Chapter 804
No wonder Jace wasn’t in the memorial hall—Wayne had locked him up. Lena’s instincts had been spot on. Wayne was pulling moves at his own dad’s funeral. With Cole taken care of and Jace out of the way, he’d have the “empire” all to himself. They say power belongs to the ruthless, and Wayne—once polished and charming—had gone full villain, severing ties with everyone to get what he wanted.
“Rea, only you can save him,” Lindey sobbed, her cries growing louder. I understood why she had to keep this quiet. If she stood up to Wayne openly, she’d be next on his list. She might’ve pretended to ignore his actions, but deep down, her conscience wouldn’t let her fully look away. This was her way of pleading for help without drawing his attention.
It wasn’t just fear holding her back, though. She had one final wish she needed to see through. Matthew was gone, and he’d been her anchor. Now she didn’t care what happened to her, as long as she could send him off properly.
I squeezed her hand, promising silently that I’d help, then turned to Lena. Keeping my face neutral, I said, “I’ll distract Wayne. You sneak to the garage and get Jace.”
Lena blinked. “Me?” She wasn’t exactly the heroic type—more scalpel than superhero. But it wasn’t like we had a better option. Her hesitation didn’t last long. She nodded, determined.
Before we could move, Lindey collapsed. Wayne rushed to her immediately, scooping her up and carrying her to a bedroom. Lena stepped into doctor mode like it was second nature.
Lena and I exchanged a quick glance. Without a word, we swapped roles—she would keep Wayne occupied while I went to find Jace.
“Her blood pressure’s spiking,” she said, keeping her tone clinical. “Do you have meds to lower it? Her heart rate’s too slow—she’ll need something fast-acting. And she’s running a fever—101°F. We’ll need to cool her down physically. Medication might conflict.”
Her steady flow of medical orders was impressive, even though her specialty was babies, not emergencies. It was the perfect excuse. I slipped out to “get an ice pack.” As I left, Lindey weakly clung to Wayne’s arm. “Wayne… I don’t think I’ll make it. Let me talk to you… before I join your father.”
The teamwork between Lindey, Lena, and me felt like clockwork, even though none of it had been planned. Instead of taking the elevator and risking being seen, I opted for the longer, quieter route to the underground garage.
When I got there, the place was filled with the family’s absurd collection of luxury cars. Seriously, it looked like a high-end dealership. But Jace wasn’t anywhere in sight. If Lindey said he was here, then he had to be.
I kept scanning until my eyes landed on an old, dust-covered car tucked in the corner. It was the Johnston family’s first car—their “starter vehicle” from back when they’d first gotten rich. Jace once told me they kept it as a weird heirloom, like it was some kind of family treasure. I’d teased him about it, joking they should put it in a museum.
If Jace was hidden here, this car made the most sense. First, it was ancient and beat-up, not something anyone would bother checking. But more importantly? Wayne hated it. He once ranted to me about how their dad had been so excited to take Jace for a ride in that car, leaving Wayne behind for tutoring. He’d stood at the window, watching them drive off, feeling like he didn’t exist. Even though Wayne rode in that car later, the memory stayed with him.