LOGINANNAThe door opened again.For a moment, I thought it was Dylan. But when Vallen appeared in the doorway, I merely gave him a faint smile and straightened myself.From the look on his face, I knew he hadn't come here just to check on me."You're awake," Vallen said as he closed the door.He approached with a wary expression, as though something had happened. He pulled up a chair and sat beside my bed."I think we need to talk now," Vallen said without warning. He took my hand in his. "Dylan is starting to get suspicious of you.""Suspicious?" I asked, furrowing my brows.I had no idea what Vallen meant, so I stared at him, waiting for an explanation.Vallen took a breath, his eyes darting around the room as if he were looking for something."What is it? What are you looking for?" I asked, confused by his behavior."Before that, let's make sure of something."Vallen opened the drawer of my nightstand and checked around my bed. When he lifted my pillow, his eyes narrowed.A phone was l
My fist was raised, hovering just inches from Vallen's face. My jaw clenched. For a moment, I genuinely wanted to hit him.Not because he'd hurt me.But because he knew something about Anna and chose to keep his mouth shut.I lowered my hand sharply. There was no point. Forcing Vallen to talk wouldn't make him open up.My grip loosened, and my hand fell to my side. Without saying another word, I turned and walked out of the room. Vallen called my name several times, but I ignored him.I sat down on a bench in the hospital garden, needing a moment to calm the storm raging inside me. I rested both hands on my thighs.Damn it!I dragged both hands roughly through my hair. I wanted to swear, but I still had enough sense to remember where I was. This was a hospital, and everyone around me was fighting some kind of illness.It would be damn shameful to start shouting just to vent my anger.I leaned back against the bench and looked up at the sky.The doctor was clearly hiding something. The
DYLANI was sitting on the edge of the guest room bed, having just finished showering. Dressed in nothing but a pair of sweatpants and a polo shirt, I stepped out of the room, intending to check on Anna upstairs.Seeing how pale she had been and knowing what she was going through mentally, I knew she wasn't doing well.Even though Anna had asked to be left alone, I couldn't bring myself to stay away. At the very least, I wanted to make sure she was okay. Especially with her anemia. The last thing she needed was to push herself too far.As I approached her room, I flinched when the sound of something crashing to the floor reached my ears. It was loud enough to make my heart jump.I knocked several times."Anna? Are you all right?" I called.There was no answer.I knocked harder. "Anna?" I called again.When I still heard nothing, I pushed the door open without waiting for permission.My entire body went rigid.Anna was lying motionless on the floor.Her phone lay near her right hand, i
I don't know how many times I cried. My eyes were swollen and sore, and my head throbbed throughout my father's funeral. But I forced myself to endure it, clutching the framed photograph of my father with his wide, cheerful smile.When his coffin was lowered into the ground, I told myself to let him go. Yet no matter how hard I tried, my fingers only tightened around the frame.Dylan rubbed my shoulder and kept his arm around me. He didn't leave my side for even a moment, as though he knew I needed him there to lean on.There were no more sobs, only tears slipping down my cheeks that I couldn't stop.Goodbye, Dad.I glanced at the grave beside his. It was my mother's grave, and now she wasn't alone anymore.Maybe... soon, I would be joining them too.That thought reminded me that I might not have much time left either, and the baby growing inside me might never even get the chance to see the world.My fingers tightened around the frame. Now, it seemed my tears weren't only for my fath
"Doctor! Quick, call the doctor!"I cried out when I saw my father's face turn red. His expression looked as though something heavy were pressing down on him. His breath came in strained gasps, while one hand remained pressed against his chest.Dylan rushed out to find a doctor. Jenna moved closer, crying as she shook my father's unresponsive body.I bit my lip, then whispered softly to my father. "Dad, please, hold on. Please!"As soon as the doctor arrived, the man immediately examined my father, whose eyes had already closed. His breathing, which had been erratic moments ago, was no longer visible."You can all wait outside," the doctor ordered. A nurse immediately ushered us out.I sat on a chair beside Dylan, gripping his hand tightly as I tried to keep myself together.This wasn't the first time I had been through something like this. When my mother died, I had been all alone in this chair, waiting to find out whether she would breathe again or whether she would be gone.And now
ANNA“Are you not sleepy?” Dylan asked.I sat against the headboard while Dylan lay beside me. One hand supported his head, while the other gently stroked my belly. Every now and then, he would place a soft kiss on it.Honestly, seeing him do that made my chest ache with emotion. I reached out and covered his hand with mine. Without being asked, he laced his fingers with mine and kissed the back of my hand, lingering there for a long moment.I stared at our intertwined fingers.Once, the same hands had been reluctant to even touch me. Now, he held mine as though he were afraid I would disappear if he ever let go.Something heavy lodged in my throat. So this was what it felt like to be loved by my own husband.“Not yet.” I glanced at Dylan, then remembered the fairy-tale books I had bought with him that day. I reached up and ran my fingers through his thick hair.“Can I make my twenty-fifth wish?” I asked.Dylan straightened. He narrowed his eyes at me. “What do you want now?”“So you
I didn't know how long I had been lying on the floor.When I woke up, my head was throbbing and my entire body ached. Slowly, I pushed myself upright and rubbed my face. When I looked down, I found several dried drops of blood on the floor.Not wanting to dwell on it, I got up and walked into the b
For nearly half the day, I lay in bed, curled up as I stared blankly through the open window. My body felt hot, and I was utterly exhausted even though I hadn't done anything physically demanding.Fortunately, Jessy wasn't home. She was probably working at her boutique. If she saw me lazing around
I stared at the food I'd prepared with a satisfied smile.The servants who hadn't bothered helping me all morning simply watched with amused expressions. Some of them had even started placing bets on what would happen to the dishes spread across the table.There were only two possibilities. They wo
"Anna, do you really think a pathetic stunt like this will make Dylan change his mind about divorcing you?" Lea sneered, her gaze sweeping over me with open judgment.I swallowed hard.A mocking smile curved her lips. "Do you honestly think Dylan has ever wanted you?"The question cut through my ch







