Chapter 104
“Wayne, what’s going on?”
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Even though I had a pretty good idea of what was happening the second I saw him in that uniform, I couldn’t help but ask. The whole situation was so absurd it almost felt like a joke.
I thought, ‘Seriously? Is Hayden being in my life such a big deal that the entire Johnston family had to get involved?‘
The weirdest part was Wayne had been working abroad for years. Wasn’t he supposed to be heading back overseas? How did he end up at Riverwave Corp? Was he staying here for good now?
“I’m here to work, Ms. Kay. I look forward to your guidance,” Wayne said, reaching out his hand, completely calm.
Even though I was totally thrown off, I reached out too, our fingers barely brushing. “Welcome, Way-”
I stopped mid–sentence, realizing I had no clue how to address him now.
Now that he was officially here for work, and technically my superior, calling him Wayne felt too casual.
“You can still call me Wayne,” he said with that same warm smile.
“Mr. Johnston, during work hours, it’s better to stick to clear roles and responsibilities. That’s our CEO’s policy,” I said, bringing up Jace as my shield.
I didn’t know who decided Wayne should be here, but I was certain Jace was in on it. He was the CEO now, after all. If it was just some random employee, maybe Jace wouldn’t know, but with Wayne? No chance he was out of the loop.
Wayne seemed to get what I was hinting at and gave me a straightforward answer. “Executive Director.”
blinked. That was a position I’d never heard of in all my time at RiverwaveCorp.
Wayne continued, “I’m temporarily overseeing the amusement park’s progress and final completion. Plus, I specialize in electrical engineering, so maybe I can help with the issues you’re facing.”
I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. Wayne being here to “help” was obviously just a cover–he was here to keep an eye on Hayden and me.
From both his and Jace’s perspectives, neither of them wanted me getting involved with Hayden.
“This works out perfectly. Ms. Kay and I were just discussing speeding up the project last night. With you here, we should be able to finish even earlier,” Hayden said, strolling over like Wayne’s arrival didn’t faze him at all.
I shot Hayden a confused look. He met my gaze and said, “Let’s get started.”
Then he turned to Wayne, “Since it’s your first day, you should get familiar with our workflow and the issues we’re tackling. You’re an expert in this area, so once you’re up to speed, we can split the work. I’ll partner with Ms. Kay, and you can work with Ms. Young”
I stared at Hayden, totally stunned. Was this some kind of power move?
Hayden had just assigned Wayne’s tasks and made the work arrangements, shutting down any chance
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Chapter 104
Wayne might have had to keep tabs on me and Hayden.
Right then, it hit me–Hayden, with his serious and distant vibe, was way more shrewd and calculating than I’d given him credit for.
Wayne’s lips twitched like he wanted to say something, but Hayden didn’t give him the chance. He turned back to me immediately. “Let’s get to work.”
With things settled like that, I had nothing else to say. I gave Wayne a quick nod and followed Hayden. Even without looking back, I could feel Wayne’s eyes on me.
Honestly, the whole situation made me feel awkward and frustrated, and this wave of annoyance started to bubble up inside me.
Jace had sent Wayne here to stop anything from happening between me and Hayden, completely clueless that Wayne might actually have feelings for me.
If Jace ever found out, he’d probably lose it over how stupid he’d been.
Caught up in my thoughts, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, and the next thing I knew, I stumbled to the side.
Hayden’s strong arm caught me, and suddenly I was pressed up against his chest. The clean scent of his soap filled my senses, and his deep, soothing voice whispered in my ear, “Watch where you’re going. Don’t let yourself get distracted.”
