Chapter 830

Seeing Yara so nervous and full of guilt, I couldn’t help but feel bad. She was a proper, wealthy socialite, yet here she was, taking care of my meals and drinks—and I’d gone and played her like this. But I had no choice. I had to feign heartbreak and sadness to leave Yara flustered. Only then would she turn to Jace for advice. And if Jace knew I was upset, he’d definitely come here.

Just as I’d expected, as soon as I went upstairs, I heard Yara on the phone with Jace. “Jace, I messed up the task you gave me. Keira’s upset—well, not exactly upset, but she started crying…”

She recounted the situation, but I couldn’t hear Jace’s response. All I caught was Yara saying, “Alright, alright. Hurry up and get here.”

Hearing that, I let out a quiet sigh of relief and headed back to the room. Once inside, I lay on the bed and sent Yara a text: [Sorry, I lost control of my emotions earlier. I wasn’t mad at you; I just started thinking about my parents.]

She replied almost instantly: (It’s my fault for bringing up something that hurt you.)

Not long after, Yara came upstairs to check on me. When our eyes met, we exchanged small smiles. Yara let out a dramatic sigh. “Thank goodness you finally smiled. You had me so anxious I had to call for backup!”

I knew exactly who her “backup” was, but I didn’t say anything. She pulled out her phone. “Let me call Jace and tell him not to come. I’ve already cheered you up.”

Panic hit me instantly. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve waited longer to apologize. It was my own soft-heartedness that led me to feel bad for her guilt.

“No, let him come,” I said quickly, stopping her. “It’s so boring here. At least if he comes, we’ll have someone to talk to.”

Yara looked at me, and her expression turned amused. “You planned this, didn’t you?”

Beautiful women were often smart, and Yara was no exception. After all, she was someone Hayden trusted enough to work with.

I didn’t deny it. Yara sat down beside me. “Alright, spill it. What are you plotting by using your tears to trick Jace into coming here?”

Chapter 820

I looked into her clear eyes and hesitated, unsure if I should tell her everything. Hayden had said to find someone I trusted. If he trusted Yara completely, he could’ve told me to hand the ring to her directly. But he hadn’t. He’d left it to me to decide, which meant even Hayden didn’t fully trust her.

It was a critical moment. I needed to be cautious. Lowering my gaze, I avoided Yara’s eyes and said, “I’m just worried about Lena. I wanted to ask him to help get her back.”

“You could’ve just called him. Wouldn’t that be easier?” Yara asked, clearly not one to be easily fooled.

“It’s easier, sure, but having him see my tears in person will leave a stronger impression,” I said, glancing at her.

She laughed lightly and nodded. “Fair enough. Even I can’t stand your tears, let alone a man who’s still hopelessly in love with you.”

To Yara, Jace still loved me. Maybe he did. She’d mentioned earlier that Jace had asked her to take care of me. But Jace no longer expressed those feelings in front of me. He didn’t say things like that anymore.

Love unspoken—that’s what true love looked like. But no matter how deep it ran, there was always a distance between us. A gulf of time, space, and, most of all, Hayden. There was no going back.

“If Hayden doesn’t come back soon, I’m worried Jace might just sweep you away again,” Yara said with a sigh.

“Then tell him to hurry up and come back,” I replied, meeting her gaze.

Yara blinked at my response, stunned for a moment, then broke into a laugh. “If I could make him come back any faster, I wouldn’t be stuck here either,” she said with a huff. Then, after a pause, she added, “And don’t bother testing me.”

I turned my attention to the window. The sky outside was so blue, not a single white cloud in sight. That kind of pure, open sky had a way of lifting your spirits, even just a little.

“I just hope he comes back soon,” I said softly. “And I hope this all ends soon, too.”