Chapter 402

It was Jace. The second he appeared, my first thought was that something had happened to Matthew. I jumped up. “What happened to your dad?”

Jace’s gaze didn’t shift; his eyes were locked on me. “He’s fine.” He held out his phone. “My mom wants to talk to you.”

The anxiety that had been building in my chest slowly eased. “What does she need?”

“It’s urgent. She told me to find you and have you call her back right away,” Jace said, pushing the phone closer.

Just as I reached for the phone, Yuna’s voice rang out behind me. “Keira, who is he?”

My breath hitched. Yuna had already been suspicious that something was off between Hayden and me. And with all the romance novels she devoured, if she found out Jace was my ex, she’d definitely start jumping to conclusions.

“He’s… my brother,” I said, the word tumbling out awkwardly. The second it left my mouth, I swear the room temperature dropped. I refused to meet Jace’s eyes. Instead, I forced a smile and turned to Yuna. “I’m just gonna step out and make a quick call. Keep enjoying your pears!”

Yuna, still holding her spoon, didn’t move, her eyes locked on Jace with clear suspicion.

“Let’s go,” I said to Jace, desperate to get out of there before Yuna asked more questions.

“Wait… is he the other brother? Like, another son of your foster parents?” Yuna’s tone made my stomach flip.

I glanced at Jace, and his face was definitely darker. Great. Was he pissed? Hurt? Both? But, like, we had broken up, and his parents were all about making me their goddaughter. So technically… calling him “brother” wasn’t totally wrong… right?

“Yup,” I said quickly, grabbing Jace’s phone and heading for the door. I dialed Lindey’s number, and she picked up right away, her voice all concerned-mom vibes. “Rea, why didn’t you have Jace bring you home?”

“I’m with Hayden’s sister,” I mumbled.

There was silence on the other end. Yeah, the Johnstons had accepted Hayden, but deep down, they were still rooting for Team Jace.

“What did you need?” I asked, already pretty sure this was about Matthew’s phone. The fact that she hadn’t mentioned anything to Jace but came straight to me? Yeah, she definitely wanted to keep this quiet.

“Is Jace with you?” Lindey’s voice confirmed it.

Chapter 402

I glanced back. Jace had followed me out, of course. I walked a little farther. “He can’t hear.”

I checked Matthew’s phone. “It was her number,” Lindey said, frustration leaking through her words.

“Her?” That wasn’t exactly helpful.

“Who?”

“Tanya Twain,” Lindey practically spat. “I’ve called her before to warn her off. I recognize her number.”

Oh. So that’s why she didn’t want Jace to know. But what did Tanya want with Matthew?

“She must’ve said something that upset him. He started bleeding again. Like breaking you and Jace up wasn’t enough—now she’s trying to mess with Matthew. Is she trying to destroy this whole family?” Lindey’s voice rose, her anger building.

I glanced at Jace again, then lowered my voice. “Please, don’t get too worked up.”

Chapter 403

Lindey was on a roll now. “She’s only this bold because that idiot Jace keeps protecting her. She’s wading in deeper, thinking she’ll get away with it. But I swear, I’ll make sure she regrets it.”

“Lindey, let’s just figure out what she said to Matthew first,” I tried, hoping to calm her down.

“What else could it be? She wants us to accept her, to let her into this family,” Lindey snapped, like Tanya had already made her plans crystal clear.

“She’s delusional. Even if every woman on Earth disappeared and Jace stayed single forever, I’d never let her into this family,” Lindey snapped, her words sharp enough to cut through steel.

I knew she was just venting, too angry to hold back. So, I didn’t try to reason with her. I let her get it all out.

After a few more harsh words, she finally started to calm down. “Rea, just wait and see how I deal with that woman.”

Her words dragged up a memory from my early years with the Johnstons. Back then, Lindey and Matthew had nearly divorced. I’d overheard Lindey on the phone once, vowing to “teach someone a lesson” and make it clear her husband wasn’t up for grabs. What followed was a massive fight between her and Matthew. He couldn’t believe how far she was willing to go, and she’d broken down, saying he pushed her there. She promised that anyone who tried to break up her family would pay, no matter what it cost her.

I didn’t know all the details, but one thing was clear. Lindey wasn’t afraid to be ruthless when it came to protecting her family. Hearing that anger again today, I worried she might go too far.

Now that I knew what was happening, I couldn’t just let it slide. If I didn’t try to stop her and something happened, I wouldn’t be able to face Matthew.

“I’ll talk to Tanya,” I said, hoping to keep things from getting worse. “I’ll figure out what she’s up to, and then we can decide what to do.”

Lindey went quiet for a few seconds before agreeing. “Fine. But make sure you tell her—if anything happens to Matthew, I’ll make her pay with her life.”

Her words sent a chill down my spine.

“I’ll update you after I talk to her. Please, try to stay calm,” I said before hanging up.

I stood there for a second, my mind racing, before turning back to return Jace’s phone.

“My mom… was she talking about Tanya?” Jace asked.

He wasn’t clueless. Lindey hadn’t told him because she knew he’d defend Tanya. But I felt like he needed to know the truth. “Yeah,” I admitted after a pause. “Before Matthew started coughing up blood, he got a call—from Tanya.” Jace’s eyes narrowed, and I could tell the realization hit him hard.

Chapter 403

“Lindey didn’t tell you because she knew you’d try to protect Tanya. But she’s already shown up at your home while you’ve been gone. You know Matthew’s condition, and you know what’s at stake. Think carefully about how you’re going to handle this,” I said, keeping my voice steady.

On the outside, I sounded calm. On the inside? I was really calm. Here I was, having a rational conversation with the guy I once loved… about the woman who tore us apart. If that didn’t prove I was over him, I didn’t know what would.

Jace stayed quiet, and I figured there was no point in dragging it out. I turned to head back to Yuna’s room.

“You don’t even appreciate my concern anymore?” Jace’s low voice stopped me right before I opened the door.

I knew he was talking about the baked pears he’d brought after noticing my hoarse voice. The ones I gave to Yuna instead.

“Would you eat something past its expiration date?” I shot back, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

I paused at the entrance, taking a deep breath to steady myself. That’s when I caught Yuna’s voice, soft but clear.

“Hayden, is Keira’s ‘brother’ actually her ex?”

Chapter 404