For someone like me reading medical books was no joke. But somehow, I got into it. Maybe the stillness of the past month had shifted something in me, grounding me in ways I didn't expect.When Lena walked in, she stopped for a second. Then she came right over and hugged me tight. "Welcome back."She was the only person I'd told about Hayden's death—and the only one who knew where I'd taken his ashes.Leaning into her, I caught the faint smell of disinfectant."I want a feast," I said."Say no more! I'll make it happen." Her voice had that slightly stuffy, emotional edge.She'd probably been waiting for me to crawl out of my dark hole.And I was finally doing it.Hayden was gone. But I was still here, and there was a life waiting for me to live.***At the restaurant, I took a bite of my food and asked casually, "Have you seen Jace lately?""Seen him?" Lena snorted. "Try every day. He's been in the hospital this whole time—ever since, you know, the crocodile bite."I frowned
"Rea, you're back?" Wayne's voice carried a mix of surprise and excitement as his eyes met mine."Yeah, just got back today," I replied, putting extra weight on 'today.'Lena didn't miss a beat. "Just got back and already bumped into you? What are the odds?" Her tone was all innocent charm, but the undertone was sharp enough to slice through Wayne's polished demeanor.He gave a quick nod toward the upper level. "Some high school friends organized a get-together here a few days ago."Before I could respond, someone called out to him. "Wayne, we're heading out!"He waved toward the group but lingered, glancing back at our table. "Do you two need anything else?" His tone was casual, but the offer was clear—he was ready to cover the bill.Lena beat me to it, flashing a polite smile. "Already paid through my phone. Thanks, though."Wayne's focus shifted back to me. "Rea, after you've had time to settle, come over for dinner. My parents have been asking about you.""Let me treat you
If Jace actually lost his arm over this, I'd owe him big time—like, a lifetime of "owe you." But honestly, I didn't want to get tangled up with him any further. All I could do was try to talk some sense into him."It's not that bad," he muttered, clearly lying through his teeth. His face was so pale. "A few more treatments, and I'll be good as new."Uh-huh. Sure. But since he looked like he was about to pass out, I held back my argument.Instead, he glanced at me and said, "Now that you're back, I feel like I'll heal faster."I understood the meaning behind his words, but he quickly switched gears like it was nothing. "Steve's been asking about you, by the way. If I hadn't stopped him, he probably would've filed a missing person's report."Cutting everyone off for a few days had definitely caused a ripple effect."Is he coming by today?" I asked, rolling with the topic change."Don't know. Let me check." He started to grab his phone, but the moment he moved, pain shot across his
Jace's gaze darkened, and I gave him a faint smile. "Even if you don't say it, I already know who it is.""And who do you think it is?" he asked, calm but clearly trying to gauge my reaction.I met his eyes and didn't answer.Jace shifted, sitting up straighter—like he was actually about to climb out of bed, injury be damned. "You don't think it's Wayne, do you? Are you seriously planning to be with him just to get back at me or... avenge Hayden?"Of course, after years of dating me, he could still read my mind like a book."If it's not him, then tell me who it is," I shot back."Rea, it's not Wayne. How could you even think that? But honestly..." Jace said, shifting his stance. "I don't know who it is, either. Back then, I just... guessed there had to be someone pulling the strings."I stayed calm, my tone light but deliberate. "If it's not him, even better. At least I won't feel any guilt about being with him."Jace froze. "Rea..."I exhaled slowly. "Jace, we've known each o
"Obviously! Missed you treating us to lunch, too," she shot back, bold as anything."Done. Let everyone know—dinner's on me tonight at SeaView Dining," I said, not even pausing to think."Wait—seriously?" Her eyes went wide. Cute."Dead serious," I said, giving her a nod."Yay!" she squealed, doing a little bounce before running off.I couldn't help but smile. Somehow, her energy seemed to lift the whole office. The vibe felt lighter already.After dropping my bag on my desk and taking a quick look around, I decided to swing by Ron's office."Come in!"I opened the door to find Ron practically buried under a mountain of paperwork. He didn't even glance up to see who had entered.I walked closer, noticing the stacks of documents—most of them from my department.It didn't take a genius to figure out what had been going on. My peaceful break? Yeah, that had been courtesy of Ron's hard work."You've been running yourself ragged. Why not hire someone else to help out?" I asked.
They say men don't cry easily, especially not in front of women.But I saw it with my own eyes—Ron's face crumpling, his reddened eyes filling with tears until they spilled down his cheeks..I didn't try to comfort him. I just walked out, leaving him to grieve Hayden in his own way.Ron had said this company belonged to Hayden, though on paper, Ron was the official owner. That said everything about their bond. Hayden had trusted him enough to put everything in his hands.And now Hayden was gone. How was Ron, who'd clearly been waiting for him to come back, supposed to accept that?The pain he felt couldn't be much different from my own.I left his office and headed to Hayden's workspace. As a chief engineer, Hayden had always been hands-on for R&D, so his office was packed with experimental tools and equipment. Yet, despite all the chaos of his work, the room was immaculate, every item in its place—so very him.My gaze landed on the notebook on his desk, left open to a page of d
It seemed that, aside from Yara, Ron was another person who truly knew Hayden.At least, he knew more about the dangers Hayden had faced than I ever did.But I wasn't ready to dig into Hayden's past struggles. Just thinking about the pain he might have endured made my chest tighten. Knowing more would only make me miss him more."I don't believe it," Ron said again.I got it. Deep down, I didn't fully believe Hayden was gone either. To me, it felt like he'd just gone somewhere out of reach."Then let's just think of it as him taking a long trip," I said softly, shaking the little bell on my bracelet.Its crisp, clear chime filled the silence, soothing the ache in my chest like a gentle touch.How strange. How wonderful.This little bell, the one Hayden left me, felt like a lifeline pulling me back from the edge."Let me process this, and then I'll give you something," Ron said suddenly."What is it?""You'll see when I give it to you," he replied before walking away.I want
"Rea!" Wayne's voice sounded as warm as ever, but now it had a sharp edge, like a thorn pressing into my chest.How could someone who seemed so harmless hide such ruthless obsession? He'd crushed anyone in his path without a second thought.I swallowed back the bitterness and got straight to the point. "I need your help.""Mm, what is it?" His tone wasn't the same anymore. Running RiverwaveCorp in Jace's place had clearly gone to his head.Power didn't just change a person's mindset—it bled into their every move."My former colleague Demi Young... She's working in your company. She's a good friend, but something happened, and she quit. I can't get in touch with her. I need you to help me find her.""Demi Young?" Wayne echoed, his tone thoughtful before he agreed. "Alright.""Thanks," I said, keeping my voice calm and polite, the way I always did with him."Rea," he said softly, my name hanging in the air before he continued, "Can we meet in person?""Sure. When?" I answered wi
“Lena, you’re back! Aaron…” Mrs. Lane immediately waved at Lena, signaling her to come over quickly. Lena had a sinking feeling and didn’t step forward. Just then, Aaron walked over and stood beside her, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. As his sleeve brushed against Lena’s hand, the accidental touch gave her a sudden boost of courage. What was there to be afraid of? With Aaron here, her mother wouldn’t dare go overboard. It was a confidence she had grown up with—so long as Aaron was around, her mother was nothing more than a paper tiger. To this day, Lena couldn’t quite figure it out. Aaron wasn’t even biologically related to the family, yet everyone seemed to hold him in unusually high regard. Whatever he said, no one would dare contradict. It was precisely because of this unique favoritism that Lena often rode on his coattails, benefiting from his influence. “Chairman Goodwick, Mrs. Goodwick,” Aaron greeted the unfamiliar guests first, acknowledging the fa
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s completely healed,” Lena said as she sat down. “Any new issues or discoveries today?” “None,” Nate replied, his dark, deep gaze lingering on her with a complex expression. Lena noticed but pretended not to. She had no intention of asking. When she lowered her head to focus on work, Nate withdrew his gaze. For the rest of the day, he didn’t say another word to her. This behavior was unusual for him. Ever since he returned to promote his research project, Nate had always carried himself with humility, desperately seeking her forgiveness. But today, he acted like just another colleague, a completely different person from before. Although this change was what Lena had hoped for, she couldn’t help but feel unsettled. What had brought on this sudden shift? She thought back to the incident yesterday when she had asked Nate and Aaron to leave while her wound was being treated. Could it be that her uncle had said something to Nate? On the drive bac
Aaron didn’t give Nate an answer, but silence itself was an answer. Lena’s test results came back negative: no traces of snake venom were found in her system. The wound had been treated, and in the end, it turned out to be a false alarm. “Sorry, Uncle,” Lena said apologetically. “I ruined your camping trip.” When she had been bitten by the snake, her screams were so terrifying that they startled everyone else. The others quickly packed up and left, bringing the camping trip to an abrupt, messy end. “It’s fine. You can make it up to everyone another time,” Aaron replied in a way that defied all expectations. Shouldn’t he be comforting her? He didn’t play by the rules, and Lena decided she wouldn’t either. “I’m not making it up to anyone. If anything, you owe me, Uncle.” “How would you like me to compensate you?” This time, he sounded more reasonable. Lena blinked mischievously. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” After saying that, she sigh
Nate stared at her face, carefully observing her expression and movements. He had a rough idea of her condition but still asked, "Bitten on the ankle, right? Let me see the wound." As he spoke, he bent down. However, before he could touch Lena, she was moved away. Nate looked up at Aaron. "Mr. Ace, even if the snake isn’t venomous, its teeth carry a lot of bacteria." Aaron’s response was as sharp as ever. "Oh, so you can see the bacteria and have a chat with them, asking them to leave? Or can you wipe them out with your bare hands?" Without waiting for Nate’s reply, Aaron scooped up Lena and walked off. Nate crouched there for a few seconds, stunned, before standing up and following quickly.-Lena was seated in a chair as the doctor lifted her leg. Just as Nate reached out to roll up her pant leg, Aaron had already done it. Nate had no choice but to awkwardly withdraw his hand. The doctor began cleaning the wound with disinfectant. Meanwhile, Aaron gently placed his hand
The black Cayenne roared through the night, the driver pushing the car to its limits as if his foot might break through the gas pedal. Yet, Aaron wasn’t satisfied. "Faster," he barked. "There’s no need to rush. Safety first," Lena said, her voice calm despite her pale complexion. As a doctor, she knew the basics—judging by the snake that bit her, it was likely just a common green snake, non-venomous. Despite her reassurances, Aaron remained tense, his entire body rigid. The driver, responding to the urgency, raced toward the hospital with record-breaking speed. What should have been a twenty-minute drive was reduced to eight. By the time they screeched to a halt, the driver’s legs were trembling from the adrenaline rush. It was the first time in his life he had experienced such an intense, heart-pounding ride. Aaron didn’t wait for the car to stop completely. He leapt out, carrying Lena straight into the emergency room. "Doctor, she's been bitten by a snake," he said urgently.
"Then why are his photos identical to yours?" Keira demanded. Lena didn’t answer immediately. She understood what Keira meant, opened her social media app, and found Aaron’s post. Sure enough, he’d shared the exact same photo as hers. To make things worse, the comments underneath included a particularly mortifying one from her mother: [You’re with Lena, huh?] Her mother probably didn’t mean anything by it, but the comment still felt inappropriate. As Lena silently cursed her mother’s lack of tact, she noticed another reply under that comment. This one, from Aaron himself, read: [Wherever she goes, I’ll take her with me and make sure she’s well taken care of. Don’t worry, Sis.] Lena was absolutely speechless. These two siblings were a perfect match: one was clueless, and the other oblivious. Her mother, as an older woman, could be excused for her lack of social awareness. But Aaron? Why was he commenting like this, knowing full well that their mutual friends could see it?
Lena hastily withdrew her hand, but her movements were too abrupt. As she stepped back, she tripped over the support pole of the tent and fell backward. Just as she braced herself for a painful landing, Aaron’s long arm reached out and caught her waist, pulling her into his embrace. Her cheek pressed against his chest, and the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat filled her ears, blending with her own erratic pulse. This suffocating feeling... It was almost intoxicating. It reminded her of the time she had accidentally walked in on him while he was showering. Awkward. So awkward that she didn’t even know how to extricate herself, nor did she have the courage to pull away from his arms. “You’re already an adult, yet you’re still so clumsy,” Aaron scolded lightly, his voice coming from above her. Then he released her and added, “No wonder your mom worries about you so much and insists on you staying at home.” Lena’s suffocating embarrassment was instantly eased by his rem
“Don’t randomly go into the tents. Some employees brought their families or significant others. It’d be awkward if you interrupted them,” Aaron reminded from behind her. “Wow, Uncle, how considerate of you—allowing employees to bring their families,” Lena teased, her tone light. She walked through the array of pitched tents, but with so many scattered around, she had no idea which one belonged to Aaron. Still, since he insisted she find it herself, she was determined to try. Approaching one tent, she suddenly heard muffled voices inside—intimate murmurs between a man and a woman. The woman’s hushed voice carried a hint of urgency. “Be gentle, don’t let anyone hear…” Even though Lena was a gynecologist, her cheeks flushed uncontrollably. She couldn’t help but think that if she had brought a stash of "protection" tonight, she might have made a small fortune. Meanwhile, Aaron stayed back, standing a short distance away and watching her from afar. In the moonlight, she looked l
“Reconciled with Nate?” In the quiet car, Aaron’s voice broke the silence as he glanced at Nate standing motionless in the rearview mirror. “No,” Lena denied softly. “He came back this time because of you, didn’t he?” Aaron asked as the car turned a corner. His hands moved fluidly on the steering wheel, the motion revealing a gray-gold watch on his wrist. The watch’s polished edges caught the light streaming through the window, casting a fleeting glimmer. Lena’s gaze lingered on the watch, her thoughts momentarily drifting. If she remembered correctly, she had given him a watch as a coming-of-age gift years ago. It had cost her all her savings back then. But that was over a decade ago. Surely, the watch she gave him would have broken by now. This one likely just resembled it—or maybe she was remembering it wrong after so much time. “Hm?” Aaron’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, his eyes briefly flicking to her. Lena quickly recovered. “He came back for a research pro