All Chapters of Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right: Chapter 191 - Chapter 200

After I said that, I remembered what I'd wanted to ask him yesterday. "Those guys who came after you—did they give you any more trouble?"As I spoke, I glanced at his hands and face, instinctively checking for any bruises. Luckily, there weren't any."No," Hayden said, almost like he could read my mind. "And even if they did, they wouldn't stand a chance."So confident.I finished the last sip of my soup and asked, "Have you found out anything about your dad's accident? Like, who's behind it? Why are they coming after you?"Hayden looked at me. "They're scared I'll find out the truth about my dad's boss's death."He was being vague, like always, leaving me to dig for more. "Was his boss some big deal? Did his death mess with people's plans or something?""It's been over a decade. There's no financial benefit left. What they're worried about is the boss's kid holding a grudge."Something in his voice made my throat tighten. "The boss had a kid? Do they know you're investigating?

Before dawn, I woke up again. After a quick shower, I noticed a text from Hayden reminding me to grab the breakfast he'd left outside my door.He never asked why I didn't eat the last one, but he still kept making it for me anyway.I didn't want to waste his effort this time, so I ate the breakfast and headed to work.When I got there, the place was still empty since I was early. I sketched out my plan for the day, looked over everyone's recent work, and realized I still had some time to kill before the day officially started.I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through social media. I mean, yeah, it's a total time-suck, but I don't have many friends these days. At least this way, I can keep up with their lives, even if we don't really talk anymore. It was kind of nice to see how they were doing.Steve posted about some billiards tournament he entered. Lena, the superstar OB-GYN, posted about delivering another baby—she tracks every single one she helps bring into the worl

Where else could I go to hold onto their memories?"Keira," a voice called out from the stairwell.It was Ms. Brown, Hayden's landlord.I didn't even have to ask—I knew she'd heard about the demolition."Keira, they're really going to tear this place down... such a shame," she sighed.I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there, my expression reflecting the sadness I felt.Ms. Brown went on, "I just spent money fixing up my place. It's barely been rented out a month, and now I have to kick the tenant out. What a waste."I stayed quiet."Keira, I've been trying to reach that young man renting my place, but he's not picking up. If you see him, can you tell him to call me back? And maybe give him a heads-up about the demolition so he can start looking for a new place and pack up his stuff.""Sure," I agreed."Thanks, Keira," Ms. Brown said politely, but her tone quickly shifted to a more gossipy one. "You've met him, right? That guy renting my place—he seems decent, doesn't

But I had to find out the truth about my dad's death.After going back and forth in my head, I realized I didn't have much of a choice—I needed Wayne. I just had to come up with a good excuse.While I was still mulling it over, my phone rang.It was Lindey, and she didn't waste any time. "Jace is gonna be the death of me and Matthew! If he really goes through with dating Tanya Twain, I swear, we'll drop dead before we let that happen."I wasn't shocked by her reaction. I tried to keep my voice calm. "Lindey, seriously, you guys shouldn't let this get to you. I mean, relationships, marriage... it's not something parents can control.""Of course we can't control him! Otherwise, we wouldn't have let things with you and him get this far. But if he thinks he's bringing a pregnant widow into this family? No way in hell," Lindey snapped.Her words piled onto the pressure already crushing me, and honestly, I didn't know what to say—or if I even wanted to.Jace and Tanya had betrayed me.

Yes, everyone grows old, but seeing someone age overnight? That hit different. It pulled at your heart in a way that was hard to put into words.Matthew still brewed the tea, but even as I sipped it, all I could taste was the bitterness."Take this tea with you. Brew it at home—it's good for your skin," he said, carefully packing up the rest of the tea leaves for me.He really did treat me like a daughter. And now, more than ever, I could feel the guilt behind his kindness.I couldn't say no—it'd only make him feel worse."Alright, once I run out, I'll be back for more," I said, trying to keep my tone light, hoping to cut through the heaviness in the air."Good. Whatever you need, just ask. Rea, you're my daughter. You know that, right?" His voice was filled with sincerity.I nodded. "And in my heart, you've always been like a father to me."Back when I was in school, Matthew always came to my parent-teacher meetings.Sometimes Lindey wanted to go, but he insisted, saying his