Chapter 828

Breaking this ring off? Yeah, no. First, I had zero tools. Second, any noise would have Cole barging in faster than I could say “busted.”

Hayden had called this a data sync device, which meant it could send information wirelessly. So maybe my phone could pick up the signal? Worth a shot.

I grabbed my phone, opened the wireless settings, and bingo—there it was: qqbb522. The last three digits? My birthday. I didn’t even try to figure out what the letters meant. I just connected it immediately.

When it asked for a password, I remembered the debit card PIN Hayden gave me ages ago and added my birthdate digits at the end.

My heart was pounding as the screen showed: Connecting…

And then—connected!

My blood practically fizzed with excitement. But before I could celebrate, my phone went haywire. The screen flashed like it had caught a virus, apps opening and closing on their own. Then, it went totally black.

I froze.

Great, had it been hacked?

Panicking, I tapped the screen. Then fireworks lit up the screen, colorful and bright. And right in the middle, words appeared:

[Silly girl, you made me wait far too long.]

My eyes instantly welled up. I just stared, too scared to even blink, like the message might vanish if I looked away.

Then, just as I hoped, another message appeared:

[Give the ring to someone you trust most and have them hand it over to the police. If all goes well, we’ll see each other next week.]

I was so tense and excited I could barely breathe. My eyes stayed glued to the screen, waiting for more information to come through.

Then—bam! A knock on the door. I jumped like I’d been caught stealing cookies. I scrambled to hide the phone and ducked under the blanket.

“Who is it?” I croaked, trying to sound chill.

“It’s me, Yara.”

Chapter 828

Relief washed over me. “I’m already in bed. What do you want?”

“Open the door.”

The last thing I wanted was to deal with her now. All I cared about was soaking up every second of Hayden’s message. Even if I couldn’t respond, I didn’t want the moment to end.

Ignoring her, I grabbed my phone again. But the screen was already back to its regular home page.

Panic set in. I frantically tapped and tried to reconnect, but all I got was “Connection lost.” It was gone.

Hayden must’ve cut the signal to keep things secure.

Thanks a lot, Yara. And yet, she kept knocking. Irritated, I threw off the blanket, stomped to the door, and flung it open.

“What do you want? I’m trying to sleep!” I snapped.

She held out a glass of milk. “This is for you. Milk’s good for pregnant women—calcium, better sleep, the whole deal.”

Her soft smile made my irritation melt.

“Why are you so cranky? Did I interrupt something fun, or were you actually sleeping?” she teased.

“I was trying to sleep before someone started banging on my door,” I shot back, totally lying.

“Uh-huh,” she said, leaning closer. “You look way too flustered to be half-asleep. Were you under the blanket watching something…inappropriate?”

I blinked at her. “Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying,” she smirked. “Pregnant women have needs too, you know.”

My jaw dropped, obviously saying ‘What is wrong with you?’

Yara just laughed and handed me the milk. “Relax, I’m kidding. Kinda.”

Her little act threw me off. Honestly, her kindness surprised me—cooking a meal earlier, now this? It wasn’t what I expected from someone who’d almost been Hayden’s fiancée—my rival in love.