010
Aiden’s gaze remained steady as he looked at her, never breaking eye contact.
“What are you?”
Alina blinked, surprised by the question. She glanced between him and the older woman, who was staring intently at their joined
hands.
“I… I don’t understand,” she replied, her voice uncertain.
The older woman stepped closer, her expression softening just a little. “What’s your name?” she asked gently.
Alina straightened her back. “Alina Carpenter,” she said with a small nod.
The woman studied her face closely, then smiled faintly and reached out, her gloved hands gently squeezing Alina’s.
“Would you mind giving us a moment alone, dear?”
Alina gave a polite nod and stepped back quietly, watching as Aiden followed his grandmother down the hallway and into a nearby
room.
Once the door closed behind them, the atmosphere shifted.
Aiden’s grandmother walked toward the window, slowly removing her gloves.
“Is it gone?” she asked.
Aiden leaned against the door, “What?”
“Your allergy, Aiden. Are you cured?”
He hesitated. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But with Alina… nothing happened. I’ve never touched anyone before without a
reaction. But with her, I felt… normal.”
His grandmother turned to face him, her eyes shining with something between hope and fear.
“Give me your medicine.”
Aiden frowned. “Why?”
“Just give it to me, please.”
Still confused, Aiden reached into his jacket pocket and handed her the small silver bottle. She took it and gently placed it on the table. Then, slowly, she stepped closer and extended her bare hand.
He watched, uncertain of what she was doing.
Then her fingers touched his.
1/4
Chapter 010
The moment her skin met his, Aiden flinched. Instantly, the itching began. A cough escaped his throat.
“Grandma,” he gasped, pulling back.
He tried to catch his breath, but it had already begun.
+25 BONUS
First, a slight cough. Then the familiar itch crept around his neck. His breathing shifted; shallow, uneven, uncomfortable. He staggered back a step, eyes wide with panic.
“Grand…ma…” he whispered again.
Her eyes filled with tears as she handed him the medicine. Aiden quickly opened the bottle, took the pills, and reached for the glass of water she passed to him. He drank it all in one gulp.
For a moment, the room fell into silence. His breathing eased, but a faint discomfort remained in his chest.
His grandmother sank into a chair, her eyes glossy with tears that had started to fall.
“I was so hopeful,” she whispered. “So damn hopeful, Aiden. Just for a second… I thought you’d finally overcome part of this
nightmare. That maybe… we could deal with the second part later.”
Her voice broke, and she wiped at her face. “But I was wrong. I was wrong again.”
Aiden stood motionless, watching her in silence.
“But how was she able to touch you?” she asked. “When did this start? How long have you two been seeing each other or is she the
girl from last night?”
“The girl from last night?” He asked back.
“Don’t act clueless. I saw the headlines…” His grandma added.
Aiden lowered his gaze. “I met her by chance,” he said quietly. “She works at a flower shop. The Blooming Nest. I noticed her…
and decided to approach her. Last night, I confessed to her.”
He didn’t know why he lied. But somehow, it felt like the answer she wanted to hear.
His grandmother sniffled and nodded slowly. Then she looked at him again.
“I want her as my daughter-in-law.”
Aiden froze.
His head snapped toward her, eyes wide. “What? Are you implying I marry her?”
“You’re not dumb, Aiden,” she replied calmly, rising to her feet.
“Grandma-” he started, but she was already walking toward the door. Aiden stood there for a moment, stunned.
Marry her? That wasn’t the plan. They barely knew each other and he had told Alina it was only a one-week deal.
2/4
Chapter 010
He hurried after her.
“Grandma!” he called, stepping into the hallway. But what he saw next left him even more stunned.
His grandmother was already in front of Alina, her warm smile firmly back in place.
“Can you have breakfast with me?” Grandma Linda asked gently.
“Not today. We have plans, right baby?” Aiden cut in quickly, stepping closer to Alina with a forced smile.
But before he could say more, Alina gently reached for Grandma’s hands, her eyes soft.
“But we can postpone everything for Grandma’s sake, right?” she asked sweetly.
Grandma Linda chuckled and patted her hands fondly. “It’s fine, sweetheart. My birthday is in a couple of days anyway. You two should spend time together. I heard someone finally took a bold step and confessed yesterday.”
Alina forced a smile at those words and nodded. Grandma Linda smiled again, satisfied.
“I came unannounced because Jesse here called me…” she said, glancing briefly at Jesse. “But since it’s nothing too serious, I’ll
leave now.”
She smiled again, and Alina nodded, stepping forward.
“I’ll see you off,” Alina offered.
Aiden watched in silence as the two women walked out together, talking like old friends.
He furrowed his brows, his gaze hardening as he looked at Jesse, who quickly lowered his head.
Aiden’s jaw clenched. This wasn’t part of the plan. But more than anything, he intended to keep his word. One week. That was it.
“Alina Carpenter,” he muttered under his breath.
She wasn’t just different. She was dangerously different.
Kelvin woke with a groan, rubbing his face as he dragged himself out of bed and went through the motions of getting ready for
work
He glanced at the clock and let out a low breath, his thoughts drifting to Alina. His fingers curled into a fist before he forced them
to relax.
Just then, the door creaked open, and his friends walked in, finding him standing still in the middle of the room.
“Still not ready? I thought breakfast would be on the table by now,” Noeul joked.
Kelvin inhaled again, keeping his expression neutral. Normally, by this hour, Alina would have made breakfast and left for work, leaving a post-it note on the fridge. But not anymore.
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“Feels like Alina’s serious about this breakup,” Donovan said, half-teasing, half-watching Kelvin’s reaction.
“That can’t be it. She’s just being dramatic,” Noeul replied flatly. “She always comes around.”
“Even after you defended some random woman instead of her? Left her alone when she needed you most? She still forgave you
then.”
Kelvin’s jaw twitched. “Exactly. She’s like a dog I can control. She just needs space.”
Donovan raised an eyebrow. “What if she doesn’t come back? You saw how Aiden kissed her.”
Kelvin let out a short, forced laugh. “That? Please. Just a stunt to get under my skin. I know Alina. Once she cools off, she’ll come
back.”
“I’m tempted to bet on that,” Donovan muttered.
“Two million,” Donovan said, and Noeul nodded in agreement.
Kelvin said nothing. He stood silent, staring at the empty spot where Alina’s shoes used to be.
“You’ve always loved me, Alina… I was your first and I’ll be your last. You’ve never loved anyone like you loved me.”
4/4
CIVI
