Chapter 309

Was he seriously teasing me with that straight face? He was always so principled! It made me wonder if he was serious, or if I was overthinking it.

“Don’t believe me? Try it,” Hayden said, his eyes warm and steady, making my cheeks flush.

I playfully pinched his arm, pretending to be annoyed. “Do you actually want to hear what I have to say, or not? Because if not, I’ll just keep it to myself.”

“I’m listening!” he said quickly.

I glanced out the window and told him what Wayne had shared with me the other day. After I finished, Hayden nodded thoughtfully. “So, are you worried?”

“Yes, but I’m not worried about Jace. I’m concerned about RiverwaveCorp,” I clarified.

“I know,” Hayden said, pressing a gentle kiss to my head. “You feel like this whole situation is way more complicated than it seems, right?”

He understood me so well.

“You’re not wrong to be concerned. It’s possible everything, starting with Wayne’s return, was part of a plan,” Hayden suggested, widening my eyes.

“Do you really think so?” I had my suspicions, but hearing him say it so directly still caught me off guard. I knew Wayne pretty well. He’d always been honest and kind, looking out for Jace and me like an older brother, whether when we were children or later. Four years ago, he left without a word, and when he returned, he made it clear: if he’d wanted the company, he wouldn’t have left.

“Maybe he wouldn’t have before, but now, things could be different,” Hayden said calmly. “Kiki, you don’t really understand men.”

I couldn’t argue with that. “Then tell me from a man’s perspective.”

“Wayne likes you, right?” Hayden asked directly.

“Yes, but I didn’t know that before. I only found out when he came back this time,” I admitted.

“He’s liked you for a long time—probably not much later than Jace did. His feelings for you are just as strong, if not stronger,” Hayden said with certainty.

I stayed quiet, letting him continue.

“He left for a few years, didn’t he?”

“Four years,” I confirmed. “He left right after Jace and I got together.”

Hayden said, “Exactly. You made your choice, and he realized he didn’t stand a chance. As the supportive ‘older brother,’ he stepped back and left, probably hoping that distance would help him get over it.”

“But clearly, he couldn’t. That’s why he came back as soon as he heard you and Jace had broken up, hoping to take his shot.”

Hayden’s analysis made perfect sense. When Jace and I first started having problems, and Jace dismissed it as me being dramatic, Wayne had been the one to take my call seriously and reach out immediately. I wasn’t clueless; I’d sensed something back then. But Hayden wasn’t even close to Wayne, and yet he could see all of this so clearly, almost like he was reading Wayne’s mind.

I followed Hayden’s logic. “But he didn’t expect someone like you to come along and steal the spotlight, right?”

Hayden smiled slightly in agreement.

“But what does that have to do with his plan?” I asked, steering the conversation back to the point.

“You know how you girls love your TV dramas and novels, right? Ever seen those stories where the king has a bunch of sons, but only one can be the future ruler? The brothers start scheming and betraying each other, all trying to grab the throne,” Hayden explained. His analogy resonated.

I nodded, understanding. No one’s content playing second fiddle, not even to their own brother. Wayne may have given up the Johnston family inheritance and me out of ‘good intentions’ four years ago, choosing to walk away. But time changes people. Now, he might want it all back.

A realization hit me like a punch to the gut: I might have become a pawn in Wayne’s power play.

A heavy feeling settled in my chest, and I fell silent. Just then, a plane roared down the runway and took off. If I wasn’t mistaken, that was probably Jace’s flight. As I watched it climb into the sky, I couldn’t help but think about how Wayne might be plotting against him. And now, even Matthew and Lindsey were distancing themselves from him. Despite everything, I felt a pang of sympathy for him. As the plane flew higher and farther away, I silently wished him, “Safe travels.”

Chapter 110