Semua Bab Love's Redemption: Bab 711 - Bab 720

Xander kept that stone-cold poker face, and honestly? I was over it. I grabbed my phone and started scrolling, pretending not to care."You really pull guys in, huh?" he said out of nowhere.I glanced up, raising a brow. "Obviously. I'm a total catch. Everyone's obsessed with me."I smirked. "What's the problem? Wade getting too much of my attention for your liking?"He sipped his water, cool as ever. "No."Yeah, okay. Sure, Jan.I was ready to roll my eyes and move on when he hit me with: "You only love Hayden."Yikes. Cue the most awkward silence ever.I almost laughed. Like, really? The guy was walking around all smug thinking I was still hooked on him?Spoiler: not completely wrong. I mean, I still had the ring he gave me and this bracelet with the dumb little bell charm.The bell jingled softly when I flicked it, breaking the tension. "Yeah, you're right—I do love him," I said, voice light. "But let's be real, how sustainable is that? Loving someone you can't even touch?

"Yuna..." I called out, desperate to say something—anything.But she didn't even look back. She just ran.Wade, who was rushing after he, paused shot me a pained, almost pleading glance."Don't just stand there—go after her!" I snapped. "If something happens to her, that's on you forever."That lit a fire under him. Without another word, he took off.I let out a shaky breath before heading back to the private dining room.As soon as I stepped inside, Xander's piercing gaze locked onto me. "If you hadn't come back soon, I was about to come looking."Normally, I'd throw out some sarcastic comeback, but now? I didn't have it in me.I hesitated, then muttered, "Yuna found out..."I laid it all out, every messy detail. Xander didn't say a word. He didn't have to—the way his expression darkened said everything. Anger, shock, guilt—it was all there.He'd known Wade back when he was Hayden. Trusted him with Yuna. And now this? It was clear Xander was beating himself up just as much a

"Where did you bury that urn?"The question blindsided me.A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to bring up old stuff," he murmured.He shifted, clearly struggling, like he wanted to get closer. I leaned in, bringing my ear near him. His voice was barely above a whisper, but the weight of his words hit me hard."Listen carefully. That urn has a data sync device inside. My phone's synced to it. There's... a lot of critical info in there. If anything ever happens to me, take the device and give it to the authorities."I froze. The urn... it had been hiding something this huge all along?It was Yara who gave it to me. Did she know about this, too?The thought of her made my stomach twist a little. "Why not have Yara deal with this instead of me?" I blurted.Hayden let out a quiet laugh. "You're jealous right now? Really?"I huffed, but he kept going. "She and I are just comrades. Nothing romantic, I swear. And besides..."He took a shaky breath before c

I threw a look at Cole. "I'll figure out who's behind this—and they'll regret it."Cole let out a soft laugh. "First time I've heard you talk so tough."I shot him a glare. "Whether it's tough talk or not, you'll find out soon enough. Now go. You've done enough."Cole had milked this scene long enough. With Hayden staying perfectly still through the whole act, Cole finally gave in and turned to leave. But not without tossing one last remark over his shoulder."Ms. Kay, he's just a stand-in. Don't let yourself get too attached again."I didn't bother responding. Watching him walk out the door, I exhaled slowly. My eyes drifted back to Hayden, lying there so still.He wasn't a stand-in. Not for anyone. He was himself—always himself.For a long moment, I just stood there, staring at him. Finally, I leaned in and whispered, "Hayden, they're all gone. You can drop the act now."Silence.Thinking he was messing with me, I slid my hand under the blanket and gave him a light pinch. "S

Hayden had faked his death and taken brutal beatings to keep his identity hidden. Demi? She'd sacrificed her entire future, paying a price so unimaginable it made my chest ache. If we called the cops now, all of that could be for nothing.And let's be real—if the police could fix this, DracoLux would've been shut down ages ago.This couldn't go unchecked, though. Especially not for Lena. She'd always been fierce about protecting women, and seeing someone like Demi humiliated and broken like this? It wasn't something she'd ever tolerate."How's Demi? Has she woken up? Can I see her?" I asked, my voice shaking.Without a word, Lena led me to Demi's room.Seeing her hooked up to all those machines, tubes everywhere, an oxygen mask covering her bruised face... it broke me. Lena's earlier description of her injuries echoed in my head, every detail slicing me open."I'm... fine," Demi whispered weakly, as if she could sense my heartbreak and wanted to comfort me.Tears spilled down my