“Real” Wayne’s voice sounded as warm as ever, but now it had a sharp edge, Whe a thorn pressing


    into my chest.


    How could someone who seemed so harmless hide such ruthless obsession? He’d crushed anyone


    in his path without a second thought.


    I swallowed back the bitterness and got straight to the point. I need your beb


    “Mm, what is it?” His tone wasn’t the same anymore Running Riverweve Corp Jace’s ce had


    clearly gone to his head.


    Power didn’t just change a person’s mindset–it bled into their every move


    “My former colleague Demi Young… She’s working in yourpany. She’s a good friend, but


    something happened, and she quit. I can’t get in touch with her. I need you to help me find her.”


    “Demi Young?” Wayne echoed, his tone thoughtful before he agreed. “Alright” “Thanks,” I said,


    keeping my voice calm and polite, the way I always did with him.


    “Rea,” he said softly, my name hanging in the air before he continued, “Can we meet in person?”


    “Sure. When?” I answered without missing a beat.


    “Whenever it works for you.” Wayne’s voice was steady, just like I remembered. He’d always been


    like this–letting me call the shots. He never pushed his preferences or agenda, always putting me


    first.


    Looking back, I realized his love had always been there in the little things. But I’d been too wrapped


    up in Jace to see it.


    “Tomorrow evening, then,” I said, my tone firm. “You can pick me up, and we’ll head to your ce.


    It’s been a while since I visited Lindey and Matthew.”


    There was a pause on the other end. Wayne didn’t expect that.


    “…Alright,” he said eventually. “I’ll let my parents know.”


    After the call ended, I toyed with the bell on my wrist, its soft chime breaking the


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    silence. “Hayden,” I murmured, “you told me to stay away from the Johnstons. but I might not


    listen this time.


    That night, I joined my department for a dinner party. The mood was light, everyoneughing and


    taking turns offering me drinks.


    At some point during dinner, someone asked why Hayden wasn’ting to the office anymore.


    I’d told Ron about Hayden’s passing, but no one else. So I kept it simple. “He took an overseas job.


    He won’t be back anytime soon.”


    Saying it out loud brought that familiar ache, sharp and unrelenting. I downed another drink to dull


    it.


    By the end of the night, I’d had too much. Ron ended up taking me home, his voice cutting through


    my haze as he muttered, “If Hayden were here, he’d probably chew you out for being so reckless.”


    But he wasn’t here.


    My Hayden. He was gone.


    The next morning, my phone rang, jolting me awake. It was Ron.


    “Feeling better afterst night?” he teased.


    “Yeah, thanks for getting me home,” I said, I’d drunk a lot, but I wasn’t totally out


    of it.


    “Oh, so you do remember it was me? Guess you weren’t as far gone as you looked. So, what did I


    say to you?” His tone was mischievous, clearly fishing for something.


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    His question tickled at the edge of my memory, but whatever it was, it stayed frustratingly out of


    reach.


    “What did you say?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.


    “I said… plenty of things,” he replied, annoyingly vague.


    ssic Ron. And honestly, if it was that important, I would’ve remembered,


    right? No point digging into it.


    “So, why the early call? Don’t tell me you’re just checking if I’m sober. If you’ve got work for me,


    spill–I’m ready to head in” I said, ncing at the clock. Not even nine.


    “Nope, no work. If you’re still feeling crappy, take another day off. Honestly, whether you’re here or


    not doesn’t make much of a difference,” he joked, though there was a faint bite in his words.


    But I knew Ron too well to take him at face value. He was Hayden’s guy through and through, and


    like Hayden, he’d always given me free rein. If he was calling, there had to be a reason–it wasn’t


    just to annoy me.


    I thought back to yesterday, to something he’d said in the office. “Didn’t you have something for


    me?”


    “Nope, nothing,” he said, so casually it threw me off.


    I frowned. Yesterday, he’d seemed serious, not at all like he was joking. And now? A total 180.


    Still, I let it go. “If there’s nothing, fine.”


    “There’s nothing, I swear. Go back to sleep,” he said, then hung up.