Chapter 82

I stormed over to Hayden and demanded an explanation. “What’s the deal? Why are we suddenly taking a break?”

“Two days off a week are government-mandated,” Hayden replied, annoyingly calm. “Considering our tight schedule, one day off shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”

His calmness only fueled my frustration. “I get it, but we’re up against a serious deadline. I’ve already told you we have to meet it. Can’t we just postpone the break? I’ll even pay you extra.”

Hayden didn’t break eye contact, his gaze unwavering. “It’s not about the money, Ms. Kay. We’re not machines. People need rest to do good work.”

He wasn’t wrong, but this wasn’t just any project.

I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my nerves. “So you really need to rest today?”

“Yes,” Hayden said, his tone brooking no argument. Knowing I couldn’t win, I turned to walk away.

“And you all need to rest too,” he added.

I spun around, my anger bubbling over. “You just worry about your own rest. Whether we rest or not is none of your concern.”

Demi, standing nearby, barely suppressed laughter.

Hayden didn’t flinch. “Ms. Kay, if you don’t rest properly, you won’t be able to work efficiently. Just like last—”

“Hayden Hart!” I cut him off, my palms sweating.

This jerk! I’d just told him not to mention last night, and here he was, almost revealing everything.

We locked eyes, and after what felt like an eternity, I finally caved. “Fine, we’ll rest too.”

“Demi, let’s go,” I called.

But Hayden wasn’t finished. “Ms. Kay,” he stopped me, “I need your help today.”

My frustration threatened to boil over. I clenched my teeth. “What? You need someone to give you a massage, or perhaps a back rub?”

“No, nothing like that. I just need to buy some things and could use a guide,” Hayden replied, as if it were perfectly normal.

I almost laughed. “Fine, let Demi go with—”

“I want you to come with me!” Hayden interrupted.

“Pfft!” Demi finally burst into laughter.

I found myself laughing too. This wasn’t the cold, stoic Hayden I knew—he was acting more like a stubborn three-year-old.

“Mr. Hart, you’re not a kid anymore. Don’t you think this is a bit…silly?” I teased.

Hayden didn’t flinch. “I’m not familiar with the area. What’s wrong with asking for your help? Besides, you promised—”

“Alright, I’ll go!” I cut him off, knowing exactly where he was headed. If I didn’t agree, he’d definitely bring up the Chiverton trip, and I couldn’t let Demi hear about that.

“Should I join you guys?” Demi asked, clearly eager to participate.

“Sure!”

“No!”

We spoke simultaneously—me agreeing, him refusing.

Demi looked between us, completely confused. Hayden interjected, “Ms. Young, it might be inconvenient for you to tag along. Don’t you think so, Ms. Kay?”

He was shifting the responsibility to me.

From the look in his eyes, I knew that if I insisted on bringing Demi, he’d reveal the Chiverton incident. This is why lying is so detrimental—one lie can snowball into many more.

I sighed and turned to Demi. “It’s your day off. Why not spend it with your boyfriend? I’m sure he misses you.”

Demi shot me a glare, clearly annoyed by my mention of her boyfriend in front of Hayden. I ignored her reaction, and with Hayden’s gaze practically burning into me, she finally left, though she kept throwing suspicious glances back at us. I could tell she was starting to question what was really going on between Hayden and me.

That was a problem for another day. Right now, I had to figure out how to handle Hayden.