Whether she'd make it out alive or not, Lena knew there was nothing she could do now but wait and see.***Meanwhile, I was going nuts waiting for Jace to hand the ring over to the police. Every second felt like a year, especially since I was still trapped in Cole's villa with no way to leave.Jace hadn't returned since the day he left. Yara told me Cole had intercepted him, and now I couldn't stop imagining the worst. What if Cole had found the ring?To make things worse, Cole had gone completely MIA and blocked every communication signal in the area. I was officially cut off from the outside world.I'd tried escaping multiple times, but the security system on the door stopped me every time.The only silver lining?Yara.She wasn't exactly stressed about the whole "house arrest" thing. Instead, she dragged me into random activities—face masks, recipe experiments, and even trying to recreate the chewy candies Jace had brought."You should just open a foodie shop," I teased one
Tanya walked right into the trap. She'd been so desperate for the spotlight that she didn't even see it coming."Does this mean the police have everything they need? Will Hayden and the others be back soon?" I asked, steering the conversation back to what actually mattered."Yeah, it won't be long now. Aaron's handling the last bit of cleanup," Jace replied.As he spoke, I studied him more closely. He looked thinner—his already sharp features now even more defined.I wasn't surprised. His parents were gone, his brother was on the run, and he'd been helping me juggle crisis after crisis. It was a lot for anyone to bear."You've been through so much lately," I said softly, my gratitude clear."This is my responsibility. Wayne caused this, so it's on me."The calm, heavy way he said it struck me. Wayne always acted like he was Jace's equal—better, even—but in this moment, Jace's integrity made their differences painfully obvious."Rea," Jace said, his voice pulling me from my thou
Husband?The first face that popped into my mind was Hayden's.But I'd never seen this mother and daughter before. They had to be new neighbors, so how could they possibly know him?"Miss, we live on the 9th floor!" the little girl chirped happily.The 9th floor. Right above me. That's where Tanya used to live."How long have you been here?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.After all, I hadn't been living here very long. Things with Hayden had fallen apart not long after I moved in, and he'd only visited a handful of times under his "Xander persona".The woman started to answer, but her phone rang."Daddy's calling!" the little girl squealed. "I want to answer it!""The signal's bad in the elevator," her mom said gently. "Let's wait until we're outside, okay?""No! Daddy will worry if we don't pick up!" the girl protested.I watched them from the side, warmth flickering in my chest. They were such a happy little family.My hand drifted to my stomach. I had a
The rest of my words caught in my throat as Hayden pulled me into his arms.His cheek brushed mine, his voice low and steady. "Lena's fine. I didn't hurt her. She's safe, I swear."His scent, his warmth, his words—they worked, slowly easing the panic clawing at my chest."You're not lying?" I asked, my voice trembling."I'm not lying. Aaron's with her. He'll bring her back," he murmured, his lips brushing my hair."Then why are you here?" I wasn't ready to let this go so easily.His breath tickled against my skin. "Because I missed you. I missed you too much."Missed me? Really?One minute he was cold and unreadable, and the next, he was this warm, familiar version of himself again. It was whiplash, and it messed with my head.He must've seen the doubt in my eyes because he loosened his hold, his hand grazing my cheek. "Hit me, yell at me—do whatever you need. Just... ask me what you want.""Are you really Hayden?" I asked quietly, skipping the yelling and hitting.A faint s
When he finished, I found myself curling even tighter. Hayden shifted closer, his hand brushing mine. "Are you scared of what I've told you so far?"The truth was, not really. So far, it was just a rundown of shady deals and insane tests he'd endured. But my mind had already spun it into something straight out of an undercover spy movie—life-or-death situations, impossible choices, brutal sacrifices."Hayden," I whispered, cutting off my own spiraling thoughts. "Hold me."He hesitated, his grip on my hand firm but cautious, like he wasn't sure if I'd pull away again.I didn't. Instead, I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around him.His chin came to rest lightly on the top of my head, that small, familiar gesture unraveling the doubts still clinging to me. This wasn't Xander, wasn't some stranger. This was Hayden. My Hayden.Without thinking, my hands slid under his shirt, gliding along his waist."Kiki," he said, his voice tight, "there are no injuries."I kept going. "Let me s
I glanced over at Hayden. He was already awake, his gaze soft and knowing."Dr. Lane," I shot back, "are you slacking off lately? You're an OB-GYN, but you're throwing around lines like that? Who's really got the dirty mind here?"Lena's laughter exploded through the phone. "Me? All I said was 'love paradise'! You're the one who made it sound X-rated. Don't blame me for where your mind went!"I was speechless for a moment, then blurted out, "How are you? Are you hurt?"This was what worried me most.Even though Hayden had promised me Lena was fine, I needed to hear it from her directly."Didn't your Hayden already tell you? Or did you not even let him talk and just went straight for the jugular?" Lena teased, knowing me all too well.When it came down to Hayden or my best friend, I was always picking her."I want to hear it from you," I said, noticing it wasn't a video call."Fine, I'll call you on video. I didn't start with that in case I interrupted something... intimate. Yo
Lena had hung up on purpose— Keira could tell. She was probably worried Keira would keep talking and make things awkward between her and Aaron.Aaron walked in, a glass of milk in his hand. His frame cast a long shadow as he moved, every detail of him so impeccably proportioned that even his shadow looked like it belonged to someone out of a painting.Lena straightened immediately, setting down her phone and greeting him in her most polite tone. "Uncle Aaron.""Drink this," Aaron said, offering her the milk.His long fingers wrapped around the glass with ease, the cuffs of his shirt rolled up just enough to show his toned forearms. Veins traced faint patterns along his skin.Her mind flashed to the moment he'd saved her from Wayne.When the hideout had been surrounded, Wayne had tried to use her as a human shield. But Hayden had acted fast, shoving Lena out of Wayne's grasp. She had been seconds from hitting the ground when Aaron appeared out of nowhere, catching her like some ac
"Who else?" Hayden's voice was low, like the night itself, pulling me in. "I was missing, my fate up in the air, and you still kept the baby."Oh. So, that's what this was about—he thought I'd been silly."I don't know if it was silly or not," I shot back. "But this is my baby. The baby came to me, and I'm going to love them with everything I've got."Honestly? I'd never thought of him as our baby. He was mine, plain and simple."Alright," Hayden said softly, then kissed me. "From now on, we'll love him together. Kiki, thank you."Thank me? For keeping the baby? For trusting him? Either way, it didn't matter anymore.After everything—the heartbreak, the revenge plots, the power games—I finally felt... light. Like none of it really mattered.What mattered now was living a life that felt like mine.***The next morning, I woke up alone.My chest tightened. Had he disappeared again? Panic surged as I called out, "Hayden!""I'm here." His voice came from outside the room, instan
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
“No problem. Let’s schedule the simulations after work each day. It’ll mean some extra hours, but I appreciate everyone’s effort,” Nate said, nodding to the team to show his gratitude. “If anyone has concerns or special circumstances, please let me know in advance so I can make adjustments,” Lena added. As the primary surgeon responsible for the operation, she not only had to ensure the procedure’s success but also maintain the morale of the entire medical team. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they had no issues. “Great. In that case, you can all head home and get some rest. Dr. Lane and I will stay back to finalize a few details,” Nate said, dismissing the team but keeping Lena behind. The two went over the finer points of the plan, and by the time they finished, it was nearly 9 p.m. “I noticed this morning that Mr. Ace dropped you off. Is your car broken?” Nate asked. He had seen her getting out of Aaron’s car earlier. “Flat tire,” Lena replied, realizing she hadn’
Lena wanted to sleep early, but the more she tried, the harder it was to fall asleep. She tossed and turned until dawn and only managed to sleep for a short while. Naturally, she woke up late. Rushing downstairs in a flurry, she saw Aaron calmly eating breakfast in the dining area. "Good morning, Uncle!" she greeted as she hurried toward the door. "Your car has a flat tire," Aaron said nonchalantly, stopping her in her tracks. Without even looking up, he continued cutting his steak with precision. "I’ve contacted a repairman, but it’s too early for them to come over." In other words, there was no way she could drive to work this morning. But she had already arranged with Nate to conduct an examination on the pregnant woman whose fetus had an underdeveloped heart. They needed to finalize the surgical plan and decide on the team. Being late would be unacceptable. "Then I’ll call a cab," Lena said, quickly coming up with a solution. "It’s rush hour—good luck finding one," Aa
After finishing their rounds, Lena and Nate sat down together, joined by the family of the pregnant woman. They carefully explained the risks and possible complications of the surgery, ultimately leaving the decision to the family. The family member immediately signed the consent form and said, "We trust you, Dr. Lane and Professor Neumann. As long as you do your best, the rest is up to fate." Their trust and composure reminded Lena of a previous case where both mother and child had died. The circumstances were similar, but the family’s attitude and understanding were vastly different. What no one realized was that such trust placed immense pressure and responsibility on them. The greater the trust, the greater the fear of making a mistake and disappointing the family. “Professor Neumann, I know medicine isn’t a guarantee, but for this surgery, I hope you can…” Lena’s voice carried a formal tone mixed with a faint plea as she addressed Nate. “I will give it my all and ensure
On Monday, the atmosphere was tense and bustling, with everyone moving as if their feet were powered by jet wheels. The start of the week brought a whirlwind of responsibilities. As the head of obstetrics and gynecology, Lena had to lead the entire team of doctors on their rounds. This wasn’t new for her, but today, she had an extra companion—Nate. Nate was here for a research collaboration, aiming to promote his scientific project. To fully grasp its application, he needed a deep understanding of maternal and fetal conditions. His presence didn’t faze Lena, though. While she was playful and lively in her personal life—sometimes resembling a child—she transformed completely in her white coat. Her professionalism, warmth, and exceptional medical expertise were nothing short of godlike. “Dr. Lane, we admitted a pregnant woman yesterday with fetal tetralogy of Fallot at 24 weeks of gestation. She also has pregnancy-induced hypertension,” the on-call doctor reported. Lena reached