Chapter 422

Jace's face froze, his eyes locking onto mine like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then, his gaze dropped to my hand, still laced with Hayden's.

No one said a word for a few awkward seconds. Finally, Hayden cleared his throat. "Mr. Johnston, morning."

Morning? The sun wasn't even up yet.

That seemed to snap Jace out of his trance. His jaw clenched, and he looked straight at me. "Rea, I need to talk to you."

I could've said no, but I didn't. Some conversations had to happen, even if they sucked.

"Hayden, go on upstairs. I'm in the mood for some milk," I said, super casual, like I was asking my husband to pick up groceries or something.

He gave a small nod, adjusting the coat around my shoulders. "It's cold this morning."

He stepped into the elevator, leaving me alone with Jace, who just stared at the floor numbers like he was trying to burn a hole through them. When the doors finally shut, Jace turned back to me. "When did you buy the apartment?"

I used to think he bough