Chapter 686

“Returning the favor.” Xander’s reply was blunt, and I immediately sensed the lingering effect of that earlier misunderstanding he’d had about me.

“So, you just happened to show up when I was in danger? Should I be suspicious you staged the whole thing?” I shot back, using his own accusation against him.

He didn’t flinch, his eyes fixed on the road. “I’m sorry. I was wrong about you.”

Wait—what? I froze. He’d figured it out that fast?

“Earlier, I overheard that fat guy on the phone. Today’s setup was orchestrated by Wayne Johnston of Riverwave Corp.”

I froze. That guy had clearly mentioned Jace…

“You don’t believe me?” He glanced my way briefly. “I recorded it.”

Without missing a beat, he handed me his phone. The screen lit up, and I tapped the recording.

[Boss, it’s done. Ms. Kay thinks it was Jace Johnston…]

My hand trembled slightly, but it wasn’t fear—it was disbelief. Wayne had really gone this far?

It all added up now. Jace refusing to let me go must have pushed Wayne to the edge, desperate enough to pull something like this.

Then my thoughts veered to Hayden, to that time Wayne’s schemes had nearly taken him out. Back then, it was all about eliminating Hayden, Jace, and Steve in one go. I hadn’t fully grasped just how far gone Wayne was even then.

Wayne’s obsession with me had spiraled into something dark, something unhinged. Even his own brother was disposable.

If he can’t have me, would he kill me too? A man like him—so extreme—might destroy what he couldn’t control.

A chill raced down my spine. Outwardly, Wayne always played the part of the charming, warm guy. But how had he ended up like this? Or worse—had he always been this way, just hiding behind a mask?

The weight of it all settled over me, leaving me silent the rest of the drive to the hospital.

When we finally stopped, Xander spoke first.

“Who do you think was trying to hit you back there?”

Wait, what? I blinked, caught off guard. The memory of the car’s blinding headlights came rushing back. Honestly, I’d shoved that moment so far out of my head I’d almost forgotten it.

The scene replayed in my head—the car barreling toward me with clear intent. If it weren’t for Xander, I would have been either dead or seriously injured.

Who would actually try to kill me?

Chapter 696

I couldn’t think of anyone I’d crossed recently, at least not to that extent.

“Come on,” Xander said, snapping me out of my thoughts. He stepped out of the car, circled around, and opened my door.

I got out, but the moment I put weight on my still-healing knee, it buckled. Xander grabbed my arm before I hit the ground.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, pulling my arm free once I’d steadied myself. Then I glanced at him. “Where are you hurt? What department are you going to?”

“Follow me, and you’ll find out,” he said, already walking ahead.

I sighed and trailed after him.

Xander led me straight to the emergency department and told me to wait while he handled the receptionist. It felt…off, like I was the one who needed help. He didn’t even seem hurt.

So why were we here?

Before I could ask, a nurse called me over. Confused, I followed her into a treatment room. She gestured for me to sit down and hold out my hand.

“Why?” I asked.

“You’ve got glass shards in your finger. We need to remove them,” the nurse said.

Wait, what?

Before I could process that, Xander walked in. He handed the nurse a receipt, and she immediately launched into a complaint. “Your girlfriend’s scared and not cooperating. Can you help her?”

An innocent mistake, but still—it caught me completely off guard. I shouldn’t have cared. I’d been in two relationships before. This shouldn’t even register.

Yet, my face heated as I rushed to deny it. “I’m not—”

Xander cut me off. “Give me your hand.”

I hesitated, but he didn’t. His fingers wrapped around mine, turning my hand palm up. “Look here,” he said.

I glanced down at my left hand and froze. The pad of my middle finger was smeared with dried blood. I’d noticed it earlier when I touched him but hadn’t thought much of it.

“There’s a shard of glass in there,” Xander explained. “If you don’t get it out, it’ll hurt like hell and probably get infected. Then it’ll take even longer to heal.”

Without waiting, he guided my hand toward the nurse, keeping his grip steady on my wrist.

He was close. Close enough for me to catch the clean, fresh scent of his shampoo. Close enough for me to notice his neck—smooth, unmarked. No mole like Hayden’s. No scars from laser removal.