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Chapter 259

Author: Rosie Steppe
I'd failed miserably as a daughter. I knew my parents died in a car accident, but I didn't know a single detail about what happened that day.

Lindey's expression shifted, and she gently grabbed my wrist. "Rea, we agreed not to talk about this anymore. It's in the past."

"I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle it. Please, just tell me," I said, squeezing her hand back.

Her hand trembled slightly. "It's over. Why bring it up again?"

I stayed quiet for a few seconds. "Lindey, they were my parents. The only family I had."

My parents grew up in an orphanage, and when they were gone, I became an orphan too.

Maybe my words got through to her. After a long pause, Lindey finally spoke. "When Matthew and I got to the crash site, your mother was already gone. Your father was barely hanging on. He grabbed Matthew's hand and could only say your name..."

Lindey choked up and stopped, and I felt a lump in my throat too.

It was like ripping open an old wound, and now I understood why Lindey had b
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  • Love's Redemption   Chapter 260

    Lindey put down her cutlery and turned to face me. "Yes, the contract was just about to be signed."It was the same contract I'd found in my father's notebook."Was it because of the accident that it didn't get signed?" I asked, my voice shaking.She nodded.My breath hitched, and I felt like a storm was brewing inside me. Then Lindey sighed. "That contract was supposed to be the first for your father and Matthew's joint venture."Wait, what?I had always thought it was just my father's deal. But Matthew was involved too?"Alan and Matthew worked so hard to lock in that partnership with Thorsten Drago from VastReach Group. They did everything—went fishing with him, raced cars, and he even made them go skydiving," Lindey said, shaking her head at the memory. "Thorsten came from a tough background and was known for playing people."But Alan and Matthew knew they had to secure that deal to make their mark, so they did whatever it took, even risking their lives just to keep him hap

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    Ron was so chill that he didn't feel like my boss at all—more like a friend.I smiled at him, then turned to Hayden. "You and Mr. Shane seem pretty tight. I've never seen anyone grab lunch with the boss right after an interview."I mentioned it because Steve had told me that the person supporting Ron had the last name Hart.My suspicion flared up again."Mr. Shane just wanted to get to know me better," Hayden said, taking a pause for dramatic effect. "I mean, a $1.5 million salary isn't exactly pocket change."I gaped. That much?I really didn't expect him to be worth that much."What? You don't think I'm worth it?" he asked, straight-up.I rolled my eyes. "No, that's not what I meant."After a beat, I asked, "So, what did you make at your last job?"Fifteen grand a month," Hayden said casually, and I nearly did a double-take. Ron was offering him, like, over eight times that."Wow, he's... definitely got guts," I muttered, not sure what else to say as Hayden raised an eyebr

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    Oh, crap. How could I forget about that?But I had nothing to feel guilty about, so I denied it immediately. "It wasn't a molestation—it was a bogus accusation.""Really?" Hayden's eyes were locked on mine, clearly waiting for me to spill the details.So, I told him about the time I accidentally knocked Brad over and how he completely overreacted, making it sound like I'd assaulted him. I ended with, "That little punk's just full of himself. Like I'd be interested."Hayden didn't miss a beat. "So, what's your type then? Older guys? Or the mature and steady kind?"I glanced at his serious expression and felt the urge to mess with him. Leaning in a bit closer, I smirked. "I like your type... rough and hard."His Adam's apple bobbed as soon as I said it.Great, I'd gone and flirted with him. Again.Just when I was about to pull back, I heard him murmur, "And how do you know I'm hard?"Oh, God. My face went beet red.I'd always thought Hayden was this innocent guy, but with that

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    I watched him, his face all flushed, a couple of beads of sweat on his nose. I couldn't help but smile.He turned away, clearly trying to recover, so I focused back on the road, deciding not to push my luck.The whole "hard" thing had left us both too stunned to speak.After a few awkward minutes, I remembered what he said about spending time together and decided to break the silence. "So, where do you wanna go?""Do you have plans this afternoon?" Hayden asked."Nope!" I answered way too fast, sounding like I was way too excited or something.Hayden's serious look melted into a smile. "Cool. I've got somewhere I wanna take you."I decided to stay quiet this time, trying to play it cool."I'll set the navigation. Just follow it," he said, like I'd already agreed.We ended up on the outskirts of town, in this remote area with nothing but overgrown grass and a lake shimmering in the distance."What are we doing here? Thinking of clearing some land and starting a farm?" I joked.

  • Love's Redemption   Chapter 264

    I never knew I could laugh like that—as if I was a kid again. Even in my twenties, I was spinning and giggling like a little girl.But after all that twirling, I got so dizzy I could barely stand. I ended up leaning against Hayden's chest. That's when it hit me—this had to be one of his little tricks."When you were little, you loved being spun around like this," Hayden whispered in my ear.I'd met Hayden when I was so young that my memories of those days were fuzzy at best.Curious, I asked, "What else did I like when I was little?""You liked being lifted high in the air and riding on my shoulders, pretending I was a horse," he said.My cheeks burned red.I tried to act skeptical. "I don't remember any of that. You could be making it all up, you know."He just smiled and went on, "You loved playing in the water, too. You'd jump around, splashing everywhere, soaking yourself from head to toe.""Anything else?" I asked, getting more interested.If people were like computers,

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    Hayden let me turn his face any way I wanted and kept going, "Do you know what you said back then?""I don't know, and you're totally making this up," I protested, refusing to believe I'd been that shameless as a kid."You said it was like stamping a seal on me. That after you kissed me, I was yours. And when you grew up, you'd marry me. You even made me promise not to marry anyone else." He paused for dramatic effect, then suddenly leaned down, bringing his face closer to mine."Kiki, I've followed your orders. I'm in my thirties now, and I've never been in a relationship. Never liked another girl, never even held another girl's hand. I've waited for you all this time, so you've got to take responsibility for me," he said, sounding so earnest and pitiful that I felt guilty just hearing him.I always thought Jace was my childhood friend, but now I realized I was wrong.Hayden was my real childhood sweetheart—the one who, despite the little time we'd had together, managed to leave

  • Love's Redemption   Chapter 266

    Whoa. I froze. That came out of nowhere.Hayden wasn't just bold—he was downright blunt.My heart was hammering, and before I could even process it, I blurted, "Why?"He swallowed, his throat bobbing. "I just don't want to be away from you."It was so simple, almost too honest. I guess when you're into someone, it's like you can't stand to be apart, even for a minute."But I'm not the kind of girl who just casually does stuff like that," I said, not even thinking about it.Hayden's face tightened, and his ears turned this cute shade of pink. It was kind of hilarious how he could be so straightforward yet blush so easily."I didn't mean it like that," he said, tripping over his words. "I just... I want to be with you."I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. Seeing him all flustered made me want to mess with him more. "So, you're saying you want to stay over, sleep in the same bed, but, like, just talk under the covers?"He cleared his throat. "Pretty much.""Can you promise that?"

  • Love's Redemption   Chapter 267

    The way Hayden looked at me made my whole body feel like it was on fire.I thought back to teasing him last time, the way he'd tried to keep his cool. Lena's words echoed in my mind."Hayden, have you ever done it with anyone else?" He'd told me he'd never even had a girlfriend, but I needed to hear it again.His gaze darkened. "...No."That word made my heart skip a beat. "But do you want to?"His jaw clenched, and then suddenly, everything went dark as his lips crashed into mine.When Hayden's breath turned ragged, I already knew his answer.But he didn't push further. Instead, he rested his forehead against mine. "How long are you gonna keep testing me, or are you just trying to torture me?"Seeing his restraint, the way his desire fought with self-control, I reached up to touch his face. "Do you really want this? Is it just me?"Jace's casual rejection still haunted me, and I realized how deeply it had scarred me."Yeah," he panted, "only you."I closed my eyes, feeling

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  • Love's Redemption   Chapter 1007

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    Elder Mitchell wasn’t buying it. "That just means you guys didn’t really want to give anything. If you truly wanted to, there’s no such thing as a gift that can’t be delivered." The two old men started bickering again, but Hayden ignored them. Instead, he kept his eyes on the infant bathing room. Before long, the nurse finished bathing the baby and carried her out. Hayden reached out to take her, but the two elders immediately moved to get closer. He blocked them without hesitation. "Don’t you know old people’s eyes are toxic? You shouldn’t be staring at her for too long." Elder Hart: "…" Elder Mitchell: "…" With that, Hayden carried the baby and walked away. The two old men trailed after him, hoping to catch another glimpse, but Hayden wasn’t about to give them the chance. "Congratulations," Aaron, who had been standing nearby, offered his well wishes. "It’s a daughter. Take a look," Hayden said, his pride practically radiating off him. Aaron lowered his gaze to the

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