I was sitting on the hotel balcony, staring out at the rain when Hayden’s video call shed on my
screen.
There’s something about a foreign city that makes everything feel kind of…lonely. Especially when
it’s pouring.
As I sat there, the conversation I’d overheard yed on repeat in my head. And suddenly, Jace’s
weird questions about Hayden made sense. Not to mention why Kylian had been acting so weird
around him.
Hayden wasn’t just some regr guy.
He was from that Hart family.
I thought he was just your average guy–next–door, and now it turns out he was some secret heir to
a filthy rich, powerful family. Like, for real?
What was this? Some undercover billionaire thing? Was he scared I’d stick around just because of
his
money?
A bitterugh escaped me as I grabbed my phone, which had been buzzing nonstop at my feet.
Hayden’s face filled the screen–handsome as ever. “Kiki, I can exin.”
He must’ve seen the call log. Of course he knew I overheard everything.
“Exin what?” I curled my toes, pretending I didn’t already know the whole deal.
“I didn’t mean to lie to you or hide anything,” Hayden said, his voice full of sincerity.
I started tracing little circles on the window. “Everyone’s got their reasons. You didn’t have to tell
me–it’s your call.”
“Kiki…”
“You left me with Jace because you knew he had to work with your family, didn’t you? He wouldn’t
dare mess with me because of you, right?” I asked, half–whispering, not really expecting him to
come clean.
“It’s not like that-”
“Seriously, what kind of boyfriend lets their ex babysit their girlfriend?” I muttered under my breath.
“Kiki…”
“Remember what I told you before? I hate being lied to.” I blinked and realized I’d been doodling
Hayden’s name all over the fogged–up window. Oops.
“I know, I wanted to tell you… but the timing never felt right,” Hayden said, tension thick in his
voice.
“Oh, so you were just waiting for the perfect moment, huh? Like, maybe after you officially rejoined
the Hart family? Or were you never gonna say anything unless I overheard it today?” The bitterness
in my tone was undeniable.
Silence. Then finally, he answered. “I never intended to rejoin the Hart family. That’s why I didn’t
mention
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it.”
I blinked, totally thrown. Why didn’t he want to go back to his family?
But instead of asking, I forced myself to stay calm. “It’s fine, Hayden. You didn’t have to tell me. Like
you said, we’re together, but we’re still our own people.”
I knew I was twisting his words, but I couldn’t stop. My heart felt all over the ce.
He went quiet again before shifting gears. “Have you been able to see Steve?”
I sighed, pushing my frustration aside. “No, Jace says he’s still working on it.”
“I’ll have someone set it up so you can see him tomorrow,” Hayden said, catching me off guard.
I let out a dryugh. Of course, with his connections, he could just make that happen. “Guess it’s
handy having you around, after all.”
“Kiki… there’s something off about Steve’s situation. When you meet him tomorrow as his ‘attorney‘,
there are some things you need to ask,” Hayden’s tone turned serious, pulling my attention back.
“What do I need to ask?”
“Get him to exin everything about the issues with Danilo and why he wouldn’t cooperate. See if
Steve’s got any proof, and ask if anyone’s threatened him or tried to bribe him recently.”
My stomach flipped at his words. “You think Danilo’s death is part of some setup?”
“We can’t rule it out. Steve was a top contender for the championship. If something happened to
him, it’d clear the way for otherpetitors.” Hayden’s logic was sharp, and suddenly, it all started
clicking.
“Maybe someone tried to bribe him to throw a match, and when he wouldn’t y along, they framed
him,” I said, my thoughts lining up with his.
“Exactly. That’s why it’s so important you get him to talk. The more we know, the easier it’ll be to
expose whoever’s behind this and clear his name.”