LOGIN~ ISLA ~Dinner ended more quietly than I expected.But what surprised me the most—Alistair finished everything. Every single dish. He didn’t forget to serve me, too.I stared at the empty plates, still sitting across from him, trying not to make it obvious.He… ate all of it?A small, quiet delight bloomed in my chest.Alistair Montgomery—someone known for being particular with everything, especially food—hadn’t left a single bite behind. And my cooking wasn’t even that good.I lowered my gaze, hiding the small smile forming on my lips.Maybe it wasn’t that bad after all.After dinner, things returned to their usual rhythm. Alistair went to his office to continue his work.And I— I went back to the bedroom.The master bedroom still felt unfamiliar in some ways, even though I had spent so much time here before. Maybe it was because things between us had changed—or maybe because he had.I took a warm bath, letting the water ease the lingering tension in my body. By the time I stepped o
~ ISLA ~Three days.That was how long it had been since I was discharged from the hospital. And honestly, I was bored out of my mind.I lay on the couch in the living room, one arm resting over my stomach as I stared at the ceiling. The house was too quiet—the kind of quiet that made time feel slower than it actually was.Physically, I was doing well. The doctor said my recovery was smooth, and the baby was stable. That alone should have been enough to put me at ease.But staying at home all day with nothing to do? That was another story.I had already gone through the maternal books Dr. Simon recommended. I even spent hours scrolling through my phone, checking messages, reading random things just to pass the time.Still… it wasn’t enough. I missed working.Missed my daily routine at the hospital. The feeling of actually doing what I love.But I had already agreed to Alistair’s condition. No work. No stress. Just complete bed rest.I let out a quiet sigh and turned slightly onto my s
~ ALISTAIR ~My body went rigid.The sound of that name—Ali—I hadn’t heard it in so long. It felt like I had been pulled back into the past.Never in my life did I expect to hear my mother’s voice again.Slowly, I lifted my head toward her face. Her eyes were already open.She was awake.I couldn’t react right away. I stood rooted to the ground, unmoving, as if my mind needed time to catch up with what I was seeing.A faint, gentle smile rested on her lips while her eyes glistened with tears—exactly how I remembered them from years ago.And then it hit me—the realization settling in. My mother was truly alive.“…Ali,” she called again, her voice weaker this time.My throat tightened.I didn’t realize I had taken another step until I was standing beside her bed.“Don’t speak too much,” I said, my voice coming out lower than usual. “You need to rest.”It was the safest thing to say. The only thing I could say.Her eyes stayed on me, studying my face as if trying to memorize it all over
~ ALISTAIR ~A week passed.Life slowly returned to its usual rhythm. Meetings resumed. Documents piled up like a mountain on my desk. Decisions waited to be made. And more importantly, Isla had already been discharged from the hospital.The doctor made it clear that she needed ample rest—and that she should avoid stress and any heavy duties for at least three months.I didn’t even think twice. I told her she wouldn’t be going back to the hospital anytime soon. The baby mattered more than anything.Surprisingly, she didn’t argue. She simply agreed to my decision, which made things easier than I expected.Since then, everything in the house had been arranged accordingly. Anna stayed with her full-time. Meals were prepared on schedule. Doctors were on call. Every detail was handled.I found myself doing more than necessary—coming home earlier, checking on her personally, watching if she had eaten properly, if she was resting, if she looked tired.It didn’t feel like a responsibility any
~ ISLA ~Morning came quietly.I was still half-asleep, drifting somewhere between dreams and reality, when I shifted slightly on the bed—only for my forehead to bump into something solid. Warm. Firm.I was sure it wasn’t a pillow.My eyes flew open, and I froze on the spot. Right in front of me—too close—was a pair of deep, sharp gray eyes staring straight at me.Alistair was lying on his side, one arm bent, his head propped against his hand. His unwavering gaze had been fixed on me for God knows how long.Had he been watching me this whole time?The realization alone made my heart skip violently. Heat rushed to my cheeks so fast I probably looked like a cooked shrimp.I immediately looked away, unable to hold his gaze any longer.“You’re awake,” he said, his voice low and calm, but carrying that usual weight.I swallowed, my fingers subconsciously gripping the blanket.“H–how long have you been up?” I asked, trying to sound normal—but failing.There was a short pause before he spoke
~ ISLA ~The finality of Alistair's words landed cold, seeming to freeze the air in the room.Instead of getting offended, Tyler let out a soft chuckle, lifting both hands in mock surrender as he stood.“Alright, alright,” he said, the amusement in his tone evident. “No need to bite my head off.”He glanced at me briefly, his expression softening just a little.“Get well soon, Isla. I’ll visit you again,” he added, then turned toward the door.As he passed Alistair, he paused just long enough to murmur something under his breath—too low for me to hear—before walking out.The door clicked shut behind him. And just like that, the room fell into silence.A heavy one.I exhaled slowly, then looked at Alistair.“You didn’t have to do that,” I said. “You scared off my visitor.”He didn’t respond. He just stood there, unmoving. But the way his expression hardened—jaw tight, his gaze dark and sharper than any blade—I could tell there was a storm quietly building.I frowned slightly. “Alistair







