Chapter 972

“Aaron, I want to add Lena on WhatsApp,” Xandra actually asked Aaron, gently tugging on his sleeve with a delicate and endearing expression that made her look pitifully lovable. Aaron glanced at her, his gaze filled with a warmth Lena was all too familiar with. Once upon a time, he had looked at her the same way. Now, he could look at other women like that.

So, never believe a man when he says things like, “I’ve liked you for years.”

“If you want to add her, then add her,” Aaron’s approval made Xandra look at him with delight.

Lena, however, truly didn't want to add her. She and Xandra weren’t close, and they likely wouldn’t ever be. Lena didn’t enjoy socializing with strangers, so she smiled faintly. “Aren’t you afraid I might tell her something about you, Uncle Aaron?”

Aaron’s gaze turned cold and distant, his voice calm. “There’s nothing about me that Xandy can’t know.”

Lena sneered inwardly. If that were the case, why had he just warned her earlier? Double standards, much!

Since Aaron insisted, Lena went ahead and let Xandra add her on WhatsApp. But when she approved the request, she set it to “chat only.” No matter what reason Xandra had for adding her—whether it was to flaunt her relationship or something else—Lena didn’t want a stranger to disrupt her life.

“Let’s go,” Aaron said after they finished, addressing Xandra. Xandra seemed reluctant to leave, responding with a soft, “Oh.”

“You don’t have to leave, Aunt Xandra,” Lena interjected casually, catching Aaron’s attention as his eyes lifted slightly to look at her. Hearing this, Briana quickly chimed in, “That’s right! Xandy, you’re welcome to stay here.”

“No need, ma’am, I…” Xandra started to refuse, but as she addressed Briana as “ma’am,” an awkwardness settled over her.

Technically, since she was with Aaron, she should’ve called her Briana.

“Until we’re married, Xandy and I won’t be living together,” Aaron stated, breaking the awkward atmosphere. He then looked at Xandra, who took the hint and left the Ace family home with him.

After they left, Briana went to help her parents freshen up for bed before retiring to her own room. Lena could’ve left too, but since Aaron planned to reveal his true parentage, Briana was worried their grandparents wouldn’t take it well and insisted Lena stay the night. Left with no choice, Lena agreed.

There was a room for her in the house, one separated from Aaron’s by only a wall. For some reason, she didn’t feel like going to that room right now. In fact, she didn’t even want to breathe the same air as him. Even though she had repeatedly told herself to let it go, a vague and inexplicable bitterness still lingered in her heart.

With the grandparents resting, Briana had turned off most of the house’s lights, leaving only a small pendant light glowing softly by the sofa. Lena curled up on the couch, flipping through channels until she settled on a variety show. But no matter how long she watched, she couldn’t focus. The forced laughter on the show felt painfully lowbrow to her. Frustrated, she grabbed her phone and sent me a message: [Are you asleep, Statue of Liberty?]

When Keira received her message, she was lounging in bed, enjoying a massage from Hayden. She sent her a photo in response. Lena quickly replied with a thumbs-up emoji and added a line: [Husbands should all be like Young Master Hart.]

Her words made Keira laugh. [Am I detecting a hint of jealousy?]

Lena: [No, absolutely not. I’ll never find a man in this lifetime.]

Keira: [???]

Lena: [There aren’t many men worth trusting.]