"Huh?" Hayden looked at me, eyebrows scrunched up.I stepped closer, close enough to catch the clean, soapy scent clinging to him, like he'd just showered.It smelled really good.It smelled really good.It took me back to when my parents were still around, and we used bar soap for everything—washing hands, taking baths. Now it's all about the fancy body wash. You hardly ever smell real bar soap anymore."Are you hiding something from me?" I asked.He frowned and looked me up and down. "You good? How much did you drink?"I'd only had one drink—not enough to even get tipsy—but apparently, he noticed.I laughed and grabbed his shirt collar, giving it a playful tug. "Come on, Hayden Hart, don't play dumb. I mean, are you hiding your real identity? Secretly loaded? Maybe even the real boss behind OceanixCorp?"His jaw tightened. "I don't know what you're talking about."He stepped back, like he needed some space."Oh, you really don't know, or are you just faking it? Messing wit
I thought about that contract. "Your dad's death must've been tied to mine. I'm the only one who can get to the bottom of this."Hayden looked at me. "Did you find something out?""What about you?" I asked. "Why are you after Thorsten Drago? Why do you suspect him?"He stood up and walked to the window, his tall frame radiating this strength, like he could hold up the sky if it came crashing down.Watching him like that, I set down my cup and followed. "Hayden, I get that you know something too. And I know you don't want me involved, but this is about my parents. I can't just sit back and do nothing."I glanced at the moonlight streaming through the window. "I'm not some clueless kid. I can handle myself. And besides, you're here with me, aren't you?"Hayden turned to look at me, and after a beat, he said, "You're just as stubborn as you were when we were kids."I laughed and faced him. "So, you've known who I was this whole time? You got close to me just to dig into your dad's
He sent me a friend request, and at this hour?My gut told me something was up.Even though Steve swore Cole wouldn't try anything out of line, I still felt like I needed to be cautious.Accepting a guy's friend request this late at night just felt too casual—and kinda reckless.I ignored the notification and focused back on Lena. Then I heard her say, "He did that successful surgery with the girl who's a perfect match for him."I could hear the sadness in her voice, and it made my chest tighten.Having been through heartbreak myself, I knew how crucial it was to feel like you're on the same level in a relationship.Lena was crazy talented, but her senior was a big deal on an international scale. There was a gap between them—a huge one. The whole worlds apart thing? Yeah, there was a reason people say that.I didn't push the topic and switched to something lighter, chatting with Lena for a while longer before we hung up. Afterward, I stared at Cole's friend request, unease twis
Ron's words instantly made me think of Hayden, and what Steve had mentioned yesterday about a friend with the last name 'Hart' who had invested a ton of money in OceanixCorp.I turned to Ron. "When you say 'manly,' what exactly do you mean? Or do you have a friend like that?"Ron cleared his throat. "It's hard to explain... I mean, someone with a strong presence, stands tall, like..." He trailed off, pointing at the cafeteria's TV screen.The news was showing a flag-raising ceremony, soldiers standing tall and straight, radiating discipline and strength. It reminded me of Hayden again, and I had a feeling Ron was hinting at something.The last name Hart?Manly?A soldier?It couldn't be, could it?I watched Ron's face, but he was focused on the screen, deep in thought. I decided to throw him off a little. "Is your friend's name Hayden?""Huh?" Ron blinked, looking at me in surprise. "What did you just say?"I couldn't tell if he actually didn't hear me or if he was just playi
I'd definitely put Ron in a tough spot.But I was also trying to figure out who the mysterious boss was.Even though deep down I didn't think it could be Hayden—he always seemed way too broke to be loaded—something about Ron's hints made me wonder if Hayden had more in common with this boss than I thought.I didn't have much going on that afternoon, so after a meeting, I opened my social media app.I checked my new friend request from Cole. Our chat was empty except for the notification saying we were now friends—no messages at all.He'd definitely seen that I accepted, but he hadn't replied.It was obvious he was ignoring me on purpose, his way of getting back at me for not accepting his request last night.This guy seriously held grudges. It was clear, even over something so small, that he was the type to plot revenge.I guess that's why both Hayden and Jace had warned me to stay away from him.But it was too late; we'd already crossed paths. Pretending I didn't know him was
The phone, which had been blowing up, went quiet all of a sudden.For a second, the only things we could hear were the sizzle from the stove and our own hearts racing.We were so close that our breaths mixed, and I caught a flash of something intense in Hayden's eyes...I just knew this was leading up to something huge.Knock, knock!A knock on the door shattered the moment, followed by Mrs. Lowrey's voice. "Hayden, my water's barely trickling. Can you come take a look?"Hayden jumped back, and I used the chance to make a beeline for the couch, practically diving onto it.A second later, Hayden walked out of the kitchen and over to the door. "Sure, I'll check it out.""Thank you," she said, peeking inside and spotting me. She gave me a polite smile. "Keira, mind if I borrow your boyfriend for a bit?"I let out a small laugh."He's all yours," I teased. "Just don't forget to return him in one piece."She chuckled. "Will do," she said, leading Hayden out the door.I sighed in
Jace was here. I hadn't expected that.But it made sense. Tonight was the big lighting test, and as the owner of the amusement park, of course he'd want to check it out.Our eyes met, and Jace started walking over.Hayden's hand slipped around mine, warm and steady.Gotta give him credit—when it came to pretending to be my boyfriend, he didn't hold back. The second Jace showed up, Hayden's protective vibe kicked in like it was second nature.Jace's eyes darted to our joined hands, but he didn't look fazed. "What time does it start?" he asked, his voice calmHayden and I knew what he meant—the lighting test."Ten minutes," Hayden answered."Where's the best spot to watch?" Jace asked, his tone still calm.Hayden's grip on my hand tightened just a bit. I glanced at him, and he looked back like he was leaving it up to me.He knew this place better than anyone. He didn't need my input.He was just giving me the choice."There are different spots, all marked," I said, sounding l
My throat tightened. Was Hayden seriously suggesting we all squeeze into the same cabin?I was about to say something when Hayden grabbed my hand and steered me toward another one."You're not getting on this one?" Jace called after us."Yeah, that's a hard pass," Hayden shot back as he helped me into the other cabin.He climbed in right behind me and slid the door shut.Through the glass, I saw Jace's face darken, his eyes practically shooting daggers.Yup, he was definitely not happy."You did that on purpose, didn't you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Hayden."Yep," he admitted without missing a beat. "Didn't feel like sharing a cabin with him."There was this smugness in his voice, maybe even a little defiance—like a kid who'd just gotten away with something sneaky.I couldn't help but laugh.I had to admit, Hayden was full of surprises. One minute he was all tough and distant, the next he was sweet and thoughtful, and now he was being downright cute and a little bit br