When Hayden found himself surrounded by dozens of men, each with a bucket of balls in front of them, I knew exactly what Bruno had planned.They were going to turn Hayden into a human target."If you've got any guts, face Hayden one-on-one! This gang-style ambush... what kind of man does that make you?" Yara shot at him, unable to hold back."This isn't something a real man would do. Word will get around, and people will laugh at you," Jace added, his voice steady despite the fresh bandages on his arm.I stayed silent.It wasn't that I didn't care or didn't want to speak up for Hayden. I just knew the more we tried to reason with Bruno, the more he'd dig in his heels.Bruno wasn't someone you could easily talk sense into. I'd barely been around him, but already, I could tell he was unpredictable—like a storm waiting to tear through everything in his path. The more you tried to stop him, the harder he pushed.Sure enough, Bruno's answer was exactly what I expected. "People haven'
I knew how heavy a snooker ball was. It wouldn't break bones, but it could definitely leave a mark if it hit you hard enough.I tried to dodge, but the second I moved, strong arms wrapped around me. There was this huge thud, then more thuds, one after another.Balls were flying at me—like, everywhere. I was spinning with them. And Hayden—Hayden was the one spinning me.His hand was clutching my waist, yanking me this way and that as we tried to avoid the chaos.I'd only ever seen stuff like this in action movies, but now it was real. Balls were coming straight for my face, and all I could do was watch. But Hayden? He was either pulling me out of the way or taking the hits himself."Bruno, enough!" I heard Jace yelling through the noise, but it didn't matter.I had no idea how long this was going on, only that the balls felt endless, pounding down on us. And I could feel Hayden getting slower, his grip on me weakening.He was getting tired.The sounds of the collisions started t
'Hayden! Hayden!' I tried to scream, but it felt like something was crushing my throat.I couldn't even move to check on Hayden."Hayden, please, talk to me!" Yara's voice cracked as she shook him, but he stayed dead silent, not even a twitch.I'd never seen him like this. Even when we shared a bed before, he always moved, always woke up at the slightest sound, telling me, "Don't move."But now, nothing.What the hell is happening?!"Bruno, call an ambulance! Now!" Yara screamed, her face wet with tears.The word "ambulance" sliced through the fog in my brain, and suddenly, everything hit me like a shock to the chest. It was like a breath I hadn't been able to take before, and for the first time, I could actually move. I shoved myself up, scrambling toward Hayden."Rea, Jace," Steve's voice cut through the chaos, and then people were everywhere.He grabbed me, pulling me back, blocking me from getting to Hayden.By the time I turned to look again, Hayden was being hauled out
"He..." I opened my mouth, but I had no idea what to say.Yara must've read my mind because she jumped in."You know he was in the military, but what you don't know is that he was in some super secret ops squad. For three years, he ran these insane international missions. Took down the biggest crime syndicate out there. Bruno and Hernan? Just small-time compared to what he's dealt with."She went on. "Once his mission was done, Hayden went back to normal life. But with Steve's mess, Hayden realized those small-timers are starting to come back, and people are out for revenge. He knows how dangerous they are. They can't go after him directly, so they'll target the people he cares about instead."Yara looked at me. "That's why he broke up with you. That's who he really is.""Have you...and him..." My brain was a mess, but all I wanted was to know how Yara knew so much about Hayden. Had they worked together?But the words wouldn't come.Yara gave a bitter smile. "Our relationship wa
"What do you mean it wasn't successful?"Yara looked just as stunned. She grabbed the doctor, her voice sharp, demanding the answers I was too afraid to ask."You can go in and see for yourselves," he said, giving us nothing but a cold response.Yara didn't let go, pushing for more, but it was the assistant doctor who spoke up. "The back of his skull was severely crushed. We repaired the fracture, but the brain hemorrhaging was uncontrollable, with multiple active bleed sites. You should see him now—there's very little time left."Yara finally released her grip on the doctor's arm.She was trying to stay composed, but her body shook as she took a step forward. Then she stopped, like she'd remembered something, and turned back to help me stand, leading me into the room.The bright lights inside were blinding, almost painful to my eyes.Hayden was lying there in a surgical gown, an oxygen mask over his face, and his head wrapped in bandages.I couldn't bring myself to move closer
I tried to move closer, but just as I did, Yara let out a choked sob. "Hayden."It felt like my heart had been ripped out. Slowly, I lifted my head to look at him. His eyes were half-closed now, no longer fluttering. The hand that had been resting by the bed hung limp at his side."Hayden," I whispered.But he didn't respond.I shook my head, disbelief crashing over me. I cupped his face, frantic. "Hayden, please. You haven't finished talking—just say something. Please!"The words caught in my throat, choking me. I leaned in, kissing him everywhere—his nose, his eyes, his cheeks, his lips—desperately trying to wake him.But he didn't move.He wasn't going to say, "Kiki, stop it," ever again."Hayden, don't leave me. You're all I have left," I screamed.The emptiness inside me was unbearable, swallowing me whole.This was worse than losing my parents. Back then, I was too young to fully get it—but now? Losing Hayden was like being dragged underwater, suffocating, helpless.Th
Neither Jace nor Steve said a word. They just stared at me.I lifted my head slowly and asked in a daze, "You don't know?"I tried to sit up. "Then I'll go find him.""Rea." Steve pressed me back down. His eyes were red.I blinked. "What's wrong?"Jace's voice soft. "Hayden's already gone."I nodded. "I know..." I forced a weak smile. "I know he's gone... that's why I need to go be with him."Steve's grip on my hand tightened—hard, almost painful. I looked at him. "You're hurting me.""Rea..." His voice was rough. "You won't see him again."I stared at him, something inside me twisting, clawing, breaking. But I shoved it back down. "I can. Just let me go.""Rea," Steve said again, his voice desperate.But I couldn't stop. I pushed harder against his grip. "Let me go."That raw, desperate need bubbled over, burning in my chest. I had to see him. If I didn't, I'd lose what little was left of me."You can't see him," Jace snapped suddenly. He hesitated, then added, "He's alre
Steve steadied me as I took a shaky step forward.We reached the door just as someone walked out, cradling a small black box in their arms. Their face was etched with grief, and I froze. My breath caught in my throat.My gaze locked on that box.Steve's grip on my hand tightened, grounding me, keeping me from falling apart then and there. He guided me inside.And that's when I saw her.Yara stood in the middle of the room, her back to us. She was stiff, unmoving, her entire frame radiating the kind of despair that mirrored the storm inside me.I stopped dead. My legs refused to move.Steve froze beside me. Neither of us said a word.Yara must have sensed us, because she turned slowly. Her hands cradled the same black box, and the sight of it sent everything spinning. My vision blurred, my knees buckled.She walked toward me. "This is what Hayden wanted... He said for you to take him back. To bury him in that place you both loved."I stared at the box, but I wasn't really seei
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
Lena took a deep breath. As expected, her mother was not going to let this slide, but she still didn’t give up and continued testing her. "So why is it okay for others but not for me?" Briana scoffed. "If you’re looking for a man ten years older, are you looking for a husband or another father? And if you want someone younger, they’re not even of legal age yet—are you planning to take advantage of them? And what’s with all this talk about uncles or cousins? You want your dad and me to jump into the river?" Lena deflated. If she were to really get together with Aaron, they wouldn’t need to jump into a river—their blood pressure would probably be enough to do them in. "Lena, have you done something that goes against ethics and morals?" As sharp as ever, her mother quickly turned the tables and started questioning her. "What are you talking about? What could I have done? You tell me," Lena denied with all the confidence she could muster. Briana didn’t believe her. "Really? If yo
Ron’s apartment was a three-bedroom place, with two bedrooms and a study, all clean and neatly organized. Lena was staying in the guest room. The curtains and furnishings in the room, especially the vanity, looked as if they were specifically chosen for a girl. "Dr. Lane, don’t misunderstand. This room isn’t my ex-girlfriend’s, and you're the first woman, aside from my mom, to stay here," Ron quickly explained. He told Lena that this room was reserved for his mother. Sometimes, when she had an impulsive moment or got into a fight with his dad, she’d stay over for a while. That’s why the room was decorated in a feminine way. Lena could feel it too; the room had a distinctly maternal scent. It made her think of the times she used to sleep in her mother’s room when she was a child. Her mother had told her to sleep in her own bed, but Lena refused and would sneak back into her mother’s room in the middle of the night, a habit that continued until she was ten. One day, her mother
Keira didn’t know what it was like for other women during pregnancy, but for her, it was just swollen, aching legs. "Seems like the news is pretty well-informed. Yep, you’d better get the red envelopes ready," Hayden's tone was surprisingly similar to Lena’s. "Dr. Lane wasn’t serious with you. Don’t take it to heart," Hayden reminded him. Ron laughed. "Why can’t I take it seriously? I’m sincere with her, and she’ll definitely see it. Who knows, she might even fall in love with me, and then my fake relationship might turn real." He sounded pretty confident. "I’m serious, not joking," Hayden and Keira both assumed he was just playing around, trying to tease them. On the other end of the call, Ron fell silent. "I’m serious too. Actually, I’ve liked Dr. Lane for a long time. I feel like this is a sign from fate, that the heavens are helping me because of my sincere feelings." Keira was speechless, glancing at Hayden. He raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious, or are you just j