Ch. 191..200

Chapter 191

"My sister was a picky eater. I had to learn."

Hayden's words made me pause.

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, a biological one." He put extra weight on the word like it mattered.

Then it hit me-he had mentioned it before.

""But you didn't really say much about her."

Hayden's hand froze for a second, and he gave me a quick glance. "I just hadn't gotten around to it..."

"How old is she? Is she my age? Is she in school? Working?" I couldn't help but fire off questions, my curiosity taking over.

Hayden didn't answer right away. His grip tightened on his fork. "She's... not well."

I froze, realizing I'd stumbled onto something sensitive I didn't know what to say.

"She has congenital heart disease," he explained.

I hesitated, then asked, "That can be treated, right? With a heart transplant or something?"

He didn't respond right away, and suddenly it clicked. Without thinking, I blurted out, "Hayden, do you... not have enough money?"

A heart transplant costs a fortune. And with their dad gone, and no mention of their mom, I realized Hayden probably couldn't afford the surgery.

His gaze shifted to mine, making me squirm a little. Worried he'd get the wrong idea, I quickly said, "If it's money, I could lend you some. I've got more than enough,"

"I wouldn't be able to pay you back," Hayden said smoothly.

That confirmed it, and I smiled, trying to help. "Then don't. You could just pay me back by sticking around."

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My mouth was faster than my brain-again. Ugh, such a problem.

The second the words left my lips, I realized how inappropriate they sounded.

I was scrambling to figure out how to backtrack when Hayden just said, "Alright."

Wait, what? Did he just... agree?

He didn't brush it off, didn't make some macho comment about not needing my help?

Even if he didn't reject the idea of staying with me, I figured he'd at least say no to borrowing money. But this time, he didn't.

He must really be struggling. The thought that he might actually need help for his sister tugged at my heart a little.

That feeling passed fast, and I cleared my throat, trying to get back on track. "Has your sister seen any doctors? If she has medical records, send them to me. I know some people who could help." "Sure," he agreed.

With nothing left to say, I stood up. "Thanks for today. I should get going."

Hayden looked at me. "If you start feeling sick again, call me."

"Will do," I replied with a smile, turning away and letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

Being taken care of like that was... surprisingly stressful.

When I got home, I leaned against the door, trying to steady my breathing. I hadn't even fully calmed down when my phone started buzzing loudly. I walked to my room and grabbed it, Jace's name flashing on the screen.

Why was he calling me? I definitely wasn't in the mood to deal with him. He made me sick

The call ended on its own, and that's when I noticed I had over twenty missed calls. Aside from one from

Gavin, all of them were from Jace.

Great. Gavin's was probably just him doing Jace's dirty work.

Why was Jace so relentless? Something must've happened. So, when he called again, I finally gave in and answered. "Hello."

"Rea, where are you? I need to see you," Jace's voice sounded strained, like he'd been drinking.

1 didn't say a word.

He let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, right. You don't want me anymore."

I stayed silent.

His voice dropped lower, and he said my name, "Keira Kay, do you really not want me anymore? We've been together for ten years... you always loved me..."

So, he knew. Of course, he knew. He'd been playing me this whole time, taking advantage of my feelings.

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"Say something! Is it really over? Are we really done?" I heard the crash of something breaking in the background.

He must've been wasted. I didn't want to hear any more of this. "I'm hanging up."

"Don't," he stopped me, his voice more desperate now. "If I end up with Tanya, would it hurt you? Would it break your heart?"

There it was-twisting the knife.

Even now, he had to stab me one last time.

"Jace Johnston," I said his name slowly, heavily, "is it only if I die like Desmond that you'd finally feel pain?

The line went dead silent, like the call had dropped, but I knew better. He was still there.

I didn't hang up either. This was the truth he'd been avoiding-the weight he'd been carrying, the one thing he never had the guts to face. And now, I'd ripped it wide open, raw and bleeding. I knew he was hurting.

I could practically see him, drowning in the guilt..

But this was something he had to deal with. No amount of pain he felt could ever come close to the loss of a real, living person.

After a long pause, Jace finally spoke. "You found out...

Then the call ended.

I listened to the beeping of the disconnected line, but I couldn't bring myself to lower the phone. It felt like my heart was sinking, falling into an endless abyss.

That night, I barely slept. My dreams were haunted by Jace, replaying every single moment we'd shared over the last ten years.

It was like an old film stuck on repeat, running in my mind all night long.

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L

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 world. The total so far? 5,566

Five thousand, five hundred and sixty-six babies. Without her posts, I bet even she'd lose count.

I liked her post and threw in a thumbs-up emoji, then kept scrolling. That's when I saw his post. Jace.

He'd written: [For the rest of my life, I will take care of you both]

It was paired with a cartoon of a mom and a baby.

My chest tightened. I knew exactly what that meant.

He'd accepted Tanya.

He posted it in the middle of the night, and there were already a ton of likes and comments. People who didn't know we'd broken up were even congratulating me and Jace, like we were still a thing.

I let out a bitter laugh and left my own comment: [Congrats, wishing you guys all the best.]

As soon as I hit post button, I closed the app and tossed my phone aside. No way was I scrolling anymore..

I just stared blankly at my computer screen. My mind felt... empty.

It didn't exactly hurt. It was more like this heavy, sinking feeling that I couldn't quite describe.

Then my phone rang, snapping me out of it. Ron's name popped up on the screen, and I glanced toward his office. He wasn't in yet.

I answered. "Mr. Shane?"

"Hey, Ms. Kay, don't come into the office for the next couple of days." His voice was all groggy, like he was still half-asleep.

I figured he was probably still lying in bed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Don't read into it. There's nothing weird going on, I just think you've been working too hard lately, so I'm giving you a couple of paid days off," Ron said.

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Working too hard?

Have I, though?

I'd been taking more days off than actually working lately. Was he trying to hint at something?

"Mr. Shane, I'll try to take fewer days off from now on," said, wanting to make sure I wasn't giving the wrong impression.

He quickly cut in, "You're overthinking this. I'm not hinting at anything. I'm seriously just giving you a break. You know, at our company, we like to take care of our best employees-especially someone like you." Yeah, right. I was not some naive girl who'd fall for a cheap line like that.

Remembering how things had gone down the last few times, I cut to the chase. "Is this another order from the big boss?"

Ron sputtered, coughing a bit before answering, "You think the big boss has that kind of time?"

He denied it, but getting random time off still felt off.

"Ms. Kay, this is an official notice. You're on leave. If you don't take it, you'll be defying orders, and that'll mean a pay cut," Ron said, pulling the whole boss card on me.

In all my years working, this was a first-getting a "break" like this.

Since I'd already handled everything for the day and two days off wouldn't screw anything up, I just said, "Alright.

After hanging up, I found the department supervisor, walked him through my plans, pointed out a few things he should keep an eye on, and told him to keep everything on track. Then I headed out.

Once I got in my car, I sent Steve a text: [Hey, can you dig up some info on the owner of OceanixCorp? It's the company I'm working for.]

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As soon as I sent the message, Steve called me back almost immediately.

"What's up? Someone trying to take advantage of you?" he asked bluntly.

I laughed. "I wish! I haven't even met the guy. How's that supposed to work?"

"You haven't met him? So you're asking me to dig him up just 'cause you're curious?" Steve sounded surprised. "Keira, you think I've got that much free time?"

He'd literally just posted about entering some billiards tournament, so I knew he was busy.

Realizing I might've jumped the gun, I quickly said, "If you're swamped, forget it. I'm just curious. It's not big deal."

"Come on, are you trying to guilt-trip me?" Steve joked, pretending to be offended.

I chuckled. "Nah, seriously, just curiosity. If you have time, cool. If not, don't stress."

"For you, I've always got time," he said, reassuring me. I'll look into it."

But he didn't hang up right away. I could tell there was something else on his mind-probably about Jace's post.

I stayed quiet. After a long pause, he finally said, "Forget it, never mind. Just know if you need anything.

I'm here."

I let out a breath. Honestly, whatever he might've said would've just made things weird. It was probably better that he dropped it.

"Okay," I replied, and then, remembering his tournament, I added, "By the way, when's your match? Send me a ticket-I'll come cheer you on." ""Haha, deal!' Steve said,

After we hung up, I headed home. The weird dreams I'd had last night still had me feeling drained, so I was hoping to crash for a bit. But as soon as I pulled into my complex, I saw a crowd gathered by the entrance. I parked and walked over, wondering what was going on. That's when I saw the notice taped to the gate.

Demolition.

That word sent a wave of panic through me.

I'd had a feeling this place wouldn't last much longer, but actually seeing it in writing... it hit harder than I

expected.

For most people, demolition meant excitement, a chance to cash in and get rich overnight. But for me, it was

devastating. It felt like watching all my happiest, warmest memories get ripped apart

"Two months to move out. If you leave early, you get an extra $1,000 as a bonus."

"I've been dying to get out of here forever. Finally, it's happening."

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"I just signed a year-long lease with my tenant! Now I have to kick them out? I'll probably have to pay them to leave."

The crowd buzzed around me, everyone reacting differently. Some were pumped, some annoyed.

I just slipped away quietly, deciding to walk home instead of driving..

This place was old, yeah, but that's exactly why it had so much charm.

The tall, old trees lining the streets were still lush and green. I remembered how, every spring, when the flowers bloomed, my mom would gather them with the neighbors and make flower pancakes with eggs. In the summer, we'd sit under those trees, cooling off, playing games. It was one of my favorite things to do with her.

And then-there was the rock garden. It used to be the hangout spot for me and all the other kids. We climbed all over it, smoothing the stones down until they were shiny from years of play.

As I walked through the complex, I kept taking it all in, knowing soon this place would be flattened. All of this-everything that meant something to me-would be gone. The thought crushed me.

As long as this complex stood, my parents' home still felt like it was here. And as long as their home was here, it was like they were still close to me.

But once it's gone... I'm not even sure where I'll put all my longing.

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Chapter 195

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 he?"

I gave a small smile. "Yeah, he's alright."

*Just alright? You've got high standards! If I had a daughter, I'd be pushing for her to marry him," Ms. Brown joked, clearly impressed by Hayden,

"You can always try for another kid," I teased her.

On any other day, she might've taken that as me being disrespectful. But with that story going viral about the sixty-something-year-old woman who had a baby, she just laughed. "I don't have that kind of energy! Don't make fun of me."

I smiled but didn't say anything, just letting her talk. Ms. Brown kept going, "You should start sorting your things out too. Toss what you don't need or sell it.

"I know a guy who collects scrap-pays well and is really nice.

"I'll give you his number, and when you're ready, you can call him to sell your stuff."

She seemed so eager to help, I couldn't say no.

After giving me the number, Ms. Brown finally left, and headed upstairs.

The moment I opened the door to my apartment, the memories came rushing in all at once, and my eyes stung with tears.

Some things... no matter how hard you try, you just can't hold onto them.

My dad used to tell me that when you can't hold onto something, you just have to let it go. I knew this

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demolition was inevitable, so after a brief moment of sadness, I started really looking around the apartment, figuring out what to do next. I decided to start packing, beginning with the storage room. My parents' rooms? I wasn't ready to touch those yet. As I sorted through things, I made up my mind: I was going to buy my own place as soon as possible. That way, I could take everything my parents left behind with me.

There were so many old things-the bookshelf from when I was a kid, the tiny tricycle I used to ride, my parents' gardening tools, my dad's fishing gear, my mom's painting supplies...

Everything was old, but none of it was stuff I could just let go of.

The more I packed, the more I realized how important it was to find a place for all of this.

While I was clearing out the clutter, I came across an old wicker trunk. I knew it well-I had a picture of myself as a kid, sitting right on top of it.

My dad once told me it was his "suitcase" when he left the orphanage, basically his version of a travel bag.

1 opened it, and there, on top, was one of my dad's dark blue vests. Instantly, I thought of Hayden and his

green vest.

Underneath the vest was a notebook, a pen still clipped to the cover. When I flipped it open, my dad's familiar handwriting stared back at me, and the grief hit so hard it felt like my chest caved in. Tears welled up before I could stop them, spilling onto the ink and blurring the words.

I quickly tried to wipe them away, but in the process, I knocked the notebook off the bed. Something slipped out from between the pages.

I picked it up-it was a contract. Flipping through it, I skimmed over the contents, but when I reached the last page, I froze, staring at the signature and the company stamp.

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VastReach Group.

Thorsten Drago.

The moment I saw the company name and the bold signature of the legal representative, everything clicked. Both were too familiar to ignore.

VastReach Group is RiverwaveCorp's biggest partner, and Matthew had a particularly close relationship with Thorsten Drago, the chairman of VastReach.

But what confused me was why my dad had a contract with VastReach from ten years ago.

As far as I knew, my dad wasn't working for Riverwave Corp back then. So what was he doing with this contract?

I flipped through it again. It was an agreement for a new energy development project. That same project is now a major division under Riverwave Corp-extremely successful and making tons of money.

on it.

Technically, this contract should have belonged to RiverwaveCorp. But Matthew's signature wasn't o

1 set the contract aside and opened my father's notebook.

It was a work diary, mostly filled with project plans and symbols I couldn't quite make sense of. I kept flipping through it until I reached the last page. Five words were scrawled in my dad's familiar handwriting: [Wishing for a smooth signing.] After that, nothing.

I remembered that not long after this, my father was killed in the car accident.

Suddenly, I flashed back to the night before the accident. My dad had told me, "Kiki, after tomorrow, Daddy's going to be able to build you your very own amusement park."

I was just a kid back then, too excited to ask why. I'd hugged him and showered him with kisses, totally unaware of what was coming.

But now, thinking back, I get it. If my dad had signed that contract with VastReach ten years ago, it would have led to a huge breakthrough-probably on the same level as what RiverwaveCorp had achieved today. Forget just an amusement park-he could've built an entire commercial empire.

But after his death, everything fell apart. All that potential stayed nothing more than a dream.

Now, I couldn't shake the thought-was my father's accident somehow tied to this contract? Could his death have been more than just a tragic accident?

A flood of chaotic thoughts swirled through my mind, sending a chill down my spine. My body felt heavy, and I collapsed into a sitting position in the storage room, too overwhelmed to move for a long time. Eventually, I made up my mind. I had to investigate. And the first step was VastReach Group-and Thorsten Drago.

I knew I couldn't just waltz in and demand answers, but I remembered something from a few years ago. Matthew and Lindey had mentioned that Thorsten was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had fully

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stepped down from running the company to focus on recovery, leaving the business in his son's hands.

If I could find out where Thorsten was staying. I might be able to visit him under the pretense of concern.

But I couldn't just ask Matthew's

Out of the blue. He's been working for Matthew for over ten years, even longer than I've been with the Johnston family. He's reliable and discreet, which is exactly why he's lasted so long. If I made a move too openly, he'd definitely get suspicious. Still, he was my best shot at finding Thorsten's whereabouts. I just had to be smart about it.

I started by looking up the top medical and wellness facilities in Seavora, narrowing it down to the three most likely options. But without knowing exactly where Thorsten was staying, I couldn't take it any further on my own.

That's when an idea struck me.

I could borrow Matthew's driver's car. Most cars like his have driving logs, and from those records, I'd be able to see which location the driver's been visiting regularly-Matthew goes to see Thorsten at least once a month.

But borrowing the car wouldn't be easy. I couldn't just ask for it, especially since I already have my own. If I even mentioned needing one, Matthew would probably offer to buy me a new car on the spot. So, that approach was out.

The only person in the Johnston family who could reasonably ask to borrow the car was Wayne. He'd just gotten back to the country and didn't have his own vehicle yet.

Sure, he could easily use one of the family's cars, but he could play it off like he didn't know the local roads and ask for the driver's help.

Once he was in the car, he could find a way to send the driver off, leaving the car-and its driving log- open for me to check.

It was a solid plan. But even as I thought it through, I hesitated.

I knew Wayne's feelings for me too well. If I asked, he'd help without a second thought. But that would mean using his affection for me to get what I wanted.

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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. Why should I be the one defending them? I'm not here to forgive them and pretend everything's fine. I wasn't about to start playing peacemaker just to make Lindey feel better. Honestly, the fact I wasn't making things worse for them was already more self-control than they deserved.

"Rea, Matthew's so upset he hasn't eaten a thing. It's like he's on some hunger strike. He'll only listen to you. Could you come over and talk some sense into him?" Lindey finally let slip the real reason she called. Fate was practically handing me a perfect opening. If I went back to the Johnston residence, I might not even need Wayne's help. I could probably get into Matthew's car myself and dig up the info I needed. I told her I'd come by, and after she ranted about Jace for a few more minutes, she hung up.

But just showing up at the Johnstons' didn't guarantee I'd get what I wanted. To make sure everything worked out, I knew I had to call Wayne, too.

"Rea," his gentle voice greeted me as usual.

"Wayne," I replied, keeping my tone respectful but distant. I had to be careful. I didn't want him getting too attached, but I also needed to use his feelings to my advantage.

I was being a total hypocrite. And I knew it.

"Your dad's losing it and won't eat. Your mom's asking me to come over, but I don't think I can handle this on my own. Can you meet me there?"

He paused for a second, then agreed.

Honestly, he didn't sound surprised at all. He probably already knew what was going on.

When I got to the Johnston residence, Wayne was already there, standing by the door like he'd been waiting for me the whole time.

"You know why my dad's upset, right? I doubt we'll change his mind," Wayne said as I walked up, hinting

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that Matthew still wanted Jace and me to get back together.

I gave him a sarcastic smile but kept quiet.

Wayne didn't push it. We headed inside together, and when Lindey saw us arriving like that, she looked surprised. I acted like I didn't notice and asked, "Where's Matthew?"

"In the study. He hasn't come out all morning and isn't letting anyone in. Stayed there all night. If he hadn't yelled at a few people who tried to check on him, I'd think he was in there trying to kill himself," Lindey said, as blunt as always. "Mom, Dad's not that fragile. Don't think like that," Wayne tried to calm her down.

"I'll go up and talk to him," I offered.

Lindey gave a nod, and I headed upstairs.

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.

I knocked a few times, but nothing. My worry started creeping up, so I called out, "Matthew, it's me, Rea."

Finally, I heard footsteps, and after a moment, the door creaked open.

The sight that met me stopped me cold.

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"Matthew..." I stammered, my voice shaky with shock.

"Rea," he said, giving me a strained smile.

"Your hair..." I reached out, instinctively wanting to touch it.

He frowned, confused. "What about my hair? Is it messy?"

Suddenly, tears started streaming down my face.

vare

Seeing me cry, he looked even more confused. "What's going on? Why are you crying? Did Lindey say something to upset you? Don't listen to her, you know how she is."

It hit me he hadn't even noticed that his hair had turned almost completely gray.

Just a few days ago, his hair was still black. But now? It wasn't totally gray, but at least eighty percent of it had gone silver.

He looked like a completely different person, like he'd aged decades in just a few days. From a strong, middle-aged man to someone who seemed... fragile.

I couldn't find the words. Especially since he had no idea what had happened to him.

Instead, I stepped forward and hugged him tightly, the tears flowing freely now.

He patted my back gently. "Don't cry, don't cry. I'm fine. I just needed some time alone. Lindey's been nagging at me nonstop, and now she's pulled you into this mess.

He thought I was crying because I was worried about him locking himself away for a whole day and night.

I shook my head against his shoulder, my throat tight like I couldn't breathe.

"Come on, sit down for a bit. I'll make us some tea," Matthew said, his voice steady, like nothing was wrong.

But I could see through it. He was just putting up a front, trying to keep me from worrying. The gray in his hair said it all.

"Matthew, let Jace do what he wants. Don't let this tear you apart. Please, don't let it get to you."

I'd never felt this much sympathy for someone before. Seeing Matthew like this broke my heart in a way I couldn't even explain, like he was my own father.

His eyes darkened. "He's let me down too many times, Rea. And I've had time to think-it's because we spoiled him. We let him get away with too much."

"That's not on you. Jace is grown now. His choices are his own, and he's gotta live with the consequences,

I said, trying to comfort him.

Matthew didn't respond. I could tell my words hadn't hit home. He was as stubborn as they come. No matter how calm or easygoing he usually seemed-whether Lindey was nagging or people were criticizing him-deep down, his convictions were rock solid. I never imagined Jace's choice of a girlfriend or wife would hit him this hard. Enough to turn his hair gray

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practically overnight.

"Come on, sit with me. Let's have some tea," Matthew said, guiding me to sit by the tea table before he went to fetch the tea leaves.

As I watched him walk away, something about his posture struck me. His back looked a little hunched, like the weight of everything had finally caught up to him. With his gray hair, he suddenly seemed... old.

"I'll make you that black tea you brought over a while ago. I've been saving it for..." His voice trailed off.

His hand, reaching for the tea cabinet, froze. He just stood there, staring at the glass door.

Something wasn't right. I rushed over. "Matthew...

That's when I saw it too.

In the glass reflection, Matthew had finally noticed his gray hair.

"Matthew," I whispered, gently grabbing his arm.

He blinked and let out a bitter smile. "So that's why you were crying earlier, huh?"

That smile-it was empty, full of this quiet resignation that tore me up inside.

"You've... you've..." I tried to say something, but the words caught in my throat.

"I'm over fifty now. Gray hair's bound to happen. Guess now Lindey won't have to worry about some younger woman catching my eye, right? I've officially turned into an old man. Who'd be interested in me now?" Matthew joked, forcing a chuckle. But I couldn't laugh. I pressed my face into his shoulder, quietly sobbing.

Matthew's hand gently stroked my hair. "Alright, alright, don't cry. We all get old eventually."

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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 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 being there would make the principal and teachers take me more seriously. He never let me feel like an orphan in front of my classmates after I lost my parents. Matthew nodded firmly at my words, but I could feel Lindey's worries creeping into my mind. I glanced at his graying hair, hesitating. "Matthew, Lindey's really worried about you. If she sees you like this...

"I'm still pretty handsome, aren't I?" Matthew said with a playful grin, running his hand through his hair." What do you think?"

I couldn't help but laugh, though my eyes filled with tears. "Yes, very handsome. You'll always be the most handsome."

Just as we were sharing that light moment, footsteps echoed on the stairs. Lindey's voice called out before she even appeared. "I swear, no one can handle this stubborn old man but Rea!"

She stepped into the doorway, her usual teasing smile in place until her eyes landed on Matthew. The smile froze.

Her expression shifted to shock, disbelief flooding her face as she stared at him. Her gaze shook, and within seconds, tears started streaming down her cheeks.

Matthew and I both stood up. I rushed over, worried she might collapse. "Lindey..."

But she didn't even look at me. Her eyes stayed glued to Matthew's gray hair.

Matthew stepped closer, gently wiping her tears. "What's wrong? Do I look ugly now?"

Lindey's hand trembled as she reached up, barely touching his hair. "Your hair...

"Yeah, it's gray now. And there's more of it than you have, so no need to worry anymore, right?" Matthew tried to joke, brushing away more of her tears.

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But she couldn't stop. Her whole body shook with emotion.

It was the first time I'd ever seen Lindey cry like that.

Matthew had always spoiled her, and it was rare to ever see her cry. But today, she was sobbing uncontrollably, her hands clinging to his hair like the sight of it had shattered something inside her. Watching this moment unfold, I quietly slipped out of the room.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, Wayne caught my eye. "What happened? I heard my mom crying."

"Your dad... his hair turned gray overnight."

Wayne's eyes went wide with shock.

For a few moments, he just stood there, staring at the floor.

I didn't know how to comfort him. The truth was, I'd come here with my own agenda, but after everything I'd seen today, I didn't have the heart to follow through with it.

"I think I'll head home," I finally said.

Wayne glanced toward the stairs, then back at me. "I'll drive you."

We walked outside, and I got into my car. I turned the key, but the engine wouldn't start.

Nothing. That's when I remembered-before coming here, I had asked the repair shop to disable the car's engine. It was all part of my plan to end up in Matthew's car. "Car trouble?" Wayne asked, noticing the situation.

I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. I just nodded. "Yeah."

"I'll call someone to fix it. In the meantime, let Edward drive you home," Wayne suggested.

Edward was Matthew's driver.

Chapter 200

I'd planned and plotted to get into Matthew's car, but in the end, it was way easier than I expected.

Now, finding the address I needed? That was gonna take some work.

"Hey, Edward, can you pull over? My stomach's feeling kinda off. I think I'm gonna puke," I said, putting on my best I'm-about-to-die' face as we passed a pharmacy.

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, instantly looking freaked out. "Yeah, sure, sure," he said, pulling over fast.

Once the car stopped, Edward turned around, full-on worried now. "Rea, you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Nah, it's probably just the tea Matthew made. Messed with my stomach or something." I said casually, dropping Matthew's name so Edward wouldn't brush it off. I clutched my stomach for extra drama. "Could you grab me some omeprazole from the pharmacy? One

pill should do the trick."

Edward nodded, but still looked unsure. "You sure you don't need a doctor?"

I didn't respond, just gave him a look that said, drop it.

Edward didn't push it. He'd been working for the Johnston family long enough to know better. Even though I wasn't with Jace anymore, he understood how things worked. No one in that house ever said no to me.

He hurried out of the car, but before he crossed the street, I called out, "Oh, and grab me a bottle of water

too?"

He turned back and shook his head. "There's water in the car. I'll pour some when I get back." He sounded worried, still checking on me as he rushed off.

The second he disappeared into the pharmacy, I leaned forward, heart racing, and reached for the navigation system.

'This is so bad,' I thought, my pulse pounding so hard it felt like it was echoing in my ears.

I kept glancing out the window, scanning for Edward. Thankfully, there was some barrier he would have to cross, buying me a little more time.

I scrolled through the nav history as fast as I could, but nothing looked unusual. Panic started creeping in after a few minutes. I'd gone back a whole month and still... nothing. Did I screw this up?

I wasn't ready to back down. I kept digging, even though my heart dropped when I spotted Edward leaving the pharmacy, medicine in hand, heading back toward the car. My pulse shot up. He was almost back, and I still hadn't found anything. But then-there it was. A route Mabeled private.

Why would someone mark a regular driving route as private unless they were hiding something?

Chapter 200

A rush of adrenaline hit me-this had to be it. But of course, the route was locked behind a password.

I froze for a second. Who'd set this up? Edward was just the driver, he wouldn't do something like this. No, this was Matthew's car. It had to be him. Matthew controlled everything. Edward just followed orders. I only had three chances to guess the password. If I messed up, the system would lock me out, and Matthew would know someone was snooping. I couldn't risk that.

So, what would Matthew use?

I glanced out the window. Edward was getting closer, almost back across the barrier. I had maybe two minutes, tops. My mind raced. Matthew was deeply in love with Lindey. It had to be something connected to her. I quickly typed in her birthday.

[Incorrect password.]

I sucked in a breath. Time was running out. Edward was now less than a hundred feet away.

My fingers hovered over the screen, panic crawling up my spine. If it wasn't her birthday, maybe it their anniversary? I typed it in, my hands shaking. [Incorrect password.]

I nearly screamed. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst, I had one try left.

Two choices: risk locking the system, or walk away and lose everything.

was

Edward was less than fifty meters away now, and even though the windows were tinted, it felt like he could see me, like he knew something was up.

Then, out of nowhere, a memory hit me. Something Jace had casually mentioned once-his parents never showed favoritism between him and his brother. They used both their birthdays for important passwords.