Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

Chapter 646

Demi's call came in while I was in the bathroom, wiping Ron's splash attack off my face.

"Keira." Her voice was flat, almost hollow-so unlike the Demi I used to know. She used to talk like every sentence was lit with fireworks, sharp and alive. Now? That fire was gone.

I didn't know every detail of what happened, but her suicide attempt had left a mark. She wasn't the same, and it broke my heart to hear it.

"If you didn't call me soon, I was about to come hunt you down myself," I said, trying to inject some levity into my tone.

"Don't come. I'm fine," she cut in, her tone shaky.

I tossed the crumpled paper towel in the trash and leaned against the sink. "Fine? Sure, because that sounded convincing. Spill, Demi What's going on?"

She went quiet for so long I thought the call dropped. Then, finally, her voice cracked through the silence. "I have nothing left. Nothing And now I'm stuck with almost $500,000 in debt."

Wayne had mentioned her boyfriend before, so the pieces clicked fast-she'd been played. Scammed by someone she trusted.

I gritted my teeth. "And your grand solution was to kill yourself? Is that what your life is worth-half a million

• dollars?"

and loan sharks. When I couldn't pay, they started harassing me, calling nonstop Now they're threatening my parents." Guilt hit me like

asked, it clicked-I smashed my phone back then. Maybe she had tried to reach me. Maybe she'd called, and I just

wouldn't have tried to end her life. But it was too late for "what

fled, I asked, "So, you're in

I wasn't buying it. Lindale? With no connections and only a high school diploma? She wasn't finding

a year. Half a million in debt? That'd take her ten years. And that's if she didn't spend a dime on herself. That kind of endless grind would break her

the

before I could overthink it. "Work for me. I'll pay you $500,000 upfront as an advance on your salary." As soon

the people you love without

answer hit me like a

Why? I blurted,

shaking "I can't just take yours to pay it off. And what if I

snapped, frustration bubbling over. I'm not asking for repayment, Demi! There's no deadline, no pressure. Just let

I'm not doing anything stupid again.

calling back, but she wouldn't