Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

Chapter

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"You said you'd been suspicious of Wayne for a while. What about Jace? You were working with him, but when he was surrounded by crocodiles, you just... stood there. Why?" I finally asked, a question that had haunted me for ages. Even though Jace and I had ended things, that moment stuck in my head, like a bad movie scene I couldn't skip. I'd even dreamt about it.

I'd asked Jace once, but his answer didn't feel real. Hayden's answer? That's the one I needed.

"Testing him," Hayden said, cool and straight to the point.

"Testing him? He's Wayne's brother."

"He is," Hayden said, not budging. "But not entirely. There were... other reasons.

"Like what?" I pressed, trying to stay patient.

I was sitting sideways, avoiding his bandaged arm. His face was out of view, but his voice stayed steady.

"Because everything pointed too perfectly at Wayne, like it was staged," he explained.

words pulled me back

events of that

as soon as I moved into Wayne's villa. The danger seemed aimed at me, but somehow, Hayden

wasn't about me at all-I was just bait in a trap for Hayden. That's why, during the kidnapping, I'd been the only

Jace knew that. But since you and Jace were done, he had no reason

much he loved you, risking his life and all that. And two, to clear

with me? That's why you didn't help him-you wanted to see how far he'd go?" "There

calm as ever. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctors finish wrapping his wounds and quietly leave the

1/2

+25 BONUS

gesturing to

unflinching. "I didn't want any woman

1 froze, blinking.

man just rizzed me out of

smacked his arm lightly. "Be serious. What else was

expression softened. "Everything he did

was about control, ambition,

what mattered-the guy sitting right in front of me. But the memory of that moment, when Hayden had stood there, cold and unbothered as I dangled in danger, still