Chapter 537
Lindey nodded, letting go of my hand. “I’ll call and check on him.”
While she dialed, I offered a silent prayer, hoping everyone could finally find some peace.
Her voice drifted through my thoughts. “…Wayne, don’t lie to me. Is he really okay?… Alright, I’m coming back. Tell him I was at Cloudscape Monastery, and I saw Rea.”
She looked back at me as she spoke. “She’s… she’s doing well. She’s fine. Tell Jace that Rea has forgiven… our family…. Yes, I understand…”
I lowered my head, feeling a wave of closure wash over me, finally letting go.
After Lindey left, I stayed, listening to Abbot Levinsky’s chanting as dusk settled over the mountain. Only then did I finally start down the path.
Lena picked me up, grinning as she held out a bunch of sunflowers. “Congrats on your fresh start.”
She got it—she knew this trip had helped me let go of all the anger and resentment I’d been carrying. I’d finally freed myself.
I hugged her, and later, we headed over to Mr. Seth’s pub for a drink. We didn’t go crazy, but we stayed long after everyone else had left, just soaking in the quiet. Eventually, we called Mr. Seth over, and the three of us shared another round.
“Mr. Seth, you’ve gotta keep this pub open forever,” Lena said, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “That way, when we’re old ladies with no teeth left, we can still come here for a drink.”
Mr. Seth laughed. “If you two don’t have any teeth by then, I’ll probably be long gone myself.”
He had a point—he was a whole generation older than us.
Lena and I fell silent for a moment, until Mr. Seth raised his glass, clinking it against ours. “We’re all living with the same end in mind. Doesn’t really matter if it’s sooner or later, right?”
His words made me think of his late daughter. It seemed he’d found his own way to peace.
“Alright, then—to living with purpose,” I said, lifting my glass.
With my past resentment finally behind me, I felt like a new person. I’d come to terms with everything—the messy history with the Johnstons and even my split from Hayden.
We still ran into each other constantly at work—hard to avoid, really. But now? It didn’t even sting.
People would tease him, joke about his love life, and I’d jump right in without a second thought. I even went with Ron to this joint cocktail party for the Hart and Johnston families, like it was just another night out.
Hayden made his big debut as the Hart family’s heir, and, of course, he looked insane. Custom suit, that sharp, cool expression—the kind that pulled every single pair of eyes in the room, especially from all the women.
Ron sighed. “Ms. Kay, you do know he’s a total catch, right? Letting him go might be your biggest mistake.”
This wasn’t the first time Ron had tried to play matchmaker. It’s like he just couldn’t wrap his head around me and Hayden breaking up.
I gave Ron a smirk, sliding a little closer. “No regrets here,” I said. “Been there, done that.”
He nearly choked on his drink, spluttering while I walked away, laughing.
Jace didn’t show up to the party—something about still recovering from that head injury.
Instead, Wayne was there, and the whispers were all about him. Apparently, he’d just closed some huge projects for Riverwave Corp, and people were buzzing about him as Jace’s potential replacement.
It wasn’t just talk, either. Wayne was clearly ready to step up.
If Jace didn’t back down on his own, it looked like the brothers were headed for a showdown over the company. The thought made my stomach twist, knowing how crushed their dad would be if it came to that.
Matthew built his whole empire through some shady moves, starting with my dad’s contract. Now that empire was starting to crack, pulling his family down with it. Maybe this was karma finally catching up.
I was so lost in thought, I didn’t even notice someone coming up behind me until they spoke. “Well, well… my favorite snooker girl. We meet again.”