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Chapter 17 - The Photos
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Bab terkait
Competing for Love Chapter 18 - Planning
Three days later, Hayden and Natalia were packing his belongings in his apartment to move into hers. They had already signed the updated lease that added him as a co-tenant. While placing his knick-knacks in boxes, Natalia found pictures of him when he was a child. She smiled, looking at them and her mind went to the future, wondering if they had children would their son look like a young Hayden? "What are you smiling at?" He came up behind her, looking over her shoulder. Hayden saw a picture of himself playing baseball when he was about eight years old. "I found these old pictures of you. You were a cute child." Natalia wondered where he stood on having kids one day. "I was at a baseball camp in that picture. Those were some of the best days of my life. Anything that got me out of my parent's house was a good time. Do you like kids?" Hayden thought about Natalia walking around with his baby in her belly, and it excited him more than he wanted to admit. He would like
Competing for Love Chapter 19 - Hayden's Tears
Hayden and Will were almost to NC when they noticed ambulances and police cars everywhere. Hayden tried to see what had happened, but there were too many people. He heard someone say somebody fell into traffic and got hit by a car. As he continued toward the office, he heard something that made his blood run cold. "It was that woman Natalia, something. You know, the one they call the ice queen." Hayden spun around and pushed people out of his way to get near the curb. He froze when he saw Natalia lying unconscious on the street. Paramedics were putting her onto a stretcher. "Natalia? No, please." He yelled as he rushed forward, only to be stopped by a policeman. "Sir, you need to step back." The officer said. "That's my girlfriend, Natalia Crawford. I'm the only family she has. Let me go with her." The officer saw the desperation and tears on the man's face, so he waved him through. "Please tell me she's okay." He cried as the paramedics lifted her into the ambula
Competing for Love Chapter 20 - Suspects
Hayden had been sitting next to Natalia for over two hours. Doctors and nurses came and went, but he didn't move. He was not leaving her, no matter what. As he sat there looking at her damaged body, the rage in him was building. He turned when he heard a knock on the door, expecting it to be medical personnel, but it was a detective who he was familiar with. Detective Dennis Barber had been with the NYPD for twelve years. He was known for being thorough on cases when others thought there was no foul play. When Dr. Garnier had called and said her findings were inconclusive on if Natalia Crawford had been pushed or not, it had piqued his interest. Then she added that Hayden Sumner was her boyfriend and stated he may know of people who wanted to harm the young woman. Dennis knew he had to take this case. He had worked with Hayden before and knew he was one of the few good billionaires in the city. "Good evening Hayden. I've been assigned Natalia's case and wanted to talk to you for
Competing for Love Chapter 21 - Catching Cara
Hayden quickly texted Dennis to tell him that Cara was at the hospital to visit Natalia. He responded, telling him he wasn't far and would be there in a few minutes. Hayden looked up when the woman walked into the room, looking nervous. "Hel...Hello Mr. Sumner. I'm Cara, Natalia's friend." Cara held her hand to him, but he refused to let go of Natalia. After a few awkward seconds of him staring at her without moving or saying anything, she put her hand down. "If you're her friend, why have you not seen her in four years?" Hayden asked coldly, making her retreat a few steps backward. Cara wanted to leave, but she'd come too far now. "I...I've been busy. I'm married and have two small children. She never came to see me either." She said in her defense, crossing her arms. Cara was trying not to look at Natalia. She looked even worse than she imagined. "Why are you here now?" Hayden asked through clenched teeth. The more nervous he saw her getting, the more he knew s
Competing for Love Chapter 22 - Interrogation
Cara cried the entire way to the police station. She realized she had made a mistake. She should have never come to New York. Now she didn't know when she would ever see her children again. When they got to the station, she was taken to an interrogation room and left alone. Dennis made a call after securing Cara. He wanted to know if they had any luck getting Shania. He was concerned that she might disappear if they didn't catch her before she learned of her cousin's arrest. "Hey, Mason, did you have any luck?" He asked the officer who was sent to Shania's apartment. "No, she's not here. I'm watching her building to see if she comes home, and I have someone monitoring her credit card activity. In the morning, getting a warrant may be a good idea, so we can also track her phone." Dennis rubbed his head while holding back his groan. He liked Mason because he was thorough, but sometimes he didn't know when to stay in his lane. "Already in the works, kid. Let me know
Competing for Love Chapter 23 - Waiting
Hayden slept in the chair beside Natalia's bed all night while holding her hand. He woke up every time someone came into the room. When morning came, he looked a little worse for wear, and one of the nurses took pity on him. She brought him a large cup of hot coffee from the coffee shop in the cafeteria. "Mr. Sumner, I brought you some coffee. I didn't know how you took it, so it's black, but I can get you cream and sugar if you'd like." Hayden looked at the nurse, who was short and round with grey hair, and gave her a small smile. "Black is fine. Thank you." He said with gratitude. "You're welcome. My name is Linnette, and I'll be Natalia's nurse today, so if you need anything, please let me know. Would you like for me to have some breakfast brought up to you?" He looked at her in surprise. "You would do that for me? I was willing to starve if I had to so I wouldn't have to leave her side." Linnette patted his shoulder. He reminded her of her son, who she estima
Competing for Love Chapter 24 - Waking Up
Natalia felt like she was lost in a dark place with no end and no beginning. Several times she had wanted to give up and let the darkness take her, but something always brought her back. It was a voice in the distance. She didn't know who it was, but it was calling to her. She kept trying to get to that voice, but something was holding her back. Every time she thought she was almost there, a fog came over her and sent her back to where she had started from. She was determined to make it; she was going to find the owner of that voice.___________ Natalia had been unconscious for five days. Each day she had a little more movement. Sometimes, her fingers or toes would move. Other times her eyelids fluttered like they were going to open, but they never did. Hayden hadn't left her bedside other than to use the restroom or freshen up. Patrice or Will would bring him clothes each day and sit with Natalia while he was away. The hospital staff kept him fed. He was grateful bec
Competing for Love Chapter 25 - How We Met
Shania had never been more scared than she was now. Jon refused to let her leave the hotel and made her perform every sex act he could think of. She had cried and begged him to kill her, but he said he wasn't done with her yet. She was lying on the bed crying while he was in the shower. He had her tied up to the headboard so she couldn't leave. She no longer cared about Natalia and Hayden; all she wanted to do was live. If that meant she spent the rest of her life in jail, so be it. Shania knew Jon planned to kill her when he finished with her. She tried to get her hands loose, but they wouldn't budge. When she was about to give up, she felt one of the ropes loosen. She could still hear the shower on in the bathroom, so she pulled and tugged with all her might. One of the ropes gave way and slipped off. She got one hand out and was able to untie the other hand. When she heard the water shut off, she jumped off the bed. She had no clothes on, so she grabbed the shee
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Competing for Love Chapter 75 - The Promise
Three Months Later Natalia finally had the casts off her legs and was working with her physical therapist, Hannah. She was able to take a couple of painful steps before having to sit back down. It was slow work, but it would be worth it in the end. Hayden came to every appointment with her, much to the delight of Hannah, who had an obvious crush on him. Hayden avoided her as much as possible while staying near Natalia. It made him uncomfortable each time Hannah accidentally touched him when there was no reason for her to do so. Natalia laughed it off, telling him he should be used to it by now with how handsome he was. However, Hayden was getting seriously annoyed and was close to saying something to her about it. "How soon before Natalia will be able to walk like she used to?" Hayden asked Hannah, rolling his eyes when her face turned red, and she fluttered her eyelashes at him. "It may be months. So you may have to come here for a while." She answered, pretending to accidenta
Competing for Love Chapter 74 - Taking Down the Hitman
Nick, Colby, Teo, and Kyle sat in the van across the street from the apartment building, waiting for Simon Allegri to show up for work. It was close to seven in the morning, so they expected him soon. They were upset about not being able to take out Jon before the authorities got him, so this was a way for them to redeem themselves. A few minutes before seven, they saw Simon walking toward the entrance. He was carrying a duffle bag they were sure had his gun hidden inside. They weren't going to make a move while he was in the apartment building. Instead, they would follow him when he left and take him off the street. It was time for the hunter to become the hunted. They didn't move all day while they waited. The four men got ready for quitting time so they could follow the hitman. When he walked out of the building, Teo and Colby hopped out of the van to follow him on foot while Nick and Kyle stayed in the van. As they followed him, the four men were conscientious, knowing Simon
Competing for Love Chapter 73 - The Two Simons
"I never thought they would sink that low to kill us because we got their daughter locked up. They have taken this too far." Hayden pulled out his phone, ready to call the Blacks but changed his mind. Natalia had been right. The pain medication was helping his pain, and now he could think clearly. "What do you think we should do?" Natalia asked, noticing that he was no longer grimacing with every move. "We need to talk this through. I was going to call Simon Black and give him a piece of my mind. However, I don't want him to know we're on to him. We need to make the hitman disappear and then give proof to the authorities of who hired him." Hayden looked toward Dorian, who was nodding in agreement. "We at least know he's got a job here in the building, and he starts tomorrow. We also know what he looks like, so I can have my men take care of him. Let me work on getting something to hand over to the police about Simon Black." Dorian sent a message to his men and aske
Competing for Love Chapter 72 - Who Hired the Hitman?
"You've got to be fucking kidding me. Who would hire a hitman to come after us?" Hayden said with fury coursing through his veins. Hadn't they been through enough? He looked at Natalia; her face was void of emotion, as though she couldn't process this information right now. "I don't know who, but I'll see what I can find out. In the meantime, he'll be working in the building, so we need to be on high alert. He'll find whatever way he can to get to his target." Dorian sometimes hated that he was so good at doing what he did because it made him the bearer of bad news more times than not. "Do you think Jon would go to these lengths?" Krista asked, looking around at everyone. "I think he's more hands-on. It's not about us being dead for him. He wants to experience the killing for himself." Natalia spoke in a monotone. She felt as though she was ready to break. Why would someone hire a hitman? Her life was turning into something of a bad movie that seemed never to hav
Competing for Love Chapter 71 - What Now?
Hayden and Krista helped Natalia into the restroom. Actually, Krista helped while Hayden supervised. He couldn't stop the nagging feeling as though someone was watching them when they went for their walk. When they returned to the living room, Hayden looked at Dorian. "Are you able to tap into the cameras outside the building?" He asked his cousin, who looked at him in confusion. "Yeah, were you looking for something specific?" Dorian asked as he turned on his laptop. Krista sat next to him, plastered to his side. It was their favorite way to sit together. He had never been in love before, but he knew that's what he felt for her. He just hadn't had the nerve to say it yet. They'd only been together for about a week. "When we were walking, I felt like someone was watching us. I may be paranoid, but I just want to be sure. We've had enough surprises." Hayden glanced toward Natalia, who was staring at him with concern. He hoped he was wrong. They had enough to worry
Competing for Love Chapter 70 - Hitman
Todd got comfortable across the street from Natalia and Hayden's building. Those who hired him originally only wanted Natalia to be killed. After seeing how connected she and Hayden were to each other, they decided it was better to get rid of both of them. Todd was a hired hitman, and the people that hired him had a lot of money. He didn't understand why they wanted this young couple dead. From what he'd read about them, they were decent people. However, they seemed to have someone constantly trying to tear them down. Todd didn't need to know his employer's motivation, but he liked to have the background of those he was hunting. He knew Natalia had no family and had built her business from the ground up. After being pushed in front of oncoming traffic, a serial killer started hunting her. Hayden was from a wealthy family whose business had been struggling until he took over. Neither of them seemed to have many close friends, only acquaintances. From what he found, neither had bee
Competing for Love Chapter 69 - Sofia's Downfall
Sofia was so sure that she was going to cause a scene that she crossed her arms and leaned back with a smirk. However, she saw Hayden and Natalia look at each other before they started laughing. "You thought that was going to be breaking news that caused Hayden to suddenly want you or something? First of all, I know Hayden has never spent all night with anyone besides me. Even if you did sleep together, I'm sure it was a one-and-done like every other woman he'd been with before me. You were obviously not good because he doesn't even remember you. So if you thought this would cause some type of conflict between us, you're mistaken. Hayden and I both have pasts, and we're not jealous of them. Unlike you, we look to the future." Natalia had a fire in her eyes, causing Sofia's face to turn red as though she'd been slapped. It was then that she realized Hayden was on the phone. "Hi Paul, this is Hayden Sumner. I need to talk with you regarding Sofia Spurling." Sofia felt sick as she
Competing for Love Chapter 68 - Sofia's Jealousy
Sofia looked between Hayden and Natalia wanting to bring up the fact that she was with him first. She wanted to break their happiness and have it for herself. However, the longer she waited, the more her nerve started to fade. Seeing how Hayden was with Natalia, she knew talking about their few minutes of sex that obviously meant nothing to him wouldn't matter to either of them. "What did you want to say?" Questioned Natalia with a small smile. "I just wanted to say that I am going to do everything I can to have Jon sentenced to death. He has killed too many people to skate by, with life in prison. I want his head on a platter." Sofia spoke with conviction as she pulled out a pad of paper from her briefcase. She was still going to get around reminding Hayden of who she was, but she decided it would be best done in private. Maybe he would see her out when she was leaving. Natalia looked at Sofia, not believing she was being completely honest. It felt as though she had
Competing for Love Chapter 67 - The Prosecutor
Jon sat in the interrogation room across from Andy and Dennis with a smirk on his face. He hadn't asked for an attorney yet, but he would eventually. He knew there really wasn't a point in having an attorney when he flaunted all of his crimes online and even bragged about them. "Do you have anything you'd like to say?" Dennis asked, letting his disdain for him be heard in every word. Jon shrugged. "What's there to say? I killed a lot of people. I think about killing people all the time because I get off on it. Think about the best orgasm you've ever had and multiply it by a thousand. That's how it feels when I cut those whores into little pieces. Although when I get out of here, I think I won't only kill women. I'll kill men, too. After all, blood is all the same color no matter who you are." He started laughing like a maniac as Dennis and Andy stared at him with disgust. "You were good at disguising yourself. Even walking right in front of several officers as a w
