Semua Bab Love's Redemption: Bab 571 - Bab 580

"Why?" My throat tightened as I forced out the question."Hmm?" Hernan looked confused.I stared into his unreadable eyes. "Why are you... so nice to me?"I swallowed, pushing on. "We barely know each other, and honestly, I'm just... some pawn for you, right?"He chuckled. "What, am I wrong to be nice?""Yeah. It makes me uneasy," I admitted. No one's just nice for no reason.Hernan tilted his head. "Because you're useful to me.""Useful? How?" My stomach twisted.He just laughed. "You really don't let anything go, do you?"The more casual he acted, the more nervous I got. "Stop messing with me."His smile faded as he reached out, brushing his fingers along my cheek. A shiver ran down my spine, like I'd just been touched by a snake.I stepped back instinctively.He dropped his hand. "You'll find out when the time's right."Still no answers. I clenched my fists, frustrated."Come on," he said, motioning for me to follow.I didn't budge. He smirked. "You really want to sta

Let's talk after the match," Hernan said, the master of keeping everyone on edge.I was pretty sure he just loved playing games, no matter who he was dealing with."Come on, let's find a seat," he added, guiding me away.We barely settled into our seats when Hayden and Yara walked in. They didn't sit next to us, though—nope, they were in the row in front of us, with Jace joining them.Clearly, Jace had arranged the seating.I couldn't help but think about the tickets I'd given Yuna and Wade. The event was starting, but they still hadn't shown up.My stomach did this weird little flip. I was starting to get worried. And, of course, my phone was completely broken. No way to reach them.I would've asked Hayden to call her, but... yeah, not exactly in the mood for that.Then it hit me—I actually remembered Yuna's number. I'd just go outside and borrow someone's phone.But just as I turned to leave, someone called my name.I spun around to see Yara.We hadn't exactly shared a ton

Hernan's laugh boomed, and heads turned—not the good kind. Even Yara glanced over, making my cheeks burn. Annoyed, I swatted his arm. "Dude, cut it out."He winced, pulling back. Right, his arm was still healing—thanks to Hayden.I couldn't help but think—"eye for an eye" was classic guy move, especially with someone like Hernan. So I asked, "Hayden's here today. You gonna go after him?"Hernan glanced Hayden's way, sizing him up. "If he stays in his lane, I'll let it slide... for now."My heart skipped. "What's that mean?"Hernan turned back to me, a smug glint in his eyes. "If he doesn't try to steal you, we're good."Steal me? Could that be what Yara hinted at earlier? Was Hayden planning something?If he was, he sure hadn't told me. But clearly, Hernan had sensed it and was on alert.I stared at the back of Hayden's head, feeling a knot form in my stomach."If he tries to rescue you, would you go?" Hernan's voice cut through my thoughts.If I went with Hayden, Hernan woul

The crowd went nuts, but honestly, I couldn't tell if they were hyped or just losing it. Definitely wasn't what I expected.I just stood there as some random guy snagged the ball mid-air. He started yelling like he'd won the lottery. "Number five! Number five is mine!" He even kissed the ball and climbed onto his seat, celebrating like a maniac.The rest of the crowd? Not so thrilled."Refund!""Refund!"You could practically see their wallets crying. Most of them were there for one thing—watching Steve crush it.When he missed that shot? Oh, they weren't just disappointed; they were pissed. And it wasn't just because of the botched play; a ton of them had money riding on him. Like, big money. Probably two-thirds of the room was convinced Steve was a sure thing.But now? With that ball sailing off the table, their cash was pretty much gone with it.I snapped out of my daze. Steve wasn't the type to mess up like that unless... unless he meant to.It hit me—he'd figured it out.

Thud!Thud!One ball after another sank perfectly into the pockets, each shot met with louder cheers. My aim was on fire, and the crowd was actually starting to root for me.With Hayden watching nearby, a thought popped into my head: 'Keira, show him a side of you he's never seen.'We'd been together a while, but he'd never watched me play snooker. My skills were tied to memories with Jace, and I'd always worried it might stir something up if Hayden found out.But here I was, putting it all on display for him.Thud!I lined up my next shot, sent the cue ball spinning toward the pocket... but it stopped just short. Ugh. Close, but not quite. Now it was Yara's turn.The crowd went wild, switching sides to cheer her on as she took her place at the table.It was funny—neither Yara nor I were professionals, yet somehow, the crowd had split into full-on fan sections for us, like we were fierce rivals.Yara picked up her cue, leaning over the table with that practiced, graceful stan