Chapter 638

I let out a scream—not because I was scared, but because, well, why not? A car horn blared, and tires screeched as a car swerved into view. The door slammed open, and out stepped the guy Kylian had sent to tail me. His glare locked onto the wannabe kidnapper holding me. “Let her go.”

“Why should I? Who even are you?” My captor’s voice cracked like a middle schooler’s. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

Kylian’s guy wasn’t amused. “If you value your life, let her go,” he said, dead serious.

The wannabe snorted. “Oh, tough guy, huh? Bring it!” He puffed out his chest.

I rolled my eyes. This guy couldn’t even act his way out of a TikTok skit, let alone a hostage situation.

Kylian’s man took a step forward, and my “kidnapper” panicked. “One more step and I’ll—I’ll slit her throat!”

Slow applause echoed from behind us. Lena sauntered into view, clapping. “Wow. Five stars. Really thrilling stuff.”

The kidnapper dropped the act entirely. “Uh… Miss, did I scare you?” he asked, grinning sheepishly.

Scare me? I almost doubled over laughing. Kylian’s guy, still in hero mode, suddenly looked like he’d been hit with a brick of realization.

Lena patted his shoulder. “You’re quick on your feet, handsome. Kinda hot, honestly.”

“Uh… apologies. I didn’t realize—this was my mistake.”

And just like that, he bolted.

“Thanks, cutie!” I called after him with a cheeky wave.

Chapter 638

Once he was gone, Lena turned to the “kidnapper,” dismissing him with a grin and a quick “Nice work.”

Yep, the whole thing had been a setup—something I’d coordinated with Lena to test why Kylian had me followed.

Sliding into the passenger seat of my car, she gave me a look. “So, your little test worked. Spill. What’s your theory?”

I glanced down at the ring on my finger. “Why is Kylian protecting me? We’ve got no history, no deals, nothing. It doesn’t add up.”

“You think it’s about Hayden?”

Trust Lena to cut right to the chase. That’s exactly what I suspected. But how could Hayden have set this up when he wasn’t alive anymore? Unless… he’d planned for this before he died.

“You don’t think Hayden is… actually dead, do you?”

Her question hit a nerve. The thought had been haunting me for a while now.

I looked at her. “What do you think? Could he still be alive?”

I laid it all out—Yara’s odd behavior, the little details that didn’t sit right, and the nagging feeling that there was more to the story than I’d been told.

Lena sighed. “Rea, you’ve never been able to fully let him go, have you?”

“It’s not about holding on,” I snapped. “It’s about the facts. His cremation was rushed—too rushed. And he was a registered organ donor. If he really died, why wasn’t his body used for donation first? It doesn’t make sense.”

That detail had hit me earlier today, on the way to the hospital, and I couldn’t shake it.

“You’ve got a point,” Lena admitted. “But, Rea, you saw him get hurt. You saw his ashes.”

She sighed. “Maybe you just can’t face the truth. I mean, it’s Hayden. I get it.”

I shook my head hard. “I’m not delusional. I—”

Chapter 638

Okay, okay, Lena held up a hand to stop me. “Hear me out. I’ve got an idea. You’re not gonna like it, but it’ll settle this once and for all.”

The bell on my bracelet jingled softly as I toyed with it. “What’s your plan?”

“Promise you won’t get mad. And don’t yell at me.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Just spit it out, Lena.”

She pressed her lips and said, “Dig up Hayden’s ashes and run a DNA test. It’s the only way to know for sure.”