Reborn From Ashes novel Chapter 297

Hayden quickly shook his head, denying any unusual intentions, and clarified his statement.

"Then, whose video would it be?" Christina asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Come here," Hayden said, leaning closer to whisper in her ear.

"What?" Christina gasped, completely stunned by what he had just suggested.

Was this for real?

"I was just throwing it out there as an idea. You don't have to agree," Hayden said with a casual smile. "And we wouldn't even need money for it. That way, no one could hold anything over you."

Christina's expression turned conflicted. While she didn't outright refuse, her hesitation spoke volumes—she wasn't comfortable with the idea.

"By the way, what's the deal with your parents wanting to see me again?" Hayden asked, steering the conversation in a new direction.

"I'm not entirely sure. We'll find out when we get there at lunch," Christina explained.

Hayden nodded and shifted his focus back to work. He needed to draft the concept for his second script. With his first video trending, he saw this as the perfect opportunity to solidify his growing fan base.

When lunchtime rolled around, Hayden and Christina headed to her house together.

As soon as they stepped inside, the comforting aroma of home-cooked food greeted them.

Hayden glanced at the dining table and saw a spread of simple, hearty dishes—seven or eight in total. It was more than enough for four people, almost excessive. The effort that went into the meal showed just how much Aaron and Melinda valued his presence.

"Come on in, Hayden!" Melinda called out warmly, smiling as she waved him over.

"Thank you so much for having me," Hayden replied politely, his face lighting up with a shy smile.

"Mr. and Mrs. Swanson," Hayden said, finally breaking the silence. "Is something wrong? If there's something you need from me, just say the word. I'll do my best to help."

Aaron exchanged a glance with his wife before they both offered awkward smiles.

"Well, it's about that short video of yours," Aaron began.

"I'm aware it's been trending for a while now," Hayden replied with a nod. "A lot of people seem excited for the next installment in the series."

"Exactly. It's gotten so much attention that the cultural promotion department has noticed it," Aaron explained. "They're planning to give it some major support. And since they've realized that the girl in the video is our daughter, they've put us in charge of coordinating things."

"Because we had advance notice about this, we wanted to bring you in to discuss it," Melinda added.

"Discuss what, exactly?" Hayden asked, momentarily confused.