Gia opened her eyes slowly, feeling momentarily disoriented. She was confused by the unfamiliar sight in front of her.“Good morning!”A cold greeting snapped Gia into awareness.Beside her, Raven sat casually, leaning against the headboard. He was staring at her—well, maybe not staring, since his eyes looked unfocused. But his head was turned directly toward Gia, who was now standing up.For a brief moment, Gia felt like a terrible person for being relieved that Raven was blind. She could feel the dampness of drool on her cheek and knew she must look like a mess.“You’re awake, Mr. Lindgren? No more pain, right? Then, if you’ll excuse me.” Gia hastily greeted him, eager to make herself presentable.“I had Sophie move your things in here earlier, so you won’t need to go anywhere. I’ve also arranged for Jasper to order a new bed for you. However, until it arrives, you can continue to sleep as you did last night."Raven spoke casually and calmly, as if they were discussing dinner plans.
Gia opened her eyes slowly, feeling momentarily disoriented. She was confused by the unfamiliar sight in front of her.“Good morning!”A cold greeting snapped Gia into awareness.Beside her, Raven sat casually, leaning against the headboard. He was staring at her—well, maybe not staring, since his eyes looked unfocused. But his head was turned directly toward Gia, who was now standing up.For a brief moment, Gia felt like a terrible person for being relieved that Raven was blind. She could feel the dampness of drool on her cheek and knew she must look like a mess.“You’re awake, Mr. Lindgren? No more pain, right? Then, if you’ll excuse me.” Gia hastily greeted him, eager to make herself presentable.“I had Sophie move your things in here earlier, so you won’t need to go anywhere. I’ve also arranged for Jasper to order a new bed for you. However, until it arrives, you can continue to sleep as you did last night."Raven spoke casually and calmly, as if they were discussing dinner plans.
Gia opened her eyes slowly, feeling momentarily disoriented. She was confused by the unfamiliar sight in front of her.“Good morning!”A cold greeting snapped Gia into awareness.Beside her, Raven sat casually, leaning against the headboard. He was staring at her—well, maybe not staring, since his eyes looked unfocused. But his head was turned directly toward Gia, who was now standing up.For a brief moment, Gia felt like a terrible person for being relieved that Raven was blind. She could feel the dampness of drool on her cheek and knew she must look like a mess.“You’re awake, Mr. Lindgren? No more pain, right? Then, if you’ll excuse me.” Gia hastily greeted him, eager to make herself presentable.“I had Sophie move your things in here earlier, so you won’t need to go anywhere. I’ve also arranged for Jasper to order a new bed for you. However, until it arrives, you can continue to sleep as you did last night."Raven spoke casually and calmly, as if they were discussing dinner plans.
Gia's eyes snapped open as she heard something in the darkness. She had been sleeping soundly, but a noise disturbed her. A faint growling sound had caught her attention just moments ago.Gripping her blanket tightly, Gia shivered. She hated everything horror-related, and her mind immediately began conjuring scary images as she remembered the growl.“No… Please don’t!”Gia kicked off her blanket and got up. That sound wasn’t a ghost; it was Raven. She clapped her hands, and the lights turned on.Raven was moving restlessly on his bed. Gia walked over slowly. Although he remained asleep, a terrible event appeared to be unfolding. His face was ghostly pale, glistening with sweat. His hands clenched the blanket tightly, and he continued to let out low growls—the sounds Gia had mistaken for a haunting presence.“Raven!” Gia sat on the bed and shook his shoulder gently.But her attempts didn’t wake him. He kept mumbling, pleading in his sleep.“RAVEN!”Gia raised her voice and shook him mo
Gia’s sensible mind, still intact, kept reminding her to continue on to the storage room. But the idea of seeing who was visiting Jasper pounded the back of her head, demanding attention.Gia drew back the window curtain by the door.In front of the gate, she saw Jasper facing a girl cloaked in a thick white coat. She was nearly as tall as Jasper.At first glance, Gia felt she was looking at an antique doll, whose beauty was almost inhuman. The girl’s skin was porcelain-pale and flawless. Her large green eyes, framed by long, wavy black hair, fell over a red scarf at her neck.Her appearance was in stark contrast to Gia. Gia’s skin had a warm yellow tint, her hair was straight and blonde, and she didn’t even reach Jasper’s chin in height.“I know he’s here! Let me see him!”“Miss Gilbert, Mr. Lindgren is not here. I hope you understand; he’s currently in France,” said Jasper.“Stop calling me Gilbert. Don’t act as if you just met me. We were college friends, Jasper!”“Yes, we were fri
"Move aside!"Gia was torn. She wanted to step aside, but she also knew that this girl was one of the people Raven had forbidden from seeing his current condition."I said, move aside!""HAZEL! Let Willow in, and come in too."Raven's voice startled the girl. However, Willow quickly pushed Gia to the side, nearly causing her to stumble. Luckily, her one hand still gripped the door."RAVEN!" she called, her voice playful as she ran towards him."Stop there!" Raven pointed to the floor."Why? I just want to hug you!""I'm dealing with the flu. You'll catch it! Your body is weak," Raven lied. He simply didn’t want Willow to see the wheelchair hidden behind his desk. The backrest looked like any typical office chair.He appeared normal, especially with his dark glasses back on. From the front, he didn’t look sick—just a little odd, wearing sunglasses indoors at night. But Willow didn’t seem to mind, focusing instead on her demand for answers from Raven."Willow, why are you still here? Di
"Yes!""Keep going... slowly. You can do it... Come on!" Gia could barely contain her excitement as she watched Raven take his tenth step.Ten steps were an extraordinary achievement for Raven's condition. Even though he soon had to brace himself with his hands due to fatigue, this was still significant progress.Gia rushed over with the wheelchair so Raven could sit and rest."Good job!" Gia waved her hand in front of Raven's face, then lifted his right hand for a high five. At first, Raven only frowned in confusion, but then he smiled a little. The high-five was to celebrate his success in taking ten steps.Gia smiled and was satisfied. She then bent down and massaged Raven’s legs one more time before ending the session. Now that Raven could start walking, she needed to be vigilant about examining his legs. Early detection of any issues was crucial, or the last two months of effort would be wasted."All done. I’ll take you to your room."Gia pushed the wheelchair toward his room.
"What did I win?" Gia asked in surprise. But Raven didn't answer; he just shook his head and continued eating."You can't just say something confusing and then refuse to explain!" Gia huffed, annoyed. Raven clearly didn't want to explain further, but Gia was still curious. Her most notable trait was being overly curious.If she realized her curiosity was overstepping boundaries or intruding into someone else's personal affairs, she could control herself. Like when she restrained herself from digging into the odd relationship between Willow and Raven. Even though she was dying of curiosity, Gia managed to act maturely and keep quiet whenever her curiosity was sparked.But this situation felt a bit different. Raven was hiding something related to her."Are you angry?" Raven's sharp hearing caught Gia's quickened breath."Yes! You're hiding something about me!" Gia huffed.Raven chuckled. "So, is this your weakness? You're too curious. Be careful; that trait could bring you trouble if yo
King Gustaf held Raven’s hand tightly for a moment. He was aware that their happiness depended on each other.He kept his eyes on Raven as their hands separated.“Well then, I’ll take my leave.” King Gustaf saw no reason for further pleasantries, so he turned around immediately. But before taking a step, he glanced back.His gaze focused on Lonan, who had remained silent and lowered his head after declaring he would be a witness.“I truly wished you had married Willow, but I couldn’t force her. I’m sorry. And please forgive Willow for her mistake this time.” His eyes flickered toward Raven as well, not just Lonan. Then, finally, he stepped out.Two deep sighs of relief filled the room as the door closed—one from Lonan, one from Raven. Raven picked up his phone, checking something. Maybe he was telling Jasper to cancel a plan.“King Gustaf will keep his promise because he will never let Willow’s name be tarnished in the eyes of society. He always avoids scandals so that Willow can live
Gia didn't know who Tilda was, but Raven's intense reaction made her suspect something. Raven clearly cared about whoever Tilda was."Why can't I mention her name? She's Willow's mother!"Gia's suspicion proved correct. King Gustaf disgustingly uttered a name that would surely shake Raven. He mentioned someone Raven loved as dearly as her own family. It was a deceitful move.Raven's face burned with anger, yet the furrow in her brow showed she was thinking. That name had driven her to get engaged and save Willow's life. The inner battle flared up again—this time, it was Raven's turn."For Tilda's sake, I beg you: don't press those charges. And please hand over that recording. You surely don't want to ruin Willow's life, right?""He ruined himself without my interference. You only sped up his plunge into ruin by continually excusing all his misdeeds." Raven stopped using the formal "you" when addressing King Gustaf. Merely mentioning Tilda's name ignited deep emotions within her."You
King Gustaf stared at Al and Frey. "Are they your children?" Gia wanted to answer with a scathing remark with the word idiot, just like she'd used earlier to respond to Lonan's question. It was blatantly obvious who Al and Frey's parents were. "Yes," Gia replied politely. The time when she could curse at the king had long passed. "Then you must understand my feelings. The feelings of a father who must do everything to protect his child." King Gustaf quickly turned to Raven. Unfortunately, his emotionally charged statement was met with a mocking laugh from Raven. "No. I can't understand your feelings. Because I'll make sure these two don't grow up to be manipulators who casually stab others in the back," Raven retorted sharply. King Gustaf's jaw tightened in anger. "What's going on?" Gia demanded. Seeing Raven provoke the king's anger, she felt some satisfaction, but she still didn't grasp the full context. "I'm filing charges against Willow. This time, I'll ensure she
"Oh... My... God...," Lonan muttered as he saw Raven enter carrying Freya. Gia followed behind, with Al playfully twirling around her neck.They had to wrestle a bit while heading to the hospital. Al began teething and fussed whenever things didn't go his way.Freya, who always imitated her older sibling, considered crying together a fun activity. As a result, Gia and Raven had to fight through a torrent of tears before they could leave the house."They…"Lonan shot a disbelieving glance. He rarely saw Raven accompanied by a cute baby; in his opinion, it didn't seem right. In fact, Gia used to feel the same—but that was then. Gia feels something is missing without Freya clinging to Raven's chest.It wasn't Gia's idea to bring them to the hospital; Raven requested it. He wanted to introduce Al and Freya to their uncle. It was a common wish, and Gia simply couldn't refuse."Are they twins?" Lonan asked."You don't eat enough apples. How can you ask such a stupid question? The answer is
Gia peeled the apple on the table and cut it into smaller pieces. That wasn't how she ate apples—she preferred whole ones, eating them with the skin on.The apple wasn't for her. After placing it in a bowl, Gia carried it to the patient's bed and set it on the table. The person sleeping in that bed jumped awake at the sound of movement and footsteps.Gia glanced sideways, and their eyes met. Too late to look away, she could only huff in irritation.Lonan looked toward the bowl of apple. "I thought you'd never do something kind for me again."Gia snorted. "Exactly! I didn't do this for you. I did it for Raven. He'll be upset if he finds out I still despise you."Lonan gave a bitter smile. He had set his hopes too high. Gia always tried her best to be kind to him because she knew that if she kept showing her dislike, Raven would end up sad. Gia understood that feeling well—it reminded her of the time she watched Matteo and Raven argue.Of course, that argument couldn't compare to the ha
Raven felt a little calmer after Gia invited him to sit. Although he still felt anxious, his breathing steadied. He leaned back in his seat while gripping Gia's hand.Doctors had been operating on Lonan for about four hours, and they still hadn't given any news about his progress. Based on her experience, Gia could only guess that the knife must have injured one of his organs—she couldn't tell how severe the damage was.The wait felt like hell to Raven. He no longer displayed any emotion, as if his tears had drained every ounce of feeling. The overwhelming memory of his parents leaving haunted him, and he clung to the hope that Lonan would pull through.All his anger melted away and gave way to hope. He no longer cared about Lonan's mistakes—they now seemed insignificant.Whenever a lousy memory threatened to overwhelm him, Raven squeezed Gia's hand, and Gia stroked Raven's arm gently. Gia reminded him of other parts of his life that still awaited him, assuring him that his world woul
From the beginning, Willow never planned to jump in or be fooled by Raven's blatantly apparent lies. Willow orchestrated this drama to get close enough to Raven so that they could hurt him.Now, Willow screamed in anger as their plan failed once again. Willow didn't care at all that Lonan collapsed and bled because of what they had done."Lonan!"Raven finally realized what was happening and roared Lonan's name. He tried to catch the falling body but couldn't manage it well."No!" Raven roared again when he saw the red stain spreading across Lonan's stomach.Gia pushed aside the nearby guards and ran toward them."Help him, Haze… I beg you," Raven whimpered. He clutched Lonan's head as Lonan began losing consciousness.Gia studied the wound that kept bleeding. The knife is still stuck there.Gia pressed her hand against the wound to stop more blood from flowing out and to prevent Lonan from going into shock from excessive blood loss."Call for help!" Gia shouted. Many ambulances waite
Yesterday's mini forest that once looked peaceful and comfortable had transformed into a warzone. Gia now understood why all the police were downstairs. The royal guards had taken over their duties—not just the ones earlier on the stairs, but a much larger force now spread across the roof. Their primary purpose here wasn't Willow but because their master was also on the rooftop. King Gustaf stood roughly five meters behind Willow, trying to coax her down. Willow had already stepped outside the safety railing, facing the open air, her hands still gripping the rooftop's edge barrier. "Don't jump! Willow!" Gia could faintly hear his desperate pleas. "I should've made that barrier taller," Raven muttered. The railing would have been sufficient to prevent someone Gia's height from climbing over. But Willow, tall as a giraffe, stood only a few centimeters shorter than Raven. Her perfectly proportioned body—especially those long legs—made it easy for her to vault the barrier.
“What's going on?!" Gia demanded, staring at Raven. Her face was pale, and her hand covered her mouth, holding back a torrent of curses.“How did she get in?!” Raven shouted, still directing her question to Jasper at the other end.After hearing Jasper’s response, Raven lowered the phone from her ear. Her eyes shifted to Lonan, who now looked as if he were having a heart attack."You gave her your pass card?" Raven asked quietly.Lonan shook his head. “She came to apologize yesterday... I didn't know... she must've taken it then.”He straightened up and rushed toward Raven.“We have to go there...,” Lonan said, shaking Raven’s arm."Why?"“Can someone explain what's happening?” Gia hated being left in the dark.“Willow is trying to kill herself. She's on the roof of the Lindgren Tower, ready to jump,” Raven explained.“She...” Gia couldn’t find the right words—Willow was beyond crazy.Raven didn’t look at Gia as he spoke. His eyes were fixed on Lonan, who kept shaking his arm.“We hav