"Two years?" I repeated, my stomach sinking further.Hayden had only been gone a few months. There was no way this could be him.But why did he look so much like Hayden?Was it just some weird coincidence? Or was it something more, like the unsettling resemblance between me and Narelle?I stared at the guy, my thoughts spiraling. I didn't even notice Wayne had shown up until he spoke."You don't look so good. Feeling sick?" Wayne asked, his sharp eyes picking up on my obvious disarray."She's injured," Cole cut in smoothly, his tone just a little too pointed.Of course, when Cole said "injured," he wasn't just talking about my knee. He totally brought that Hayden lookalike here on purpose, knowing exactly how it'd mess with me."She scraped her knee pretty bad," Ron chimed in, acting like my unofficial spokesperson.With these two around, I didn't even need to open my mouth.Wayne's brows knitted together as he crouched beside me. Before I could pull away, his hand shot out,
"Rea, what's with the wheelchair?" Jace's voice cut through the chatter.I turned to see him walking over with Aaron.Jace rocked a crisp white shirt, while Aaron was in all black. Total opposites, but together? They had that annoying "main character energy" that turned heads."Wow, look at that," Lena muttered. "Everyone decided to show up today."No kidding. All this fuss over a light show? Wild.But I knew why Lena was snippy—Aaron. She'd rather choke on her coffee than deal with him, but since he was a client here for the event, we had to play nice.Jace came up fast, his eyes locking on my legs. "Where are you hurt?""It's just a scraped knee. Chill, I'm fine," I said, trying to downplay it.Jace wasn't buying it. "Yeah, sure. Totally fine in a wheelchair?"Lena jumped in before I could answer. "Oh, that's on your brother. He freaked out, said if she didn't use the chair, he'd carry her instead. So, here we are."She smirked, totally owning the moment. Jace's face darken
Lena flashed a sly grin. "Wow, so uptight. Won't even let me touch you, huh, handsome?"Xander didn't miss a beat. "Apologies, miss. We're performers, not escorts. Please behave yourself." His voice was firm but polite.She raised an eyebrow but knew when to back off. "Alright, Mr. Manners." Still, she wasn't done grilling him. "How old are you?""Twenty-nine."Lena nodded, tilting her head as she studied him. "And your height?""Six feet and a quarter inch."She squinted, clearly calculating his proportions. "College?""Yes," he said without hesitation. "Wellington Institute of Technology. I majored in Artificial Intelligence."Lena clicked her tongue, her expression practically screaming what a waste. "AI's a big deal these days," she said, her tone slightly snarky."This is just a side job," Xander said smoothly, throwing me for a loop.Wait, what? He had a solid career and moonlighted as a male model in a nightclub?Compared to him, I couldn't help but feel a little... i
"Why are you so freaked out by your Uncle Aaron? Did you, like, do something sketchy to him or what?" I teased Lena as she slowed the wheelchair down.She didn't answer. I tilted my head back to look up at her. "Oh my God, you did do something!""Can we not talk about this?" Lena muttered, which, let's be real, was as good as a confession.I tapped her hand on the wheelchair handles. "Wait—lemme guess. You couldn't resist his hotness and crossed some kind of line?"She smacked me lightly on the head. "Shut up! He's my uncle!""Then why do you get all flustered whenever he's around?" I pressed. I mean, Lena wasn't exactly the type to get rattled easily."Fine. Once, I accidentally walked in on him showering, okay?"I froze, then smacked her hand. "No way! Where? How much did you see? Wait—did you see, like, everything?""Can we please drop it?" she said, eyes squeezed shut like that'd make me stop."What do you think?" I shot back, grinning like a maniac.Lena let out a dramat
"He's not over it yet, even if you are," Lena said. "Right now, his head's probably a total mess."Lena always had a knack for cutting to the truth.Aaron finally took his seat just as the light show started, and wow—it was next-level. Fifty minutes of stunning effects, each one unique.The finale? That was pure magic. The human light performance had the whole crowd hooked, showcasing just how cutting-edge OceanixCorp's work really was.When the models ended by forming our company logo, the applause was deafening."Such a creative and refreshing display," Aaron said, the perfect polished client. "The human light show was a standout.""That was all Ms. Kay from marketing," Ron said, giving credit where it was due.Every eye turned to me as the clapping grew even louder. I nodded, keeping it cool.And then Cole—because of course, Cole—jumped in with a smirk: "Brilliant concept, no doubt, but let's not forget the real stars here—our male models.""Absolutely," I replied smoothly.
Cole chuckled, waving Xander forward. "You tell me. Or do you need to look closer to figure it out?"Xander stepped closer, stopping just shy of Jace and Wayne. At this distance, they could see everything—every line, every feature, every little detail.And so could I. My breath hitched, and that voice deep in my chest screamed louder than ever: He was Hayden."You've really gone all out for this. Where'd you dig up someone like him?" Jace sneered.Cole's smile didn't waver. "Fate," he said casually, then turned to me. "Wouldn't you agree?"I didn't bite. My eyes stayed on Xander, searching, digging past the surface, desperate for even the faintest sign that he was Hayden."Xander," Cole said, finally cutting to the chase, "Ms. Kay has taken quite the liking to you. She wants to keep you. What do you say?"Xander's answer was sharp and direct. "Mr. Drago, you know my rules. I don't provide those kinds of service."The implication landed hard. Wayne and Jace's faces darkened imme
I wasn't sure if Jace was actually going to throw a punch, but standing there felt like its own kind of humiliation. Without saying a word, I spun on my heel and walked off, ditching the wheelchair for good."What a waste of oxygen," Lena snapped at the crowd before rushing over to help me.Once we were clear, she blurted out, "Rea, didn't he have a mole on his neck? Could he have had it removed? Did you check for scars?"Her question made it obvious—she still didn't believe Xander wasn't Hayden. I mean, that face was way too similar to his.I shook my head. I hadn't believed it either, at first. I'd touched his neck, searching for anything—a scar, a clue, something—but there was nothing.Lena caught my expression and frowned. She helped me sit down and asked again, "So, what do you think? Is it him or not?"I hesitated. Sometimes your gut knows what your eyes can't, especially when anything can be faked these days."I don't know," I admitted quietly.At first, I was so sure he
I muttered a half-hearted reply and headed for the meeting room without bothering to ask who was waiting."Wait up," Ron called after me. "That model from yesterday—he's seriously not Hayden.""I know," I said, biting the edge of my coffee cup. "I buried him myself."Ron just nodded and let me go. That's when I saw who was waiting inside.Jace.His eyes fixed on me like he was trying to read my mind.Too bad for him, I was in a great mood today. For the first time in weeks, I'd actually put on makeup. Heck, I'd even looked in the mirror before leaving and thought, 'Dang, I look good.'Even the pain in my injured leg decided to chill out. Walking didn't hurt for once."You're late," Jace broke the silence as he checked me out, his tone super casual."Yeah, but my boss is cool. No pay dockings here," I shot back. His face froze for a second.Back at RiverwaveCorp, being late meant fines, CEO's fiancée or not."I called yesterday, but you didn't answer. I even swung by your pla
"I'm just amazed that pregnancy has made you smarter. Most people say pregnancy makes women forgetful for three years," Hayden teased Keira with a rare grin. Keira gave him a gentle kick. "Did Aaron ask you to pass on his thoughts?" "No, it's just what I think," Hayden replied earnestly. He would never lie to her. Keira sighed softly. "Love between two people isn’t something outsiders can meddle with. But maybe Aaron’s actions today will help Lena realize what’s in her heart." "Let’s wait and see," Hayden said, finishing the massage before applying lotion and stretch mark cream to Keira's belly. "Baby, give Dad a little kick," Hayden said, stroking her belly. Right after he spoke, the baby really did kick. Keira couldn’t help but laugh; this little one was so obedient to their dad. "Just a few kicks, alright? Mommy needs to sleep, so don’t bother her," Hayden instructed. The baby obediently kicked a few more times before settling down. Keira was curious. "I think our ba
Keira stared at the messages Lena had just sent her. She could sense something was up, so she immediately called her, but Lena declined the call. Instead, she replied with another message: [I’m at my grandparents’ house, and my mother is here too.] Keira had no choice but to keep texting her: [Did Aaron upset you today?] Lena sent Keira a string of ellipses. That endless row of dots made her even more curious. [What happened exactly?] Keira pressed. Lena replied: [He brought his girlfriend home today.] After sending that message, she also sent Keira a screenshot of a payment receipt and added: [Spot the highlight.] Keira zoomed in on the image and finally noticed the note: Name Change Fee. [Wow, how generous! 600,000 dollars just for a name change fee. What did you call her to make it worth that much?] Keira was shocked. Lena then sent Keira a voice message, explaining the situation in detail. At the end, she added: [He used to tell me how long he’d liked me, but now he’s
"Aaron, I want to add Lena on WhatsApp." Xandra actually asked Aaron, gently tugging on his sleeve with a delicate and endearing expression that made her look pitifully lovable. Aaron glanced at her, his gaze filled with a warmth Lena was all too familiar with. Once upon a time, he had looked at her the same way. Now, he could look at other women like that. So, never believe a man when he says things like, I've liked you for years. "If you want to add her, then add her," Aaron's approval made Xandra look at him with delight. Lena, however, truly didn’t want to add her. She and Xandra weren’t close, and they likely wouldn’t ever be. Lena didn’t enjoy socializing with strangers, so she smiled faintly. "Aren’t you afraid I might tell her something about you, Uncle Aaron?" Aaron’s gaze turned cold and distant, his voice calm. "There’s nothing about me that Xandy can’t know." Ha! Lena sneered inwardly. If that were the case, why had he just warned her earlier? Double stand
Under the table, Lena felt her mother's foot nudge her—a clear signal: Let Xandra win. Lena gritted her teeth. Why was everyone fawning over a girlfriend who hadn’t even officially joined the family? Annoyed, she huffed inwardly. The more you tell me to lose, the harder I’ll fight to win. The game began, and Lena’s starting hand was exceptional—practically a heavenly draw. She was only one card away from winning while the others still struggled with mismatched cards. It seemed like an easy victory was in the cards for her. But then, as if under a spell, her luck took a sharp turn. None of the cards she needed showed up. Worse, every time she reached for a card, Xandra would intercept it with a call, blocking her progress entirely. As the rounds continued, even her mother, Briana, reached a ready hand, while Lena was still stuck with the same cards she started with. Soon, her grandmother joined the fray, and eventually, even Xandra declared readiness. Three players were now
Lena’s heart fluttered in panic. Why was he standing here? Had he overheard what she’d said earlier? There was no use regretting it now. She could only pretend he hadn’t heard anything and called out, trying to sound natural, “Uncle!” She had just given herself a pep talk in the bathroom, but seeing him standing so close now, her heartbeat still faltered. Aaron’s deep, starry eyes fixed on her. “Xandy is very simple and innocent. She doesn’t take well to certain things. I trust you understand what I mean?” Lena’s chaotic heartbeats suddenly settled. So this was why he had waited for her—to make sure she wouldn’t tell Xandra about his past feelings for her. A strange, sharp pain twisted in her chest, so intense it stole her breath for a moment. Clenching her fist by her side, she pinched herself hard to suppress the ache and avoid showing any emotion. “What ‘certain things’ are you referring to, Uncle? I don’t believe there’s anything you’ve shared with me that’s worth m
“Come here,” Deborah called, motioning for Lena to approach. She introduced her to Xandra with a cheerful smile. “The two of you may be the same age, but from now on, you must properly call her your aunt. Understand?” Xandra’s face flushed red. “There’s no need for that. Just call me Xandy.” Nervously, she tugged at Aaron’s sleeve. He glanced at her before responding calmly, “Our family values etiquette. Generational hierarchy matters.” Etiquette? Wasn’t this just a ploy to make her call Xandra “Aunt”? Was he in such a rush to give her a title to avoid any misunderstandings? Whether it was to clarify things for Xandra or to distance himself from her, Lena couldn’t help but feel a petty frustration bubbling up. Fine. If Aaron wanted her to say it, she would. “Aunt Xandra,” Lena said, her tone neutral but deliberate. Xandra’s face turned even redder. “No, really, you can just call me Xandy.” “I should call you that, and it’s not for free. As my elder, you owe me a red e
“Mr. Ace, why the sudden preference for plain water?” Elaine asked as she poured a glass. “It’s not for me. It’s for Xandy,” Aaron replied, his eyes flicking toward Lena, who kept her head down, still rinsing the same tomato. Elaine chuckled. “Your girlfriend is very pretty. She seems like a sweet and kind young lady. I bet your parents can finally relax now.” “Mm, everyone can be at ease,” Aaron replied, his tone carrying a subtle undertone. Lena didn’t lift her head, but she heard the implication clearly. “Not just at ease—happy too,” Elaine said as she handed him the glass of water. Taking it, Aaron thanked her. “Thank you, Elaine.” Then he left the kitchen. Elaine watched him go, sighing wistfully. “His parents have been waiting for this day for so long.” Turning back, she noticed Lena was still rinsing the same tomato—again. Elaine reached over and turned off the faucet. “Miss Lena, if you keep washing that tomato, it’s going to lose all its skin,” she teased.
"Do I need to change my shoes?" A gentle female voice came from the doorway. Lena thought she must be hearing things. She snapped her head up, and her eyes landed on a tall girl in casual attire standing by the entrance. Next to her was Aaron, dressed in a dark coat. They hadn’t looked into the house yet, as the entryway was positioned just out of sight from the main living area. However, from her spot on the sofa, Lena had a clear view of them. “No won't be necessary. My parents don’t wear slippers at home,” Aaron explained patiently. Lena felt as if she were frozen in place, her mind going blank as she stared at the two of them. Hearing the commotion, Briana walked out from the kitchen, and she, too, stopped in her tracks. It was rare—unheard of, even—for Aaron to bring a girl home. The implications were obvious. “Sister,” Aaron greeted Briana first, then introduced the girl beside him. “This is my friend.” Briana nodded quickly, her surprise evident. “Hello!” The g
The weekend had arrived, coinciding with the end of the year. The timing couldn’t have been more fitting—or more ominous. At the hospital, Lena’s colleagues were busy making plans for New Year’s Eve celebrations, but she sat at her desk, preoccupied with how to get through the weekend. Tomorrow, Aaron was going to formally announce his decision to sever ties with the Ace family. Even though she had tried to comfort her grandparents and they seemed to accept it, she feared the actual impact would be far greater than any preparation could soften. “Dr. Lane, any plans for tomorrow? Join us!” someone invited her. Lena snapped out of her thoughts. “No, I’ll be at home with my grandparents.” She’d even be taking an emergency kit, just in case her grandparents couldn’t handle the shock. Her mother, Briana, had been equally anxious, sending multiple reminders throughout the day to ensure Lena would go to the Ace house right after work. The last time she visited, she’d managed to