Ch. 671..680

Chapter 671

The moment I called him "Uncle," his face crumpled, and He just lost it-tears streaming down his cheeks as he broke down right in front of me.

"He always said Narelle looked like her aunt. Now I see why you and Narelle resemble each other so much," Mrs. Yule said, stepping out of the kitchen with watery eyes. She came over, gripping my hand like she wasn't planning to let go.

I pulled them both into a hug. From now on, it'd be the three of us.

That was also when I learned their names: Damien and Abby.

I brought them to my parents' gravesite. Someone-probably Matthew or his family-had left a bouquet of fresh flowers there. The irony wasn't lost on me. They were the reason my parents were gone, and now they wanted to play the remorse card with flowers? Like that could erase what they did.

My parents wouldn't forgive them. How could they? They lost everything-their lives, their chance to see me grow up.

Uncle Damien and Aunt Abby stood frozen in front of my mom's picture, crying like they'd been holding it in for years. Aunt Abby especially-she was full-on sobbing, barely keeping it together.

I knew she wasn't just seeing my mom. She was seeing Narelle, too. If I looked like Narelle, then Narelle must've been the spitting image of my mom. Not just in looks but in something deeper-the way they carried themselves. Uncle Damien and Aunt Abby asked me to move in with them. I said no. I got where they were coming from-they wanted to give me a real family, a home. But we'd never lived together before, and let's be real, my life didn't fit with theirs.

I promised to visit, and they didn't push it.

Having family again felt good in a way, but there was this heaviness underneath it all, like a weight pressing on my chest. I couldn't even explain why-it was just there.

That feeling eventually pulled me to Mr. Seth's bar.

I had my own bar now, but I didn't go there. Instead, I ended up here, lingering until closing time.

When Mr. Seth came over, he asked, "Want some company for a drink?"

"Sure," I said, glancing at him. "But seriously, why do you look so skinny? You been dieting or what?"

He smiled faintly. "I've been crazy busy. Out of nowhere, my bar turned into some social media hotspot. It's packed every night, and I'm barely keeping up."

He wasn't kidding. If I weren't a regular, there's no way I'd have gotten a seat tonight.

"You shouldn't let it wreck your health. Hire more help or something," I said, trying not to sound as worried as I felt. He looked rough, like he hadn't slept in days. He nodded, then clinked his glass against mine. "What's eating you? Breakup?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Is it that obvious?"

"There's no light in your eyes anymore," he said, straight-up, and it hit me harder than I expected.

He was right. When Hayden left, he took that light with him. There was nothing left now.

"He's gone," I muttered, staring into my glass. "Mr. Seth, I miss him so much. What am I supposed to do?"

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Chapter 671

That weight on my chest wasn't random-it was Hayden. Missing him so bad it felt like drowning, like I was clutching at air and coming up empty.

Mr. Seth didn't say a word. He just stayed there, quietly drinking with me.

I downed way too much that night. He tried to make me crash at his place, but I refused.

He didn't push it. Instead, he arranged for a car to take me home, and for once, I didn't argue. When the car dropped me off at the alleyway, I had to walk the last stretch.

The quiet was eerie, the kind that makes your thoughts louder. As I walked, I suddenly felt it-someone was behind me.

Assuming it was Mr. Seth, I waved without turning. "Mr. Seth, seriously, you don't need to follow me. I'm good."

No answer.

I stopped and turned around..

No one was there.

Huh?

Didn't he follow me? Then... where were those footsteps coming from?

I shook it off. Maybe it was just in my head.

But as I kept walking, the sound came again.

Footsteps.

Light. Deliberate. Steady...*

Chapter 672

The silence of the night made the feeling ten times worse.

A cold shiver crawled up my neck, and before I knew it, I was running

I didn't stop until I reached the car waiting at the curb. The driver glanced at me, out of breath and wide-eyed, and chuckled. "You didn't need to run-I'm not in a hurry," Neither was I. I was just scared out of my mind.

I turned back to look at the alley I had just sprinted from. It was empty. Nothing there.

But those footsteps-clear as day-had followed me, Someone had been there.

Now, sitting in the safety of the car, I regretted not turning around earlier, not confronting whatever it was.

The first thing I did was call Lena. After hearing me out, she laughed. "Sounds like you ran into a ghost in the middle of the night."

A ghost? Yeah, right.

I was about to tell her how ridiculous that sounded when she added, "Or maybe it was a perverted ghost."

Okay, fine. Dim alleys and late nights were a setup for creeps, not ghosts. But if it was some stalker, wouldn't they have done more than just follow me?

"Stop overthinking and go to bed. Also, you've been hitting the bottle way too hard. Seriously, Rea, chill with the drinking," Lena sounded like a concerned mom. "Got it," I mumbled, brushing her off.

She wasn't wrong, though. Lately, alcohol was the only thing helping me sleep.

As the driver pulled away, I glanced back one last time-and froze.

A figure stepped out of the alley.

Tall. Upright.

For a split second, it looked exactly like Hayden.

Heat surged through me, adrenaline firing straight to my head. I slapped the back of the driver's seat so hard, he nearly jumped. "Stop the car! Right now!"

The driver slammed on the brakes, and I lunged for the door-only to find it locked.

"Open the door! Now!" I yelled.

The driver unlocked it, and the second I heard the click, I shoved it open and jumped out, not even thinking about my footing.

Bad idea,

My foot twisted, and I went down hard, slamming onto my knees. Pain shot up my legs like a lightning bolt, and for a second, my vision blurred with white-hot stars.

By the time the driver scrambled over to help, the figure I'd seen was gone, Just... gone.

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Chapter 672

All that was left was the ache in my scraped knees, the sting spreading sharp and raw, and the overwhelming weight in my chest.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears came fast and ugly, pouring out as I sat there on the ground.

It felt like the pain had finally cracked something open-the strength I'd been clinging to wasn't there anymore.

The driver, visibly shaken, called Mr. Seth, who showed up and insisted I go to the hospital.

Lena was the one who cleaned and dressed the wounds on my knees.

When she heard why I had fallen, she raised an eyebrow. "You really think you saw Hayden? Are you sure it wasn't just the alcohol talking?"

The pain had already sobered me up. I tried to think back to the figure I'd seen. Truthfully? I wasn't sure anymore. Maybe it was the booze messing with me, making me see what I wanted to see. Because how could it really be him? If it was, why didn't he come to me?

But then I remembered the flickering lights at the amusement park. That gut feeling I couldn't shake-that Hayden wasn't gone. That somehow, someway, he was still out there.

"Lena," I murmured, "If he's still alive, why won't he come see me?"

The antiseptic burned as she dabbed it onto my scraped knees, but I didn't flinch. It was nothing compared to the storm raging inside me.

"He probably has his reasons," she said softly, blowing gently to ease the sting of the iodine. "But... if Hayden really is alive and he comes back, would you throw yourself into his arms without hesitation, or..." She let the question hang, unfinished.

But I knew what she meant.

She was asking if I'd forgive him-or if I'd blame him.

Chapter 673

"I don't know," I mumbled, staring at the blank wall. "I miss him so much, but then I remember how he lied to me -let me think he was gone when he wasn't-and all I wanna do is punch him. Maybe kick him too."

Lena gave me a knowing nod. "Totally fair. If he shows up, I'll hold him down so you can get a solid kick in. He deserves it for putting you through all this crap."

Honestly, my busted knee turned out to be a decent excuse to take a breather. The next morning, though? Absolute torture. The pain was so bad I couldn't even crawl out of bed.

Too bad I only had one day to chill. The big light show was the day after tomorrow, and the human light display- my genius last-minute idea-was 100% my problem.

So there I was, limping my way onto the venue. Ron took one look at me and froze. "Whoa. Should I grab you a wheelchair or something? You look like you're dying."

I sighed, rolling up my pant leg to show him the damage. His jaw dropped. "Holy crap, that's bad! I thought it was just a bruise. Did you, like, go to the ER?"

"It's fine. I'm not dying," I said, brushing it off like no big deal.

Before he could go full mom-mode, the room shifted. A group of guys in sleek black suits and matching shirts strode in, stealing all the attention.

Ron blinked, clearly impressed. "Are those the models? Dang, they're like, absurdly hot."

"Obviously. DracoLux never misses," I said as they headed our way.

Just as I was about to figure out who was in charge, a luxury car pulled up like it owned the place. Out stepped Cole, rocking shades and a ridiculously crisp white outfit. "Hey, come check this out," he said, all smug and self-satisfied.

I nodded, giving him credit where it was due. "They look amazing. Seriously, great job."

But of course, Ron wasn't done. He squinted at the group, counting under his breath. "Wait. There's only six. Weren't we supposed to have seven?"

I turned to Cole, who just pointed toward the bathrooms. "One's got a sensitive stomach. He'll be back in time, don't worry. We're still golden."

"Fine. Get them into their outfits and start arranging positions," I said, checking the time. "And tell your guy with the stomach drama to hurry back. I don't need him throwing off the lineup." Cole flashed me an exaggerated OK sign. "Sure thing. Want to come with me to check on everything?"

I nodded and moved forward without thinking-big mistake. The sharp stab in my knee almost dropped me. I -hissed, wobbling like a baby deer.

Cole caught me mid-stumble, his reflexes annoyingly on point. "Whoa there. What's up? Heels too high?"

Heels? Please. More like bad leg.

Ron jumped in, his voice all serious. "I'm getting you a wheelchair."

Cole frowned, glancing between Ron and me and asked, "What's going on? Where are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing."

Chapter 673

Ignoring him and the pain, I limped toward the backstage area. Naturally, Cole followed, probably trying to solve this "mystery injury."

"Did you fall? Get into a fight? Someone push you?"

His imagination really was something.

"Relax, Sherlock," I said, sighing. "I tripped... while bowing in prayer."

"I tripped while, uh... while attempting a super graceful victory pose," I said, deadpan.

He gave me a look. "Yeah, sure. If someone's messing with you, just say the word."

"It's fine," I said, brushing him off as we reached the backstage area.

The models were already in their outfits, and the lights dimmed for the big reveal. Suddenly, the suits lit up, glowing with vibrant, shifting patterns that moved as they did-like a living kaleidoscope.

I froze, completely mesmerized. It was stunning, next-level genius. And by some miracle, another unplanned moment had turned into a win.

Since Hayden's passing, my life had been a weird mix of chaos and surprising victories-like the universe was throwing me pity points.

"We're still one short," the lighting tech pointed out. "When's the last guy showing up?"

"Here he comes!" someone called.

The final model stepped onto the stage.

The room stayed dim, the glow of the suits casting just enough light to outline him as he moved into view. It was barely a second, but something about him made my heart lurch.

Chapter 674 Hayden?

It had to be him. That same silhouette I'd seen in the alley that night.

Last time, I blew it-I fell and missed my chance. Not this time. I stepped forward...and forgot about my busted knee. Yep, down I went, crashing straight to the floor.

"Wow, if you wanted me to catch you, you could've just asked," Cole quipped, smirking as he helped me up.

I ignored him, my focus glued to the stage. Without thinking, I yelled, "Turn on the lights!"

The models froze mid-rehearsal, and the backstage area stayed pitch black.

"I said, turn on the lights!" My voice was louder, desperate.

Ron walked in just then, eyebrows raised. "What's happening? Turn on the lights, now!"

His tone worked like magic. The lights flooded on, way too bright, making everyone blink like deer in headlights- including me.

But I didn't care. My gaze darted from face to face until it landed on the one in the center.

Hayden.

The face I'd dreamed of, cried over, whispered "I miss you" to in the dark. Right there, alive. But something was off-his eyes. The way he looked at me, like he didn't even know me. Confused. Uneasy. None of it mattered. Not his weird expression, not my throbbing knee. I limped toward the stage, barely noticing

• Cole trailing behind me.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Ron's finger shot toward the guy onstage, his voice shaking. "H-Hayden... You-you're alive? But how? You..." He trailed off, too freaked out to get the words out.

I staggered closer to the edge of the stage, eyes locked on him.

It had to be Hayden. I was sure of it-completely, undeniably sure.

"Hayden..." I whispered, my voice catching on the name I'd repeated in my head so many times.

But he didn't even flinch.

Cole, still keeping me steady, let out a low laugh. "That's not Hayden Hart. That's Xander Zane-the headliner." Cole gestured for the guy to step forward, and he obeyed instantly, hopping off the stage. "Mr. Drago," he said, nodding respectfully to Cole. Cole pointed my way. "This is our client, Keira Kay."

The man turned to me, his tone formal and flat. "Ms. Kay, Hello. My name is Xander Zane."

And just like that, the whole fantasy shattered.

That voice-nasally and high-pitched. It was all wrong. Hayden's voice had weight, that low, velvety tone that made you lean in just to hear it better. This guy? Nope. Not even close.

But his face... I couldn't shake it. It was too similar. The sharp angles of his jaw, those deep, intense eyes-it was

Chapter 674

all Hayden. Except for one thing: his skin. Xander's was pale and freakishly perfect, like a wax figure. Hayden's face had texture, rugged and real.

The stage director clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "Are we rehearsing or what? Don't come crying to me if this messes up the show!"

"Keep it rolling," Ron said, pulling me back a step and signaling for the lights to dim again.

The rehearsal picked back up, the lights flowing across the stage like watercolors. I didn't move. I couldn't. My head was spinning too fast to process anything. "That guy really does look like Hayden," Ron said gently, like he was trying to calm me down. "But his vibe, his voice-it's totally off. Probably just a lookalike."

I didn't answer, my gaze sliding to Cole. "He seriously goes by Xander?"

Cole's smirk was all mischief. "Of course. What else would he be called?"

I squinted at him, trying to read his face. But Cole's sly, shadowy demeanor gave away nothing. Unbeatable. Finally, I went for it. "Introduce me to him."

Cole's grin stretched wider. "Sure. Let me tell you, this guy's a total legend. He's our top model-been killing it for two years now. No one can do what he does. Tough client? Messy shoot? He steps in and owns it every time. And, come on, you've seen him. That face, that body? Literal perfection."