Chapter 694

“Do you remember who it was?” Ron pressed again.

“I think you need to focus on healing and getting back to work,” I said lightly, dodging. “Your daily check-ins are the highlight of my day.” Then I hung up with a laugh.

Wayne stepped inside as I set my phone down, placing the bouquet on my desk. He studied me for a moment. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile like that.”

“It was our boss,” I said, using Ron as my cover story. “He got scratched up by his girlfriend and was complaining to me about it.”

“Let me guess—he went to a club,” Wayne said casually. “I saw him there.”

My pulse stuttered. He saw Ron? And Ron mentioned seeing someone who looked like Derni. If Ron wasn’t mistaken, then… did Wayne see Demi too? And if she really was in Seavora, what about the person she was so terrified of? I’d always had my suspicions. That person might just be Wayne.

“Is that so? Seems like all you men have a thing for places like that,” I teased, watching for a reaction.

Wayne’s expression stayed calm, almost amused. “I was there for business.”

“Sure. Mr. Shane said the same thing, but his girlfriend wasn’t buying it. Made a whole scene,” I said, lifting the bouquet he’d brought and taking a sniff. The sweetness was cloying, almost too much.

Wayne’s tone shifted. “I heard you had some trouble at DracoLux. Why didn’t you call me?”

A chill crept up my spine. The nerve of him—to sit here acting worried when I knew he was the one pulling the strings. If Xander hadn’t shared that recording, I might’ve fallen for it. Wayne’s earnest expression was unsettlingly convincing.

But fine. Two could play at this. It wasn’t the right moment to call him out, so I decided to keep up the charade. “It’s fine. I handled it myself, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

I gave him a faint smile. “Smashed the guy’s head. Blood everywhere.”

Wayne’s brows furrowed. “Next time, call me. Don’t take risks like that. People like that are dangerous. What if you’d gotten hurt?”

“If I had gotten hurt, you’d make him pay with half his life, wouldn’t you?” I asked, my smile sharp.

“By then, even his life wouldn’t be enough,” Wayne said, his voice softening as his gaze rested on me. “Rea, nothing is more important than your safety.”

The fake concern in his words, the way he could feign such depth after orchestrating the whole thing—it made my stomach churn. The nausea hit so fast I barely had time to think. I clamped a hand over my mouth and bolted for the restroom.

Behind me, I heard the scrape of Wayne’s chair as he got up, but then he stopped.

In the restroom, I gripped the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror as I tried to steady my breathing. For the first time, it hit me—truly hating someone could actually make you sick.

But if I wanted to uncover Wayne’s ties to the Drago family’s dirty dealings, I had to suck it up. No matter how sick it made me feel, I couldn’t let it show.

Chapter 494

Ron’s words replayed in my head—he’d said he saw someone who looked like Demi at DracoLux. Was he wrong? Or had Demi really come back?

I pulled out my phone, thinking about calling her, but Wayne’s voice outside the restroom stopped me cold. “Rea, are you okay?”

Of course, he’d followed me. With a sigh, I tucked my phone away, turned on the faucet, and let the water run for a moment before stepping out.

Wayne’s eyes immediately searched mine as he reached out a hand to steady me. “If you’re feeling unwell, you should see a doctor.”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing. Probably just a chill from crashing on the couch last night.”

“Even so, don’t brush it off,” he pressed. “You should still get checked out.”

I looked up at him and smirked. “What, are you thinking I’m pregna—”

Hayden had once freaked out over the same thing. Men. Always jumping to conclusions.

Wayne’s expression faltered, but he recovered quickly. “Rea, I’m just worried about you.”