Chapter 159

Lindey wasn't buying it. She swatted him lightly. "Oh, please. You think you can use Rea to get out of this? Not happening."

"Hey, Lindey," I called out.

At my voice, Lindey froze. She turned, her eyes brightening at the sight of me, but the moment she realized I'd witnessed her intimate scene with Matthew, her face flushed crimson. She quickly dropped Matthew's hand and approached me. "Rea, you're here! Have you eaten? I'll have Isabel—"

"I've already eaten," I lied, despite my rumbling stomach. It suddenly occurred to me I hadn't asked Hayden if he'd eaten.

"Why didn't you have dinner here?" Lindey asked, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

She completely ignored Hayden, not a single word or glance his way. This was Lindey's subtle way of expressing disapproval. However, she possessed too much class to be overtly rude. After what seemed an eternity of ignoring him, she finally turned to Hayden. "You must be Rea's friend?"

I squeezed Hayden's arm, signaling him to engage. He took the cue, greeting her politely. "Hi, Mrs. Johnston."

Lindey gave a quick nod. "Since you're Rea's friend, you're not a stranger. Come in, don't just stand there."

Matthew rose, and I approached, presenting him the gift with both hands. "Matthew, happy early birthday."

"You're always so thoughtful," Matthew replied with a warm smile, accepting the gift as if it were the most wonderful thing he'd seen all day. His eyes then shifted to Hayden.

"Hi, Mr. Johnston," Hayden greeted respectfully.

Matthew nodded. "Take a seat."

Lindey summoned Isabel for tea and fruit while we settled. Her gaze flitted between me and Hayden before she spoke. "Rea, just because you brought your gift early doesn't mean you're off the hook for the actual party. Matthew and I still expect you there."

She'd read my mind. My plan to skip the party was thwarted. There was no escaping this one.

But I was prepared. With a smile, I nodded. "Of course. Hayden and I will definitely be there."

My message was clear: if Lindey wanted me at the party, she'd have to accept Hayden and me as a pair.

Her smile faltered momentarily, but she quickly recovered. "That's great. There'll be plenty of young men from our circle attending. You all can network and get to know each other."

Network? Right. That was her way of saying, 'Hayden doesn't belong here, and the party will be full of wealthy, single men, so he better not get comfortable.' In her eyes, regardless of Hayden's success, he'd always be just another worker—beneath her sophisticated crowd.

I wasn't going to intervene. I wanted to see how he'd handle her subtle snobbery.

I glanced at him. He was completely unfazed, as usual. "I'd love to meet some of Seavora's finest. I'm planning to stick around for a while."

I could barely suppress a smirk. He excelled at this. Lindey's attempt to dismiss him? A complete failure. It was like trying to knock down a brick wall with a marshmallow.

I noticed a flicker of annoyance in her eyes, but her polite smile remained fixed. "So, Hayden, you're staying in Seavora?"

Before I could react, Hayden slipped his hand into mine, intertwining our fingers. "Yeah, Kiki's here, so of course I'm sticking around."

Did he just call me Kiki? Yes, I heard it. Loud and clear. And I wasn't the only one. Matthew and Lindey's faces froze in surprise, the effect almost comical, as if Hayden had dropped a bombshell.

Lindey didn't miss a beat. Her words sharpened. "Hayden, what exactly do you have to offer Rea?"

She sounded like a protective mother, utterly serious. I looked at her, but her eyes remained fixed on Hayden, awaiting his response. I followed her gaze, curious to see how he would handle it.

Chapter 160