Chapter 811

Aaron must have felt her staring because he turned, locking eyes with Lena. She immediately dropped her gaze. “Uncle Aaron.”

“What are you doing hovering in the doorway?” he asked, and she shuffled inside without protest. “Thanks,” she mumbled. If he hadn’t shown up, who knows how long Wayne would’ve kept her tied up.

This whole mess started with her stalling Wayne, pretending she was helping as a doctor to buy Keira time to save Jace. But Wayne caught on and didn’t hesitate to have her restrained.

“Let me see your hand,” Aaron said, holding out his own.

“I’m fine. No injuries,” she insisted. “I’m a doctor, remember?”

He wasn’t buying it. “If you’re fine, then what’s the harm in letting me check?”

Under his intense stare, Lena caved, holding out her hand. His fingers brushed over her wrist, and he immediately noticed the damage—red marks, swelling, raw scrapes where the ropes had bitten into her skin.

“This is fine?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not like I’ll die,” she muttered, but her voice lacked conviction. Aaron’s eyes stayed on her, but Lena kept her gaze fixed anywhere else.

“It might not kill you,” he said, his voice carrying a light reprimand, “but it could cost someone else their life.”

Lena’s throat tightened. She wanted to ask who he meant, but the words stayed stuck. Aaron motioned for her to sit on the couch, grabbing a medical kit nearby. As soon as he opened it, Lena recognized the contents—specialized supplies. Clearly, he’d planned ahead, expecting she’d be hurt.

He squeezed ointment onto her wrist; the coolness quickly replaced by a sharp sting that made her flinch.

“It hurts? Sorry. I’ll be gentler,” Aaron said softly, even blowing on her wrist like it’d help.

“Uncle Aaron, Wayne’s definitely going to cause trouble tomorrow. Can you stop him?” Lena’s voice cracked with worry.

Aaron kept calm. “No guarantees.”

Chapter 11

Thinking about how Wayne had twisted his own father’s funeral into a spectacle, Lena couldn’t hold back. “He’s definitely planning something big for tomorrow. You need to be careful.”

Aaron let out a thoughtful hum. “What’s Keira’s plan?”

“Whatever it takes to stop him,” Lena said quickly, then added, “But don’t think I’m hiding anything; I don’t know either—she hasn’t told me.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Aaron cut in, his tone firm. “Just focus on staying safe tomorrow.”

“Maybe you can handle Wayne today, but tomorrow’s a different story,” Lena said, still worried.

“How will we know unless we try?” Aaron shrugged, then added, his voice softening, “Besides, you stopped coming to me for help.”

Lena felt a pang of guilt. Was he calling her out? She tried to smooth things over. “I get it. Next time I’m in trouble, I’ll come to you first.”

Aaron’s gaze lingered on her smile, a warmth flickering in his chest. “Go tell Keira Hayden will be back tomorrow.”

“How do you know that?” Lena asked, her surprise obvious.

Aaron didn’t answer, but the look on his face said everything.

“You’ve teamed up with Hayden?” Lena asked, her mind reeling.