Chapter 789

“Too busy… or don’t want to, you don’t have to,” he said. I got what he meant and gave him a small smile. “I’m not forcing myself.” His eyes softened, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw tears.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice sincere. I blinked, caught off guard. He was thanking me for making peace, for agreeing to see his parents. But there wasn’t much else to say. I looped my arm through Lena’s. “We need to see Grandpa Edison. Goodbye, Jace.”

“Goodbye,” he murmured.

As soon as we were out of earshot, Lena turned to me, smirking. “You and your ex are getting pretty cozy these days. If Hayden doesn’t show up soon, I wouldn’t be shocked if you two rekindled things.”

I shot her a look. “Do I seem that desperate? Like I can’t survive without a guy?”

“I’m just saying,” Lena said, shrugging. “You might get soft. Jace has a way of playing the emotional card.”

She wasn’t wrong. Lena had always been firmly Team Hayden.

“What I don’t get,” I said, “is why you’re so harsh on Jace. Both he and Hayden betrayed me, right? Why do you hate him so much? Did he, like, curse your family or something?”

Lena pinched me hard, and I yelped. “Their betrayals weren’t the same. Hayden faked it to protect you—it was all a front. Jace? He actually cheated with his friend’s wife.”

Her tone turned serious. “Rea, don’t let your scars heal just to forget the pain.”

I let out a bitter smile. “I won’t.”

“I believe you won’t,” Lena said with a small smile. She loved to tease, but I knew she had my back when it counted.

We walked into the banquet hall, where Lena’s grandpa, Edison Ace, stood in a regal purple-and-gold suit, happily accepting gifts like the family patriarch he was. When he saw the artwork I’d brought, his eyes lit up. “This is special—I like it a lot!”

I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. Sure, it was a nice gesture, but it wasn’t that remarkable. Lindey had gifted something similar earlier. Edison was just an expert at making people feel good about themselves.

“Lena, where’s Nate? Why didn’t he come?” Edison asked, glancing at her curiously.

Lena nudged me lightly and answered smoothly, “Grandpa, I didn’t invite him. I just wanted to come spend time with you.”

Edison wasn’t fooled—my presence didn’t exactly explain Nate’s absence—but he let it slide, chuckling softly.

“Grandpa, you should get back to receiving gifts,” Lena said quickly, clearly wanting to dodge any follow-up questions. “I’m going to grab something to eat with Rea.”

“Go ahead,” Edison replied, his tone casual but commanding. “But don’t go too far. I’ll need you both for something later.”

Lena and I exchanged a glance.

“You don’t need us to cut the cake, do you?” she joked, grinning mischievously.

Edison tapped her lightly on the forehead. “You little rascal! I can handle a knife just fine. I want your advice.”

“Advice on what? Rekindling things with an old flame?” Lena quipped effortlessly. She didn’t even flinch at the thought of her grandma overhearing and smacking her.

“You’re getting bolder by the minute,” Edison said, wagging a finger at her, though he looked more amused than annoyed. “No, I want your help finding a wife for Aaron.”

Lena and I exchanged wide-eyed looks, caught totally off guard.

Edison sighed dramatically. “He’s in his thirties and still hasn’t had a girlfriend. Do you know what people are saying? They think he’s unnatural. Some even speculate he might be into men.”

I had to bite back laughter, but Lena didn’t bother trying: She burst out laughing.

Chapter 780

“Grandpa, maybe they’re right!”

“Watch it!” Edison warned, though his chuckle betrayed him. He nodded toward a group of well-dressed women mingling nearby. “You two, go check them out for me.”

“Better hurry, Lena, or you’ll lose your chance,” I teased, nudging her.

“Not again!” Lena groaned, raising her hand like she was about to smack me.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop!” I said, laughing. Then I got curious. “But really, why hasn’t your uncle found anyone yet?”

Lena let out a soft humph. “How would I know? I don’t talk to him much these days.”

“Ever since the, uh… bathroom incident?”

“Exactly,” Lena sighed. “After that, it was like we just… stopped talking. If only I could erase that moment from my memory.”

“You stopped talking because it did leave a mark,” I said, nudging her. “People don’t hang onto stuff like that unless it means something.”

“Okay, Freud,” Lena snapped. “No one’s hanging onto anything. If he hadn’t come back, I wouldn’t even remember it.”

Sure, because things you really forget don’t pop up so easily. The way she said it? Definitely carved into her memory.

Lena and I wandered the room, scanning the crowd of elegant young ladies. None of them seemed like a match for Aaron to me.

“What about you? Spot anyone promising?” I asked Lena.

She shook her head firmly. “Not a single one. I’m confident Uncle Aaron wouldn’t be into any of them.”

I held up my hand for a high five. “Glad we agree.”

“Let’s go report back to Grandpa,” Lena said, leading the way.

But as we reached the entrance to the hall, we caught Edison and Aaron’s voices drifting from inside.

Chapter 700