Ch. 251..260

Chapter 251 Ron hung up the phone with a sigh but turned to me with a smile. "Take a seat, Ms. Kay," he said, gesturing to a chair.

I sat down, and he sighed again. "It's getting harder to find top talent these days."

From his call earlier, I had already figured that out. "Are we really that short on technical staff right now?"

""We a are," he said, shaking his head. "One of our senior engineers quit yesterday. We were already stretched thin, and this just makes it worse."

For once, he looked a bit stressed-a side of him I hadn't seen before. Usually, he was all smiles, like nothing ever bothered him.

"The job market's super polarized right now," I said, sharing my thoughts. "We've got tons of people with fancy degrees, but hardly anyone with the real hands-on experience we need. It's like there's no shortage of gig workers, but try finding someone who'll actually get their hands dirty."

Ron nodded, giving me a thumbs up. "Exactly. You get it. You're seriously a pro at both business and HR- a total all-rounder."

I smiled awkwardly at his over-the-top praise, then handed him the contract Sean had suggested. "I've looked into this company. They're new, but their leadership seems solid, and they're really eager to work with us." Ron took the contract. "Alright, I'll go through it, and then we'll decide."

"Sounds good!" I said, then remembered my lunch plans with Lindey and how I might be back late. "Mr. Shane, I have to step out for lunch, so I might be a little late coming back this afternoon."

"You don't need to tell me every time. Just manage your own schedule," Ron said, sounding casual.

"Thanks!"

I was about to head out when Ron called after me, "Ms Kay, hang on a sec."

I turned back. "What's up?"

He chuckled. "You seemed pretty tuned into the job market. Do you know any tech pros? If you do, we'd love a referral."

Hayden immediately popped into my mind, but his job was solid. I couldn't just ask him to leave, right? "I'll keep it in mind," I said, keeping it vague.

"Ms. Kay," he called again just as I reached the door.

I turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Ron grinned, looking almost bashful. "You're not going on a date, are you?"

I was taken aback.

He shrugged, still grinning. "I'm just curious. You're gorgeous and single, so I thought, you know... heh heh..." He was being so nosy it was almost funny.

1 +26 BONUS Chapter 251 I couldn't really be mad at him. "Nope, not a date."

"Oh, that's a relief!" Ron's response was so unexpectedly cheerful that I couldn't help but wonder if he had a thing for me.

But aside from being a little too attentive sometimes, he'd never crossed any lines.

Still, it's better to clear things up before they get awkward.

"I'm actually not single anymore," I said casually. "I have a boyfriend."

Ron's eyes widened with interest. "You do? Who is he?

I blinked. What kind of question was that? And since when were we close enough for him to ask?

Why was he suddenly acting like an overprotective big brother?

I was still figuring out how to respond when someone outside called, "Which one of you is Keira Kay?"

Saved by the interruption, I stepped out. "That would be-"

The words died on my lips as I saw the guy standing there, holding something in his arms.

I froze, totally caught off guard.

Chapter 252 "Ms. Kay, please sign for your flowers," the delivery guy said, extending a bouquet toward me.

White wild roses!

These were my favorite. Only someone who really knew me would get that.

My first thought was Jace.

He sends me white wild roses on my birthday every year. And for other occasions, just plain white roses.

But today wasn't my birthday. Why was he sending me flowers out of the blue?

Still a bit stunned, I took the flowers from the delivery guy, who looked like he was ready to move on to his next ston "Who sent them? Your boyfriend?" Ron popped up behind me, as usual, always in the right place at the wrong time.

I was about to deny it when a small card slipped out from between the flowers.

Ron, ever the helpful one, bent down, scooped it up, and handed it to me. There were just two lines written on it: Hope you have a great day. From B.

A shiver ran down my spine as Brad's annoying smirk popped into my head.

I never would've guessed it was him!

But how did he know I like white wild roses?

Then it hit me. Tanya. She must've told him.

A wave of anger bubbled up. Seriously? So, Tanya's so worried I might go after Jace that she set Brad on me instead? Does she not realize how much worse that'd be if I actually went for it? "Who sent these?" Ron buzzed around me like a nosy bee.

I knew he wasn't interested in me like that, but he was definitely way too invested in my personal life.

Feeling mischievous, I smirked. "Oh, just some young hottie."

"Huh?" Ron blinked, totally thrown off.

Ignoring his slack-jawed look, I breezed back into the office.

"Ms. Kay, are those from your boyfriend? He's got good taste. They're gorgeous."

"Ms. Kay, you're something else-white wild roses? Classy!"

My coworkers were piling on the comments. I just smiled and shrugged. "If I were basic, would I be working with all of you?"

My smooth response flattered them just enough to quiet things down, and they all went back to their desks, satisfied.

Back in my office, I tossed the bouquet onto the couch and picked up the card again, glancing at the 1/2 Chapter 252 number Brad had so conveniently left.

Did he really want me to call and chew him out?

What a shameless guy.

Leaving his number like he's practically begging for it.

If he wanted to look for a scolding, he was not getting it from me.

I tossed the card in the trash, turned on my computer, and was about to dive into work when my phone buzzed.

It was Hayden: [Busy?] As concise as ever.

I leaned back in my chair and typed back: [Not too bad.] Hayden: [What are you doing right now?] Me: [Texting you.] Hayden: [...] Me: [Is there something you need?] Hayden: [No] I paused, unsure what to say next.

He said he didn't need anything but still messaged me knew what that meant. I'd been in relationships before.

It meant he was thinking about me.

Sigh.

The sweet, confusing scent of love.

Hayden: [Anything happened at work today?] I was about to say no, but then I glanced at the roses on the couch. I snapped a quick pic and sent it: [ Pretty, right?] Hayden: [Where did these come from?] I could practically see his frown through the screen. I smiled as I replied: [Someone sent them.]

Chapter 253 After sending that, I added: [Some young hottie.] Then I just stared at my phone, waiting. One second, two seconds, three seconds... still nothing. Um, what?

Was he mad? Or just ignoring me?

My fingers hovered over the screen, almost typing, "Hey, you good?" but then deleted it. Twice.

If he was gonna flip out over some random guy sending me flowers, then what would be next? Would he go all possessive like Jace did?

Back in high school, I had guys coming up to me all the time, and Jace acted like I was his personal property. Even when I was working at RiverwaveCorp, people flirted without knowing I was engaged, and he was the same-super jealous, always overreacting.

He'd get so mad. He wouldn't just get on the guy's case but also make it my fault for being, I don't know, too friendly" or something.

To keep the peace, I'd end up avoiding any guy friends who might set him off.

I swore I'd never let that happen again.

So, I tossed my phone aside and got back to work.

About ten minutes later, my phone rang. Hayden was calling I frowned a little and answered, "What?"

"Why didn't you reply to my texts?" Hayden's voice crackled through, sounding all hurt.

I blinked, surprised. I opened up my chat app and saw a string of unread messages from him:

[I'm not so happy about it, but I know it's not your fault.] [If some guy sends you flowers, I get it, but you're not allowed to actually like those guys.] [And seriously, don't joke like that. It makes me feel insecure.] He was practically radiating frustration through the screen. For a second, I wasn't sure how to respond.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Hayden asked again, "I don't know what to say."

"I'm not mad, just... kinda jealous," he admitted, sounding sincere.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Jealous? What does that even look like? Send me a selfie."

"What are you having for lunch?" Hayden asked, switching topics.

Was he hinting that we should eat together, or planning to bring me something?

Either way, I had to turn hirn down, so I told him I was having lunch with Lindey.

Chapter 253 "I wanted to have lunch with my girlfriend," Hayden said, making his intentions clear.

I chuckled. "You're being so clingy. Don't you have work?"

Then I remembered he'd mentioned earlier that he was leaving today, so maybe his schedule was lighter.

"Wait, didn't you say you were leaving? Is it for work?" I asked, repeating what I'd asked this morning.

"No, I just need to take care of some stuff. But I'll be back soon and stay with you in Seavora," he said, surprising me.

I knew his company's HQ wasn't here, and they didn't have an office in this city either.

"What about your job?" I blurted out.

Hayden didn't respond right away. Remembering what Ron had suggested, I blurted out, "Hayden, why don't you join my company? They're hiring, and they could use someone like you." "You want me to work with you?" Hayden asked.

I paused, feeling a little flustered. "Not with me, just, you know, at the same company. I'm in marketing, so we wouldn't even be in the same department."

"But we could still see each other whenever we want," Hayden said, leaving me totally speechless.

"Alright!" He agreed, just like that.

And now I kinda regretted bringing it up.

Back when I joined Jace's company as his assistant, I thought working together would make dating easier. But that backfired big time. Instead of getting closer, he got sick of me.

"You should get back to work. I'll see you later," Hayden said before hanging up, leaving me staring at the screen, stunned.

I guess it's true what they say: "Watch what you say." I'd really dug myself into this one.

But it was too late to take it back now.

I could only hope Hayden would find a better opportunity and rethink this whole thing. Maybe I'd bring it up with him tonight.

I I gave myself a little smack on the head. Why did I have to go and complicate things?

e waiter By eleven, I left the office and headed to Signature Soirée, where Lindey suggested we meet. The recognized me and led me to a private room.

"Right this way!" he said, holding the door open.

I stepped inside, only to freeze. Lindey wasn't alone-Jace and Tanya were there too.

Chapter 254 Lindey hadn't mentioned Jace and Tanya would be joining us.

If she had, I definitely wouldn't have shown 1. up.

+25 BONL It's not that I'm scared to face them-I just didn't want to lose my appetite.

"Rea, you're here! Now we're all set, Lindey said with a bright smile, pulling me in for a quick hug.

It's hard to be mad at someone with a smile like that, but I still couldn't help saying, "Lindey, I thought it was just gonna be the two of us."

"It was supposed to be, but then..." Lindey shot a quick glance at Jace and Tanya and pouted. "I ran into them by chance."

By chance? Really?

I'm not a kid. Did she really think I'd buy that?

But if I walked out now, it'd only embarrass Lindey and make me look like I was still hung up on Jace.

So I forced a sarcastic smile. "Wow, what a coincidence."

"We must be intruding on Mrs. Johnston's time with you," Tanya chimed in.

If she knew she was intruding, why didn't she just leave? But no, she sat there comfortably.

When I first met Tanya, I actually believed she was as Innocent as she looked. Now I knew better.

I didn't even try to hide my annoyance. "If I'd known you were here, I wouldn't have come."

Tanya's smile faltered for a second, and Jace looked just as uncomfortable. "Can we start eating now?" he asked.

That's when I realized Lindey wasn't exaggerating when she said they'd been waiting for me.

Now that I thought about it, it was actually kind of awkward. Tanya, Lindey's future daughter-in-law, sitting there with no food being served. That had to be uncomfortable for her. "Go ahead and start. Oh, and bring out the pumpkin milk drinks, too," Lindey said, pulling me down to sit next to her.

Jace, looking all serious, signaled the waiter to start bringing out the food.

"Rea, you've put on some weight recently. Your hands are looking a little chubby," Lindey said.

She really didn't miss a thing.

I had gained a few pounds lately-all thanks to Hayden Most people expect you to lose weight after a breakup, with all the stress and heartbreak and everything.

Thinking about it, I smiled at Lindey. "Yeah, I've put on some weight. I'm in a good mood, eating well, and sleeping like a baby!"

Clink-a sudden noise of silverware clattering came from across the table.

+25 B Chapter 254 Lindey glanced over before saying, "Must be Hayden taking good care of you."

Ouch. That was a solid jab.

I was starting to think Lindey might be my real mom. Between me and her son, she was definitely on my team.

I just smiled, but she wasn't done. "Is Hayden free? If he is, invite him over. The more, the merrier."

"Mom!" Jace cut in sharply before I could say anything. "You love the grilled fish here, don't you? Should I order some?" "Yes," Lindey replied without missing a beat. "Rea loves it, too."

Tanya's already pale face turned an ashen green-probably from being ignored and cut down by Lindey's sharp words. She really did look pitiful.

But pity and annoyance often go hand-in-hand. This situation was entirely her doing.

I had moved on from everything with Jace and didn't have any reason to go after Tanya, but there was no fixing this mess.

It was obvious Lindey didn't like Tanya, and she wasn't holding back. Her words always hit like knives, cutting deep every time.

Jace quickly ordered the grilled fish, steering the conversation away from Lindey's "invitation."

I knew Lindey didn't actually want Hayden there; she was just using his name to get under Jace's skin.

Soon, the food started arriving, along with two glasses of pumpkin milk.

There were four of us at the table, and Jace didn't drink sweet stuff, which left just Tanya.

This was getting painfully awkward.

Chapter 256 Hayden and Ron? Together?

And that last name... Hart?

All these thoughts slammed into my brain like a freight train.

I'd had my doubts before. I'd tried to connect the dots, but they both played it off like I was imagining things. But now, seeing them here, there was no denying it "Hayden!" I called out Both Hayden and Ron turned toward me.

I was half-crouching by the pond, so they didn't see me at first. Ron even nudged Hayden and said, "Who's calling you? I thought I heard- Before he could finish, Hayden spotted me and walked over. "You almost fell in," he said, reaching out his hand. I thought he was going to help me up, so I started to grab it.

But instead, he just scooped me up like I weighed nothing and carried me away from the pond. "Aren't you supposed to be having lunch with Mrs. Johnston? What are you doing here?"

Seriously? We were at a restaurant. What did he think I was doing here, feeding the fish?

Being swept up in his arms like that left me a little flustered. It took me a second to get my bearings. I glanced at him, then at Ron, who was standing nearby with a teasing smile, clearly entertained. "You two... know each other?" I asked. "Yeah," Hayden said easily, but then added, "We just met."

Ron walked over. "So, Ms. Kay's boyfriend is Mr. Hart. That means he came for a job interview with us because someone had referred him. Was that you, Ms. Kay?"

His words made it clear why they were together.

It all sounded so reasonable. I had mentioned OceanixCorp vacancy to Hayden before, but this was happening way too fast.

I looked at Hayden, stunned. He seemed totally unfazed, though his voice dropped a little as he said, Someone's been paying a lot of attention to my girlfriend. Thought I'd stick around."

I was speechless.

Even though Hayden's voice was quiet, Ron caught on and laughed. "Ms. Kay, aren't you going to welcome your new colleague?"

Wait, so Hayden got the job?

I mean, it made sense with his experience, but this seemed way too easy. Easy enough that Ron was already inviting him to a celebratory lunch?

"Ms. Kay, I look forward to working with you," Hayden said, extending his hand to me.

I was about to shake it, but Ron jumped in, grinning. "With you two, a handshake? Come on, you should go Chapter 256 for a hin hug.

+25 BONU I was speechless. Again.

"Sure!" Hayden said with a smile, and the next thing I knew, he was pulling me into his arms.

'Perfect, just perfect," Ron sighed dramatically from the side.

Even though it was just a hug and Hayden and I were officially a couple now, I still felt a little embarrassed. I was about to step back when I heard a familiar voice, low and distressed. "Jace, I don't know what to do anymore. Tell me, what can I do to make your mom like me?"

It was Tanya.

"You don't need to do anything." Jace replied, his tone icy.

"Why?" she actually asked.

I knew exactly what he meant-Lindey didn't like Tanya, and no amount of effort was going to change that. Jace was just trying to spare her feelings by not spelling it out. "Let's go. I'll take you home," Jace said.

There was silence from Tanya. I thought they'd left when Jace spoke again, his voice laced with frustration. "Come on, or do you still want to stay for lunch? Do you even have an appetite?"

Chapter 257 Jace's tone was harsh.

"Jace, I get it. Your mom doesn't like me, and nothing I do is gonna change that. I'm sorry you're stuck dealing with this because of me," Tanya said, finally realizing the truth. Her apology was way too humble, almost like she was beating herself up.

But what had she actually done wrong? If anything, she was guilty of loving him too much, putting up with all this drama just to be with him.

"It's my choice to deal with this crap, but stop making it worse," Jace snapped, sounding more annoyed than ever.

"Wait, Jace, what are you talking about? I don't get it," Tanya said, her voice turning softer, almost like she was trying to appear more delicate.

"What's going on with Brad?" The way Jace said it made it clear he was blaming her for something.

"What about Brad? Did he mess up again? Did you have to clean up his mess?" Tanya asked, her voice a little shaky.

Jace scoffed. "You really don't know?"

"Jace, seriously, I have no clue what you're talking about," Tanya said, sounding super anxious, like she thought she was being accused of something she didn't do.

"Brad's chasing after Keira," Jace revealed, and I felt Hayden's grip around me tighten.

I glanced up at Hayden. He was looking right back at me, his eyebrows drawn together.

I was about to explain, but Tanya beat me to it, trying to defend herself. "No way."

"Oh, really?" Jace shot back. "He sent her flowers. To her office."

Tanya paused, and when she finally spoke, her voice was barely there. "He's probably just playing around. I mean, Keira molested him, didn't she?" I was stunned.

I'd already cleared that up. The police had checked the security footage, and it proved Brad lied. I couldn't believe Tanya was still trying to pin this on me. "Do you really think I don't know what's going on?" Jace's voice was tight with anger.

"Let's just drop it, okay? I swear, I had no clue Brad was after Keira. I'll call him right now and tell him to knock it off," Tanya said, sounding desperate.

Jace didn't say a word. Tanya hesitated, then softened her tone. 'Think about it. Why would I ever tell him to go for Keira? What if she said yes just to mess with me? That would totally blow up in my face." At least she got that much.

"But how did he know Keira likes white wild roses? That's not exactly common knowledge," Jace pushed, clearly not convinced.

Chapter 257 "I have no clue. I didn't even know she liked them. I've only ever seen you give her white roses," Tanya said.

Jace e went quiet, and I felt my mind racing. How did Brad know about the white wild roses?

Had he actually been stalking me?

As soon as that thought hit me, Ron's voice broke in, "Are you two planning to keep hugging, or what? If you don't stop, the food's gonna get cold."

It was only then I realized I was still wrapped up in Hayden's arms. My face went red, and I quickly stepped back.

"Uh, you guys go eat. I should get going." I mumbled, trying to make a quick exit, but I didn't realize Hayden still had his hand on me.

When I turned around, I caught Jace and Tanya staring at us. Jace looked pissed, like a thundercloud, and Tanya's face had gone pale.

I pretended I didn't notice and turned back to Hayden "Seriously, go eat. I need to go."

"Alright. We'll head out together after lunch. I'll wait for you," Hayden said, his eyes soft and warm.

I nodded and pulled away from him. He and Ron went to their room, and I made my way to the one Lindey had booked.

But to get there, I had to walk past Jace and Tanya, which meant I had no choice but to face them head-on. Awkward.

Chapter 258 Chapter 258 "Excuse me, could you two let me through, please?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Jace didn't budge, his gaze locked on me. Tanya glanced at me before silently stepping aside, gripping Jace's arm like she thought I'd snatch him away or something.

"Rea, come on, let's eat," Lindey called out the moment I stepped into the private room, her smile warm and inviting.

I slid into my seat, playing dumb. "Why's it just the two of us?"

"It was always supposed to be just us. Someone else decided to crash the party, completely clueless," she said, her disdain for Tanya-and probably Jace, too-couldn't have been more obvious. I chuckled softly. "If you keep this up, it's gonna put a strain on things with Jace."

I wasn't trying to be all noble or anything; it's just that Matthew and Lindey had always been good to me. I genuinely wanted their family to get along.

"This is on him," Lindey said firmly, not backing down one bit.

I'd said my piece, so I let it go and decided to just enjoy the amazing food in front of me.

"What took you so long in the restroom?" Lindey asked.

"I ran into Hayden," I admitted, keeping it honest.

Lindey paused, then teased, "What, did he follow you to make sure no one snatched you up?"

"No, he's here for lunch with his boss," I said, keeping it vague.

Lindey shifted the best dishes closer to me. "Rea, Hayden's a great guy. He's got character and good looks. If you're with him, Matthew and I would be happy. It's just..."

She trailed off, but I knew where she was going. "You're worried he doesn't come from a wealthy family. right?"

*Exactly. It's not about him personally. We just don't want you to struggle. Life can be really tough when money's tight," she said with a sigh.

I knew she was speaking from experience. RiverwaveCorp wasn't some generational company; she and Matthew had built it from scratch.

They'd been through a lot in those early days, though they never talked about it much. Jace had filled me in on how hard it was before they made it. Back then, the whole family-or rather, the five of them, since Jace's grandma was still alive-had to get by on Matthew's single income. Just making ends meet was a constant struggle.

They lived in a tiny house with only two bedrooms. His parents had one, and he and Wayne shared the other with their grandmother. Lindey took care of everything at home while Matthew worked himself to the bone, barely making it from paycheck to paycheck, Eventually, Lindey realized they couldn't keep living like that. She found a job herself, taking on whatever she could, and went through her own share of hardships to keep the family afloat.

Chapter 259 Chapter 259 I'd failed miserably as a daughter. I knew my parents died in a car accident, but I didn't know a single detail about what happened that day.

Lindey's expression shifted, and she gently grabbed my wrist. "Rea, we agreed not to talk about this anymore. It's in the past."

"I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle it. Please, just tell me," I said, squeezing her hand back.

Her hand trembled slightly. "It's over. Why bring it up again?"

I stayed quiet for a few seconds. "Lindey, they were my parents. The only family I had."

My parents grew up in an orphanage, and when they were gone, I became an orphan too.

Maybe my words got through to her. After a long pause, Lindey finally spoke. "When Matthew and I got to the crash site, your mother was already gone. Your father was barely hanging on. He grabbed Matthew's hand and could only say your name..." Lindey choked up and stopped, and I felt a lump in my throat too.

It was like ripping open an old wound, and now I understood why Lindey had been so reluctant to talk about it. She didn't want to hurt me.

"We knew he was worried about you, that he was asking us to take care of you," Lindey murmured.

Seeing her so upset made me feel even worse, but I didn't bring this up to drown in sadness. Pushing past the ache in my heart, I pressed on, "What exactly happened in the accident? Was it a collision with another car, or something else?" Lindey let out a soft sigh. "Their car rear-ended a large tanker truck."

A memory of a crash scene I'd seen in a phone video flashed in my mind. My heart clenched, and my breath caught. "Was there an issue with the brakes?"

Lindey's lips parted slightly. "I'm not really sure. The driver died on the spot, and the car was completely totaled. As for the cause, we don't really know."

"Does Matthew know?" I asked, remembering how upset he'd gotten the last time I'd brought this up.

"This..." Lindey hesitated again.

"Lindey, please, just tell me," I pleaded, my voice cracking.

She raised her hand and gently touched my face. "Rea, they're gone. What's the point of digging into this?"

Her reluctance to give me a straight answer only made my anxiety spike. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Seeing how distressed I was, she sighed. "It seemed... there was an issue with the brakes."

"Didn't the driver check them?" I asked, struggling to stay calm.

Lindey squeezed my hand gently. "Rea, the driver died too."

t Chapter 259 So, with him gone, there was no way to know who was really at fault.

And Hayden's father was my dad's driver...

*Rea, please, let's not talk about this anymore. Come, eat something." Lindey said, trying to steer the conversation away.

But how was I supposed to eat now? My stomach was in knots.

I remembered that Hayden had been looking into his father's death too, which meant it couldn't have been his father's fault.

Maybe it had something to do with the contract my dad was about to sign. I glanced at Lindey and decided to take a shot. "Do you know if my parents were planning to start a business before the accident?

She was just about to pass me some food when her hand suddenly shook, and the dish slipped from her cutlery.

I looked at her, noticing the goosebumps spreading across her arms.

Something was definitely off. My heart sank, and a chill crept up my spine. "Lindey..."

Chapter 260 Lindey put down her cutlery and turned to face me. "Yes, the contract was just about to be signed."

It was the same contract I'd found in my father's notebook.

"Was it because of the accident that it didn't get signed?" I asked, my voice shaking.

She nodded.

My breath hitched, and I felt like a storm was brewing inside me. Then Lindey sighed. "That contract wa supposed to be the first for your father and Matthew's joint venture." Wait, what?

I had always thought it was just my father's deal. But Matthew was involved too?

"Alan and Matthew worked so hard to lock in that partnership with Thorsten Drago from VastReach Group. They did everything-went fishing with him, raced cars, and he even made them go skydiving," Lindey said, shaking her head at the memory. "Thorsten came from a tough background and was known for playing people.

"But Alan and Matthew knew they had to secure that deal to make their mark, so they did whatever it took, even risking their lives just to keep him happy..

"One time, Thorsten took them out to sea for fishing, but they got caught in a typhoon. There were only two life jackets on the boat, and both Alan and Matthew insisted on giving theirs to him and the other person.

"After that incident, Thorsten stopped messing with them and agreed to give them the contract. Since Alan knew more about legal stuff, after Thorsten handed it over, Matthew asked Alan to review it carefully for any tricks or mistakes.

"And Alan did find an issue. Thorsten had the contract redrafted and asked Alan and Matthew to sign it. But who could've guessed Alan would get into a car accident on his way there?"

Lindey spoke slowly, her words heavy with detail, like she was painting the scene for me.

So, that's how it was. It wasn't some conspiracy like I'd feared.

That was a relief.

Deep down, I'd been afraid my suspicions were true, even though I'd always seen Matthew and Lindey as parents to me.

I let out a long breath and stayed quiet.

Lindey seemed lost in the past. "Back then, the four of us had it all planned out.

"Alan and Matthew would go sign the contract, and your mother and I would be waiting outside.

"We'd even secretly arranged to surprise them with hugs and flowers once they came out with the signed contract..."

So that's why my mom would've been there, too.

Chapter 260 Everything made sense now, I'd almost let my doubts poison my view of people who had always treated me like family.

I felt a wave of guilt wash over me for even thinking, for a second, that Matthew might've caused the accident just to take the business deal for himself.

I knew how much they'd done for me, how they'd treated everyone with kindness and respect over the years. How could I have doubted them? I felt so ungrateful.

"Lindey, I'm sorry," I blurted out.

Lindey looked at me and shook her head gently. "We're the ones who should apologize. Maybe if Matthew. hadn't partnered with your father, your parents wouldn't have been in that accident." Was that true?

Maybe.

Or maybe it was just how things were meant to be "My parents just didn't have that kind of luck," I said softly, looking at her. Even now, she radiated elegance and grace. If my mom were still alive, I imagined she'd be just as dignified. "Rea, I'll say it again: you are our daughter," Lindey said, squeezing my hand tightly.

I knew she meant it, but I wasn't truly their daughter. And with everything going on between Jace and me, it was impossible to be as close as we used to be.

I gave a small nod, and Lindey shot me a warm smile. "Come on, let's eat a little more."

I wasn't really hungry, but I couldn't say no to her, so I forced down a few more bites before claiming I needed to wrap things up because Hayden was waiting for me.

Hayden and Ron were still finishing their lunch when I dropped Lindey off at the Johnston's. After that, I headed back to Signature Soirée and just sat in the car for a bit.

It wasn't really about waiting for Hayden; I just needed some space to process everything Lindey had told me today.

I When Hayden finally showed up, I was still lost in my own thoughts.

"Have you been waiting long?" he asked, sliding into the passenger seat.

"Not too long." I said, spotting Ron waving at me from across the lot.