Chapter 18

My heart was touched. Even as a foster child in this family, Jace’s parents treated me with the same care and love as their own daughter. They made me feel like one of them.

I remembered Jace’s brother, Wayne, joking that ever since I joined the family, both he and Jace had been knocked down the pecking order. Lena was right. Breaking up with Jace would be difficult, but breaking away from his family would be far harder.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Everyone’s eyes turned to me, and Lindey quickly rose and approached. “Rea, you’re back. We were just waiting for you to have dinner.”

“Hey Lindey, Matthew,” I greeted them. Jace, who had been jostled by Matthew, stood and came over, taking my bag. “Why are you back so late?”

“I played some pool,” I said. I knew Steve would tell him about our meeting, so there was no point in hiding it.

Jace frowned slightly. “Next time you want to go, call me to join.” He didn’t like me going out for fun, especially without him. He definitely didn’t want me spending time with his friends alone. Yet, he went out with his late friend’s wife and even gave her a supplementary card he never gave me.

I didn’t respond and headed to the bathroom instead. Jace followed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine,” I said, washing my hands and giving him a smile in the mirror.

“Rea, I’ve explained everything. Stop making a fuss.”

Jace’s words made me lower my eyes. I scrubbed my fingers, noticing the small dent in my left middle finger. Four years ago, I’d cut it trying to pull Jace away from a fight when he was drunk. A chunk of flesh had been lost, and though it healed, it left a permanent dent—a scar. Jace had promised to fill it with the largest diamond ring, but I was still waiting.

“Today I saw Tanya. She was using your supplementary card to shop,” I said amidst the sound of running water.

Jace’s expression stiffened. “Don’t misunderstand. Desmond’s parents blamed her for his death and cut off all her cards. She needs to live, so I gave her one.”

I turned off the faucet and faced him. “Jace, are you indebted to Tanya or Desmond in some way?”

Jace’s eyes widened in shock, and I could see the veins on his forehead bulging. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“If not, why are you so attentive to Tanya? Or… I thought about the gossip on Demi’s phone. Did something happen between you two in college?”

“Rea!” Jace’s voice turned cold. “Are you investigating me?”

Seeing the anger on his face, I gave a faint smile. “Everyone at the company has seen the video of you hugging her. Do you think that hasn’t caused a stir? With the internet, how hard do you think it is for people to find out more?”

My words left Jace silent. Seeing his reaction, I pressed on. “So, there really is something between you and Tanya.”

“No, there was absolutely nothing back then,” Jace denied.

I caught the slip. “You mean there’s something now?”

Panic flashed in his eyes. He grabbed my still-wet hand. “Rea, stop overthinking. I told you, I’m done with her once she has the baby.”

I remained silent.

He added, “Alright, I’ll arrange for a caregiver and a confinement nurse for her. I won’t see her alone anymore. She can contact Gavin if she needs anything. Is that okay?”