Chapter 150

I froze, wanting to pull away from Wayne’s grip, but his hold was too firm. The feeling of being controlled completely unnerved me. I scrunched up my face. "Wayne—"

Before I could speak, he interrupted. "Rea, Jace is my brother. I can't speak ill of him, but he's different. You can't abandon your principles because of him."

His grip tightened, the tension palpable. His hands trembled slightly; his gaze was intense, his eyes dark and serious, his voice almost desperate. "Dating isn't a game. One wrong move could ruin everything."

His seriousness made me feel a pang of guilt. I almost confessed that Hayden was temporary.

But the thought vanished. I'd used Hayden to quell their lingering hopes, and confessing would negate that.

"I'm not a child, Wayne. I know what I'm doing," I retorted.

"But you've only known Hayden for a few days!" His voice rose, laced with disbelief.

Seeing his incredulity, I dropped a bombshell. "True, I've only worked with him for a few days, but we started seeing each other back in Chiverton."

I kept my words vague, thinking of Wayne as an older brother. Some things were best left unsaid.

But Wayne wasn't oblivious. His eyes widened in shock. His grip on my shoulder tightened, threatening a bruise.

He remained silent, his expression a mixture of disbelief, disappointment, and raw hurt.

I met his gaze, understanding his pain, then shifted slightly. "Wayne, some things are beyond our control. Perhaps Hayden and I are meant to be."

His body swayed. His hands remained on my shoulders, though less tightly.

Just then, Ron appeared, grinning innocently. "Ms. Kay, you have a guest! Why don't you bring him to the office?"

He glanced at Wayne. "I'll have someone bring some tea."

Wayne composed himself, releasing me and nodding at Ron. "No need, thanks."

Without looking back, he left, leaving a suffocating sense of loss.

I stood dazed for what felt like an eternity before returning to my office. Passing Ron's office, I asked for the afternoon off. I needed to choose a gift and visit the Johnston residence.

But as I approached, I overheard Ron on the phone. "Bro, it's done… Yes, he's gone… Haha, don't worry, you're far ahead. He couldn't catch up if he tried… M–Ms. Kay—"

He abruptly exited his office, almost colliding with me. Startled, he nearly dropped his phone.

I had no idea why he looked so panicked. I caught his phone before it hit the floor and saw the call was with someone saved as "Bro."

I returned the phone to a ghost-like Ron, gesturing that the call was still connected.

He fumbled, pressing the phone to his ear. "Bro, I'll call you back later. Ms. Kay's here," he stammered, hanging up with obvious panic.

All this over a phone call? And not even a secret lover or shady business deal. Even if I overheard something, why was he so rattled?