Chapter 22

Gavin looked as surprised as I was. "Ms. Kay, what are you doing here?"

Tanya adjusted her nightgown. "I live here."

She noticed the keys in my hand. "Do you always just walk into other people's homes without knocking?"

Gavin stepped forward. "No… this place was supposed to be a gift from Mr. Johnston to Ms. Kay."

He fumbled with his phone, accidentally putting the call on speaker. "Mr. Johnston, about the Splendor Heights penthouse—"

Before he could finish, Jace interrupted, "That's for Tanya."

Tanya's smile widened right in front of me.

"And Ms. Kay—" Gavin tried to continue, but Jace cut him off again. "I'll get another house for Keira. And… don't let Keira know about this."

Gavin looked at me, red-faced and embarrassed, as if he were the one who had betrayed me, not Jace. He didn’t dare say more, realizing that bringing me here without checking with Jace first was a huge mistake. He should have cleared it with Jace, but now it was too late.

I didn’t expose Jace during the call, knowing it would cost Gavin his job. With the economy tanking, good jobs were hard to find. Plus, Gavin had just started dating someone last month. Losing his job now could ruin his relationship.

In that moment, I admired my own composure for not blowing up.

Gavin awkwardly ended the call, his face full of guilt. "Ms. Kay…"

"It's not your fault," I said, pausing. "Why don't you sit and have some tea while I chat with Ms. Twain?"

I didn’t send Gavin away because I didn’t want Tanya pulling any stunts, like pretending to faint or faking another one of her pregnancy tummy pains that I'd have to handle by myself.

After calming Gavin, I glanced at Tanya. Her eyes were wary, defensive, and ready for a confrontation.

But I didn’t give her the satisfaction. Instead, I began to take in the penthouse.

The place was over 200 square meters, with simple yet detailed decor. A beanbag chair and a small coffee table by the floor-to-ceiling windows caught my eye. The setup reminded me of a painting I once made. Morning sunlight lazily streamed through the glass, instantly calming my agitation.

This house was in the best location in Seavora, with an ideal floor level. To the left was the CBD business center, offering a view of the RiverwaveCorp Tower, and to the right, the vast ocean with its rolling waves and soaring seagulls.

This was my dream home! Gavin told me it was a gift from Jace, and I could tell he really put some thought into it. But now, everything felt wrong.

I looked around the living room, then checked out the other rooms. The bedroom, bathroom, and open kitchen were all designed in the style I loved. The layout matched the one in my painting perfectly.

I didn’t say anything, just took it all in, making Tanya and Gavin more and more uncomfortable.

Tanya finally broke the silence. "Keira, you heard it clearly. This place is mine now. Please leave. I need to rest."

I turned back to her, remembering the bedding she picked out yesterday. "Has Jace slept here?"

Tanya pursed her lips.

I gave a small smile. "Let me be clearer. Have you two slept together?"

"Keira, why do you have to be so rude?" Tanya’s face went pale as she tried to look dignified.

"Did you?" I asked, my eyes dropping to her belly. "Oh, right, you can't because of your condition."