Chapter 723

“You said you’d been suspicious of Wayne for a while. What about Jace? You were working with him, but when he was surrounded by crocodiles, you just…stood there. Why?” I finally asked, a question that had haunted me for ages. Even though Jace and I had ended things, that moment stuck in my head, like a bad movie scene I couldn’t skip. I’d even dreamt about it. I’d asked Jace once, but his answer didn’t feel real. Hayden’s answer? That’s the one I needed.

“Testing him,” Hayden said, cool and straight to the point.

“Testing him? He’s Wayne’s brother.”

“He is,” Hayden said, not budging. “But not entirely. There were…other reasons.”

“Like what?” I pressed, trying to stay patient. I was sitting sideways, avoiding his bandaged arm. His face was out of view, but his voice stayed steady.

“Because everything pointed too perfectly at Wayne, like it was staged,” he explained. His words pulled me back to the events of that time. Things went south as soon as I moved into Wayne’s villa. The danger seemed aimed at me, but somehow, Hayden and the rest ended up in the crosshairs. It wasn’t random. The setup wasn’t about me at all—I was just bait in a trap for Hayden. That’s why, during the kidnapping, I’d been the only one to walk away unscathed.

Hayden continued, “Wayne liked you. Jace knew that. But since you and Jace were done, he had no reason to stop Wayne. The easiest way to keep you apart was to make Wayne look like the villain.”

“Jumping into the crocodile pit served two purposes for Jace: one, to ‘prove’ how much he loved you, risking his life and all that. And two, to clear suspicion. Who’d suspect someone fighting off crocodiles?”

I raised a brow, connecting the dots. “So you thought Jace was faking it? Playing the victim to mess with me? That’s why you didn’t help him—you wanted to see how far he’d go?”

“There was some of that,” Hayden admitted, his tone leaving room for more.

“Hmm?” I tilted my head, trying to read his expression, but his face stayed calm as ever. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctors finish wrapping his wounds and quietly leave the room.

“You should’ve let the pretty nurses handle that,” I teased, gesturing to his bandages. “Pretty sure they’d do a better job.”

Hayden’s eyes locked on mine, unflinching. “I didn’t want any woman but you seeing me naked.”

I froze, blinking. This man just rizzed me out of nowhere. I smacked his arm lightly. “Be serious. What else was Jace after?”

Hayden’s expression softened. “Everything he did was for you.”

That should’ve made me feel special, but I wasn’t delusional. This wasn’t just about me. It was about control, ambition, and power. I was just the excuse they used to fight their battles. Letting that go, I focused on what mattered—the guy sitting right in front of me. But the memory of that moment, when Hayden had stood there, cold and unbothered as I dangled in danger, still stung.

“How could you do it, Hayden? How could you love me and still act so indifferent, like it didn’t matter if I lived or died?”

His jaw tensed. “Are you trying to hold me accountable now?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “It hurt. I was angry, and yeah, I’m still angry.”

He took my hand, his grip firm, steady. “I had to be ruthless.” Then, slowly, he brought my hand to his lips, brushing a kiss over my knuckles. “Houston was a trap I set, using you as bait. I wasn’t afraid to die—but I couldn’t let them think you mattered as much as you do. Hardening my heart was the only way to protect you.”

I’d figured as much before, but hearing him say it out loud finally gave me closure. Back then, though? I was wrecked, clinging to whatever scraps of hope I could find.

“Weren’t you afraid I’d misunderstand? That I’d hate you forever?” I whispered, my eyes searching his.