Hayden was shocked. “What happened?”
Nicole had already left in the car during the time that he took to react to the call.
Hayden hesitated briefly before deciding to deal with Caleb’s matter.
1/2
Hayden only came back home when night fell.
Nicole hadn’t slept a wink. She went downstairs upon hearing the front door open.
Hayden entered the house, but his coat was nowhere to be found. He looked quite relaxed, wearing his black button–up shirt open at the collar with his sleeves loosely folded.
“You’re back.” Nicole walked down the stairs.
Hayden was surprised to see that she was still up. He smiled. “Haven’t gone to sleep yet? Were you staying up for me?”
Nicole nodded.
Before Hayden could revel in joy, she added, “I’ve already done as you asked, so transfer that land to my name as you’ve promised.”
Hayden stopped walking as complex emotions filled his gaze. It felt like a frog was caught in his throat.
Nicole keenly noticed his strange response. She went up, staring fixedly at him. “Are you going to go back on your word?”
Hayden pursed his lips. “Of course not. It’s just that something’s come up regarding the land, so it might take around half a month to get it back.”
Nicole’s heart lurched in her chest. She didn’t believe him at all.
“Something went wrong with the land right after you decided to give it to me? What a coincidence,” she said.
Nicole couldn’t wait another half a month. One more day spent here in the country meant one less day with Shawn. She had had enough of all the nonsense from the people around her.
Hayden was silent in the face of Nicole’s suspicion. He then went over and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Listen to me. Caleb was set up today and signed an illegal contract, losing hundreds of millions in the process. They refuse to let him off the hook and are demanding that piece of land in exchange.”
Nicole composed herself. “So you gave them my land?”
Chapter 40
2/2
Hayden lowered his head. “Yes. I know your ancestors owned this land, but I couldn’t just stand by while Caleb was in danger. He would’ve been crippled by all the beatings he suffered.”
Hayden then caressed Nicole’s hair. “If your best friend were the one in Caleb’s shoes, you wouldn’t just sit by and do nothing, right?”
Nicole couldn’t reply to Hayden’s attempt at moral blackmail at all. She shut her eyes tiredly and pushed his hands away.
“Caleb is safe now, right? I’ll give you three days‘ time max to get my land back. You promised me this.”
Hayden’s eyes darkened slightly. He looked uneasy. “Immovable assets like land have a seven–day period
where they’re protected from sale and transfer. We’ll need half a month’s time to find a way to buy it back.”
Nicole’s fingers dug into her palm.
In her seven years of marriage with Hayden, this had been the only thing she’d ever asked of him. Yet she couldn’t even get it.
Nicole turned around. “Got it.”
Hayden’s heart clenched lightly as he grabbed her wrist. “Could you wait just a little longer please, Nicky?
Just half a month longer.”
“Okay.”
The ceiling light made Nicole’s eyes prickle painfully. She went right upstairs.
The number of days was dwindling. Nicole had no hope that Hayden would get the land back whatsoever.
She went back to her room and took out her phone. She clicked into Shawn’s contact, wondering whether
she should call him.
Nicole had wanted to surprise Shawn with that piece of land in Hayden’s hands.
But all she could do right now was to ask her brother for help.
Nicole was about to call Shawn when an unsaved contact suddenly sent her a video. She paused briefly before clicking into it. It was one of Caleb’s burner numbers, which she’d forgotten to delete.
The video was of Caleb hanging out with his drinking buddies. He raised two bottles of whisky to the camera and even winked at it. He didn’t look like he’d just been rescued from being held hostage at all.
Caleb was doing this on purpose. He was intentionally trying to snatch the land from Nicole.
Nicole’s fingers tightened around her phone. She then got up to go find Hayden.
