Chapter 317
+25 BONUS
As Wayne’s words sank in, an image of Jace from our school days flashed in my mind–back when he was carefree, wild, like nothing could touch him. He had zero worries back then.
I used to think he’d always be that way, but somewhere along the line, he changed. And now, here we are.
Guess the future’s unpredictable for a reason.
“Jace also told me to take care of our parents… and you,” Wayne’s voice softened even more. “He said when you get married, I should let him know so he can personally give you his blessings.”
My chest tightened at that. A wave of frustration hit me. Jace had everyone on edge, thinking he was about to do something drastic, when really it seemed like he just wanted to disappear for a while.
“So, he wasn’t actually making arrangements for the end,” I muttered bitterly.
Wayne sighed on the other end. “Maybe h struggles.”
aling with things we don’t understand. Everyone has their
I let out a mocking laugh. “Struggles? He’s got a wife, a kid, and a career that’s practically blowing up. What struggles? Is this some kind of melodramatic, ‘poor me‘ thing?”
“You’re still holding onto something, aren’t you?” Wayne assumed my sarcasm came from unresolved feelings for Jace.
“No,” I said firmly. “I stopped loving or hating him the second we drew that line.”
Wayne went quiet for a few seconds. “It’s not so easy to let go of love or hate, is it?”
The way he said it reminded me of Hayden’s take on my situation–and of the feelings Wayne had kept bottled up toward me for so long.
I almost asked him, have you let go?”
But I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
Instead, I shifted gears. “What are you planning to do?
“Hm?” He sounded a little thrown by the sudden change in topic.
I clarified, “Jace has taken off, leaving everything to you. What do you plan to do?”
Wayne seemed to catch on. “Our parents, and you–whether he left or not, I’d always do my best to take care of you all. As for the company… I’ll oversee things until he comes back.”
1 knew Hayden was right.
If you’re not aiming for the top, what’s the point? Back in school, Wayne was always the overachiever, constantly chasing his parents‘ approval. There’s no way he’d be content with just managing things. temporarily.
“Matthew kicked him out of RiverwaveCorp. Even if he comes back, I doubt he’ll be able to return,” I said, hinting at something deeper.
Wayne was sharp–he’d understand exactly what I meant.
Chapter 317
+25 BONUS
And I wasn’t worried if he did. If it weren’t for the fact that he’d been so kind to me all these years, I wouldn’t have hesitated to be even more blunt.
“Rea.” Wayne’s voice dropped. “You think this is all connected to me, don’t you?”
I wasn’t wrong. He’d picked up on what I was implying.
“Wayne, actions have consequences,” I replied, then hung up the phone.
For some reason, I started trembling. We hadn’t argued, but after ending the call, a wave of emotion hit me hard.
Out of nowhere, a warm jacket was draped over my shoulders. I looked up and saw Hayden standing there. I hadn’t even noticed him coming over.
“I–I started, but he cut me off.
“Let’s go home,” he said, his voice soft but firm.
I didn’t move. I just stared at him.
Under my gaze, I saw his Adam’s apple bob as if he was holding something back. Finally, he spoke. “The accident… it was a brake failure.”
