Chapter 1027



A plot already took form in Lacey’s mind. She intended to stage a clumsy fall into the pool. Even if Jake didn’t immediately jump in to rescue her, she bet he would come to her aid. It was all about creating a moment where their proximity might trigger something within him.

As Lacey approached, ready to execute her plot, Jake’s voice rang out, cutting through the humid air like a knife.

“What are you doing here?”

His tone was sharp and unyielding, filled with an anger that left no room for misinterpretation. The icy edge in his words stunned Lacey.

For a moment, Lacey could hardly breathe.

Then, a sudden gust of wind swept through the area, thinning the steam that blanketed the spring.

What Lacey saw next made her chest tighten. Jake wasn’t alone. Someone, precisely speaking, a woman, was beside him, and their posture, locked in an embrace, left no room for doubt.

Lacey’s fists curled so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, but even the pain didn’t snatch her attention away from the woman in Jake’s arms.

Lacey’s gaze burned with anger, fixed on the woman cradled in Jake’s arms.

Yet, the steam blurred the woman’s features, leaving her identity a maddening mystery.

Lacey saw red. Who could this audacious woman be? The thought of this woman slipping into Jake’s life during her absence fanned the flames of her jealousy. The bitterness and rage swelling inside her felt almost unbearable.

For a moment, Lacey struggled to compose herself. Her voice trembled as she asked, “Mr. Reeves, who is that with you?”

Jake turned, his tone sharper than Lacey expected.

“How does that concern you? Go back to where you came from and stop prying.”

Each word carried a sting. His irritation was as plain as day, and Lacey felt the blow of his dismissal.

Realization dawned on Lacey in that moment—the woman in his arms wasn’t just anyone. After all, Jake wasn’t the type to fall for a fleeting interest. It could only be Kallie.

The conclusion gnawed at Lacey. In her mind, she cursed Kallie over and over.

Though Lacey had hesitated before to align herself with Clayton and Cody, she now felt her options had run out. She had tried everything she could think of, but nothing could sever the bond between Jake and Kallie. At times, she wondered if Kallie had cast some kind of spell over Jake. It was the only explanation she could fathom for his unwavering devotion to someone who had supposedly caused him so much pain.

Jake’s expression hardened at Lacey’s lingering presence, his annoyance mounting with every passing second. The awkward tension between him and Kallie was obvious, but Lacey chose not to leave.

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