Semua Bab Love's Redemption: Bab 271 - Bab 280

Hearing that, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thank God, Hayden wasn't going to do anything reckless."Yeah, could you please see him out?" I said, turning away. As I walked off, it hit me—I had no clue what his job was here. But judging by the way he carried himself, he had to be at least some kind of engineer or something.Brad, totally unbothered by Hayden's presence, kept up with his sleazy act. "Keira, I'm looking forward to seeing you this weekend. You're the best gift I could ask for."Before I could even process his words, Hayden brushed past me and stepped right up to him. "It's time for you to go," he said firmly.Brad didn't even flinch, just grinned at me like Hayden hadn't said a thing. "Keira, I'll wait for you after work. Let's grab lunch, okay?"I froze in my tracks, wanting to knock that smug look off his face.But before I could do anything, Hayden's voice cut through the air, ice-cold. "Get out."Brad, still as cocky as ever, sneered, "Who the hell are you?

Seeing that intense look on his face, I took a good look at him. Mature, confident, and yeah, pretty handsome.Guys his age had that whole grown-up vibe going on. Way more appealing than, like, Brad.Older guys were totally in right now.It was all over social media—women of all ages, whether they were single, married, or even young girls, were into mature men like Hayden.But him getting all worked up over the 'old man' thing? Clearly, he didn't get that his age was kind of a flex.I stepped closer. "The truth? You're in your thirties. So yeah, you're not exactly young, especially compared to that kid from earlier who's barely eighteen. So it's not weird for him to call you 'old man' and—""You really think I'm old?" Hayden cut me off before I could finish.He looked tense and genuinely upset.Wow, I never thought he'd be this sensitive about his age.I tried to clarify, "I just meant you're not, like, young-young, but I didn't—"Didn't get to finish before he cut me off aga

I meant it. Even though I had no medical background, his explanations made it easy to follow and appreciate just how impressive modern medicine is."What's up with you? You look like you've been up to no good," Lena teased, ignoring my praise and zoning in on my state.No surprise there—being a gynecologist gave her a sixth sense for this stuff. She didn't just notice something was off; she pretty much guessed why.I pouted. "Just a little worn out."Lena's eyes went wide. "You... You actually did it? With who?"The first part made sense, but those last two words were a bit much.I glanced around, thankful no one was nearby. Biting my lip, I replied, "Who do you think?"Lena squinted at me for a moment. "Hayden?"I didn't say anything, which was answer enough. Lena nodded slowly, then shook her head. "I can't believe it. Jace was with you for ten years and never got there, but Hayden swoops in and seals the deal?"I was stunned into silence."What happened? Did you make the f

"It's nothing, just thought we could grab dinner," Nate said, totally straightforward.Lena looked a little stunned and didn't reply right away.Just when I thought she was going to blow it again, probably to be all polite or whatever, she surprised me with a simple, "Okay."Yes!She wasn't completely clueless. At least she wasn't about to push away a hot guy like Nate.I mentally high-fived Lena, already imagining how amazing her night would be with her long-time crush.But then Retta chimed in, "It's been ages since we all hung out after graduation. We should definitely have a proper reunion."Wait, what?!Talk about an overenthusiastic third wheel.I'd been there before; it was obvious Retta didn't want Lena and Nate to have any alone time.Lena was finally being brave, and now this uninvited guest was trying to weasel her way in. Even if Lena wanted to go along with it, I wasn't about to let that happen.I was just about to jump in when Lena beat me to it. "Retta, Nate a

Hearing the same words now just felt like he was mocking me."I know," I said, then added, "I'm not a kid anymore."Jace seemed to catch what I meant and gave me a tight smile. "I guess I'm just overthinking things."I stayed quiet as he went on, "Just be careful, okay? Don't walk around distracted."I nodded, but the image from my dream flashed through my mind—Jace, covered in blood. Seeing him here at the hospital made my heart clench, and before I could stop myself, I asked, "What are you doing here?"His lips moved like he was about to answer, but nothing came out."Aren't you—" I started, wanting to ask if he was okay.But before I could finish, someone called out from down the hall. "Jace, hurry up."It was Tanya.Jace's tall frame blocked my view, but I recognized her voice instantly.It all made sense now. He wasn't here because he was unwell—he was here with Tanya.I didn't need to ask why. It was probably just a prenatal checkup.And here I was, stressing over him