Chapter 813

It had been years since she’d been this close to him—close enough for him to ruffle her hair, like when she was a kid. Lena and I barely slept that night. The tension was unbearable. We weren’t the only ones. Lindey stayed in the mourning hall all night, ignoring Jace’s repeated attempts to get her to rest. Wayne? Completely MIA. At one point, Lena even joked he might’ve bailed for good.

But I knew better. Wayne had burned every bridge; running wasn’t his style. Another shady move? Totally possible. We needed proof—something solid to bring him down.

“Rea, you up?” Lindey’s voice came from behind my door.

I got up to open it. “Yeah?”

She smiled faintly. “Come eat. You’ll need energy for today.”

She was wearing an apron. Cooking? Now?

Lena raised a brow. “What if she poisoned the pancakes for Wayne’s sake?”

I smirked. “You’re a doctor. You’ll survive.”

Still confused, we went to the table. Wayne’s spot was set, like he’d pop in any second.

“Wait for him?” I asked.

Lindey shook her head. “No. Let’s eat without him.”

She served us herself, overly cheerful. “Rea, pumpkin custard—your favorite! Lena, try it. Jace, waffles with extra syrup.”

I half-expected Lindey to drop some cryptic warning, but nope. She just kept pushing food at us.

“Lindey, you should eat too,” I said, noticing her untouched plate. I peeled an orange and slid it in front of her.

The spread was huge, but none of us ate much. Too much on our minds to care about breakfast.

By 9 a.m., the funeral was supposed to start, but Wayne was still missing. Jace frowned and went to Lindey. “Mom, I can’t reach Wayne. Should we wait?”

Chapter 813

Wayne might’ve been a walking insult in every way possible, but as the eldest son, he should’ve been here. Lindey glanced at the clock. “Give it another half hour.”

Jace pushed things back, and at 9:20, Wayne finally strolled in—except he wasn’t alone.

“It’s Hayden!” Lena hissed, elbowing me hard.

I froze. Hayden.

He looked different—leaner, darker, like he’d been through hell and back. But he carried himself the same, unshakable and strong, like nothing could break him.

“Did Wayne bring him here as a hostage?” Lena whispered, leaning in.

“Maybe,” I muttered, my heart pounding, my unease growing.