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

events of that

Wayne's villa. The danger seemed aimed at me, but somehow, Hayden and the rest ended up in

at all-I was just bait in a trap for Hayden. That's why, during the kidnapping, I'd been

reason to stop Wayne. The easiest way to keep you apart was to make Wayne look. like the

you, risking his life and all that. And two, to clear suspicion. Who'd suspect someone fighting

dots. "So you thought Jace was faking it? Playing the victim to mess with me? That's why you didn't help him-you wanted to see how far he'd go?" "There was some of that," Hayden admitted, his

read his expression, but his face stayed calm as ever. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctors

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nurses handle that," I teased, gesturing to his bandages." Pretty sure they'd do

locked on mine, unflinching. "I didn't

1 froze, blinking.

man just rizzed me out of

his arm lightly. "Be serious. What

expression softened. "Everything he

feel special, but I wasn't delusional. This wasn't just about me. It was about control, ambition, and power.

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