"Where did you bury that urn?"The question blindsided me.A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to bring up old stuff," he murmured.He shifted, clearly struggling, like he wanted to get closer. I leaned in, bringing my ear near him. His voice was barely above a whisper, but the weight of his words hit me hard."Listen carefully. That urn has a data sync device inside. My phone's synced to it. There's... a lot of critical info in there. If anything ever happens to me, take the device and give it to the authorities."I froze. The urn... it had been hiding something this huge all along?It was Yara who gave it to me. Did she know about this, too?The thought of her made my stomach twist a little. "Why not have Yara deal with this instead of me?" I blurted.Hayden let out a quiet laugh. "You're jealous right now? Really?"I huffed, but he kept going. "She and I are just comrades. Nothing romantic, I swear. And besides..."He took a shaky breath before c
My heart jumped into my throat the second I saw him.Sure, Hayden had told me not to freak out, but yeah—easier said than done."Doctor, how is he?" I stepped forward, my voice wobbling."His injuries are severe. There's a blood clot pressing on his brain nerves, and he's currently in a coma."The doctor's words were so perfectly measured that I couldn't tell if Hayden was actually this hurt or if this guy was just auditioning for Best Supporting Actor in Hayden's plan.Cole and Wayne both frowned, but Cole went full drama mode. "A coma? Are you serious? The guy got roughed up, not hit by a truck!"The doctor didn't flinch. "I already explained—there's a blood clot."Cole was about to argue more, but Wayne cut him off, all smooth and calculating. "I'll bring in another specialist to examine him. If anything happens, I need answers."That comment? Definitely for me. Classic Wayne, using "concern" as a power move to figure out if Hayden's injuries were fake.The doctor nodded, c
I threw a look at Cole. "I'll figure out who's behind this—and they'll regret it."Cole let out a soft laugh. "First time I've heard you talk so tough."I shot him a glare. "Whether it's tough talk or not, you'll find out soon enough. Now go. You've done enough."Cole had milked this scene long enough. With Hayden staying perfectly still through the whole act, Cole finally gave in and turned to leave. But not without tossing one last remark over his shoulder."Ms. Kay, he's just a stand-in. Don't let yourself get too attached again."I didn't bother responding. Watching him walk out the door, I exhaled slowly. My eyes drifted back to Hayden, lying there so still.He wasn't a stand-in. Not for anyone. He was himself—always himself.For a long moment, I just stood there, staring at him. Finally, I leaned in and whispered, "Hayden, they're all gone. You can drop the act now."Silence.Thinking he was messing with me, I slid my hand under the blanket and gave him a light pinch. "S
"Demi, Demi..."I bolted out of the car and grabbed her, calling her name in panic.No response. I tilted her face toward me, hoping for some sign of recognition, but when I saw her clearly, my breath hitched.Her face was unrecognizable—swollen, bruised, her eyes barely open. There were gashes on her cheeks, and her lips? So busted they didn't even look human.I didn't need a detailed story. I knew.Hayden was right. I was too late."I'm calling the cops," I said, my voice shaky as fury and heartbreak churned inside me."No, don't..." Her hand weakly gripped my arm.I froze, staring at her. She managed the smallest smile, but it was broken, jagged, like it hurt her more than it comforted me."Why?" My voice cracked."Because... I need evidence," she whispered, her tone faint but steady.I just stood there, stunned.In that moment, it all clicked. Her fear of returning, her decision to get referred to DracoLux—she wasn't running anymore. Demi wasn't going to live as a victi
Hayden had faked his death and taken brutal beatings to keep his identity hidden. Demi? She'd sacrificed her entire future, paying a price so unimaginable it made my chest ache. If we called the cops now, all of that could be for nothing.And let's be real—if the police could fix this, DracoLux would've been shut down ages ago.This couldn't go unchecked, though. Especially not for Lena. She'd always been fierce about protecting women, and seeing someone like Demi humiliated and broken like this? It wasn't something she'd ever tolerate."How's Demi? Has she woken up? Can I see her?" I asked, my voice shaking.Without a word, Lena led me to Demi's room.Seeing her hooked up to all those machines, tubes everywhere, an oxygen mask covering her bruised face... it broke me. Lena's earlier description of her injuries echoed in my head, every detail slicing me open."I'm... fine," Demi whispered weakly, as if she could sense my heartbreak and wanted to comfort me.Tears spilled down my
This whole situation involved way too many people.Demi was already hanging by a thread, yet she still wanted to be the shield, the one who took the hits. I couldn't stand the thought of her going through it again.If we could find other victims—anyone willing to step forward or share evidence—maybe, just maybe, we could end DracoLux for good."Some of the girls, I can still find," Lena said, her tone serious. "But not all. And even if I do track them down, you need to understand—they didn't report it back then for a reason. There's no guarantee they'll help now."She wasn't wrong. This wasn't just hard—it was near impossible."It's okay," I said quietly. "We'll try. If they're willing, great. If not... at least we tried."My brief spark of hope gave way to a deeper sadness.The thought of how many girls had suffered like Demi made my stomach churn."I'll start looking into my records," Lena promised, determination etched across her face.She didn't care about rules or red tap
Tears were still running down Demi's cheeks when she suddenly smiled. "Keira, I'm starving. Grab me risotto.""On it," I said quickly. "Want some meat, too?"She used to be all about meat—then complain about dieting right after."Meat helps you heal, right? Why not?" she replied with a playful grin, like the old Demi was still in there somewhere.Her smile hit me harder than her tears. How could she act so normal when I knew she wasn't okay? I forced a grin. "Alright. Pork belly sound good?""Make sure it's marbled, not all lean or fat," she quipped, her usual picky self."Got it. Only the best for you," I promised, standing up.But instead of leaving, I hovered outside her door, leaning against the frame. A moment later, the sound of her quiet sobs slipped through.I pressed my back to the wall, eyes shut, my chest tightening like I couldn't breathe. After a second to pull myself together, I headed out to grab her food. That's when I ran into Jace.The second I saw him, my mi
I instinctively hid the bag behind my back, which only made the two men chuckle as they stepped into the elevator.When the doors closed, I turned toward Demi's room. But after a few steps, unease hit me like a punch in the gut.Something was off.I spun around, staring at the elevator doors. My heart was pounding before I even realized I was running."Demi!" I yelled, shoving her door open.She blinked at me, startled. "What's wrong?"Nothing had happened—at least not to me. But the fear that something might've happened to her had me panicked.Seeing her sitting there, fine, I exhaled sharply and stepped inside. As I went to set the food on her bedside table, my eyes caught something—a fat stack of cash.Hush money.My stomach churned as it clicked. Those two men had been here to make sure Demi stayed quiet."Keira, can you help me put this money away?" Demi's voice was steady, too steady.I froze, staring at the bills. "Why did you take it?"She stared blankly at the ceil
"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