Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

Chapter 624

They say men don't cry easily, especially not in front of women.

But I saw it with my own eyes-Ron's face crumpling, his reddened eyes filling with tears until they spilled down his cheeks..

I didn't try to comfort him. I just walked out, leaving him to grieve Hayden in his

own way.

Ron had said this company belonged to Hayden, though

on paper, Ron was the official owner. That said everything about their bond. Hayden had trusted him enough to put everything in his hands.

And now Hayden was gone. How was Ron, who'd clearly been waiting for him to come back, supposed to accept that?

The pain he felt couldn't be much different from my own.

I left his office and headed to Hayden's workspace. As a chief engineer, Hayden had always been hands-on for R&D, so his office was packed with experimental * tools and equipment. Yet, despite all the chaos of his work, the room was immaculate, every item in its place-so very him.

My gaze landed on the notebook on his desk, left open to a page of data. His handwriting, bold and precise, stood out like he'd just written it yesterday.

The ache in my chest came rushing back, sharp and relentless.

lingering-was him. And yet, no matter how much I tried to

something only those who'd

the usual stuff-pens, USB drives, notebooks, Bluetooth headphones. Then my eyes caught on a transparent

It was a bracelet.

+35 BONUS

me think it had broken off. I dug around the box, looking for the missing piece, and found a few other unfinished parts. There was also a folded piece of paper tucked inside.

me. Hayden had been working on it,

Now, this little bell proved it. Even after pushing me away,

almost like it was speaking for him.

no matter how carefully I worked, I couldn't complete it. The clasp

must've never finished making it before... before the incident that

his life.

I couldn't leave the bracelet sitting in a box. It was meant for

clasp wasn't there, I'd make

like Hayden, I'd figure

Ron found me, I had just finished fastening the bracelet with a braided red cord I'd crafted into a makeshift clasp. It

every little movement, its sound sweet and

rough, his eyes still a little puffy. He

it

2/3

+25 BONUS