I gulped down over half the glass. "He left Chiverton a while ago.""Hmm?" Lena sat cross-legged across from me, her face curious."I turned him down, so he left. Apparently, he had work to do," I said, making Lena pause."He left? Didn't he try harder?" Lena shook her head. "This guy lacks persistence.""He knows when to back off; he's not the clingy type," I said, thinking about Hayden's rugged and sturdy demeanor.Lena tilted her head, looking at me. "If he had tried a bit harder, would you have—""No," I cut her off. "I won't use one person to heal the wounds another man caused.""So, no one can easily replace Jace," Lena concluded.I gave a faint smile. "Jace agreed to break up with me."Lena was stunned.I put down my glass. "I'm just here to shower and change before heading to the Johnstons. I need to clear things up with Matthew and Lindey. Jace and I... we're done."As I said it, I lowered my head.It wasn't that I didn't want to let go, or that I felt relieved. It
Lindey and Matthew tensed up when I spoke, not surprised but definitely uneasy."Rea, we know about it. It's not your fault. It's that rascal Jace's fault. I scolded him. I told him to come back and apologize to you..." Lindey started, cursing Jace before I could even get a word in.She was trying to keep me from saying what she didn't want to hear.Matthew, more rational, interrupted her, "Let Rea speak."Lindey's grip on my hand tightened, her eyes begging me not to say what she feared.I lowered my gaze, trying to stay composed. "Jace and I have broken up."The room fell into a heavy silence, with Lindey's grip tightening even more."Why?" Matthew's voice was deep and authoritative.I knew I had to give them a reason they couldn't argue with, or this would never end. Just saying Jace and I were incompatible wouldn't cut it.So, I decided to be honest. "Because of Tanya. He cares more about her than he does about me, his fiancée."Lindey pulled my hand closer. "What has he
Lindey's grip on my hand trembled, and she cursed, "That rascal! I'll call him right now and ask him what he thinks he's doing. Didn't he say there's nothing going on with that woman?"She let go of my hand and reached for her phone.I flexed my hand to shake off the numbness. "Lindey, I've already talked to him at the office. He agreed to break up, and..." I hesitated before continuing, "He's even hired Tanya to work at the company."Saying all this today felt like tattling. Since that was the case, I might as well spill everything Jace had done."What?"They were visibly shocked, especially Matthew, whose face darkened.Lindey turned to him. "Didn't you say you had control over everything at the company? How could you not know about this?"Just as I suspected, Matthew might stay home, but he knew everything about the company.However, small details like an individual hire weren't always on a chairman's radar.Matthew didn't respond, but his eyes showed clear anger.Lindey u
'Wayne is back!'I hadn't seen that coming, just like I didn't think he'd remember my dad's number.Matthew and Lindey were equally surprised, staring at Wayne in disbelief.Wayne had been gone for four years without a single visit. His sudden return was a total surprise and a real thrill for them."Mom, Dad, what's up? Aren't you guys happy to see me?" Wayne said, walking over with a grin.Wayne had always been the warm, big brother type. In the ten years I spent with the Johnston family before he left, he brought the most warmth to the house.Unlike Jace, who was all about showing off how well he treated me, Wayne's kindness was the real deal—quiet and genuine, more about what he did than what he said."Wayne," I called out to him.This brought Matthew and Lindey back to their senses. Lindey released me, stood up, and walked to Wayne, lightly hitting him twice. "You still remember you have parents? You still know how to come home?"Matthew chimed in, "Why didn't you give us
Wayne paused, looking at me puzzled.I gave a bitter smile. "Your mom had it renovated."Handing him his bag, I said, "You go ahead and settle in. I've got some packing to do too."He nodded, and I headed to my room.The room still had both my and Jace's stuff. It was clear no one had stayed here since I left.'Looks like Jace hasn't been back at all. So where's he been? At Splendor Heights with Tanya?'Thinking about it made my chest tighten again. I thought I had moved on from Jace, but the wound still needed time to heal.I forced myself not to dwell on it and started packing.Over the years, I had developed a habit of minimalism, so my clothes and personal items weren't excessive. Everything fit into one suitcase.As I was almost done, there was a knock on the door. I walked over and opened it to find Wayne standing there.He had changed clothes and glanced past me to see the open suitcase on the bed. His brow furrowed. "Are you moving out of our home?""Yeah, it would b
"Cutie Pie, you still have me," Wayne said, gently patting the back of my head before letting go.I hadn't cried at all until now. Suddenly, my eyes filled up, and the tears just started pouring. I didn't want to cry in front of him, but I couldn't stop. 'I can't let these tears fall, they'll give me away,' I told myself.Swallowing them back only made them flow faster. I turned my head, trying to hide my face. Wayne's hand landed on my head again, gently ruffling my hair. "It's okay to cry in front of me, you remember?"He had said that before. Now, he said it again.But in this moment, his words tore at the last shreds of my dignity. I turned my back to him, quickly wiping away the tears.Sensing my discomfort, he picked up my suitcase. "I'll put this in your car."As he left, I covered my face and let the tears flow freely. When I finally went downstairs, Matthew and Lindey were still busy in the kitchen, their joy at Wayne's return overshadowing their anxiety about losing me
"No, it's for us. Since the best time to see the lighting effects is at night, we need to be prepared for all-nighters. Going back home wouldn't be convenient," I explained.Demi gave me a thumbs up. "Keira, you're so thoughtful.""And if you have a boyfriend, give him a heads-up. We'll be taking up your quality time," I teased her."No worries. It'll be a good test for him," Demi said, smiling happily and sweetly."Alright, let's get to work. To save time, we need to identify all the issues so that when the experts arrive, they can get straight to solving them," I instructed.Demi nodded and pulled out the blueprints. "I'll handle zones A, D, and F.""I'll take the rest," I replied. Even though I was in charge, I had to work just as hard as Demi.The next day, we met with the two representatives from the construction team, Mr. Hudson and Mr. Wyatt.In the afternoon, we welcomed the lighting supplier's reps, Mr. Ziegler and Mr. Larson.We discussed the issues Demi and I had id
Quentin: [Keira, is it true that you and Jace broke off your engagement?]Eric: [Keira, Jace has gone mad with anger. Don't be upset. We'll sort him out for you.]Daniel: [Keira, when you have time, let me treat you and Jace to dinner.]Toby: [Count me in. I can definitely help patch things up between you and Jace.]Andrew: [Guys, stop making a fuss. Couples have their fights and make up. You're just stirring things up.]I stared at the screen, puzzled. 'What have they heard that made them tag me in the group?'The chat had eight members, and all guys were Jace's sworn brothers. Besides who had posted, there were Jace, me, and Steve. Steve was the only one who hadn't said anything, but he knew me best.In the brotherhood, Jace was the third eldest, and Steve was the sixth. I met Steve before Jace and I were officially a couple. It was before Steve and Jace had sworn brotherhood.I sent Steve a private message: [Steve, what rumors have they heard?]Steve replied almost instantl