Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right

Chapter 225

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"No, you're just way better than me. You can tell I'm just an amateur," I said, trying to play it humble.

"Even amateurs need good coaches. But your style's different from Steve's. Who taught you?" Cole asked, genuinely curious.

I'd learned by watching Jace. He never actually coached me; I just picked it up from observing him. When I got bored, I started playing by myself. My technique ended up looking like his, and once he noticed I could hold my own, he'd ask me to join him for a game now and then.

"Cole, since when did you start digging for dirt like a tabloid reporter?" a familiar voice cut in.

I didn't bother turning around. I knew that voice way too well.

Jace had just walked in.

This night was about to get a lot more interesting.

He walked up and stood beside me, saying nothing, but making everything obvious to Cole.

"Oh, no wonder her style looked familiar," Cole said, his eyes flicking between Jace and me. "So she's He trailed off, like he was putting the pieces together. Then, like a light bulb went off in his head, he smirked. "Wait, isn't she your 'child bride'?"

I hadn't heard that phrase in ages.

Back when I first moved into the Johnston residence, some nosy classmates found out I was supposed to marry Jace someday and started calling me his child bride. The kid who started that rumor transferred schools not long after, and the nickname faded away.

"If you keep your mouth shut, no one's gonna mistake you for a mute. Didn't you want to play? I'll take you on," Jace said, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it to me. He did it so casually, just like old times.

He moved so quickly I didn't even have a chance to refuse. But I wasn't about to stand around holding his jacket all night like I used to.

I walked over to Steve, draped Jace's jacket on a chair, and motioned for him to step outside so we could

talk.

As soon as we stepped outside, Steve asked, "Why do you want to see Cole's dad? You should steer clear of people like them."

I swallowed hard. "I don't want to, but I have to."

Steve looked like he had more to say, but I cut him off, "You still haven't told me-what did you find out?" His expression darkened, and he finally got to the point. "I looked into it. The owner of OceanixCorp is Ron Shane. As for the supposed 'big boss,' there's no such person. But based on what you told me, I dug deeper.

"Three years ago, when the

company started, a huge sum of money was transferred into Ron's account.

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Chapter 225

He said it was from a friend with the last name Hart.

"Whether this Hart guy is the big boss or not, I couldn't confirm.

My mind raced. 'Hart?"

Because of Hayden Hart, I was extra sensitive to that name..

"Keira," Steve called, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You've been acting weird lately. Are you up to something?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not doing anything, just curious about a few things."

Steve could tell I wasn't going to spill more and gave me a faint smile. "If you need anything, you know where to find me. And also..."

He glanced back toward the snooker room. "Cole's a loose cannon, but he knows better than to cross the line when I'm around. If he tries anything, just call me."

"Okay," I nodded. Just then, a loud crash echoed from inside as the balls scattered across the table.

Steve frowned, probably worried about his precious snooker table.

got the message. "Steve, I'll head out now."

"Be careful on your way home. Shoot me a text when you get there," he said.

I nodded, but as I turned to leave, he asked, "Where are you staying now that you've left the Johnston place? If you're renting, don't. I've got plenty of properties. You need a place, just ask. You'll feel safer in one of mine." "I'm good," I said, then headed out.

On the way back, I couldn't get Steve's words out of my head-about that mysterious investor named Hart. As crazy as it sounded, I couldn't shake the feeling that it might be Hayden.

So when I bumped into him in the stairwell of our apartment building, I decided to go for it. "Hey, boss?" I called out, watching his face for any reaction.