Mandy stepped out of the boutique’s fitting room, striking a casual pose as she gave a small twirl in front of the mirror.“I feel human again,” she muttered, then turned to Aiden. “How do I look?”But he didn’t respond. Instead, he simply turned away, paid the cashier, and headed for the exit.She scoffed, rolling her eyes, and followed him out, rejoining Jesse and Alina, who were waiting in the car.……Once they arrived at the hospital, and made their way inside, Mandy suddenly fell quiet, her hand clutching her phone without looking at it. She felt strangely nervous. What if her grandma could tell what had happened to her with just a glance?"Act normally." She muttered softly as they walked through the familiar hospital corridor. Jessica looked up from where she stood just outside Grandma Linda’s room and her eyes lit up when she saw them."Mandy," she breathed out, moving toward her.Mandy didn’t even have time to react before her mother wrapped her in a hug, holding her close li
Just before he could say anything, she leaned in on her toes and gently kissed him.It was quick. Soft.She pulled back slowly, her eyes shy as she turned around, about to leave, but Aiden’s hand caught hers before she could take another step.She didn’t even get a chance to steady herself before he pulled her into his arms, wrapping one around her waist."You're just going to kiss me and walk away?" he said.Before she could respond or overthink it, he kissed her.Not gentle this time. Not careful.It was deep. Possessive. Sure. Like he meant every second of it. His other hand lifted to her cheek, cupping it as his lips pressed against hers with purpose, as if he'd been holding back everything and finally let it all go. Alina melted into him, her finger clutching his shirt, her legs shaky. This didn’t feel like something forced in a fake marriage. This felt real. Like it mattered.…..Meanwhile, outside, Mandy stopped at the doorway, just about to call them when she saw the scene.A
Aiden was just waking up when his phone buzzed on the nightstand. He sat up groggily, squinting at the screen.He answered. "Hello?""Aiden," Jessica’s voice came through, worriedly. "Is Mandy with you?"He frowned. "She’s not home?""I asked the maids. No one’s seen her. I thought maybe she stayed at your place… but she’s not picking up her phone."Aiden stood from the bed, fully awake now."No messages from her either?""Nothing," Jessica replied, her voice tight. "And you know Mandy. She never just disappears."Aiden nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. "I’ll check with Alina. Maybe Mandy called or text her.""Please call me back as soon as you do," Jessica said. "I’m really starting to worry.""I will."He ended the call and immediately left his room, walking quickly down the hallway. He was halfway to Alina’s room when her door opened, as if she sensed him coming.Alina stood in the doorway, already dressed, her hair in a loose braid. She looked surprised to see him."Good m
Mandy stepped quietly into the ward, her heart beating fast. Machines beeped beside the bed, and there, lying still under a blanket, was her grandma.She looked pale and fragile, her silver hair neatly tucked behind her ears."Grandma," Mandy breathed out, a lump rising in her throat.Grandma Linda slowly turned her head and gave a small smile. "My baby," she said softly.Mandy let out a shaky laugh and quickly moved to her side, kneeling by the bed. "Grandma," she whispered again, taking her hand and pressing it to her cheek. "You scared me."Just then, the door opened.Jessica and Jason walked in silently, followed closely by Aiden and Alina.Aiden was still holding Alina’s hand tightly, so tightly he didn’t realize it until she gently tried to pull away. He glanced at her and loosened his grip, letting her step forward.But Alina didn’t walk past the bed. She went to the other side and leaned down, giving Grandma Linda a soft, caring hug.Grandma Linda smiled. "You came.""You scar
The hospital lobby was quiet, except for the sound of fast footsteps and soft voices coming from the nurses behind the front desk.Mandy and Alina rushed in, the glass doors slidding shut behind them with a soft whoosh. The air smelled clean and sharp, like disinfectant. Mandy was breathing heavily, and Alina held her arm to keep her steady.The receptionist stood the moment she saw Mandy approaching."Miss Mandy," she said quickly. "She’s in the ER. Room 3."Mandy didn’t reply. She was already hurrying down the hallway. Her hands were clenched at her sides, her steps getting faster until she broke into a run.Outside the emergency room, her parents were waiting. Her dad was pacing slowly, clearly anxious. Her mom sat on a bench, hands tightly clasped, eyes red as if she’d just wiped away tears."Mom!" Mandy called as she ran up. "What really happened?"Jessica tried to stay calm, but her eyes were still red-rimmed. She took a shaky breath and said, "One of the workers called me. She
Aiden ran his fingers along the edge of the sketch again, his eyes narrowing."How did she even know how to draw this?"Jesse gave a small shrug. "Maybe she has experience she never mentioned."Aiden looked at him, confused. "All I ever knew was that she arranged flowers.""Want me to do a little digging into her background?"Aiden started to say no, but stopped as curiosity gripped him.He was Aiden Blackwood. Even if their marriage wasn’t fully real… she was still his wife. And yet, he barely knew her.He leaned back in his chair and nodded slowly. "Sure."Jesse gave a small bow. "Understood.""Also," Aiden added before Jesse could leave, "tell the production team to stop the necklace line. Effective immediately.""Got it.""And the design team..." Aiden closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. "Have them start a new piece. I don’t care how far along they’ve gone. This one’s out""Yes, sir."Jesse turned to leave, then paused. "Do you want to see your wife? Or should I invit