Chapter 804:

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The small ruckus faded as quickly as it had flared. Helena let out an uneasy laugh, dipped her head in thanks, and decided—since she was already caught up in this, she might as well see it through. She gestured for Alden to come over with a flick of her hand.

Meanwhile, the easygoing mask on Alden’s striking features had vanished, replaced by a stormy scowl. Helena blinked at him, bewildered, right up until he murmured, “So, how does it feel—grabbing some other guy’s hand?”

“Are you for real?” Helena wracked her brain, half convinced he couldn’t possibly be jealous of a bodyguard. Jealousy that irrational? No way.

Helena seethed on the inside but managed a bright smile as she double-checked—and Alden, to her disbelief, nodded with absolute sincerity. Worried the plan might fall apart, she answered, sounding as genuine as possible, “Fuzzy. Everything’s just… fuzzy.”

Of course, Angela’s bodyguards all had thick body hair. In a flash, Alden’s jealousy vanished. Now he felt so embarrassed he couldn’t even meet the bodyguards’ eyes.

Still, crouching here to eavesdrop made Alden’s brow furrow with obvious unease. Helena, who had given up any pretense of etiquette, leaned down and pressed her ear right to the narrow gap of the door.

Alden hadn’t quite surrendered to the full ridiculousness of the situation. He silently formed the words: “Anything?”

Helena shook her head. The urge to let Alden listen in flickered—but the memory of his trouble with hearing sent a pang through her chest, and she decided she’d handle this herself. A rush of sympathy for everything Alden had suffered only steeled her resolve; she pressed her ear to the door, determined to catch every whisper.

Even when the bodyguards stared, clearly baffled by her antics, Helena kept her focus, blocking out their incredulous looks. Get a grip. Just go for it—no one here actually cared, right?

But the room was absolutely soundproof. Crouched over, her lower back screaming, Helena still hadn’t caught a single word. Right as she tried contorting into a new angle, the door swung open.

When the door swung wide, Angela and Delaney were locked in an embrace. Startled, Helena tumbled forward, quite literally falling into their arms without warning.

ո𝗲𝘄 𝖼𝗁𝗮𝗉𝗍e𝗋ѕ e𝘷𝘦𝘳y 𝗐𝗲𝖾𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝗀a𝗹𝘯𝗈𝘷elѕ.сo𝘮

“Helena?” Delaney barely missed a beat. She let out a soft laugh and tugged Helena in closer. “You caught us at a sentimental moment. Meet Angela—she’s an old friend of mine. We went our separate ways for a while thanks to a few misunderstandings, but all that’s behind us now. That’s the reason for this little reunion hug. You should join in and give Angela a hug, too.”

There was a rare intensity in her voice, and she clung to Helena with surprising urgency, as if holding tight might help her reclaim something precious from days gone by.

No explanation was needed. Helena understood at once—Angela was more than just an old friend; she was a living piece of Delaney’s vanished youth. The realization struck her, filling her with a quiet emotion.

Nevertheless, trying to embrace a stranger felt painfully unnatural. With some reluctance, Helena awkwardly wrapped her arms around Angela, silently promising herself never to get dragged into such a situation again.

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