I froze. What the actual heck?Had he seriously been on the phone with Hayden this whole time?Jace hung up and glanced at me. "He called me earlier. I thought he hung up, but I guess he left the line open... worried about you.""You think I'm an idiot?" I shot back, sarcasm dripping from my voice.It was so obvious now. Jace had left the call open on purpose—and that whole question about whether I'd take Hayden back? That was for Hayden's ears.Jace didn't even try to explain himself. He just sighed. "Yeah, guess that was my bad. But at least now Hayden knows where you stand. He needs to get it through his head... you're not someone he can just drop and pick up whenever he feels like it."Honestly, I didn't mind that Hayden knew how I felt. Actually, it saved me from having to spell it out."Thanks for your heartfelt concern," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm, before I hopped out of the car.Jace followed me, launching into a mini tour of Wayne's place."This is a place
Jace turned to look at me, like he was waiting for my reaction. "You know what he regrets missing out on?"Oh, he was testing me. Trying to see if I got the whole Wayne-likes-you thing.I played it cool. "Guess only Wayne knows what he missed."Jace didn't push it. We kept walking, and when we passed a koi pond, he casually mentioned, "He's got a lot of fish in there. I heard when he calls 'Dinner time,' they all swim right up to him.""Wait, so Wayne's a fish whisperer now?" I laughed."Don't believe me? Let's test it out," Jace said, grinning as he led me to the edge of the pond. Sure enough, the water was full of koi—red, yellow, white, even some speckled ones. They looked plump and healthy, like they had their own personal chef. And they were way too cute."Go ahead, give it a try," Jace encouraged.I reached out to touch the water, but as soon as I did, the fish scattered like I was some kind of monster. "Uh, how exactly am I supposed to try this?""Just call out 'Dinner t
"Wayne," I greeted, holding the phone up."I heard everything from Jace. Are you okay?" Wayne's voice was warm but concerned."I'm fine. I just feel bad for bothering you," I replied, trying to sound polite.There was a brief pause. "Just make yourself at home. You're safe here—don't worry about anything.""Alright," I said quietly, unsure of what else to add.Normally, Wayne would've ended the call there, but this time, he surprised me. "You don't need to worry. Nothing's going to happen to you."That's not something anyone can guarantee. Since Hernan chose to target me, I wouldn't feel safe unless Hayden and the others took him down for good this time.But I didn't say any of that. Instead, I just murmured a soft "mm-hmm.""If you need anything, just call me. Also... there'll be a part-time maid coming over to cook and tidy up," he said before hanging up.I handed the phone back to Jace. He took it from me, then mentioned, "Wayne should have a couple of spare phones around h
Lena sent another message: [Seriously, if you hadn't responded in another hour, I was going to call the cops. Do you even know what was going through my head? I was lowkey convinced Jace had done you in after... you know, having his way with you.]I had to laugh. Lena's imagination was next level. I just hit her with a thumbs-up emoji.Lena: [It's not that crazy. Stuff like that makes the news all the time, you know? Anyway, when are you coming back? Are you flying home today? Did Steve win the competition??]I glanced at her barrage of questions, then at my situation, and hit her back with the safest reply I could think of: [Not sure yet.]Lena: [???]Me: [Might stay here a bit longer. Not sure I'll be back to this place anytime soon.]I didn't want Lena to freak out, so I threw in a little white lie.Lena: [Alright, live your best life then. Let me know when you're back—I'll throw a mega welcome-back party. 🎉]Reading her message, I suddenly felt this weird, heavy feeling in
[Keira, I don't want to live anymore.]I stared at it for a few seconds, my pulse racing. Without thinking, I called her on voice chat. She didn't pick up.I wasn't giving up. I dialed Demi's number again. Still no answer. So I tried her office instead."Is Demi there?" I asked as soon as someone picked up."She's on leave," the voice on the other end said, and for a second, it felt like my heart had dropped into my stomach. Before I could even ask anything else, the guy added, "Are you Ms. Kay?"I hadn't expected him to recognize my voice."Yeah, that's me. Do you know why Demi's on leave? How long is she off for?" I pressed, starting to panic."She took personal leave, I think for three days. She's supposed to be back tomorrow. If you're looking for her, you could try her cell," he replied politely, even though I was no longer the CEO's fiancee.I was genuinely worried about Demi, so I pressed further. "I've tried calling her, but it's not going through. Is there any other wa
I thought about it for a second, then strolled over to the bookshelf, grabbed a random book, and flopped down into the lounge chair to read. I stayed there for what felt like forever, lost in the quiet, until Lizzy called me down for dinner."You're even prettier in person than in the paintings," Lizzy said, just as I was about to take a bite of my food. I froze, fork mid-air, totally caught off guard."Paintings? What paintings?"She smiled. "Mr. Johnston's paintings. All of them are of you. They're in the studio upstairs."Wait. What?When I went up to the terrace earlier, I'd passed the second floor, but I hadn't bothered checking any rooms. I had no idea there was even a studio up there.And the craziest part? Wayne paints? I'd never known that.We grew up together before he went abroad, and as far as I knew, art was not his thing. Did he pick up painting in the last few years? And he's been painting... me?I glanced over at Lizzy, busy in the kitchen. She had to be messing
In it, there was a man standing beside me, dressed in a tux, holding me close. I was in a wedding gown, glowing like a fairy-tale bride.My smile was soft, joyful, like I was the happiest person in the world.But his face... it was just a blank. No details, no features—nothing. The groom was a mystery.Was it Jace? Had Wayne started this when I was planning to marry him? Maybe it was meant to be a gift for us.Or... was it Wayne himself?I had a strong feeling it was the latter.The whole room was full of portraits of me—memories of my life. If I couldn't figure out Wayne's feelings after seeing all of this, then I was completely clueless.Standing there, I felt a sinking realization. Wayne's feelings for me ran way deeper than I ever realized. And they'd been there a lot longer than I'd imagined.I let out a heavy sigh. This room, filled with memories and emotions, was starting to feel stifling, making it hard to breathe.To be loved—especially to be deeply loved by someone y
A heavy weight settled in my chest. "Mrs. Young, I'm... a friend of Demi's. I heard something happened to her. Do you know how she's doing? What happened?""We... we don't know... she won't say a word," Mrs. Young's voice wavered, breaking."Is Demi's boyfriend there with her?" I asked."Boyfriend?" She sounded surprised, like she didn't even know.My heart sank. I got my answer. Whatever had happened to Demi, it had to do with him—and he wasn't even there.She caught on. "What do you mean by 'boyfriend'?" she asked."That's something Demi should explain herself. For now, can I talk to her? Just tell her it's Keira.""Alright, alright... maybe you can get through to her," Mrs. Young said, sounding a little hopeful.I heard her speak to Demi, "Demi, it's... it's your friend Keira. She wants to talk to you."Then, silence. I assumed the phone was near her, so I spoke. "Demi, I'm in Houston. My phone broke, so I just got your message."Still nothing. My throat tightened. "Demi,
"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