Chapter 210

Yuna's face changed completely. 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. "Relax, 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. Relationships, with all their messy emotions and complications, 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 they come, and I'll take good care of him."

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

1

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, laughing 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 place it.

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

"Yeah, that's my dad," Yuna said. "But his last name wasn't Hart. It was Patterson-like pitter-patter, not Peterson."

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 accident, and that weird connection to Thorsten. Could Hayden's father be the same Mr. Patterson who used to drive for my family? Chapter 210

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 your last name Har if your dad's was Patterson?"

Yuna giggled softly. "Oh, that's 'cause Hayden, and I took my mom's last name. She was Sienna Hart."

That cleared things up.

If I hadn't come 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 accident, 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 place 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.

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