I pulled Nina into my arms, holding her tight as I scanned the men standing before me.They didn't attack, just stood there watching. Then I heard hurried footsteps, followed by a panicked voice. "Nina, don't be scared—Mommy's here!"Cue Sasha's dramatic entrance.She burst in, ripped Nina from my arms, and shoved me aside like I was the villain in her soap opera.Theatrics? Ten out of ten. Sasha deserved an Oscar.Clutching Nina close, she covered her with kisses and soothing words before whipping around to glare at me. "Keira, I trusted you! I even let Nina be your friend, and this is what you do? You used our trust to hurt us!""I don't think Keira hurt me," Nina piped up, defending me before I could get a word in.Sasha's face stiffened for a split second, but she quickly recovered, squeezing Nina tighter and bursting into tears.The men in black didn't touch me, of course. Why would they? Sasha had hired them for her little performance. Her goal was simple: get Nina back.
Thorsten chuckled softly. "You're still young. Right now, you think this is what you want. Someday, you might regret it.""Who knows what the future holds? Let's just live in the moment," I replied, letting a touch of melancholy slip into my voice."Fine. If this is the person you want, then when he comes back, you can take him with you," Thorsten said, agreeing easily.I played along. "Then I'll thank you in advance.""We're making a fair trade," Thorsten reminded me."Oh?" I said, arching a brow. "And what trade would that be?"His eyes narrowed, but he quickly hid it behind a smooth smile. "Keira, all you have to do is hand over what I want. After that, name your price."He sounded generous, but we both knew better. The one thing I wanted wasn't something he could deliver.So I said it anyway. "What if I want my parents back?"It was cruel and impossible, but that was the point. I wanted him to feel the weight of what he owed me.Thorsten's expression tightened before he r
"Wayne, I know what you want, but don't waste your breath. My answer's still no," I said, cutting straight to the point."You can't take on the Drago family," he replied, half warning, half trying to intimidate me.I smiled faintly. After everything I'd been through, his words barely scratched the surface. "Maybe. But I'll still try. Who knows? I might pull it off.""Like a mouse going up against a lion," he scoffed, his tone laced with mockery. "You know how pointless that is, don't you?"I pressed my lips together for a second, then said, "Do you know what sets humans apart from animals? Courage. The courage to resist, to fight, and to push boundaries."Wayne didn't answer right away. My resolve caught him off guard. Finally, he sighed. "If you want Hayden safe, hand over what you're hiding. Then you two can take the money and live however you want. Wouldn't that be better?"It wasn't like him to say something so... reasonable. Maybe he was finally letting go of his obsession w
When the sermon ended, I stood and started toward Abbot Levinsky, only to notice Jace was there too.The first time I attended something like this, Jace had brought me. Back then, I thought it was boring. But when I realized it gave him a sense of peace, I started coming along. At first, it was for him, but over time, I found meaning in it for myself.Eventually, I began to appreciate these moments of reflection and even joined in some of the rituals.After Jace and I drifted apart, I still came occasionally on my own. Now, running into him here again, we were little more than strangers.He gave me a small nod of acknowledgment, and together we approached Abbot Levinsky for a symbolic blessing. This wasn't something offered at every service, so catching it today felt like a bit of serendipity.The ceremony was meant to represent letting go of past burdens and embracing a fresh start. Whether it worked or not, people often found comfort in the idea.Afterward, Jace and I left the
In the middle of the night, I started coughing—a deep, rough sound that wouldn't let up. Probably just a cold.My respiratory system has always been weak, and whenever I catch something, it usually triggers coughing fits. Between the long day and the chilly mountain air, it was no surprise."Cough, cough..." I clutched my throat, the irritation making it feel like something was stuck there.Even after drinking water, the coughing didn't stop. That's when I heard a knock at the door.A knock in the dead of night can be unsettling, but being at the monastery, I felt oddly calm.Before I could ask who it was, a woman's voice called softly from the other side. "I'm from next door."It had to be Mrs. Drago. She had a reputation for being deeply spiritual, and now she was standing outside my door.I got up and opened it. "Good evening.""I heard you coughing and thought you could use this," she said, holding out a small bottle of honey and herbal syrup. Her tone was gentle, her hair
The moment my fingers brushed the fabric of the coat, I knew it was expensive. She handed it over so casually, and a wave of emotion hit me—gratitude tangled with guilt.I had come here with a calculated purpose, yet she responded with nothing but kindness and concern."Ma'am, this coat is far too valuable. I can't take it," I said."It's just a coat. There's no such thing as 'too valuable,'" she replied, her voice calm and steady, her easy dismissal of material things only deepening my guilt over my intentions.But I couldn't back out. If I didn't follow through, Hayden's life—and mine—could be at risk.I stood frozen, unable to move or speak, just staring at her."Is something wrong?" she asked, noticing the shift in my mood.Pressing my lips together, I finally introduced myself. "Mrs. Drago, my name is Keira Kay."She nodded slightly. "I know."Her response surprised me. Before I could ask how, she explained, "I've seen your photo before."That only added to my confusion.
In the distance, a figure was retreating into the shadows.Under the moonlight, that silhouette stood out—familiar, clear, yet so far away."Jace, thank you," I murmured softly, my words carried only by the wind. Without his help, getting close to Mrs. Drago wouldn't have been so easy. Maybe part of the reason she had agreed so readily was because of him.Even when he wasn't visible, even when I had no idea what he was doing, he was always helping me in silence.Maybe this was his way of loving me.I tilted my head up to the glowing moon, and in that moment, I felt something I hadn't expected: release.Release from the ten years of my life tied to Jace.People always say breaking up with an ex feels like losing your youth. But for me, it wasn't.Back in my room, I didn't go to sleep right away. Instead, I snapped a picture of the moon outside my window and posted it to social media with a single word: [Released.]Lena liked it almost instantly and messaged me: [Released what?]
Me: [👊]No response.I fired off a couple more messages, but still nothing. She was probably swamped—again.And yep, nailed it. Turns out the mom of the 1,385th baby had a serious postpartum bleed, so Lena had to ditch her phone and bolt back into the OR.***By the time Lena finally stepped out of the OR, the sun was up, and she was still wearing the chaos of the night—scrubs streaked with blood, hands showing traces of the battle. But the mother had made it."Have the family meet me in my office," she told a nurse on her way to the locker room.During the surgery, Lena found out the real reason for the mother's bleeding: stress. And not just any stress.Turns out, the husband had completely lost it over the baby being a girl. He'd spewed garbage about how they'd "wasted ten months" on her, pampering her with good food and care, just for her to pop out something "worthless." Oh, and the cherry on top? He casually mentioned selling the baby—apparently, someone out there would
"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