whole phone-smashing thing was just for show.Hernan had been spying on me, tampering with my phone to track every call and message. Destroying it was the only way to stop him from eavesdropping.I'd thrown my little tantrum, and now he was going full-on villain mode with his plans. Any more drama would just be a waste of energy.So, I stepped out onto the terrace for a little fresh air. But the second I saw it, I froze.The terrace was massive—it stretched across the whole estate, with lush gardens, a golf course, an open-air snooker hall, a pool, and probably some other stuff I hadn't even seen yet. It looked like a giant playground for rich people.And there he was—Hernan,
"Three rounds!""No problem," I shot back, grabbing the cue stick that felt just right in my hands."Good choice," he said, eyeing me like I'd just picked out some rare treasure.I raised an eyebrow.He smirked. "That's my favorite cue.""Is that so?" I asked, matching his playful tone as I glanced down at the stick. That's when I noticed the engraving.Curious, I leaned in closer. It read 'Hart.'Before I could stop myself, the words slipped out: "This isn't your cue... it's..."I almost said Hayden's but caught myself just in time. No way. Hayden and Hernan were total enemies. There was no way Hernan would have one of his cues, especially not something personalized like this. It was clearly for someone who took snooker seriously.I remembered asking Hayden once how good he was at snooker. He'd shrugged it off like it didn't matter, saying he was "just average." No way someone like him would splurge on a custom cue. And if he did, there was no way he'd leave it for Hernan to
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I put on my best "thinking" face.Hernan gestured toward a lounge chair. "Come, sit down. Take your time."Little did he know, I didn't need to think. I already had my request locked and loaded.He settled back in his chair, casually crossing his long legs in his crisp white slacks, sipping his wine with all the cool, effortless charm of a guy who knew he looked good.And damn, did he ever. His deep-set eyes had that smoldering, I'm-about-to-pull-you-in vibe.I quickly looked away, focusing on a corner of the pool table instead. "After this match, I want you to promise never to mess with... Steve again."In the snooker world, Steve was untouchable.If Hernan and his crew were using shady underground matches to rake in cash, they wouldn't stop at one round with Steve. They'd try to pull him in, make him their personal player forever.And Steve? He'd rather break his own arm than let that happen.Hernan's brow furrowed for just a second. I sa
Hernan gave a small nod, straightening up. "Not bad. You're not totally lost in love. But seriously, why are you so hell-bent on saving Steve? Is he really that big of a deal to you?"He was sizing me up, playing it cool while trying to dig into my head, figure out how much I cared."Not really," I said, keeping it casual.He laughed like he knew I was bluffing. "Yet, you used your one shot to save him.""Steve taught me snooker," I said like it was obvious. "So, his mess is kinda my mess."Hernan shook his head, unimpressed. "But why not just use it to get yourself out? Why not ask me to let you go?"I shrugged. "Come on, you've made it clear you're keeping me here 'til the game's over. Even if you did let me go, I wouldn't make it out the door before you caught me. Besides, I came to see Steve play. I'm not running."My eyes drifted to his arm, where his sleeve was rolled up, showing a deep, jagged scar.Hernan noticed me staring and tugged his sleeve higher like he didn't ca
Oh, now I was his girl? Since when?Seriously, he was just here to cause drama.The air got super tense, like a switch flipped, and guess what? I was the one who made it happen.Jace's grip on my hand tightened, his eyes shooting daggers at Hernan. "You wanna bring the cops into this? Fine, keep your goons here," he snapped.Hernan laughed. "You're gonna use the cops to scare me? Please. You're way behind Haddy. No wonder she picked him over you."I swear, my jaw almost hit the floor. Did he really just go there? Trying to mess with Hayden and Jace like that?Jace's face went colder than I thought possible, his expression turning into straight ice. I could feel the tension—Hayden was his sore spot, and Hernan was digging in."You can have all the enemies you want, but Keira's off-limits," Jace warned.Then, without warning, Hernan grabbed my wrist, and his eyes softened, looking at me like he was about to swoon. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you. How could I hurt someone as
"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