Chapter 113

“Your resignation is invalid,” Wayne commanded. I knew he could ensure that, even if he couldn't directly, he could pressure Matthew to overrule Jace. But that wasn't my intention. "Jace already signed it," I countered. Jace, not Wayne, ran RiverwaveCorp now.

Silence followed. After a moment, Wayne asked, "Where are you?" Only Lena and Hayden knew my new address, but Wayne possessed an uncanny ability to uncover information. He was meticulous; he might even guess my location. I wouldn't tell him, though. "I've been focused on the amusement park these past two years. Please help finalize the remaining details."

"Rea—"

"Wayne, don't. Just don't."

I hung up and returned to my bubbling oat porridge. It smelled delicious. No fancy dinner tonight; I hadn't shopped, so porridge it was. I sat down with my laptop, spooning porridge while sending out job applications. With my RiverwaveCorp experience, I was confident I could secure a suitable position.

By the time my résumés were dispatched, the porridge was gone, but my new neighbor was still creating quite a racket moving in. That whole "sleep after eating" thing? Totally true. I collapsed on the couch, silenced my phone, and passed out.

I slept for hours. Waking to an unnervingly quiet street, it felt like a different world. Dazed, I checked my phone: just after 3 PM. It wasn't late, yet time felt sluggish. Usually, when busy, time flew. This slower pace was disorienting.

My phone displayed numerous missed calls: several from Demi, some from Lindsey, and three from an unknown number. I was relieved there were none from Hayden; his silence implied things were running smoothly at work. I called Demi back; she answered immediately. "Keira, why didn't you answer?"

"What's up?" My voice was still groggy.

Demi understood instantly. "Did you seriously ditch us for a nap?"

"Yep, nothing else to do, so yeah, I slept," I admitted, without pretense.

Demi groaned. "Keira, you have to come back. I can't do this alone." Her quiet tone indicated she was trying to avoid being overheard by Hayden.

"Why? Is Mr. Hart giving you a hard time?" I asked.

"Not exactly, but I can't keep up with him. He's so annoyed, giving me that 'you're an idiot' look. It's killing my self-esteem," Demi's complaint elicited laughter. When I composed myself, I reassured her, "Hey, I trained you, right? If he thinks you're an idiot, he's underestimating me, and I'll handle it."

"And how exactly do you plan to handle me?" Hayden's voice, unexpected, cut through.

After a very awkward pause, I recovered. "Mr. Hart, Ms. Young just needs time to adjust. Perhaps a little patience?"

Hayden remained silent, prompting me to add, "Is there something you need?"

"During today's testing, we encountered problems. Ms. Young is unfamiliar with them, so we require your assistance," Hayden's words surprised me.

I responded frankly, "I've resigned. This isn't my job anymore."

"But didn't you say you wanted to see it through to the end?" Hayden's retort left me speechless. After a moment, I sighed. "Fine, I'll come by later."

Chapter 114