"You don't have to stay." My voice was barely above a whisper, but in the quiet hospital room, it carried.Jaxon didn't even glance at me. He was sitting on the opposite side of Hazel's bed, his fingers gently stroking her tiny hand. His thumb moved in slow, rhythmic circles, like he was grounding himself in her presence."I know," he whispered, still staring at our daughter. "But I'm not leaving."I sighed and shifted in the chair I'd hardly moved from in the last several hours. The doctors reassured me Hazel was stable now, but that weight in my chest wouldn't lift. It was the thought of her laboured breathing and the panic in her big brown eyes that just wouldn't clear my mind.He had been silent, steadfast, and unshakeable through the whole thing.I had expected him to explode in a rage, to let his anger at me override anything else. But instead, he had remained. He'd fought for her as fiercely as I had.And now, as I watched him sit here in the dim glow of the monitors, I saw som
She has my blood, Jaxon. I have every right to be in her life."The voice was sharp, commanding, filling the small hospital room like an unwanted storm. I turned slowly, my stomach tightening at the sight of the woman standing by the door. Victoria Hale.Jaxon's mother.I had met her once, years ago, and the memory was anything but nice: cold eyes, perfectly styled hair, and the kind of presence that made you feel small even if she hadn't said a word. And now she was standing in Hazel's hospital room as if she had any claim to be here.Jaxon exhaled, rubbing his temples before he turned to her. "Mom, not now.""Yes, now," Victoria snapped, stepping forward. She was impeccably dressed, not a single hair out of place, her pearl necklace resting just above the stiff collar of her white blouse. "I was informed my granddaughter was in the hospital, and yet, no one saw fit to tell me.""Because it's none of your business," I cut in, folding my arms. "Hazel is my daughter. And until now you'
"Are you kidding me right now?" I flung the towel onto the counter, my anger bursting to come out. "I can't believe this is happening."Jaxon leaned against the door frame, hand outstretched to rest on it, eyes set intently on me. Now I could see the concern in them, the flicker that would return to the baby monitor on the table where Hazel slept. He was trying to be patient, but this situation was just as much of a headache for him as it was for me."I'm just trying to do what's best for Hazel," he said, his voice even, but the strain audibles in it.I shook my head and ran a hand over my messy hair. "I didn't ask for this, Jaxon. I didn't ask for any of it. I didn't ask for your mom to waltz in here and demand her place in our lives. I didn't ask to be threatened, either.""Don't say that; you don't know for sure it's her," Jaxon said, entering the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter now, arms crossed, as if he could somehow make it all right that easily. It was much more co
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Jaxon said low and careful from his place at the door to the living room, his hand resting on the frame. His eyes were on me, like he was trying to gauge whether I meant it when I said everything was fine.I stood at the window, staring out as snow fell in languid flakes, casting a pale luminance over everything in sight. Christmas was looming, yet somehow, it didn't feel quite as festively joyful as it had other years."I told you," I muttered, not turning around. "I'm fine. Just. it's a lot. The holidays. Everything. Hazel, the house. Your mom."Jaxon let out a deep sigh as he stepped inside and carefully closed the door behind him. "I understand. It's a lot for you." A beat later, he strolled over to where I was standing, his voice now low. "I want you to know, though, that I'm not doing this to make anything harder. I just want to give Hazel the best Christmas possible.I nodded, speechless. I knew how much this time of year meant to him—and t
I could feel the tension in the house, thick and suffocating. Every time I looked at Jaxon, it was like we were both walking on eggshells, barely holding it together. He was trying to shield me from the reality of it all, but Lauren's threats were growing more dangerous by the day, and it was only a matter of time before they would come crashing down on all of us.We sat at the kitchen table, me half-staring at the cup of coffee in front of me, Jaxon tapping his fingers against the edge. I knew what he was thinking-he was worried. I could see it in the way his eyes kept darting to the door, like he expected Lauren to show up any minute.I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up, Isabel," he said, his voice low, almost as if he was trying to keep the weight of the words from suffocating him. "I've tried everything to keep her away from you and Hazel, but she's relentless.I didn't know what to say. It had all spiralled so fast with Lauren-the whole situation just seemed to conti
I had no idea what to expect when Jaxon called me into the living room. This tension that had been building between us for days now felt unbearable, like we were standing at the edge of something that would either bring us closer or tear us apart. And yet, there he was, standing in front of the television, his eyes fixed on the screen like he was trying to absorb something that was too big to understand all at once."You need to see this," he said, his voice flat but firm.I crossed the room, feeling the weight of the moment hanging between us. Something was in the air, like the calm before the storm. It was palpable, and a feeling that it was all about to come crashing down couldn't be avoided."What is it?" I tried to keep my voice steady.He didn't utter a word. He pressed some button on his remote, and it started playing. The quality of the recording was poor; it had been taken from some security camera-reasonably enough, but quite clear to distinguish what was going on in it. I s
"Can you pass me the bottle?" I asked, not looking at Jaxon as I reached for the ketchup on the table. We sat in the kitchen quietly eating, the clink of cutlery and the hum of the refrigerator the only sounds filling the air between us. It was this way for quite a while: moments of equilibrium, only to be cut short by tensions that seemed to hover over everything we were doing. Co-parenting was getting easier, but this. this unease was another kind of challenge altogether.He passed the bottle in silence; his movements deliberate as if not to touch me. Every touch now felt charged, even the slightest gesture that quickened my heartbeat and swirled my mind with memories that I was not ready to relive."Thanks," I muttered, unscrewing the cap and squeezing out the ketchup onto my plate.Jaxon didn't respond. He just kept eating his own meal, his eyes darting over to me every now and then before quickly looking away. We'd had this dance for weeks, trying to stay civil, attempting not to
"Come on, Isabel. It'll be good for us," Jaxon urged, his voice more convincing than I was prepared for. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, arms crossed, his expression serious. "It's just one night. We can do this. For Hazel. For us."I scowled, eyeing him warily. "What exactly are you asking me to do here, Jaxon?"Come with me to this charity event tomorrow night. As a family. It's not gonna be as crazy as last time, I promise." His smile was small, almost like he was trying to reassure both of us at once. "I'm not asking for anything big, just. a simple night out. You, me, and Hazel. Nothing more, nothing less."I hesitated, the thought of going anywhere with him in front of all these people stirring more anxiety than I was willing to let on. But being around him, the feeling of the heat between us, pretending it wasn't there-well, that wasn't even marginally tolerable. And still, there was Hazel to take into account. All she had been through-mostly because of me, and perhaps
Two more snows had fallen. The members of the international class noticed that ever since Maureen returned from the final round, the atmosphere between her and their "boss" seemed to have subtly changed. Before the final round, they seemed inseparable, obviously lovebirds. After the finals, who knows what happened? Or if it's just their imagination, but Maureen appeared to care more about their "boss," almost like an eagle protecting a chick. For instance, their class advisor, Teacher Logan. Because of Liam, Teacher Logan hadn't received a performance bonus in three years, and his resentment was more than justified. Finally, after Maureen transferred into their class this semester, the number of incidents involving Liam dramatically decreased. Teacher Logan thought he could relax a bit, but the last school celebration performance was unexpectedly changed by Liam! The school leaders were furious. Now, this month's bonus was gone again! Teacher Logan was so enraged with Liam th
The two hadn't had their fill over there, so they decided to cook some noodles when they got back. "I'm actually a little angry." Maureen stirred the noodles in the pot with a long pair of spoons, her tone still choked with emotion. She avoided looking at Liam, her eyes lowered on the boiling water and the tumbling noodles in the pot, her eyes rimmed red, "I asked you before, about the wound on your neck, you told me that the instant noodle glass bowl exploded! Do you have no heart, no feelings?" Maureen couldn't help but drop her Spoon. She should have realized it long ago, she had been living there for so long, and she had never seen Liam eat instant noodles - his refrigerator was completely empty, not a single instant noodle or glass bowl, what noodles was he supposedly making?! Liam was always lying to her! Seeing Maureen crying all the way back in the cold wind, her eyes swollen to the size of walnuts, Liam felt deeply distressed. He lightly patted Maureen's back, trying t
Maureen was the first to take a bath. After Liam entered the bathroom, Maureen wandered around the apartment in her fluffy pajamas, bored out of her mind. Being in love is such a fascinating thing. Before, besides studying, she found dramas and games enjoyable. Yet, after falling in love, when he was not by her side even for a moment, she got bored no matter what she did. Nothing was as fun as spending time with Liam. She wanted to do everything with him, whether it was watching dramas or eating. Just one glance from him, and her feelings could experience the dramatic waves, drowning in the deep ocean, the best bite of a summer watermelon, or the tartest segment of an orange. The spacious apartment changed gradually after Maureen moved in. Maureen was like an invader, painting the previously icy and quiet apartment with colors everywhere. She was afraid of the cold, so Liam always had the heater on, causing the previous bone-chilling feeling to disappear. She was afraid of t
There's a small step at the entrance where shoes are changed. Liam leans on the shoe cabinet to stand up, and Mr. Boris carries his wheelchair in. Liam hops up on one foot. He glances at Maureen, trying to hop in a nonchalant and handsome manner. But how cool and handsome could he possibly look hopping around on a single foot? Liam feels a bit embarrassed, murmuring discontented, "Who decided to put this step here?" Maureen watches from the side, her heart pounding. She subconsciously raises her hand to help him, fearing a second injury due to a slippery tiled floor. However, Liam, who seems to intentionally show off his skills, or something like that, refuses her help and smoothly completes a series of movements. Maureen: "Once he's up, Mr. Boris quickly pushes the wheelchair behind him. He holds onto the handles, sits back down in the wheelchair, raises one plastered leg, and with great effort, positions his plastered foot correctly. He then raises his handsome eyebrows a
The next day, Teacher Logan specifically noticed that it was again Maureen who was pushing Liam's wheelchair into the classroom. The group of boys in the class were extremely envious, while Liam coolly tucked his hands into his pockets, raised his chin, and wore noise-canceling headphones around his neck. He looked both arrogant and pleased. Liam wished he could show off Maureen to the entire world. Teacher Logan, on the other hand, was extremely frustrated. Right after the class, Teacher Logan asked Maureen to his office with a stern face. "Has someone been bullying you in the class recently?" Maureen was taken aback,?" No." Teacher Logan sighed deeply and said, "Maureen, you can tell me if someone is bullying you. I will back you up." Maureen thought for a moment and really couldn't think of anyone who could bully her. In fact, when she transferred to the international class, she had made the most important decision to stick with Liam. This could be the so-called stra
The three of them came out of KFC, it was so blistering cold that Liam put Maureen's hand into his own pocket. Niel, with his sharp eyes, suddenly called out to Maureen and pointed in a direction with his milk tea in hand, he said: "Am I seeing things, or is that Bianca? Is she dating someone now?" Bianca's contract with the talent agency, Maureen heard about it too. For the past month, Maureen had barely seen Bianca in school. She seemed to have disappeared completely from her sight, someone she used to bump into every few days on the streets. The main reason was that even though the controversy of the true and false heiress was over, Bianca still faced some stares. If it wasn't for the sake of graduation, Bianca wouldn't want to attend school at all. She spent most of her time in society, working. So, seeing Bianca again out of the blue at the school gate was quite a surprise for Maureen. She followed the direction Niel pointed and glanced over. Outside Secondary School wa
"Sir," The butler came in with a phone in hand. "The hospital replied they are willing to sell, but," Under Augustin’s gaze, he swallowed hard before continuing. "The price is three times higher than what we previously sold it for." "Three times?!" Victoria widened her eyes in surprise, her voice sharp. "This is downright robbery!!" Augustin’s eyes darkened, his face looking extremely unsightly. "Did they specify why the increase in price?" "They said someone is willing to purchase at a high price, which led to the price hike." The butler nodded affirmatively. "So, do you still want to buy it?" Augustin pressed his lips together. Before he could even speak, Victoria on the side grabbed the opportunity to interject. "We cannot buy it,” There was a hint of anger on her slightly chubby face. "Augustine, we can't be the scapegoats." "What do you know?" Augustin looked at her with deep, mysterious eyes, his voice icy. "In a few days, it will be grandpa Luther's birthday ban
The house was dead quiet. The type of quiet that feels too still, as if everything were holding its breath. The letter had left its mark, but I tried to shove it away. We'd already been through enough, and I refused to let something like this get the better of us. Jaxon was right; it was only a prank. Nothing more.Already Hazel had gone to bed, which left Jaxon and me still sitting in the living room trying to process it all. I was holding our son, this tiny little ball of a boy cuddled into my side, his soft, light breath a reminder of the fragility but beauty life had become. And in this uneventful drive home, at least, I felt normal settle over us.Jaxon sat across from me, his eyes scanning the letter again, as if willing it to change. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t make sense. Who would want to hurt us now?”I shrugged, glancing down at our baby’s sleeping face. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s someone who never really let go.”He let out a deep sigh. "
Laughter and murmurs of quiet conversation filled the house. It was so still, so right with the world. I had never felt this relaxed in my life. I was seated on the couch, Hazel perched on the arm beside me, as we watched Jaxon bounce our son in his arms. He looked so natural with the baby, like he had done this all his life. And in many ways, he had-just never with a child of his own. But that didn't matter. We were here, together; our little family was complete."Did you see the way he smiled?" Hazel laughed. "He's definitely a charmer. Takes after his dad."Jaxon was smirking, rocking the baby gently. "I think he is more like his mom. Look at those big eyes."I grinned, knowing full well what he meant. The baby had my eyes, sure, but he also got my stubbornness. I could tell that already.But before I could answer, there came a soft knock on the door. I turned, wondering who it could be. It was still early, and I wasn't expecting anyone. Jaxon stood up, a bit too quick, and I caugh