23. JACE TO RESCUE

Alina tried to hide her growing discomfort as her mother continued to fawn over Caelan's taste in interior design. She could feel her cheeks burning as her mother went on and on about the art pieces, the furniture, and even the color scheme. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Mom," she said, her voice strained but polite, "Caelan isn't an interior designer. He's the CEO of the country's biggest publishing house."

For a moment, there was a stunned silence. Alina's mother paused mid-sip, blinking at Caelan as if seeing him for the first time. Then, in true dramatic fashion, she waved a dismissive hand.

"Well, at least he's a billionaire," she said, her tone breezy. "That's much more impressive!"

Alina barely had time to register her mother's words before the full impact hit her. Her eyes widened in horror, and in her shock, she accidentally inhaled a mouthful of tea, which she promptly spurted out in a rather undignified manner. The room fell into a stunned silence, broken only by Hope's muffled snort of laughter and Will's hasty attempt to cover his own grin.

Caelan, ever the gentleman, calmly handed Alina a napkin, though she could see the amusement dancing in his eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with barely suppressed laughter.

Alina nodded frantically, her face burning with embarrassment. "Y-yes, I'm fine," she stammered, dabbing at her mouth with the napkin. "Sorry about that."

While her mother continued to chat with Caelan as if nothing had happened, Alina discreetly pulled out her phone under the table. She quickly typed out a message to her brother, her fingers flying across the screen:

**Alina:** *Jace, Mom is in full embarrassing mode. You need to come and save me!*

A few agonizing moments passed before her phone buzzed with a response:

**Jace:** *Big no. You're on your own.*

Alina’s heart sank. She shot back a pleading reply:

**Alina:** *Please, Jace! She's going to make me cry!*

The seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity, until finally, her phone buzzed again.

**Jace:** *Fine. But you owe me.*

Alina breathed a sigh of relief, barely able to suppress the smile tugging at her lips. She watched as the message indicators showed Jace typing again:

**Jace:** *Leaving the office now. I'll be there soon.*

With a sense of urgency, Jace grabbed his things and rushed out of his graphic design office, not even bothering to explain his sudden departure to his coworkers. He knew the situation must be dire if his sister was asking for help. In no time, he was speeding down the familiar streets towards their condo building.

But instead of heading straight there, Jace made a quick decision. He swung his car around and headed towards Caelan’s mansion, which was conveniently located just across from their building. It was a bold move, but he figured if his mother was already there, then that’s where the real rescue mission needed to take place.

As he parked his car in front of Caelan’s imposing mansion, Jace took a deep breath, bracing himself for whatever scene awaited him inside. With any luck, he’d arrive just in time to save Alina from further embarrassment—or at least to share in the mortification.

Alina’s heart raced as she spotted Jace’s car screech to a halt in front of Caelan’s mansion. The door burst open and Jace sprinted up the stairs, barely pausing to catch his breath as he entered the house. He spotted Alina immediately and made a beeline for her, his eyes scanning the room in search of her mother.

“Sorry I’m late,” Jace said breathlessly, catching Caelan’s puzzled gaze as he came to a halt just inside the doorway. “I didn’t expect this mess. I’m Jace, Alina’s brother. I’m here to get our mother.”

He turned to Helen, who had just begun to rise from her seat, her face a mix of curiosity and urgency. “Mom, Dad is on his way to pick you up. Let’s go.”

Helen’s eyes widened in realization. She stood up hastily, her earlier drama melting into a rush of impatience as she darted towards the door. “Oh, well then, let’s not waste any more time!” she called, making a beeline for the exit.

As Helen hurried out the door, Hope, who had been standing frozen in awe, seemed to snap out of her trance. She watched Jace with wide eyes, her cheeks flushing pink. “I-I didn’t realize Alina had a brother,” she stammered, her gaze lingering on Jace as he waved a casual greeting.

Jace, noticing the look on Hope’s face, gave her a small, friendly nod before turning his attention back to Alina. He signaled her subtly, and Alina, catching the gesture, quickly gathered the books Caelan had requested. She approached Caelan, her movements hurried but determined.

“Here are the books, Caelan,” she said, her voice tinged with relief. “And, um, that’s it. Goodbye.”

As she spoke, her rushed demeanor caused a chuckle to escape from Caelan’s lips. It was a rare, genuine sound, and everyone in the room turned to look at him in surprise. His cheeks flushed with the unexpected attention, a slight smile playing on his lips as he tried to regain his composure.

“Goodbye, then,” Caelan said, his voice a bit gruff but softened by the laughter that had just escaped him.

Hope’s eyes widened even further at the sight of Caelan’s uncharacteristic reaction. She exchanged a glance with Will, who raised an eyebrow in amused confusion. They both knew that seeing their boss laugh was an event as rare as a blue moon.

Alina, feeling the weight of the moment, managed a small smile as she grabbed her things. “Thanks for the help, Jace. I’ll see you at home.”

With one last glance at the now-red-faced Caelan, Alina and Jace made their way out, leaving the mansion behind. As the door closed, the room settled back into its usual quiet, but a subtle shift had occurred.

Caelan cleared his throat, attempting to maintain his usual stoic demeanor. “Well,” he said, his voice still carrying a hint of amusement, “that was certainly unexpected.”

Hope and Will exchanged glances, both of them still processing the scene they had just witnessed.