Yuna’s face changedpletely. She looked panicked and grabbed my hand, shaking her head like


    crazy.


    “Keira, no! It’s not like that… Hayden’s never liked any other girl. You’re the first!”


    Seeing her so freaked out, her lips turning pale, I realized I’d probably gone too far. I couldn’t scare


    her like this–her heart wouldn’t take it.


    I gently tapped her on the nose, trying to lighten the mood. “Rx, okay? I know. Hayden already


    told me he’s never had a girlfriend.”


    Yuna nodded, still looking a little anxious, and added, “He’s never liked any other girl either.”


    She was so sincere, so pure, like she couldn’t even lie if she tried. It made me wonder, ‘When she


    does fall for someone, will she be able to handle it if the guy isn’t as honest as she is?‘


    The world isn’t as simple as Yuna. Rtionships, with all their messy emotions andplications,


    might be tough for her to figure out.


    I couldn’t help but feel a little protective of her, even though I knew I was jumping the gun. We had


    barely met, but it already felt like she was my little sister.


    “Don’t worry,” I said with a smile. “Hayden’s as innocent as theye, and I’ll take good care of


    him.”


    Yuna’s face lit up, and she smiled back, looking relieved.


    人


    The tension in the room finally eased, but my eyes drifted to a picture on the wall–Hayden carrying


    some girl on his back. That definitely wasn’t Yuna, or she wouldn’t have been so nervous.


    Who was she? A neighbor? A childhood friend? Maybe even an old crush?


    For a second, my mind spun out into full–on drama mode, imagining some long–lost first love


    popping back into Hayden’s life like something out of a soap opera. Would she just show up one


    day, ready to mess up everything I’d built with him?


    I shook my head,ughing at myself. I was getting way ahead of things.


    I turned my attention to another photo, this one of Hayden’s dad. Something about his face looked


    so familiar, but I couldn’t ce it.


    “Is this your dad? Mr. Hart?” I asked, pointing at the picture.


    “Yeah, that’s my dad,” Yuna said. “But hisst name wasn’t Hart. It was Patterson–like pitter–patter,


    not Peterson.”


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing that surname sent a chill down my spine.


    The surname of my father’s driver was Patterson. I remembered him once telling me the same


    thing: Patter, like pitter–patter.‘


    Was this really just a coincidence?


    Suddenly, pieces started to click together–Hayden’s dad, my father’s car ident, and that weird


    connection to Thorsten. Could Hayden’s father be the same Mr. Patterson who used to drive for my


    family?


    A cold shiver ran down my back.


    Had Hayden known this whole time? Did he know our families were connected?


    “Keira, are you okay? You’ve gone quiet,” Yuna’s voice broke through my racing thoughts.


    I blinked, trying to pull myself back to reality. I couldn’t tell Yuna what was going on in my head–


    there was no way she knew all this stuff about her dad.


    “You’re not sick, are you?” Yuna asked, sounding worried.


    I forced a smile, even though my heart was still pounding. “No, I’m good. But… why is yourst


    name Har if your dad’s was Patterson?”


    Yuna giggled softly. “Oh, that’s ‘cause Hayden, and I took my mom’sst name. She was Sienna


    Hart.”


    That cleared things up.


    If I hadn’te here, I never would’ve known. I never would’ve guessed that the same Mr.


    Patterson who worked for my family was Hayden’s father.


    But what about Hayden? Did he already know about the connection between our families?


    Had he been looking out for me all this time because of some old debt between our parents?


    I tried to shake the thoughts, but my mind kept spiraling


    “Keira,” Yuna’s voice cut through again, “Hayden once told me that my parents were really in love.


    After my dad’s ident, my mom couldn’t handle it, and she she fell into the river one day.”


    Her gaze drifted to the big river outside the window, the same river where her mom had died.


    My chest tightened. This river, the one I thought was so beautiful, held such a painful memory.


    Hayden must’ve built this house here to stay close to her, to feel connected to the ce where she


    was lost.


    “Hayden raised me after that,” Yuna continued quietly, and I could finally see why Hayden couldn’t


    bring himself to risk the surgery that could save her.