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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Love's Redemption: Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

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Chapter 131

"What?" I blurted out, shocked, then muttered under my breath, "He's lost it, hasn't he?""Ms. Kay, Mr. Johnston's been acting kinda crazy lately," Gavin confessed. And just like that, it all clicked—the wedding dresses, the rings, everything. It was all Jace, probably with Gavin handling the dirty work."What is he even trying to do—gross me out?" I snapped.Gavin went quiet for a sec before saying, "Honestly, I have no idea what Mr. Johnston's thinking. But one thing's clear—he doesn't want to lose you. He really does love you.""Gavin Lawson," I said, using his full name, my tone dead serious, "it's one thing for other people to say that, but you? Do you actually believe he loves me?"Gavin didn't say a word."He can keep being crazy all he wants, but I'm not playing his game," I made my stance clear."Honestly, I've always felt guilty. If it weren't for me... you and he wouldn't have ended up like this," Gavin said, his voice thick with regret, still shouldering the blame fo

Chapter 132

Was Hayden actually stunned by how I looked?I'd always seen him as this guy with an unshakable inner strength, like nothing superficial could get to him. But I guess even the toughest guys have a weak spot when it comes to beauty.Maybe there was some truth to that saying, "Men are creatures of sight."Seeing that I had Hayden's full attention, I decided to push it a little further. I tossed my wavy hair back, all flirty-like, and noticed his gaze deepening. His face even seemed to grow colder.The sudden shift in his expression was hard to read, and I wasn't about to waste time trying to figure it out. I got straight to the point. "Are you going to agree to it or not?""Agree to what?" he asked, his eyes already shifting away from me.I smiled.Wasn't he the one who hung up on me last night, saying we'd talk when I sobered up? And now he's acting like he didn't know what I meant?I could tell he wasn't being serious—just teasing me."To be my boyfriend, temporarily," I repea

Chapter 133

I smiled. "I've made myself clear. We're not on the same page, so let's just drop it.""But you need a boyfriend, right?" Hayden shot back."Yeah, I do. But I'm not about to mess around with someone like you. I'll figure something else out," I said, noticing the way his expression darkened.I expected him to stop me or at least try to meet me halfway, but I totally misjudged the situation. He didn't say a thing."Goodbye. That was out of line," I mumbled before spinning around and getting into my car. As I drove off, it felt like I was fleeing the scene.I didn't pull over until I was sure he couldn't see me anymore. My heart was racing, and I had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Regret hit me hard—I'd been so impulsive after drinking last night.I could've asked Steve to pretend to be my boyfriend. Involving Hayden was a huge mistake.But what's done is done. No point in dwelling on it now.After pulling myself together, I drove to a flower shop, picked out a bouquet,

Chapter 134

"In a few days, it'll be Matthew's birthday. You're coming, right?"Lindey's words caught me off guard, reminding me that Matthew's birthday was indeed coming up.Even if she hadn't brought it up, I wouldn't have forgotten. I had reminders set for everyone's birthdays in the Johnston family. Living with them, I always tried to make sure everything was perfect, just to keep everyone happy.I wasn't exactly treated like an outsider, but I still walked on eggshells, always worried that one wrong move might make them think less of me or, worse, dislike me.Lost in thought, I didn't answer right away, so Lindey added, "Rea, you know we've always thought of you as our daughter. Every year, we've appreciated your gifts and well wishes on our birthdays. If you don't come this year, Matthew will be really disappointed."I hadn't planned on going, but I'd already arranged for a gift to be delivered.Now that she was asking directly, it was hard to say no, especially with Jace acting like a

Chapter 135

"Really? But who could it be? Your parents have been gone for so long, and their old friends have probably forgotten all about them. They haven't even mentioned your parents in forever, let alone visited their graves." Lindey's words hit harder than I expected.The whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing? Yeah, it's pretty real.Before, it didn't really get to me, but hearing Lindey put it so bluntly? That stung."Maybe it was just a mistake," Lindey suggested, trying to make me feel better.I glanced at the tombstone, where my parents' names and photos were etched so clearly. How could anyone possibly make a mistake like that?It was the kind of thing you'd say to a kid to stop them from freaking out."Maybe," I echoed, just going along with Lindey's words to avoid dragging the convo out any longer.I'd already confirmed the flowers weren't from Lindey or Matthew, and it didn't seem likely they were from any of my parents' old friends. That left one option: this bouquet was def

Chapter 136

Later that evening, I was halfway through my second cup of coffee at a café when my blind date, Pete Bundy, finally showed up.Pete wasn't overweight or balding. His light blue shirt was clean, and he looked pretty much like his profile had described.I wasn't catfished, but Pete's tardiness definitely knocked down my first impression of him. Luckily, I wasn't actually interested in dating him. I'd only hired him to deal with Jace."Sorry I'm late," Pete apologized."No problem. I'm not really here for a date anyway. I'm looking to hire a guy to pretend to be my boyfriend," I said bluntly.Pete froze. "Hire a boyfriend?""Yes. I'm not interested in a real relationship, but I urgently need a boyfriend for my current situation," I explained, laying it all out for him.Pete remained silent, and I thought he might be upset. So I added, "I'll pay you.""Seems like you have money," Pete said, squinting slightly as he looked into my eyes.That reaction, the kind that showed excitemen

Chapter 137

"Not many times. My main goal with these dates is to find a like-minded partner," Pete said, and I almost rolled my eyes.Like-minded?Pete's idea of a "like-minded partner" probably meant someone who was also into making money off this, so they could hustle together.People said it was tough to find a job these days, but if you were clever, there were plenty of ways to make easy money, sometimes without spending a dime upfront."So, are you sure you wanna hire me as your boyfriend, or do you wanna try dating me for real?" Pete asked again.I pressed my lips together, staying silent. He took a sip of his coffee, all smooth and graceful. "Usually, a smart girl would go for dating. That way, you don't have to pay anything. And if it doesn't work out, you can always break up later.""If everyone did that, wouldn't you be losing out?" I stirred my coffee."Not everyone gets the option. If someone has certain requirements, I'll weigh their situation before deciding," Pete explained.

Chapter 138

No answer. A chill crept down my spine.But now wasn't the time to chicken out. I forced myself to sound braver than I felt. "Who the hell are you?""It's me, Pete!"Footsteps followed, and then he added, "Your date from the café earlier."Wait, what?Of all people, Pete? After just one coffee date, he was out here creeping on me? That made this whole thing even creepier.The hallway was pitch black because the lights were out. I could barely see a thing, just some vague shapes barely lit by the moonlight sneaking in through the window.He wasn't close enough for me to see his face yet.I gripped my key tight, ready to defend myself if I had to. "Why are you following me?""Don't freak out, okay? I'm not here to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you got home safe. It's late, and it's not exactly safe for a girl to walk alone at this hour," he said as he finally stepped into view.I almost laughed at that.Like, seriously? Stalking me in the dark was supposed to make me fe

Chapter 139

Hayden had been popping up in my life a lot lately, but this was the first time he'd actually shown up at my doorstep. "What do you want this time?""I agreed," he said, throwing me off for a second.Agreed to what?"To pretend to be your boyfriend. To be your temporary boyfriend," Hayden clarified.I was taken aback, especially since he'd turned me down before. "Why did you change your mind?""If I didn't, you'd just keep going on ridiculous dates and end up being stalked again like today, wouldn't you?" Hayden's tone started off resigned, but by the end, there was a sharp edge to it.I couldn't help but notice the mix of frustration and concern on his face, barely visible in the dim light. It was almost... amusing."Aren't you going to be miserable, doing something you don't even want to do?"He caught the teasing in my voice and took a step closer. Instinctively, I stepped back, only to bump into the railing behind me—no escape.He leaned in, his arm trapping me between the

Chapter 140

I turned to look at Hayden, and he was staring right back at me. With just the two of us alone in that quiet room, the air felt thick.It was crazy, though. We'd stayed in the same hotel room before without any issues.But now, in this two-bedroom apartment, it was like the walls were closing in, and the space between us was shrinking, making it hard to even breathe.After a few moments of this intense staring contest, Hayden finally broke the silence. "Maybe I should just crash on the couch."I blinked, completely thrown."Only your real boyfriend should be sleeping in your room. I... the couch is fine," Hayden added, sounding like he was trying to convince himself as much as me. His words hit me, making me feel like I was somehow being unfair to him.I knew what he was up to—he was laying on the pressure, subtly hinting that he wanted to be more than just a friend.Guess it's true what they say: honest guys can be the most cunning.But I wasn't going to fall for it. I just sh

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