Jamie saw Paityn with Carol and extinguished his cigarette, turning to head downstairs.

At the steps of the main house, Paityn opened the car door and got ready to leave. That was when Jamie's voice called out from behind her, “Why don’t you come in? It’s late; you should have dinner before heading back.”

Jamie knew that his parents had invited Paityn many times, but she insisted on staying outside. Deep down, he understood that she was trying to draw a line between them. As he spoke, he glanced back at the house. “For Carol's sake, you should at least pretend.”

Paityn offered a faint smile. “For Carol's sake, I need to maintain some distance. I can’t let her get the wrong idea that her parents are getting back together.”

Jamie scoffed coldly, “Can’t we reconcile?”

Paityn didn’t want to answer that question. Then, Jamie's phone rang. When he checked, it was Yara calling. He glanced at it, chose not to answer, and hung up.

Paityn guessed who it was but didn’t care. Right now, her