Chapter 192 

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. 

Chapter 192 

+25 BONUS 

“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.