Chapter 977
Perhaps he had made the announcement and left early to avoid any awkward encounters. Lena’s mind spun with possibilities as she made her way downstairs and into the courtyard. “Good morning, my dearest Grandpa, Grandma, and Mother.” Their moods were bright, so she decided to match their cheerfulness.
“Awake already?” her grandmother responded first. Lena ran over to her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and planting a kiss. “Grandma, you smell amazing.”
“Of course I do! I used the perfume Xandra gave me,” grandmother replied with a proud smile. “From the Little Carriage collection. Isn’t it divine?” The “Little Carriage” her grandmother referred to was a designer perfume brand. Her grandmother had always loved dressing up, doing her makeup, and using YSL international perfumes. Xandra clearly knew how to cater to her tastes. No doubt Aaron had told her exactly what to buy.
Lena moved over to Briana, wrapping her in a hug as well and lowering her voice to ask, “What’s going on? Why does everything seem so calm?” Briana lightly smacked her. “What kind of chaos were you hoping for, hmm?”
“No, it’s just… I thought it would feel like the world was ending, but everything’s so peaceful. What did Uncle Aaron do?” Lena asked, clearly confused.
“He didn’t do much. He’s been spending a lot of time with your grandparents lately, and he hasn’t shown any intention of leaving the family. That’s why they’ve been handling it better. But honestly, they’re just putting on a brave front so we don’t worry,” Briana explained, glancing over at her father.
Lena’s heart ached at the thought, but at the same time, she felt incredibly lucky to be part of a family so warm and considerate. “That’s good, then,” she said, relieved.
“Still, Lena,” Briana continued, “it’s strange. If your Uncle Aaron had no plans to leave the Ace family, why bother revealing his parentage in the first place?” She had raised this point more than once now, and Lena was starting to feel cornered.
“I don’t know, Mom. Anyway, I have to go to work. Bye!” Lena blurted out.
“But didn’t you switch shifts with someone today?” Briana called after her, exposing her lie. She had switched shifts, but staying any longer was unbearable before quickly turning to leave.
Lena left the Ace household and returned to her own place. After taking a shower, she changed into a beautiful outfit. She didn’t have to work that day, so she decided to treat herself to a relaxing day out. As she was doing her makeup, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and was genuinely surprised. “Mr. Shane?”
“Where’s my girlfriend at?” Ron teased. Although their fake relationship had been a one-time thing, he really played his role well. Lena chuckled. “Don’t call me that. If you get too used to it, how are you going to explain it to your real girlfriend someday?”
“I don’t have a real girlfriend,” Ron sighed. “You’re my only pretend one.” At that, Lena recalled their previous arrangement and couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s this? Are you calling to settle the rent for my services?”
“No need for rent,” Ron said. “But I do need a favor.”
“Let me guess—you need me to pretend to be your girlfriend again?”
“Exactly. It’s my old man’s birthday banquet today. He says he doesn’t care about gifts, just wants me to bring home a girlfriend. He’s almost seventy, and you know, it’s ‘who knows if there’s a next year’ kind of situation…”
“So you want to make him happy, right?”
Ron sighed in agreement. “Will you help me out?” Since he had helped her before, Lena felt it would be wrong to refuse him now. After all, what goes around comes around. “Alright, what time?”
“Tonight. I’ll come pick you up now, help you choose an outfit, and buy a gift,” Ron offered thoughtfully.
Admiring her reflection in the mirror, Lena replied, “No need for the outfit. You can handle the gift, and I’ll see you tonight.”
That evening, Ron brought Lena to the Shane family home. As soon as she stepped out of the car, someone called out to her. “Lena?!” Startled, she turned toward the familiar voice.