Chapter 983

At that moment, Yuna was acting like a rebellious teenager. If they pushed too hard, it would only backfire. If she didn’t want them asking questions, they could always find out behind her back.

“Alright,” Hayden finally said under Keira’s pointed gaze. “But you still need to tell us when you’re leaving.”

Yuna visibly relaxed, exhaling in relief. “I’ll leave as soon as the holidays start.”

“When does your break begin?” Hayden asked.

“…next Friday.”

Hayden nodded. “Then we’ll pick you up and take you to the airport on Friday.”

“No,” Yuna refused without hesitation.

Hayden’s brows furrowed. That expression meant he was already holding back his emotions. Sensing this, Keira stepped in. “Are you traveling with someone?”

“Mm… a senior from school,” Yuna answered, avoiding Keira’s gaze.

Keira had a pretty good guess who that “senior” was. Under the table, Keira nudged Hayden’s foot again. After a pause, he said, “I’ll transfer you some money. Check in with me when you arrive. Send me a picture every day. And if anything happens, tell me immediately.”

Yuna obediently agreed to everything. Hayden offered to have her stay for dinner, but she said she had to study for exams and left soon after.

Once she was gone, the three of them sat in silence for a while. Finally, Lena spoke first. “Girls don’t stay little forever. If she really ends up with Nate, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Keira turned to look at Hayden. He didn’t say a word, just turned and walked back into the house. Lena nudged Keira. “Is he having a ‘father giving away his daughter’ moment?”

“Probably,” Keira sighed. “He’s always treated her like his own daughter.”

But Keira knew that wasn’t his only concern. After all, Nate and Lena had a past.

“Hayden doesn’t think Nate is unworthy of his sister just because Nate and I used to be together, does he?” Lena mused, picking up on it quickly.

There was no need to keep secrets between them. “Maybe.”

“Hah.” Lena scoffed. “Tell him to rest easy. Nate and I are done. He has no feelings for me anymore, and I’ve long since moved on. We were just a passing part of each other’s youth.”

“But his sister is still a blank slate,” Keira murmured. The world wasn’t as rigid about relationships as it used to be, but as a brother, Hayden still wanted his sister’s love to be pure and simple. More importantly, had Nate truly let go of Lena? Or was he approaching Yuna for another reason?

Keira wasn’t being overly suspicious—love had a way of making people blind and irrational.

“He still believes in perfect, untarnished love?” Lena sneered, then smirked. “But he fell for you, didn’t he? How come he didn’t care about your past?”

Keira shot her a glare and playfully smacked her arm. “Are you taking shots at me now?”

She dodged, laughing, and we messed around for a bit before she steadied me.

“Go inside and keep your man company. Talk some sense into him,” she suggested.

“What about you?” Keira asked.

“I’m going to find a man of my own,” Lena sighed dramatically. “It’s too much. Even a young girl has someone doting on her, and here I am, all alone.”

“You should try looking for Aaron,” Keira teased.

Lena waved her off and walked away. Keira stood there for a moment before heading inside.

Hayden was on the phone. If she had to guess, he was calling Nate. She didn’t interrupt. Instead, she walked over and silently took a seat beside him.

“Alright,” Hayden said, his voice steady. “Let’s meet. Pick a place and let me know.” After hanging up, he turned to Keira. “I need to have a talk with Nate.”