Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

Chapter 823

I rolled my eyes so hard they almost got stuck. Hayden really had way too much time on his hands. Decorating an urn and stashing a data sync device in a jewelry box? Was this some kind of cosmic joke? Then again, maybe he'd done it to throw people off-make them think it was just a random trinket and not something insanely valuable.

"What the hell is this?" Cole snapped, reaching for the box.

I smacked his hand away. "Chill, Drago. What's the rush? Don't you afraid there's a scorpion inside or something?"

He gave me an annoyed side-eye. "Just open it already. Hayden's brain must be a circus to come up with this nonsense."

Ignoring him, I pulled the tiny red box from its fluffy nest of white feathers.

It was way too light. No way it held the device.

Still, I flipped it open-and, of course, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

"A ring?" Cole said, his voice somewhere between disbelief and irritation.

size of that rock, it could probably pay off a small

Hayden? Another ring? First, it was those weird high-tech

Cole snatched it before I could, holding it up like he expected it to transform

theatrics and focused on the jewelry box itself, poking around its insides.

that turned up nothing, he grabbed the box and started ripping it apart. Lining, inserts, every layer-it

replaced with

done. Grabbing the urn, he dumped its contents onto the ground,

kicked the urn toward his men. "Smash it.

refused to

Chapter 823

+25 BONUS

broken into pieces, it revealed no hidden compartments, no secrets. Cole's fists clenched at his sides, the tension rolling off him like a storm. Months of chasing me, following leads,

Almost.

had no choice but to accept the truth, no matter

the urn held the