Chapter 584

I froze. What the actual heck? Had he seriously been on the phone with Hayden this whole time?

Jace hung up and glanced at me. “He called me earlier. I thought he hung up, but I guess he left the line open… worried about you.”

“You think I’m an idiot?” I shot back, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

It was so obvious now. Jace had left the call open on purpose—and that whole question about whether I’d take Hayden back? That was for Hayden’s ears.

Jace didn’t even try to explain himself. He just sighed. “Yeah, guess that was my bad. But at least now Hayden knows where you stand. He needs to get it through his head… you’re not someone he can just drop and pick up whenever he feels like it.”

Honestly, I didn’t mind that Hayden knew how I felt. Actually, it saved me from having to spell it out.

“Thanks for your heartfelt concern,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm, before I hopped out of the car.

Jace followed me, launching into a mini-tour of Wayne’s place. “This is a place Wayne bought with his own money,” Jace said. “He’s been living here solo for the past four years. See the garden? He takes care of it himself—never hired anyone to clean or garden.”

I was pretty surprised. I didn’t know any of this. Wayne had never brought it up. Even when I was living with the Johnstons, they barely talked about him. Whenever they did, it was just some random update like, “Wayne called, said he’s doing great in the U.S.” Wayne never really felt like part of the family—more like a distant cousin you’d forget about unless someone reminded you.

So this was how he’d been living for the past four years—keeping this whole mansion in check on his own. Maybe he just liked being independent, or maybe he’d been a little lonely, finding comfort in the garden while stuck in the U.S.

“This yard was Wayne’s design, too,” Jace added, surprising me again.

“Wayne’s the whole package—smart, driven, always curious. He’s way ahead of me, you know that.” Jace let out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle.

But there was real pride in his voice when he talked about Wayne. I couldn’t help but think about Wayne’s ambition and wonder if Jace had any idea about the bigger picture.

I opened my mouth like I was going to say something, but then stopped myself. Jace might not have Wayne’s book smarts, but in the business world? He was untouchable. Years of navigating the corporate grind meant he couldn’t be blind to someone’s real nature.

Maybe he knew more than he let on. Maybe he just chose to ignore it out of loyalty—seeing it but never talking about it.

“Why so quiet?” Jace asked, clearly noticing my silence.

“Just listening to you.” I looked around, impressed. “Seems like Wayne’s doing pretty well for himself.”

“Yeah, and this place isn’t even his best asset. He’s got more,” Jace said, like it was no big deal—completely chill, not a trace of jealousy in his voice.

Not that he had any reason to be jealous. With his own fortune, he was basically set for life.

This was a little surprising, though. In the past, Jace had always been that guy—the one who couldn’t stand anyone being better than him, even if it was his own brother.

Back in school, he couldn’t handle Wayne’s grades. Every time he brought home his report card, if Wayne got even a hint of praise from their parents, Jace would shut himself in his room, slap on the headphones, and blast music or dive into video games for hours. He wouldn’t even come out to eat with the family. For days, he’d just avoid them.

And after Wayne moved abroad? If their parents talked about him, Jace would just… ignore it. No acknowledgment, nothing.

But now, here he was, casually complimenting Wayne like it was no big deal. In the short time we’d been apart, Jace had really changed.

“He never mentioned any of this,” I said, keeping the conversation rolling.

Jace gave this half-smile. “Yeah, he’s low-key. Not like me… I’m more of the loud, in-your-face type.”

He paused, looking thoughtful for a second. “He once told me he regretted being so quiet. Said it made him miss out on a lot.”