Chapter 598

Hayden shot Yara a look, his expression darkening. Yara raised an eyebrow, totally unbothered, like she already knew what was coming. She was way too comfortable around him. Like, seriously, where was the fear?

“Just tell her already. Stop playing games,” Yara said, all casual, like this was no big deal.

Hayden turned to me, eyes intense. “If you’re leaving, then go pack your stuff…”

I cut him off. “Hayden, seriously. Why can’t you just answer me?”

Yara sighed dramatically. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She gave us some space and walked off.

Hayden stayed right where he was, locking eyes with me. “So, what do you think my reason is?”

He actually wanted me to guess? I was so done. Yara had been vague and cryptic, and now Hayden was doing the exact same thing. He didn’t want to talk. It was so obvious.

“Fine. If you’re not going to say it, then don’t,” I shot back. “Whatever your reasons are, they don’t matter anymore. Even if I knew, it wouldn’t change anything.”

Why was I still here, talking to him? What was I hoping for? To fix things? Yeah, right. I’d only been curious, but now I realized that even that was a waste of time.

I told myself not to get upset, but my chest still felt tight, like something was coiling inside. Hayden’s whole brooding, mysterious thing? Even more infuriating than Jace’s smooth-talking charm.

He told me to pack, but what was there to pack? Jace had brought me here with nothing, and all my stuff was still at the hotel. The only thing I really wanted to take? Wayne’s journal. But I couldn’t just grab it without Wayne noticing.

I thought about it for a second, then headed upstairs. I took the journal out and snapped some photos of the pages.

I didn’t feel bad. There was something off in those entries, especially the most recent ones. Once I had the photos, I felt a little more at ease.

When I came back downstairs, the two guys Yara and I had been dealing with were gone. I overheard Yara talking to Hayden, her voice low. “You really gonna go down this ‘road’? Or do you think there’s still danger to lose?”

I froze, waiting for Hayden’s answer, but he just walked off, not saying a word. Yara had mentioned Hayden was in some kind of danger. What kind? From Bruno? Hernan? My curiosity flared up, but I shut it down. Hayden’s problems were no longer my concern.

Chapter 598

I reminded myself of that and walked over to Yara. “Let’s go.”

She gave me a look, like she wanted to say something, but I didn’t wait for her—just walked off without looking back.

I was starting to get really confused about Yara. She was supposed to be engaged to Hayden, but she was practically acting like she was trying to clear things up between us. Why else would she keep dropping hints and lecturing him?

When I got to Hayden’s car, he was already inside, smoking. I’d once thought he was the “perfect guy.” But now? Heartbreak, betrayal, smoking—he checked all the boxes. It was like the ultimate plot twist.

I didn’t say anything. Just opened the door and slid in. Yara climbed in next to me. I glanced at the passenger seat. Wasn’t she his fiancée? Shouldn’t she be sitting up front?

Hayden started the car, pulling away without a word. I glanced back at Wayne’s villa in the rearview mirror, feeling like I’d seen it before. Yara was busy scrolling through her phone, and I stared out the window, deep in thought. Hayden didn’t say anything either. The silence was suffocating.

Finally, I broke it. “I need to stop by the hotel to grab my stuff.”