Gia lowered her head, drawing patterns in the sand with her shoe. Her mind was busy trying to push Raven away, but her heart felt touched because she realized that Raven actually cared for her a little.Raven had specifically called the doctor because he was worried about her condition.“Gia, don’t be moved by such a simple act. Any human would do the same when seeing someone sick! He just didn’t want the hassle,” Gia murmured to herself quietly.But despite her warning to herself, Gia could still feel warmth flooding her heart—a happiness born of feeling cared for. Even that small bit of attention was enough to make her feel joy. But that joy was soon followed by pain.Gia squatted down, watching the waves as they recede before they could touch her shoes. She stepped forward, took off her shoes, and deliberately let the cold sea waves wash over her feet, hoping the sting of the cold could help her forget the ache in her heart.“Understand, Gia!”“He will never be yours.”“He lives in
"Hazel?"Gia’s consciousness stirred slightly upon hearing a voice call her name, possibly Sophie’s. She tried to see more clearly, but her eyes felt heavy.Then, a familiar scent wafted towards her—the scent of disinfectant, the smell of a hospital. But that was all. As she attempted to cling to that conscious thought, sleep, exhaustion, and another force overcame her, drawing her back into slumber.***After a period of unknown time, Gia regained consciousness once more, this time due to a gentle touch on her cheek.The warmth of the hand brought her a sense of comfort, like spring sunlight—familiar, sweet, tender, and sending a feeling of security deep into her soul. But it still wasn’t enough to make her open her eyes.Just before drifting back into darkness, Gia felt a small kiss on her forehead.***Pain and soreness—these were the first things Gia felt. Her body was tired, weak, an
Gia adjusted her skirt once she was comfortably seated. Raven’s wheelchair looked like a throne when Gia was in it, as her petite frame seemed dwarfed by its size."Could you bring this for me? I forgot to change it this morning, and the flowers have all wilted,"Sophie said, handing over a vase of flowers from Raven's room. Gia accepted it with a smile.In Katastari, Sophie ensured there were fresh flowers every day for Raven’s room. She felt it suited the beauty of the room, contrasting with the cold, stiff decor of Raven's room in Gothenburg.“Ew!” Gia made a gagging sound as she caught an unpleasant whiff from the vase."Don’t sniff it! The rotten smell of flower stems is very different from the floral scent," Sophie chuckled as Gia held her nose."And now imagine someone pouring the water from a flower vase all over me. I went through a whole bottle of soap trying to get rid of the smell," Raven added,
Gia gazed at the two large suitcases she planned to bring with her. She had only brought one medium-sized suitcase when she arrived in Gothenburg, and now she was returning home with three times as much.She could imagine Rose's reaction when she saw the suitcase contents. Her taste was similar to Sophie’s. Gia would gladly donate clothes that Rose would undoubtedly appreciate."Hazel, here’s a cake for you and your roommate. Keep this meat pie in the fridge; it’ll last for several weeks, no problem. And here are some milk and almond cookies. I made plenty so you can share with your friends at the hospital, except the ones in the blue box. I made those just for you."Sophie smiled and added two large boxes to Gia's luggage.Gia felt like crying, partly because of Sophie’s kindness. She felt like a schoolgirl about to go on her first picnic, with Sophie playing the role of a caring mother, showering her with food so she wouldn&rsquo
"Gia!""Gia, someone’s calling you." Beth touched Gia’s face to get her attention, as Gia didn’t seem to hear the call."Oh!" Gia turned toward the door and saw one of the nurses calling her to hand over some patient files."Just a moment." Gia excused herself from Beth to take the documents."Daydreaming? You look pale, Gia." Beth stroked Gia’s arm as she continued to massage her hand."I was just thinking about something," Gia replied with a reassuring smile.Gia was still not used to being called Gia again. When her mind was blank or she was concentrating, like she had been, she’d often ignore it. Naturally, she was annoyed; this wasn’t the first time it had happened.She still couldn’t fully shake off the impact of the name, even though it had been a month since she’d returned to her normal life as Gia Harken."It seems like you've been very busy since you got back
Gia hummed softly as she spread peanut butter on her toast, then poured herself a glass of apple juice—her favorite. With that, her simple breakfast was ready. Not that she couldn't afford other groceries, but this was all the fridge had.The pies and all the other treats from Sophie were long gone. Neither she nor Rose could cook, so Sophie’s provisions had been a blessing for them both.As Gia savored her breakfast, she mentally committed to purchasing groceries on her way home. She aimed to purchase some vegetables and fruit to enhance the nutritional value of tomorrow's meals. Still humming, she cleaned up her dishes and washed her plate and glass.“Aah!” Gia shrieked as hands suddenly wrapped around her from behind.“Rose… Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Gia groaned, her heart somersaulting from the surprise.“You’re back…” Rose rubbed her face affectionately agains
Gia hummed softly as she spread peanut butter on her toast, then poured herself a glass of apple juice—her favorite. With that, her simple breakfast was ready. Not that she couldn't afford other groceries, but this was all the fridge had.The pies and all the other treats from Sophie were long gone. Neither she nor Rose could cook, so Sophie’s provisions had been a blessing for them both.As Gia savored her breakfast, she mentally committed to purchasing groceries on her way home. She aimed to purchase some vegetables and fruit to enhance the nutritional value of tomorrow's meals. Still humming, she cleaned up her dishes and washed her plate and glass.“Aah!” Gia shrieked as hands suddenly wrapped around her from behind.“Rose… Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Gia groaned, her heart somersaulting from the surprise.“You’re back…” Rose rubbed her face affectionately agains
[Don't forget to have breakfast before you leave.]The stiff message flashed on Gia’s phone screen as she opened her eyes. It was the first time Jasper had texted her in the morning. Usually, he sent messages at night before she went to sleep. He didn't send messages daily, perhaps just once every two or three days.Gia once thought Jasper wouldn’t message her again after Caius’s ridiculous response, but she was wrong. The next evening, Jasper messaged again, asking a question similar to the night before—whether she was home yet or not.Caius's wild antics occurred approximately two weeks ago, and since then, Jasper has been messaging Gia more frequently. She didn’t mind; part of her heart that still longed for Raven welcomed the trivial connection warmly.Jasper’s messages gave her hope. Foolish hope, of course. Raven had probably moved on from her by now, possibly even planning his wedding with Willow. Gia could surmi
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