Chapter 102

When Steve entered the pool hall, he saw Jace furiously attacking the pool balls, clearly consumed by frustration. Instead of intervening, Steve casually picked up a cue and strolled over. "Same old game. Wanna play?"

Jace ignored him, continuing his relentless assault on the balls. After missing several shots, he finally snapped, slamming his cue on the table before storming out.

Steve sighed, put down his cue, and followed him. "So, what did Keira do to upset you this time?"

"Who says it's about her? Don't bring her up," Jace snapped.

Steve chuckled. "Come on, man. She's the only one who gets you this riled up. What's the deal? Can't handle that she's moved on?"

Steve had a knack for hitting a nerve, and this time was no exception. Jace whirled around and grabbed Steve by the collar. "You better shut your mouth."

Steve remained calm, meeting Jace's glare. "What did I say?"

Jace opened his mouth to retort, then clamped it shut. After a moment, he released his grip. He wanted to tell Steve to stay away from Keira, but admitting that would mean acknowledging the depth of his feelings.

And of course, he cared. Since Keira had joined the Johnston family as a teenager, he'd considered her his future wife, protectively cherishing her as his own. For ten years, she'd been his girlfriend, a constant and predictable presence. But now she was distancing herself, even defending another man. It felt like someone had stolen his most prized possession.

"You know exactly why you're pushing my buttons," Jace growled, glaring at Steve.

"Jace, you're totally in love with Keira," Steve stated, his blunt observation cutting through the tension.

Jace hesitated, then scoffed. "Love? Nah, I'm just used to her, like you're used to playing pool left-handed."

Seeing Jace's stubbornness, Steve nodded. "So what's got you so mad, then?"

"I'm mad because she's making poor choices. But whatever, let her do what she wants; I'm done caring," Jace huffed, dismissing the subject.

Steve didn't argue. He sat down, his thoughts brewing. … "I’ll go fix things with her.”

“Then go fix things,” Steve said, pouring him a cup of tea.

“Fix things?” Jace scoffed. “You can’t just spoil girls like that. Give in once, and they’ll keep causing problems. You’ll spend your whole life fixing things.”

Steve sipped his black tea, calm as ever. “Isn’t that the point? Girls are meant to be spoiled, right? What else are they for, just to cater to you or be baby factories?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Jace denied.

“Then what did you mean?” Steve asked, meeting his gaze.

Jace faltered. Finally, he muttered, “She’s just having a tantrum. She’ll come back once she cools off.”

Steve set down his teacup. “Maybe.”

Jace glanced at him. “Definitely.”

I received a message from Steve: [Dang, Keira, you really did a number on Jace. He went Hulk on my pool table.]

I didn't bother replying. Whatever Steve was trying to provoke, I wasn't taking the bait. Jace was out of my life, and frankly, he wasn't worth another thought. This entire situation—Jace trying to undermine Hayden—didn't disrupt my work flow. Hayden and I worked late into the night, finishing around midnight. Demi was exhausted, yawning constantly. Oddly, I wasn't tired at all. And Hayden? Still brimming with energy.

As we left, Demi casually remarked, "Keira, you and Mr. Hart make a pretty cute couple," leaving the comment hanging in the air.

Chapter 103