Ch. 461..470
Chapter 461
pants, and with how he was trapped, I had to stretch awkwardly, reaching down.
Lucky break-I found it without any awkward touching. yanked it out and immediately dialed Hayden.
But just as the call started to connect, I froze.
A helicopter hovered right outside the wreck.
Whoever wanted us dead must have sent it, probably to make sure we hadn't survived.
Thankfully, the car's protective film was still holding, so they couldn't see us. But I didn't dare move. Didn't even breathe too loud, afraid they'd spot something and come for us.
I couldn't even answer Hayden when he picked up, his voice spilling through the speaker.
"Mr. Johnston, why aren't you speaking? Did something happen? Is Kiki okay? Or... is there news about Steve?" His voice was tense, clearly frustrated by the silence.
But I couldn't risk it. The helicopter kept circling, like it was checking every inch of the wreck. I sat there, frozen, Hayden's voice still coming through the speaker, but I couldn't say a word. My heart pounded so loud, I swore it might give us away.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the helicopter flew off.
Only then did I whisper, "Hayden, it's me.'
11
The lump in my throat nearly choked me. My voice cracked. "We crashed!"
"Are you hurt?"
Hayden's first concern, of course, was me. Always me.
"I... I don't know," I stammered, glancing at the driver, blood still pooling around him. "The driver and Jace are trapped. They're both bleeding bad."
Chapter 462
A car crash. The thing I feared the most. And now, it was happening to me.
Despair hit hard-like what my parents must have felt. No, theirs had to be worse. They didn't survive.
My mind spiraled, but Hayden's voice pulled me back. "Kiki, hang on. Help's on the way. I'm coming too." He kept repeating it, pushing me to try getting out.
I tugged at the door, again and again, but it wouldn't move.
"Stop... it hurts," Jace groaned beside me.
I froze, afraid to even breathe.
"Kiki, why aren't you talking? Are you okay?" Hayden's voice crackled through the phone, worried.
"I'm fine," I answered, forcing myself to speak as quietly as possible, not wanting to alarm Jace any more than he already was.
"Check if the car's on fire or if you smell gas," Hayden said, his voice tight.
My stomach dropped. If the car was leaking gas, we were done for.
I shifted, trying to look forward, but as soon as I moved, the car jolted and everything spun again.
"Ah!" I screamed, grabbing for anything.
The rolling stopped, but my heart pounded in my chest. I heard someone shouting my name, faintly. "Kiki!
Kiki..."
It was Hayden, but where was he? Where was Jace's phone?
It was gone. The flip had thrown it somewhere. I yelled, "Hayden, the car flipped again!"
"Please, Hayden! Get someone here, fast!" Panic clawed at my throat. I couldn't hold back the fear
anymore.
It's human instinct to fear death. And I didn't want to die-not like this, not without knowing the truth about what really happened.
I couldn't even look outside, too scared of what I might see-flames, or something worse.
Then, I felt it-someone's fingers hooking around mine. My eyes flew open, and there was Jace, his bloodied face inches from mine. Blood was pouring from a cut on his head, covering half his face. "Rea... I'm in so much pain. I'm so tired... Could you talk to me?" His voice was barely a whisper, his pinky still curled around mine.
I'd seen this in movies-people with serious injuries always got sleepy before... well, before the end.
My stomach dropped, and I reached out with my free hand, but froze, unsure where to put it.
"Let me stop the bleeding," I said, scanning the car for something, anything, to help. But there was nothing.
"Don't... just stay and talk to me," Jace mumbled, his voice fading.
Chapter 462
Ignoring him, I ripped off my jacket and pressed it against his head wound.
"Jace, you can't sleep. Hayden said help's coming," I forced myself to sound calm, even though I was barely holding it together. The panic was gone, replaced by a cold, terrifying focus. Jace didn't respond. His eyes were already closed. I shook him gently, panic creeping back in. "Don't-"
Before I could say "sleep," he groaned, "Hurts..."
I glanced at the gash on his head. It didn't seem bad enough to cause this much pain. He had to be hurt somewhere else, somewhere worse.
Looking at his body pinned under the wreckage, a wave of fear and grief hit me hard.
"I won't move, but you can't sleep," I whispered, eyes locked on his face. Half covered in blood, half still clean.
He looked thinner-a lot thinner. I'd noticed it before, but now, up close, it was even more obvious. The change hit me hard.
Chapter 463
Since we broke up, I hadn't been this close to him. I hadn't even really looked at him.
And now, here he was, right in front of me, badly hurt.
The crash came flooding back, and it hit me-he'd shielded me, using his body to protect mine. That's why he was in such rough shape.
"Jace, talk to me," I begged, my voice shaky. If I stopped, he'd just drift away.
"What... do you want me to say?" he mumbled.
"Anything. Tell me what you've been thinking since we broke up. Talk about Tanya, even. Or where you've been these last few weeks," I blurted, desperate to keep him awake.
He went quiet, and I panicked, thinking he'd passed out. But then, his voice, barely a whisper: "Rea, I really do love you."
I froze, staring at his pale, blood-smeared face. I couldn't say anything.
"You were the only girl I ever really liked. Since I met you, no one else... even felt like a woman to me."
His words came slowly, each one hitting harder than the last. "There were women-business trips, some even tried climbing into my bed. I never told you, didn't want you to worry... I knew how sensitive you were.
"I stayed clean, even in my head. Escorts at events? I couldn't stand them. Touching them would've tainted you."
He paused, then continued. "As for Tanya... I don't know how I ended up in her mess. Maybe her act was too convincing. Maybe it was just fate trying to tear us apart..."
His voice faded, and he tried to look at me, but his eyes wouldn't stay open.
The Jace I knew was always so strong, so sure of himself. Now, he was broken, vulnerable in a way I'd
never seen.
"Well, then I guess we just weren't meant to be. If our love wasn't strong enough, even fate couldn't save us," I said, following where his mind had gone.
Jace looked at me for a moment before closing his eyes again. "Yeah, I guess that's why this is my punishment."
"Why bring this up now?" I muttered, feeling his blood soaking through my clothes, sticking to my skin. If he kept bleeding like this, he wouldn't make it.
I glanced outside. Just broken branches and scattered rocks. No sign of help.
Had Hayden sent anyone? Jace had told me to call him, which meant Hayden was our only shot at being rescued. But now the phone was gone, and I had no way to reach him.
"Rea, I don't think you really love Hayden. I know he's a good guy, but... you're only with him because of how he treats you, right?" Jace's voice was faint.
Lost in the moment, waiting for any sign of rescue, I mumbled a soft "Mm-hmm" without thinking. As soon as I realized what I'd just agreed to, a sharp unease settled in my gut. I opened my mouth to clarify, 1/2
Chapter 463
but then I heard it-the distinct hum of a small helicopter.
My nerves spiked. I thought those people trying to kill us were back, scouting the area. Panic surged, and I instinctively pressed my hand over Jace's mouth, whispering, "Don't make a sound."
He stayed quiet, and I held my breath, staring at the helicopter outside.
It hovered for a few seconds, then lifted higher. A voice crackled through the air, "Are there people in the car? Is Keira Kay in there? If you're there, please respond." Hearing my name, a wave of relief hit me. We were safe. Hayden's people had found us.
If they were here to kill us, they wouldn't know my name.
I started banging on the car window, trying to signal the helicopter. It wasn't a full rescue chopper-just a military-grade drone with a small transmission device
The voice came again, "The trapped individuals have been located. Rescue efforts will begin immediately.
Emotion overwhelmed me. I turned to Jace, my voice filled with hope. "They're here! We're going to be okay. You'll be fine."
But Jace's expression didn't change. His eyes blinked slowly, and his lips barely moved as he whispered, Rea... can you hold me? I'm so cold..."
Chapter 464
We were rescued.
One of the people helping us w
us was the same driver who had taken me to visit Steve in the holding room. I
knew he worked for Hayden.
The car was so wrecked they had to cut through the metal to get Jace and the driver out. They even found both my phone and Jace's in the debris.
"Huh, this one's still connected," one
the rescuers said, handing me a phone.
But it wasn't mine-it was Jace's.
I'd used it earlier to call Hayden. Had he really stayed on the line the whole time?
I took the phone, stunned. As I glanced down, the call ended right in front of me. It had lasted 67 minutes and 12 seconds.
Hayden had never hung up. Had he overheard everything Jace and I talked about?
Then again, I wasn't sure what exactly we'd said. Nothing too important, right?
Before I could think about it, they rushed us into an ambulance and took us to the hospital. We all went through a series of checks.
I only had minor scrapes, but Jace and the driver were in serious condition. Jace was in hypovolemic shock from blood loss, and the driver had a head injury and was in a coma. Out of the three of us, I was the least injured.
And I knew it was because Jace had used his body to protect me during the crash.
"Are there any family members or relatives of Mr. Johnston here?" A doctor called out as they approached.
We were in a foreign country, and none of the Johnstons were here. I had no choice but to speak up. "I'm his family. How is he?"
The doctor's face was grim. "He's lost a lot of blood, and the situation is critical. What makes it worse is that he has a rare blood type-RhD negative, Rhnull.
"Our hospital doesn't have any of that in stock. Without a transfusion, his condition could become life-threatening at any moment."
His tone was serious. "We need to prepare you for that possibility."
My eyes widened in shock. Jace's life was hanging by a thread-and what startled me even more was learning just how rare his blood type was.
"Are you a relative? What's your blood type? Does anyone else in your family share his blood type?" the doctor asked.
I swallowed hard, my parents' warning echoing in my head. 'Kiki, promise us you'll never let yourself get hurt. Never bleed if you can help it. And most importantly, don't ever tell anyone your blood type. 1/2
Chapter 464
I have the same blood type-RhD negative, Rhnull. It's the rarest blood type in the world-less than fifty people have it. My parents had drilled it into me for years-if I ever lost blood, there might not be any available to save me.
I'd always taken their warning seriously.
"Doctor, there must be a mistake. Jace told me he's AB," I said, trying to wrap my head around it.
The doctor frowned. "We've run his blood tests. There's no mistake."
Of course, they wouldn't be wrong.
Which meant Jace had lied to me. Maybe his parents had given him the same warning mine had.
My throat tightened as I tried to process it. Could it really be true? That Jace and I-two people who felt like we were always at odds-shared such a rare blood type? Less than fifty people in the world, and we were both part of that group? "He's in critical condition. If you know anyone with this blood type, we can take donations as long as they're not direct relatives," the doctor added.
I blinked. "I am."
"I understand, you're a family member-" the doctor began, missing my point.
"I am that blood type. And I'm not related to him," I said, locking eyes with him.
The doctor froze. "You're also RhD negative, Rhnull? Are you sure?"
"Positive. You can test me," I replied, extending my arm.
My clothes had been taken off earlier to stop Jace's bleeding, leaving me in just a sleeveless T-shirt, my arms exposed.
The doctor hesitated, clearly caught off guard, but nodded. "Come with me."
Blood was drawn, tests were run, and all we could do was wait for the results.
Chapter 465
Normally, hospital results took forever, but this time, everything was moving in fast-forward.
The doctor's face brightened. "This is good. We need to start the transfusion right away. He's going to need at least 400cc, maybe even 600cc of blood. Can you handle that?"
"Yes, even more if needed," I answered, no hesitation. I had to save Jace. Even if his injury wasn't my fault, I couldn't let him bleed out.
They got me into sterile scrubs and rushed me into the emergency room.
Seeing Jace lying there, pale and still, hit me hard. The doctor's words-critical condition-kept playing in my head.
My chest tightened as I walked to him, hooking my pinky around his like he had done earlier. "Jace, hang in there," I whispered. He had to fight. And I had to give him what he needed.
I laid down on the bed next to his, feeling the prick of the needle as my blood started flowing through the tube, straight into Jace.
I lost track of how much they took. All I could see was my blood leaving me, until my vision started to blur and exhaustion crept in.
I knew I was losing too much blood.
But I couldn't stop. Jace needed me.
"We've already taken 600cc," the assistant doctor said, checking the numbers.
"But his blood pressure and oxygen levels aren't stable yet. We need more," the head doctor said, glancing at me.
Before he could ask, I cut him off. "Keep going. I'm fine."
"If we take more, you could pass out," the assistant warned.
"I won't. I'm fine," I insisted, forcing a smile. "Just do it.
The assistant doctor glanced at the head doctor. "How much more do we need?"
""At least 200cc."
He turned back to me, voice low. "You're sure you can handle it?"
"I can," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
With a reluctant nod, he added, "If you feel dizzy or have trouble breathing, you have to tell us."
"I will," I promised.
They exchanged another look before continuing the transfusion. I felt the blood drain out of me, and with every minute, my eyelids got heavier. Staying awake was getting harder-I was so tired, so out of it. But I couldn't sleep. If I did, they'd stop, and Jace wouldn't get enough blood. I couldn't let that happen.
Chapter 465
I bit down on my lip, using the pain to keep my eyes open, though I wasn't sure how much longer I could hang on.
Finally, I heard the doctor's voice. "His vitals have stabilized. We can stop now."
The second I heard that, I couldn't hold on anymore. My eyes closed, and I slipped into unconsciousness.
Even in the haze, I could hear them talking nearby.
"They must be a couple. Why else would someone risk their life like that?"
"Yeah. And having the same rare blood type? It's unreal. One gets hurt, the other saves them."
"If they didn't plan this, maybe it's fate."
...Fate?
I'd lived with Jace for ten years and never knew we had the same blood type.
But if it was fate, then why had we been torn apart?
Chapter 466
The massive transfusion knocked me out, trapping me in a deep, endless sleep.
I kept dreaming-voices swirling around me, whispering in my ear.
'Kiki, be careful. Don't get hurt or bleed. No one can save you.'
'Rea, are you trying to kill yourself, losing all that blood?"
'You idiot! Who told you to give your blood?'
'Rea, help me... I'm so cold...
The voices were my parents, Hayden, and Jace. They blurred together, each more frantic than the last.
I wanted to answer, but I couldn't. Then Jace appeared in my mind, covered in wounds, bleeding out like a fountain.
I froze, terrified. He's golden blood type-he can't afford to bleed.
"Jaçe, Jace!" I screamed, desperately pressing on his wounds, but the blood just poured through my fingers.
Panic surged, and I kept calling his name, "Jace, Jace..."
"Rea, wake up. Wake up!" A voice cut through the nightmare, sharp and urgent, dragging me back.
My eyes snapped open, my chest heaving, still gripped by the fear of the dream.
"Rea," a familiar voice whispered close by.
I turned to see Wayne, his face tight with concern, his hands gripping mine.
"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked softly.
I tried to pull my hands away, and he loosened his grip. My throat burned like I'd swallowed shards of glass as I croaked out, "Why are you here?"
Even those few words hurt, my voice rough and broken.
"With everything that happened to you and Jace, how could I not come?"
The mention of Jace sent a wave of panic through me, images from my nightmare crashing back. I knew
it wasn't real, but I'd seen how bad things were with my own eyes.
Ignoring the ache in my throat, I asked, "How's Jace? Is he okay?"
"He woke up a while ago. He's been in here a few times to check on you, but they made him go back to his room to rest," Wayne explained, and I blinked in surprise. "I... have I been asleep long?" I glanced at the window.
The sky was bright, just like the day it all went down. But I knew it wasn't the same day.
"Three days and nights."
Three days? I stared at him, stunned. "That long?"
Chapter 466
"Yeah, you scared us all half to death," Wayne said, brushing my hair back. "How could you risk yourself like that for Jace? Don't you care about your own life?"
I didn't answer, my eyes drifting around the room. From where I was lying, I couldn't see much, so I tried to sit up.
Wayne jumped to help, piling pillows behind me.
As he leaned in, his chest was right in front of my face, and I caught a faint, woody scent from him. My gaze drifted to his collar, slightly open, and I saw something unexpected-a tattoo on his chest. Yeah, a tattoo.
Before I could get a better look, he straightened up.
Wayne, the guy who always played it safe, by-the-book, had a tattoo? I never would've guessed. But then again, everyone has parts they hide from the world.
"You want some water?" Wayne's voice snapped me back.
I remembered why I sat up in the first place.
I was looking for someone.
Chapter 467
Wayne told me I'd been out for three days. He'd been here the whole time, so Hayden must've come too. He'd said on the phone he was coming right away. "Drink some water," Wayne said, holding a cup to my lips.
I took a sip, my voice scratchy as I asked, "Where's Hayden?"
Wayne's face stiffened just a little. "Drink first."
Those words made something click in my mind, making my throat ache even more. "He didn't come, did he?"
Wayne sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "He came."
"Then where is he?" If I'd been unconscious, shouldn't he have been here? Or... was this his way of
punishing me for pushing him away?
"He left," Wayne said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Probably off dealing with the people who hurt you."
His teasing tone helped ease some of the tension, but thinking about how dangerous those people were sent my heart racing. "Did he go alone? When did he leave?"
"I don't know the details, but don't worry," Wayne said, sounding sure of himself. "If he got you both out of there, he can handle it."
He seemed to have so much faith in Hayden.
But all I could think about was how I'd once seen Hayden as just a regular guy with a job. After learning 'about his real background, it was like he had become someone else entirely-someone with power and reach I didn't understand. I remembered Jace asking me, 'Rea, do you really know Hayden?'
And now... it felt like I didn't. Everyone else seemed to know more about him than I did.
I took another sip of water, then asked, "So, you know who Hayden really is, don't you?"
Wayne met my gaze. "I found out a little before you did."
"Why didn't you tell me?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, and I immediately realized how ridiculous it sounded.
Why would anyone else need to tell me about my own boyfriend's background?
"Rea," Wayne said softly, "I'm sure Hayden had his reasons. Let him explain when you talk to him."
Even with his own feelings for me, Wayne was still defending Hayden. It was another reminder of how selfless he was, always putting me first, no matter what
"I understand," I murmured, taking another sip of water. "I'll call him."
Wayne got up, walked to the nightstand, and handed me my phone. He took the cup from my hands and said, "You make your call. I'll go check on Jace."
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Chapter 467
He left the room smoothly, giving me space without making it awkward.
I unlocked my phone but hesitated. Instead of calling Hayden right away, I opened our chat. The last message I sent him was a photo from when I first arrived here. No new messages from him, but then again, he'd been here in person. With a deep breath, I dialed his number.
The phone rang once, then twice. Unease crept in as it kept ringing. Just as I thought it would go to voicemail, the call connected-but Hayden didn't say anything.
"Hayden, why aren't you saying anything?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"I'm busy," he said flatly. "I'll call you later." And then he hung up.
I stared at the screen, feeling a hollow emptiness spreading through me.
I tried to reason with myself-he must be dealing with something urgent. But as I sat there, the sky outside dimmed, and his call never came.
What was going on?
couldn't sit still anymore. I got out of bed and headed for the door.
Just as I reached for the handle, someone pushed it open from the other side, and we nearly crashed into each other.
Chapter 468
"Rea!" Jace reached out and grabbed my arm.
I glanced at the bandage on his head, then over at Wayne, who'd come in with him. "I think something's happened to Hayden."
Wayne frowned, clearly not buying it. "What do you mean? How do you know?"
I didn't, not for sure. "I called him. He sounded busy, said he'd call me back, but... he hasn't. Not once."
"Why didn't you call again?" Jace asked, a little sharp.
I hadn't. I just waited, trusting he'd call like he said.
"I'll call him." Jace pulled out his phone, dialing.
It rang forever until finally, "Mr. Johnston."
Jace stood close enough that I could hear everything.
"Hayden, where are you?" Jace asked, no hesitation. "On a plane."
My breath caught.
Jace glanced at me. "A plane? Where to?"
"Back to Kehlmark." Those two words crushed me.
1 reached for the phone. "Is something wrong?"
Hayden didn't answer. My hand shook. "Hayden, talk to me! Did something happen? Are you lying about Kehlmark? Where are you?"
I couldn't believe he'd leave without seeing me-unless something big was going on.
"No, I'm not lying," Hayden finally said.
But I wasn't convinced. My voice cracked as I pushed back, "I don't believe you. You've lied to me before."
There was a long pause, and I braced for Hayden to come up with some excuse. Instead, he said, "Yeah, I'm a liar. But not this time. If you don't believe me, I'll send you a picture."
The line went dead. A second later, my phone buzzed. Hayden had sent a photo of himself on the plane, along with a shot of his boarding pass.
Staring at it, I had to accept the truth. He really was going back to Kehlmark. And he hadn't even come to
see me.
I must've looked as wrecked as I felt, because Jace and Wayne just stood there, silent.
Finally, Jace broke the tension. "That asshole! I'm calling him back." He reached for his phone.
I grabbed his hand. "Don't."
"Rea..." Jace's voice was full of concern.
Chapter 468
Ignoring him, I typed a message to Hayden: [Is something going on back home?]
I hit send. No reply.
Frustrated, I sent another: [If something's happened, I'll understand. But if you left without a good reason, I'll be really hurt and angry.] Still nothing. But I saw the messages had been read. He was ignoring me.
What was happening?
Panicked, I typed one last message: [Come back. I need you to see me before you go. If you don't, we're done. We'll break up.]
"Rea," Jace and Wayne said at the same time, shocked by what I'd just sent.
But I kept my eyes locked on the screen. A notification appeared: [Hayden is typing...]
I held my breath, waiting. Then one word popped up:
[Okay,]
Just that one word, and it felt like a knife to my chest.
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469
I froze, staring at that single word: [Okay.]
My brain couldn't even process it at first, so I just kept re-reading the messages I'd sent him.
"What the hell is he thinking?!" Jace cursed, dialing Hayden's number again. This time, it went straight to voicemail.
My vision blurred as I stared at the screen. Without a word, I turned and walked to the window, looking out at the dark sky.
I heard footsteps behind me, but I cut them off. "Leave me alone for a while, please."
Jace and Wayne knew I was hurting. Neither said a thing. I heard the door click softly as they left.
The moment they were gone, the tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over. I didn't know if I was crying because Hayden had agreed to the breakup so easily or because of the crushing betrayal.
I'd waited for him, hoping he'd come see me. But he left-without a word, without even seeing me. Sure, I'd been asleep for three days, but how had things gotten so cold' in that time?
Maybe he'd been hurt saving me and didn't want me to worry. Or maybe there was something else, something he couldn't say.
Could it be the Hart family? Maybe they didn't want us together.
A hundred wild thoughts ran through my mind, but I forced them down. Guessing wouldn't fix anything. I needed to ask him straight up.
'But with his phone off, I had no way to reach him. Desperate, I decided to call Yuna, momentarily forgetting the time difference.
"Keira?" Yuna's voice was groggy, like I'd just woken her up.
For a second, I didn't know what to say.
"Keira?" she repeated.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I tried to keep my voice steady, hiding how wrecked I felt. I didn't want to stress Yuna, especially after everything she'd been through with her surgery. "It's fine. I've been meaning to call you anyway," she said, sounding more alert. "Hayden told me you were busy overseas."
Hearing his name made my throat tighten.
Oblivious, Yuna continued cheerfully, "When are you and Hayden coming back? I miss you."
I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "I'll be back tomorrow."
There were no flights tonight, but I needed to get back. I needed answers.
Did Hayden really think that just because he was some wealthy heir now, I wasn't good enough for him? "That's great! You and Hayden will come back together right? We should have dinner to celebrate," Yuna Chapter 469
said excitedly. "Oh! I had my first paid job today, helping someone arrange flowers online. They loved it!"
She sounded so proud, and I was genuinely happy for her. Yuna had always been a go-getter.
"That's amazing. You're seriously talented," I told her, forcing myself to sound upbeat.
"Thanks! Can't wait to catch up in person!" she chirped.
"Same here," I said, but I couldn't keep the conversation going any longer. "You should rest."
"Alright. See you soon!" she said sweetly before hanging up.
As soon as the call ended, the knot in my chest tightened. Yuna's cheerful voice made one thing painfully clear-Hayden was fine.
There wasn't any emergency keeping him from me. He had chosen to leave, had chosen to agree to break up without even trying to fight for us.
I had said it first, sure, but I never expected him to actually go along with it. I wanted to provoke him, to get a reaction-but instead, he just... agreed. Why? What the hell was he thinking?
I needed answers. The only way to get them was to go back and talk to him face-to-face.
Determined, I grabbed my phone and started booking a flight. But just before I hit submit, it hit me-I hadn't even checked on Steve yet.
I closed the ticket app, took a breath, and headed to find Wayne and Jace to ask about Steve's condition.
As I reached for the door, I froze. I overheard Wayne talking to Jace just outside.
"Hayden probably saw the news and misunderstood, thinking Rea still has feelings for you. That's why he's acting like this."
Chapter 470
News? What news?
I stood there, stunned. No one had mentioned anything since I woke up.
I yanked the door open, and both Jace and Wayne immediately turned toward me.
"What news?" I demanded, cutting straight to the point.
They exchanged a quick look, clearly scrambling for a way to dodge my question.
But I wasn't giving them the chance. "I heard everything"
Wayne's expression darkened. He pulled out his phone.
Jace looked like he wanted to stop Wayne, but I shot him a glare that kept him silent.
"She should know. It'll help her clear things up with Hayden," Wayne said, unlocking his phone and handing it to me.
On the screen was a screenshot of an article. The headline read: [Golden Blood Type Lovers-Girlfriend Saves Her Lover with 800CC of Blood. 'Now, your body flows with my blood.]
The headline was pure melodrama, and to make it worse, there was a picture of me holding Jace's hand during the blood transfusion. I had just been trying to comfort him, nothing more-but the way the article framed it, it looked like some romantic, life-or-death bond between us.
No wonder Hayden had jumped to conclusions. I would've thought the same if I were him.
"When did this happen?" I asked, my voice tight.
before I did," Wayne explained.
"Three days ago. Right after you gave Jace the transfusion. By the time I got here, it was already blowing up. Hayden must've seen i My chest tightened as I processed everything. Wayne noticed and stepped closer. "I made sure it got taken down. It's not online anymore." But the damage was done. Hayden had seen it.
I didn't care what anyone else thought, but Hayden? He couldn't be left in the dark like this. Even if he trusted me, that photo, paired with that ridiculous headline, was enough to plant seeds of doubt. "I can explain it to him," Jace offered.
I shook my head. "No. Explaining would just make it messier. Besides, if Hayden didn't trust me at all, he wouldn't have left me in your care, right?"
I forced a smile, more to reassure myself than them. "There must've been something else going on. Some urgent reason for him to leave so fast."
"Rea..." Jace said softly, like he had more to say.
I didn't give him the chance. "How's Steve doing?" I asked, changing the subject.
Wayne answered, "He's fine now, thanks to Hayden stepping in."
1/2
Chapter 470
Of course, Hayden had handled it. Even with the danger of dealing with Quartz Cue, he'd pulled it off. But Jace's earlier question echoed in my mind: 'Do you really know Hayden?' Clearly, I didn't know him as well as I thought.
"Good," I said, forcing a laugh. "Has Steve been released yet?"
"Not yet. Some paperwork's still being handled. He should be out tomorrow," Jace replied.
That reminded me-I needed to book my flight.
"Alright. When you see him tomorrow, let him know I've headed back home. We'll talk more once he's out. "I was determined to confront Hayden as soon as possible, especially now that I knew he might think! still had feelings for Jace. "Rea, you don't need to rush. It's just one night," Wayne said gently.
"No." I shook my head. "Even though it's only one night, it'll feel completely different."
If I rushed back today, Hayden would know I cared enough to fix this the moment I realized he was upset. But if I waited, even just until tomorrow, he might think I wasn't taking it seriously. couldn't let this misunderstanding sit.