Ch. 110..120

Chapter 110 Oh, so this was just a setup to get me to confess.

"That's my business, and it's none of your concern. Jace, we broke up. You agreed to it," I reminded him.

"I didn't agree," Jace snapped, catching me-off guard.

His shamelessness never ceased to amaze me.

He rounded the desk in two quick strides and grabbed my arm, pulling me against his chest with a rough tug.

Holding me tightly, he growled, "Rea, have you forgotten who you are? You're my girl. You've been mine since the day you moved into my house."

He looked furious, but I wasn't about to back down. I met his gaze and said, "Yeah, I used to think I was gonna be your future wife, always playing the perfect girlfriend. But you're the one who wandered off. If other girls are so much better-if a pregnant widow is really your type-shouldn't I just step aside?"

"Stop talking nonsense. There's nothing between me and Tanya," Jace denied again.

"Wow, Jace, I didn't think your standards could sink this low. You kissed her, and that's nothing? So what counts as something? Sleeping with her? Or maybe knocking her up too?" My words hit like a punch with each one.

Chapter 111 Jace's grip on me tightened. "I already explained it-I was drunk and confused."

"If you can make that mistake once, you can make it again. And we both know, some mistakes are unforgivable," I shot back, my voice firm. "Stop acting like you're so perfect," Jace snapped, his voice sharp with anger.

Seeing him like this just made the disappointment sink in deeper. I couldn't believe I'd ever been stupid enough to fall for someone like him.

"Rea, you just want to leave me so you can mess around with other guys. Don't think I don't see what you're up to," he continued, trying to twist everything.

I was so tired of this fight. "If that's what you believe, fine. I know your pride can't handle being betrayed, so why don't you just let go of me? Let me get as far away from you as possible and make things easier for both of us."

I was desperate to escape this toxic mess, but my words only made Jace angrier. Suddenly, he leaned in, trying to force a kiss on me.

I turned my head away, disgusted at the thought of his mouth-the same mouth that had kissed Tanya. Anger and revulsion churned inside me.

But the more I resisted, the more enraged Jace became. He shoved me onto the desk, his hands roughly fumbling under my clothes. "You won't let me touch you, but you'd let Hayden? Have you slept with him, huh?"

His crude words and aggressive actions filled me with a mix of shame, fear, and fury. As his hand slid up my waist, I reached out blindly, grabbing for anything I could find. Without thinking, I swung it at his head.

The loud thud echoed through the room, and Jace's hands froze. I looked up to see his stunned expression, blood starting to trickle down his face.

A warm drop of blood dripped toward my eye, and I instinctively squeezed them shut.

It was blood!

The warmth of it splashed against my eyelid, then slowly slid down, tracing a path across my cheek. My hands were shaking, and before I could even process what I'd done, Jace's voice, low and cold, hissed in my ear. "Keira Kay, listen to me. You are mine With that, he finally backed off. I scrambled to my feet, just in time to see Jace clutching his head as he stormed out of the office.

My legs felt like jelly, and I clung to the desk behind me to keep from collapsing.

"Mr. Johnston, you're bleeding..." I heard Gavin's shocked voice from outside.

"Shut up!" Jace roared, and then I heard his footsteps storming away.

I closed my eyes, feeling completely drained. After a few moments, I forced them open again-I couldn't let anyone see me like this. I quickly made my way to the private restroom in Jace's office. Chapter 111 Standing in front of the mirror, I saw his blood smeared near my eye, the bright red streak looking like a twisted version of bloody tears.

I grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned my face as best as I could, then hurried out of Jace's office and left the building.

As soon as I got home and parked the car, my phone rang. It was Lena.

"Rea, I just saw Jace. Someone busted his head open," she said.

"At the hospital?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, his assistant was with him. He looked pretty bad," Lena paused, then asked, "You don't feel sorry for him, do you?"

"What if I was the one who busted his head?" My response left Lena stunned into silence.

After a few seconds, she finally asked, "Did he try to do something to you?".

Recalling the madness in Jace's office just moments ago, I said, "He tried to force himself on me."

Chapter 112 composed elegance you'd expect from a top-tier OB-GYN.

"Smashing his head wasn't enough! You should've just killed that son of a bitch! He didn't want you when you were right there in his bed, but now he tries to force himself on you? You did the right thing cracking his skull!" Lena raged, ditching every bit of that cool, "He's just bitter. He always thought I'd never leave him, and now that I'm really done, he's losing it," I said.

Lena agreed with me and added, "Yeah, now he's probably realizing he's madly in love with you and can't stand the thought of you with someone else."

Wasn't that the truth?

First Wayne, then Tanya-both sent over to keep me from working with Hayden, making it impossible to finish the last few tasks at the amusement park.

But Hayden promised he'd handle it, so I knew he would.

"Rea, listen to me: if Jace even thinks about messing with you again, you hit him back. Every. Single. Time. Once he's scared of you, he won't dare try anything again," Lena advised.

"Got it," I agreed.

Someone called for Lena on her end, but before hanging up, she said, "I'll drop by later to see if he's bled out and died."

I couldn't help but laugh, though by the end, it felt more like a bitter chuckle.

I sat in the car for a while, just staring out the window, before finally forcing myself to get out. As I walked back home, the neighbor ladies were outside, waving at me. "Miss, you came back alone? Where's your boyfriend?"

I remembered their comments to Hayden the last time they saw him and smiled. "What, is it time to clean the hallway again?"

They laughed, shaking their heads. "No, no, it's just that he's a keeper-handsome and hardworking. You should hang on to him."

"Mm," I hummed as I headed upstairs.

But as soon as I reached the hallway, I stopped dead in my tracks. The door to the apartment across from mine was wide open, and inside, people were busy moving stuff around, making a ton of noise.

I had no idea who lived there since it had been empty the entire time I'd been in the building.

Now, their boxes and furniture were piled up, blocking my door. With no other choice, I stepped inside and asked, "Are you moving out?"

A middle-aged woman looked up, surprised to see me. And you are...?"

I pointed to the apartment opposite. "I live here."

She immediately caught on. "Oh, sorry about the mess!! just rented this place out, and the new tenant asked me to tidy it up a bit. I'll move these things right away so you can get into your place." Chapter 112 I thanked her and glanced inside. Her apartment was way more rundown than mine.

If I had to rent it, I wouldn't even consider it. Whoever decided to move in here probably didn't have a lot of options.

"Can I ask if the new tenant is a man or a woman?" I asked, curious since they'd be living right next door.

"A man, a very handsome young man," she replied as she cleared a path to my door.

A man?!

An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. Having a man I didn't know as a neighbor didn't exactly feel safe.

But what could I really do about it? I thanked the landlord and went inside, collapsing onto the couch. Staring up at the ceiling, my mind was a tangled mess, and I felt completely drained. Even though I hadn't physically fought Jace hard, I was exhausted.

I closed my eyes, trying hard not to think about anything, but the more I tried, the more my thoughts spiraled.

Finally, I gave up and headed to the kitchen to make something to eat.

Cooking was the only thing that could keep my mind from spinning.

Just as I was stirring a pot of oat porridge, my phone rang. It was Wayne. "Rea, you need to get back to the amusement park. No one can make you leave."

"I've already handed in my resignation," I said calmly.

Before leaving the amusement park, I honestly believed that without me, things would fall apart, or at least not meet my standards. But now that I'd really left, I realized I didn't care anymore. It felt just like letting go of Jace, +

Chapter 113 Chapter 113 "Your resignation is invalid," Wayne's words were commanding.

I knew he could make that happen if he wanted. Even if he couldn't, he could just get Matthew to overrule Jace. But that wasn't what I wanted.

So, I decided to shut that down. "Jace already signed off on it."

Jace was the one running RiverwaveCorp now, not Wayne.

There was silence on the other end. After a few seconds, Wayne asked, "Where are you?"

Only Lena and Hayden knew where I'd moved, but Wayne had a way of figuring things out. He was the kind of guy who remembered every detail, so he might even guess where I was.

But I wasn't about to tell him. "I've been all about the amusement park for the last two years. Please help wrap up the last bits."

"Rea..."

"Wayne, don't. Just don't."

I hung up and turned back to the oat porridge bubbling away in the pot. It smelled pretty good.

No fancy dinner tonight, though-I hadn't bought groceries, so oat porridge was all I had.

I sat down with my laptop, spooning oat porridge while sending out job applications.

With my experience at RiverwaveCorp, I knew I could land a decent gig. At least, I was pretty sure I could By the time I finished sending out résumés, the oat porridge was gone, but my neighbor across the hall was still making a ton of noise moving in.

That whole thing about wanting to sleep after you eat? It was true. I crashed on the couch, silenced my phone, and just passed out.

I slept for hours. When I finally woke up, it was so quiet outside it felt almost creepy, like I'd woken up in a different world.

I sat there in a daze, then grabbed my phone to check the time. It was just after 3 PM.

It wasn't even that late, but time felt like it was dragging.

Usually, when I was busy, time flew by. This slower pace was totally throwing me off.

There were a bunch of missed calls on my phone. A few from Demi, some from Lindey, and one from a random number that had called three times.

I was just glad there were no calls from Hayden. If he hadn't called, it meant work was going fine.

But I still called Demi back. She picked up right away. "Keira, why didn't you answer your phone?" "What's up?" My voice was still a little groggy.

Demi got it immediately. "Did you seriously ditch us to take a nap?"

Chapter 113 "Yep, nothing else to do, so yeah, I went to sleep," I said, not even trying to hide it.

Demi groaned, "Keira, you have to come back. I can't do this on my own."

She was talking quietly, which meant she was trying to keep Hayden from hearing.

I asked, "Why? Is Mr. Hart giving you a hard time?"

"Not exactly, but I can't keep up with him. He's so annoyed, giving me that look like I'm an idiot. It's killing my self-esteem," Demi's complaints made me laugh. When I finally stopped laughing, I tried to reassure her. "Hey, I trained you, right? If he thinks you're an idiot, he's underestimating me, and I'll handle it."

"And how exactly do you plan to handle me?" A different voice suddenly came through the phone, catching me off guard.

After a super awkward pause, I managed to recover. "Mr. Hart, Ms. Young just needs some time to adjust. Maybe try a little patience?"

Hayden didn't respond right away, so I added, "Is there something you need?".

"During today's testing, we hit some snags. Ms. Young isn't familiar with them, so we need your help," Hayden's words totally caught me off guard.

I replied frankly, "I've resigned. This isn't my job anymore."

"But didn't you say you wanted to see it through to the end?" Hayden's comeback left me speechless. After a few seconds, I sighed. "Fine, I'll come by later.

Chapter 114 In the end, I couldn't stand the idea of the amusement park being anything less than perfect. This place was my dad's dream-a promise he made before he died in that car accident. I needed it to be flawless, so I agreed to help.

But now, instead of being an official part of the team, I was just some unpaid consultant, working behind the scenes.

Whatever, as long as the amusement park turned out amazing in the end.

Besides, I had nothing better to do. Staying busy was way better than just sitting around.

That evening, I headed to the Holiday Inn to meet Hayden about the amusement park project. As I was leaving, I noticed the door across the hall was locked up tight. The idea of some random guy moving in there soon gave me the creeps. Then it hit me: why not rent that apartment?

Luckily, the landlord's name and number were right on the door. I called her up right away, but when I pitched my idea, she hesitated. "Well... I already took a deposit from someone else. I can't just back out now."

"Ms. Brown, give him his deposit back-double it. I'll cover the difference, and I'll pay more rent than he's offering," I said, not even hesitating. A little extra cash for peace of mind? Worth it.

You know what they say: "money talks."

Having money was pretty awesome-it bought you peace of mind and made other people bend the rules, Ms. Brown, clearly tempted by the extra cash, quickly agreed to talk to the current tenant and promised to get back to me.

After hanging up, I drove over to the Holiday Inn. But just as I stepped into the lobby, I spotted Tanya. Yeah, it's a hotel-she could be here for any reason. But my gut was telling me she was here for me. And sure enough, she looked up as soon as she heard my footsteps and called out, "Ms. Kay." Waiting for me? She must really need to talk.

"If you're here to talk about work, you've got the wrong person. I already quit," I snapped before she could even start, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

Honestly, I was still salty. My resignation was partly her fault. I'd thought about letting it go since she was pregnant, but now that she was coming to me, why should I hold back?

"I'm here to talk to you about that," Tanya said softly.

I'd gone head-to-head with Tanya more than once. She could play any part-sweet and charming one rninute, cold and calculating the next-and I never held back. But I didn't expect her to show up again, still trying to pull off the whole innocent act.

No, she wasn't just playing the innocent victim; she was more like one of those girls who'd flirt with anyone who gave her attention, shamelessly doing whatever it took to get what she wanted.

Chapter 114 "Oh? Then I'm all ears," I said, dropping into the chair across from her.

"I was only at the amusement park for work. That's it. You're reading too much into it," she started, trying to sound all innocent.

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "But it seems like you were the one reading too much into things. I asked you to work with Wayne and get familiar with the park, and you thought that meant you should run and tattle to Jace?"

She quickly shook her head. "I didn't tattle. Jace called me, and I just mentioned it. I didn't expect him to...

She trailed off, but I knew exactly where she was going with that.

Jace, in a fit of rage, had fired me-me, his former fiancée and, quite frankly, his right-hand woman- because of her.

So, she wasn't here to clear the air; she was here to rub it in my face.

"He's got tunnel vision when it comes to love. Once his hormones kick in, he does all kinds of dumb things. Nothing surprising there," I said, watching as Tanya's expression soured, But I just smiled. "You probably don't know this, but his close friends have a nickname for him. They call him a 'dumb husky'.

Hello 115 Hello 115 Chapter 115 This really happened, but the guy who called him a "dumb husky" got kicked out of the circle by Jace ages ago. Jace didn't stop there, either-he made sure that guy couldn't even stay in Seavora.

Jace was petty like that. Lucky for everyone, he didn't have much real power or influence; otherwise, anyone who crossed him would be totally screwed.

A guy like him would've been a sneaky, backstabbing minister in ancient times, whispering in a king's ear.

Tanya's face got even more grim. She knew that by trash-talking Jace like this, I was indirectly insulting her too.

Her face flushed with anger. "How can you talk about him like that? After all, he was a man you once loved. The least you could do after breaking up is not to slander him. I can't believe you're like this." Defending Jace right now, huh?

"Decency?" I gave her a faint smile. "That should be reserved for people who deserve it. You were making out with your husband's close friend while you were still married, and then while you were carrying your late husband's child, you were messing around with my fiancé. Do you think you deserve my decency?"

Tanya's face went from red to white in an instant. "Y-You're making things up!"

"You said it yourself. If it's nonsense, then it was you who spoke nonsense," I paused for a moment, locking eyes with her. "You said it that day in the restaurant."

Tanya suddenly fell silent, like someone had just pulled the plug on her.

After what felt like forever, she seemed to pull herself together, her voice shaky. "It was him who came after me, not the other way around..."

"Is that so? It takes two to tango," I cut her off, not giving her a second to collect herself.

Tanya was like a cockroach that just wouldn't die, so if I wanted to squash her for good and keep her from messing with me again, I had to hit where it hurt.

Tanya's tears started flowing instantly. "He ruined me. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be like this now. He owes me."

She was visibly upset, her whole body shaking. Whether it was real or just an act, I couldn't tell.

Because she was crying, people started to glance our way, but I wasn't worried. We were in a lobby with surveillance cameras everywhere. I hadn't touched her, so even if she threw herself on the floor, it wouldn't be my problem.

I watched as her tears fell one by one, thinking about what she said. Jace ruined her and owed her something?

I remembered what Jace had told me before, about how her in-laws hated her after Desmond's death, and how even though she was pregnant with Desmond's child, they still didn't accept her. Suddenly, something clicked in my mind. My chest tightened a little, and I asked, "What does Jace owe you?"

Chapter 115 Tanya's lips moved like she wanted to say something, but when she looked at me, she clammed up.

Was this something she couldn't talk about?

The more she acted like this, the more curious I got. "Ms. Twain, why aren't you saying anything? Is it that you can't, or were you lying the whole time?"

Tanya pressed her lips together. "This is my business. I came here to tell you that if you have any issues with me, take it out on me, but don't drag others into it.

I frowned a little, thinking about how I'd smashed Jace's head.

So, she came here to defend Jace?

"You're talking about how I bashed Jace's head in, right?" I asked, cutting straight to the point.

"He's seriously injured now. The back of his head needed over a dozen stitches. You two were once in love; how could you be so cruel and hit him so hard?" Tanya's tone was all accusing, like she was already Jace's wife or something. But she wasn't, and since she was only making herself look ridiculous, I decided to let her.

"Oh? Only a dozen stitches? I was actually going easy on him by not bashing his brains out," I replied, watching as Tanya's jaw dropped.

"You..."

"Do you know why I hit him? Because he tried to force himself on me in the office," I said, my gaze locked on Tanya. "Maybe you're not satisfying him because you're pregnant?" Tanya's face went pale, and she couldn't say a word.

Even so, I didn't let up. "Now that you know why I hit him, you should go back and figure out a solution. After all, you're a married woman with experience. It shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Chapter 116 Tanya stood there, completely speechless, her humiliation written all over her face.

But honestly, she kind of deserved it.

"Ms. Twain, if there's nothing else, you should head back early. You're carrying a 'one-of-a-kind' after all. If something happened, that wouldn't be good," I added, not to mock her but as an actual heads-up.

'She decided to keep this baby, so she must have her reasons. But she should be more careful, not hanging around places like the amusement park. Unless, deep down, she doesn't actually want this baby.' That thought hit me like a punch to the gut as I looked at Tanya's face.

But she was too lost in her shame to show any emotion.

I'd said what I needed to say and got my anger out, so I turned to leave.

"Do you really not love Jace anymore? Do you really not want to be with him?" Tanya's voice called out behind me.

I smirked, not bothering to turn around. "Yeah, I'm giving him to you."

I was giving him to her, but I seriously doubted she could keep him.

These last few days, Jace had been acting like a total idiot, which made it pretty clear he still had feelings for me. He just hadn't realized it before. Now that we were actually broken up, he'd been pulling all kinds of stunts to get my attention. Honestly, it looked like his thing with Tanya wasn't real love-just an impulse.

But even so, that was something I couldn't forgive.

When I wanted something, it was going to be mine. No exceptions.

And no way was my guy touching anyone else, or letting anyone else touch him. If he did, I was done. "Then just stay away from him. Don't even see him," said Tanya, leaving me totally speechless.

Her words made it obvious-she really had feelings for Jacè. Maybe it wasn't some grand love, but she still wanted to keep a guy who took care of her, gave her a place to crash, and let her swipe his credit card whenever she wanted.

I'd just reached the elevator when I turned back and smirked, "Why don't you toss me a few million, and I'll vanish into the mountains? Then you can have whatever you want."

Tanya went pale again, gripping the hem of her dress.

She'd told me before she was broke, which was why she was mooching off Jace's card. My words stung, and I knew it.

The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped inside, not even caring about the look on her face.

Back in Demi's room, I was at a loss for what to do, so thought about that show she'd been obsessed with and decided to start watching it myself.

Turns out, it was pretty good. I was already five episodes deep when I heard a noise outside the door. It Chapter 116 was Hayden.

"Ms. Young, tell Ms. Kay to come to my room in ten minutes."

"Okay," Demi replied, cracking the door open. I didn't see her at first-just her shoes flying off.

"I'm beat. Is this even work for humans?" Demi grumbled as she shuffled inside.

I put down my phone and patted the spot next to me on the couch. "Come here, let me give you a massage."

Demi walked over, but instead of lying down, she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. "Keira, come back already. We can't handle this without you."

I patted her head gently. "If you want to take on the big stuff, you've got to tough it out. Now, go take a bath and get some sleep."

"I'm not bathing. I just want to crash," Demi muttered as she tried to get up. But then she noticed the paused screen on my phone and immediately pouted. "You're so heartless."

I gave her a soft, motherly smile. "Come on, be good. Once you're done with work and on vacation, you can binge it all day."

Demi huffed, but just before disappearing into her bedroom, she said, "By the way, Mr. Hart wants to see you in his room."

"Mhm," I nodded, even though I'd already heard him.

"I just realized he isn't cute at all. I've gone from fangirl to hater," Demi grumbled, and I had to fight back a laugh. Guess Hayden really put her through the wringer today.

Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Usually, Hayden treats me pretty well, so I figured he wouldn't act any different with Demi, right?

I mulled it over for a bit before deciding to head to Hayden's room, waiting a good twenty minutes just to be safe. He'd told me to wait ten, probably because he needed to shower and change. When he opened the door, I wasn't surprised to see his hair still damp and him dressed in loose clothes, hotel slippers on his feet.

"Come in," he said, as brief as ever.

I immediately noticed his laptop open on the desk. Skipping the small talk, I went straight for it. "What's the new issue?"

"It's in a document on the desktop. Open it and take a look," Hayden replied, just as the kettle clicked off.

I sat down and logged onto the desktop, expecting it to be all neat and organized, given his personality. But nope-it was a chaotic mess of documents and files.

Good thing I'm not squeamish about clutter, or I might've passed out right then.

Staring at the overwhelming sea of icons, I had no choice but to ask, "There's so much stuff here. Which one is it?"

"The one named YLC," he replied.

I started scanning the screen, but after all that drama I'd been binge-watching, my eyes were probably too tired to focus. I couldn't find it after going through the icons once.

"I can't find it," I said, turning to look at him.

He was making tea-chamomile, with honey, judging by the smell.

"Let me check," he said, heading over. But just as he got close, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the number and held up a finger. "Hang on a sec."

I nodded, using the break to search for the file again.

While I was scanning through the mess of documents, he answered the call. I couldn't catch the other person's voice, but I heard Hayden's sharp response: "We signed the contract. No changes, and no, compensation isn't happening... Yeah, it's non-negotiable." He ended the call so fast, I hadn't even made a dent in sorting through the chaotic jumble on his desktop.

It wasn't the number of files that was the problem-it was that every file name looked like random gibberish.

Hayden returned with a cup of tea, placing it next to me. "This is for you."

"Thanks," I said, but before I could even take a sip, I felt a sudden tension behind me. His arm came around me, almost like a half-hug, as he pointed at a file on the screen. "It's right here."

His voice was low, rough, and dangerously close, the kind of voice that would send shivers down your Chapter 117 spine. He was so near, I could practically feel his chin hovering over my head. If I even breathed too deeply, we'd be touching.

His scent-clean soap and fresh shampoo-was dizzyingly good, making my pulse race like crazy.

It was like my whole body went up in flames, every nerve on high alert...

I froze, my limbs stiff, my brain short-circuiting...

"Open it. I'll explain," Hayden said, breaking through my haze when I didn't move.

I fumbled with the mouse, trying to click on the file he'd shown me, but in my flustered state, I lost track of it.

"This one," he said, his hand covering mine, guiding the cursor to the right file and clicking it open.

The document popped up on the screen, but the text was a blur, my mind still reeling from how close he was. I couldn't focus on a single word.

It wasn't until he asked, "You got it?" that I snapped out of it.

"Nope," I said, scooting away a bit. "Whoa, dude, personal space."

Chapter 118 Chapter 118 As soon as those words left my mouth, a wave of embarrassment crashed over me.

I cringed inwardly, thinking I'd been way too blunt. I bet Hayden felt super awkward, too.

But instead of backing off, he just stared at me for what felt like forever before saying, "Oh."

Just Oh?!

Seriously, how was he so chill?

I glanced up at him, watching as he slowly straightened up. Then he added, "Your eyesight sucks, and even after I showed you exactly where it was, you still missed it. How else was I supposed to help you without getting closer?"

His logic was so on point that it made me feel like I was the one with the dirty mind.

Hayden then casually walked over to the side, sat down, and picked up his tablet to work on something. I stole a few glances at him before taking a couple of sips of water, trying to get my brain back on track. Sure, there were a few minor issues in the document that Hayden had flagged, but nothing major. He could've easily handled them on his own. Even if he needed my input, a quick phone call would've done the trick. Making me stay this late just to go over them felt like overkill.

Was this all on purpose?

I couldn't help but sneak another look at him. But he was totally engrossed in his work, not even glancing at me, which made me feel like I was just overthinking the whole thing again.

Still, I wrapped up the last of the issues he pointed out and glanced over at him. But when I turned my head, I was totally caught off guard. Hayden had passed out, half-sprawled on the hotel chair with the tablet still clutched in his arms.

I always figured he was the type who never got tired, but clearly, I was wrong.

He's just human, after all-who wouldn't get tired?

Even gods would take naps; that god in the show I was watching earlier sure did.

I didn't make a sound, just sat there watching him sleep. His eyes were shut peacefully, and though his skin wasn't flawless, his warm tan gave him this rugged, manly vibe.

His nose was straight and sharp, and the way the light hit his face as he slept made him look like a TV drama heartthrob, no special effects needed.

Considering how much Demi had been complaining about being tired, Hayden must be even more wiped out.

Over the last few days working together, even though he occasionally directed me to do stuff, he was the one constantly on the move, climbing up and down, not just using his muscles but also his brain to get the lighting just right. After a full day of that, it's no wonder he was out cold-he had to be completely drained.

Chapter 118 Falling asleep like that, he must've been completely wiped out.

Suddenly, a breeze slipped through the room, making the curtains dance, and I felt a chill creep over me.

I glanced at Hayden in his short sleeves and decided to grab a blanket for him.

As soon as I draped the blanket over him, his eyes suddenly snapped open, and he grabbed my wrist. I couldn't tell if I'd been too loud and woke him up, or if he was just that alert even while sleeping.

His grip was so strong, I seriously thought he might crush my bones.

"It hurts," I gasped softly.

He loosened his hold just a little, but didn't let go. He just stared at me.

At that moment, I was close-close enough for him to see the panic in my eyes.

And being this close, I could see his eyes held a deep, dark intensity...

We didn't say anything. My lips moved, but for some reason, the words just wouldn't come out. We stayed like that, frozen in the silence...

Until my bent leg started cramping, making me shiver and nearly lose my balance. That was when he reached out with his other hand to steady me.

Now both of my hands were trapped in his. I snapped out of it and quickly tried to explain, "I... I saw you sleeping, so I wanted to cover you with a blanket so you wouldn't get cold..."

As soon as the words were out, I realized how that sounded, so I hurriedly added, "Don't get the idea, I didn't mean anything by it. I just... didn't want you getting sick and messing up the setup." wrong I finished talking and tried to pull my hands free, desperate to retreat.

But Hayden didn't let go. Instead, he pulled me closer, so close I almost tumbled into his arms. "Mr. Hart- 11 "Just worried I'll get sick and mess up the setup?" His voice was rough and husky from sleep.

My heart pounded like crazy, my breath caught in my throat, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. "...

Chapter 119

As soon as the word left my mouth, Hayden's grip tightened. His eyes narrowed, and for a split second, I saw something flicker in them before it disappeared. Then, just like that, he let go, and the pressure on my hand vanished.

I quickly stepped aside, rubbing the spot where his grip had stung. "I made all the changes you asked for. Do you want to check them now?"

Hayden didn't budge, still lounging in the chair with his eyes shut. "No need. You should get some rest."

"Oh... Goodnight," I mumbled, turning to go..

"Kiki," Hayden suddenly called out.

I froze mid-step. Did he just call me...?

Kiki...

That was my childhood nickname. The only people who ever called me that were my parents when they were alive, and Lena sometimes-but even she usually calls me Rea. But I heard him clearly-he just called me Kiki.

I spun around, staring at him in shock. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing," he replied, still with his eyes closed. "Just... make sure you close the door properly."

I stared at him for a few more seconds, waiting, but when he didn't say anything else, I turned and yanked the door shut a little harder than I needed to.

Instead of heading straight back to the room I shared with Demi, I hung around in the hallway, leaning against the wall to steady my breathing and the wild pounding of my heart.

But no matter how hard I tried to calm down, I couldn't shake the image of Hayden's eyes locked on mine or the feeling of him half-embracing me as he opened the document on his laptop. Eventually, I had to give myself a little smack on the forehead to snap out of it and force myself to head back to my room. I flopped onto the bed, hoping I could finally get some sleep.

To keep my mind from spiraling, I grabbed my phone and saw a bunch of unread messages on the chat app.

Lena had sent one: [Guess bad people live long lives. No major injuries, just a lot of blood.]

1 smiled and typed back: [Next time, I'll hit harder.]

Lena didn't reply. Maybe she was already asleep, or back in surgery.

I left our chat and opened Steve's messages. He'd sent a bunch, all about Jace.

[You blew your ex's brains out. Impressive!]

(Gotta say, well done.]

[If you'd had this kind of attitude earlier, maybe you two wouldn't have ended up this way.]

[Jaçe is the type who needs a good beating to stay interested.]

As I read Steve's last message, Tanya's soft, pitiful face popped into my mind. She always looked like that around me-probably even more so around Jace.

If that's the case, would Jace eventually get bored of her?

After a quick.second, I remembered how Tanya had said Jace owed her, that he'd ruined her. I typed back: [Steve, does Jace owe Tanya anything?]

It was late, and Steve didn't reply. I thought for a few more seconds and sent another message: [Or does Jace owe Desmond something?]

I stared at my phone screen for a long time, but no reply came. Eventually, I set it down, ready to close my

eyes.

Just then, a voice broke the silence of the room. "Mr. Hart... you're so mean..."

Pfft-

I couldn't help but laugh as I turned to look at Demi on the bed across from me. She was talking in her sleep.

How much had Hayden messed with her to make her curse him even in her dreams?

Images of my recent run-ins with Hayden started playing in my mind again. But this time, something was different. The more I thought about it, the less flustered I felt. My heart wasn't racing, and my face wasn't heating up like before. Eventually, as I kept thinking about him, I drifted off to sleep.

And I dreamed of Hayden-teenage Hayden-chasing after me as I ran around like a maniac. "Kiki, be careful, don't fall..."

Chapter 120

When I woke up that morning, the dream was still fresh in my mind.

It was the second time Hayden had appeared in my dreams, and I couldn't help but wonder-had we met before?

I tried to shake it off, but I kept thinking about that dream of the boy carrying me on his back, the one with the mole on his shoulder. Hayden just happens to have a mole in the exact same spot. And then there was yesterday-he called me Kiki. I'm sure I heard it right, no mistake about it.

I was lost in thought when Demi's voice snapped me back to reality. "Keira, when did you sneak back?"

It was rare for Demi, the queen of sleep, to be up before her alarm.

I knew what she was getting at and shot her a glare. "What do you mean, 'sneak back'?"

"Hehe," Demi giggled mischievously, "I thought maybe you spent the night with Mr. Hart."

"What are you thinking?" I cut her off. "Why is your mind always in the gutter?"

"Come on, you're both adults and single. Isn't it normal for men and women to... you know?" Demi's logic was tough to argue with.

"But it's not like you can just fall in love with anyone, right? What would that even be?" I shot back.

Demi hugged her pillow and scooted closer to the edge of my bed. "Keira, you know what? I'd love to see Mr. Hart, that serious guy, loosen up a bit." "Hmm?" I wasn't quite sure what she meant.

"I mean, I want to see how that serious, straight-laced guy acts when he's all lovey-dovey with someone," Demi explained, making me laugh.

"If you really want to see that, you'd have to experience it yourself. Someone else's story wouldn't do you any good," I said as I sat up in bed. Demi sat up too, following my lead. "Well, you could always tell me all about it afterward."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Why not just record a video for you while I'm at it?"

"Yes, please!" she shot back without missing a beat.

I threw my pillow at her, but she quickly caught it and propped it under her chin. "So, did something happen between you and Mr. Hart last night?"

Her question immediately brought back the memory of Hayden leaning in close to help me find that document-and the moment he grabbed my wrist when I was draping a blanket over him...

"You two did have something going on, didn't you?" Demi caught onto my silence and immediately jumped onto my bed, practically buzzing with gossip.

"No, stop jumping to conclusions," I said, trying to get out of bed.

Demi grabbed my arm. "Come on, just tell me!""There's nothing to tell. And quit trying to pair me up with Hayden. It's not going to happen-I don't even like his type," I shot back, hoping that'd put an end to it. I slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

Behind me, Demi let out a dramatic sigh. "Yeah, I guess after being with Mr. Johnston for so long, it's hard to move on to someone new, huh?"

I smirked but didn't say anything.

After washing up, Demi and I were about to head to breakfast when we bumped into Hayden just as we stepped out the door.

He was dressed in camouflage pants and a black T-shirt, looking as tough as ever.

For some reason, a little bit of sweat started to form behind my ears.

"Mr. Hart, how come you didn't head to work early today?" Demi blurted out before thinking.

Hayden glanced at me. "Didn't feel like it."

Demi was caught off guard for a sec but quickly recovered with a nervous laugh. "Well, in that case, why don't we all grab breakfast together and head out after?"

Hayden didn't respond, and the second-hand embarrassment was real. You know how it is-if you're not embarrassed, it's only awkward for everyone else. And Demi? She was totally that person. She just looped her arm through mine. "Keira, after breakfast, don't just drop Mr. Hart and me off at the amusement park. You can stick around and help us out."

I let out a small laugh. "You're paying me for that, right?"