Chapter 725 Chapter 726
Benefactor?!
| burst out laughing. Hayden didn't let his playful side show often, and when he did, it always caughtoff
guard.
It was just a joke, but hearing him callthat was surreal. Life really is unpredictable. You never know how
things will play out or what roles you'll end up in. The future's a blank slate, and we're all just winging it.
With Hayden still recovering and Demi needing her own tto heal, | knew | couldn't handle taking care of both
of them. So, | hired caregivers for each instead. Of course, Hayden flat-out refused. "I can walk, move, and feed
myself. | don't need anyone," he insisted.
It wasn't just stubbornness-I knew he didn't like strangers hovering around him. And let's be real, he probably
just wantedto take care of him.
Men can be so extra sometimes, full of their own little schemes, just like us.
Lately, though, there was something different about Hayden. It was subtle, but he'd been a bit clingy-showing
this softer, almost boyish side that | rarely got to see.
"I'm going to check on Yuna," | said gently, trying to change the subject. "Now that she knows Wade had an
agenda, she's probably crushed."
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"She's an adult," Hayden said, his tone calm but carrying layers. "If she lets a man wreck her that easily, she's
too fragile for this world."
| knew he wasn't just talking about Yuna-he was throwing shade attoo.
Sliding closer on the cramped hospital bed, | hooked my foot around his playfully. "Well, I've survived you
ghostingand all your twisted life-or-death tests. Doesn't that makepretty tough?"
He lifted my hand and kissed my fingers, the brush of his lips warm and tender. "Mm, my Kiki is an unbeatable
little monster."
"Monster?" | gasped, pretending to be offended. "When did | beca monster?"
Nitpicking over his words like this madefeel young-immature, maybe, but free.
Isn't that the magic of being loved? In front of the person who adores you, even an old woman can feel like a
teenager again.
Hayden's smile widened. "A little monster-one who can totally takedown."
Couples have a million pet names for each other, but this one? | kind of loved it.
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Chapter 726
I leaned in and bit his lip gently, earning a soft hum of protest. "Why are you always biting me?" he murmured.
Ever since Hayden cback from the "dead" I'd developed this weird habit of biting him. Not in a creepy way-
okay, maybe a little creepy-but it was like my brain decided the best way to keep him safe was to, | don't know,
chew on him? Makes sense, right? "Monsters eat people, don't they?" | grinned, eyeing the faint teeth marks I'd
left on his lip.
Hayden's throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Once I'm healed, you can eat all you
want."
Cue brain freeze. He always knew how to flip the script on me.
"You don't need to babysit me," he said, all serious now. "Go live your life work, eat, binge sNetflix. I'll be
fine."
| opened my mouth to argue, but then he dropped, "Besides, someone's supposed to stop by soon."
Boom. Nerves: activated. | knew exactly who he meant. "Is it gonna be dangerous?" | asked, trying not to sound
too freaked.
"Nope." He was way too casual about it. "If they wanteddead, that car crash would've been my curtain call.
Trust me-they'd have made sure."
His words stoppedcold-I hadn't thought of it like that.
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"Then why didn't they just kill you? If they think you're Hayden, wouldn't it be safer to, you know, make sure?
Even if it meant taking out an innocent guy?" | asked, finally blurting out the thought that had been eating at
me. Hayden smiled faintly. "Knew you'd figure that out eventually."
Oh, great. A compliment disguised as a roast. My foot nudged his in retaliation. "Clearly, your whole 'Xander' act
has layers I'm not ready for."
His smirk faded, replaced by a look that meant business. "It does. Want the full story?"
The fact that Hayden even asked meant he didn't want to tell me-but it also meant if | pushed, he wouldn't hold
back
| shook my head. "I just need to know you're safe. Whatever they're making you do or whatever you're planning,
it doesn't matter."
| knew he carried a lot. Living as, someone else, hiding his real name, changing his personality, even his voice-it
screamed danger.
But still, one thought stuck in my head: what happened to the real Xander?
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Chapter 727