Not long after, Alex piped up again, “Aunt Helen, if you’re not going to be with Uncle Zac, who are you planning to date and marry?” “No one.” “Then are you planning to live alone forever?” “I don’t mind! Dealing with you every day is already exhausting enough!” Alex imagined his aunt growing old alone, the scene so bleak he quickly shook his head to banish the thought. “Then, Aunt Helen, when you’re old, I’ll take care of you!” Helen’s forehead twitched in exasperation. “Oh, thank you so much!” When they finally found the private dining room, Wilfred had already arrived. “You two took so long just to find some makeup? Even Wilfred got here before you did,” Richard teased. “Mind your own business.” Helen shot him a look, then quickly glanced at Wilfred. Her heart raced. Did her brother see her and Zac earlier? Wilfred showed no sign of suspicion, calmly chatting with Haley as if nothing had happened. Once everyone had arrived, the server began bringing
Wilfred’s convoy quickly split into six cars, dispersing in different directions. Justin, in his usual three-car setup for daily commutes, was left to decide which vehicle to follow. “Mr. Yates, they’ve noticed us. Which one should we tail?” William asked, his usual calm, poker-faced demeanor unwavering. “Follow the one in front,” Justin instructed, pointing to a car. The other two vehicles in his convoy each picked a target and followed suit. After several turns, it became clear they had not chosen the car carrying Haley. Earlier, Justin had tried texting Haley to ask if she liked the flowers he sent, but after waiting for what felt like forever, he realized his number had been blocked again. As frustration and heartache welled up, he happened to spot Wilfred’s convoy on his way to a work dinner. “Haley must be with him. Where are they going together?” he wondered. “Mr. Yates, should we still head to the mayor’s dinner?” William asked. The mayor’s team had just called
Nothing was more important to Wilfred than his sister’s happiness. “There’s no need. I don’t owe him anything, and I’m not going to avoid him just because he’s in Lincourt City,” Haley said firmly, her tone unwavering. “If he ever comes to Merika State, am I supposed to move again just to avoid him?” “But… but what if he finds out about Chase and Alex someday? What if he tries to take the kids?” Helen asked anxiously. “Then we’ll fight him in an international custody battle,” Haley replied calmly, her voice steady. She wasn’t worried about losing in court. Even if Justin won, there was no way he would be able to take the kids from her. She wouldn’t allow it, and neither would Wilfred or Evelyn. Helen stole a secret glance at her sister. What Haley didn’t know was that Alex had already met Justin. Forget about custody battles—her precious little nephew was already scheming ways to secretly meet him. Helen let out a deep breath. Who could understand the burden of k
Emma had been busy flattering the mayor of Lincourt City at the dinner table when she casually picked up Justin’s private phone. She hadn’t even glanced at the screen before answering. Now, her face was ghostly pale, as if she had just seen a ghost. Justin emerged from the restroom just then. The mayor turned his head to look at him and drunkenly patted the seat next to him. “Justin, come back and sit. Let me tell you, for this international project, the higher-ups are very keen on your company, RC Corporation.” Slouching in his seat, his face flushed red from the alcohol, the mayor pointed upward with his index finger. “As long as nothing unexpected happens, the project is yours. Your company’s performance will determine the entire economic index for Lincourt City!” “You’re too kind. RC Corporation will always rely on your guidance,” Justin replied smoothly, his face as composed and fair as when he first arrived. Not a trace of the alcohol he had consumed showed.
A flicker of malice flashed through Emma’s eyes, but her tear-filled gaze concealed it perfectly. Justin frowned. Had Haley called him while he was still in the private room? “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” His voice was cold and harsh. Without waiting for Emma’s response, he stormed toward his car, leaving her behind, and quickly checked his phone. “Did she call because something urgent happened? Haley wouldn’t reach out to me unless it was important. Did she have a fight with Wilfred?” he wondered. His thoughts were racing as his thumb hovered over the screen. But just before he unlocked his phone, he paused. “Sam, do you think she’ll be angry and ignore me because I didn’t answer her call right away?” “Mr. Yates,” William reminded him calmly, “Sam isn’t here.” That’s right—Sam wasn’t around. It hit Justin again, the absence of his trusted assistant. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to wait until he got to the restaurant tonight to find out that Emma had been
In the shared room, Chase and Alex were lying side by side under the covers, wearing matching pajamas in different colors. Chase didn’t really care what he wore, but Alex insisted on matching with his brother. Left with no choice, Chase agreed to wear pajamas with Ultraman prints. Thankfully, it was just pajamas. There was no way he would have worn something like that outside.Alex, unable to fall asleep, turned toward Chase and began sharing a little secret. “Chase, I think the car following us tonight was Uncle Justin’s. He probably recognized that I was in the car, which is why he followed us,” he said, smug and self-assured. Chase stared at him. “Really?” Though he hadn’t met this “Uncle Justin” Alex kept talking about, Chase’s gut told him that tonight’s incident had nothing to do with his little brother. “How do you know it was his car?” Chase asked. “Because of the license plate!” Alex said confidently. “I’ve ridden in that car with him before.“Every time Un
Chase glanced at the smartwatch, memorized the face in the photo, and handed it back to Alex. “What if he’s just pretending to be nice, and over time, he ends up being bad to us and Mom?” Chase asked. “That’s why we need to check him out first and make sure he’s good enough for Mom!” Alex replied confidently. Neither of the brothers stopped to think about whether their mom might even like Justin—or whether Justin might even like her. If Mom didn’t like him, that was easy. They would find her someone else. But their mom was beautiful and amazing—who wouldn’t like her? Alex then told Chase everything he had done with Justin recently and how they had met in Merika State. Chase nodded, making a mental note of it all. The brothers turned off the lights and went to bed. Alex drifted off, dreaming happily about the possibility of finally having a dad. *The next morning, after breakfast, Helen was busy replying to messages on her phone as she walked upstairs to her room.
Alex had a bit of a vanity streak. Before going out, he always fussed over his hair, styling it like Wilfred’s. Chase pinched his nose and mimicked Alex’s tone perfectly, “If I’m not quick, you will leave me behind!” Since they both had the same childlike voices as twins, the subtle difference in tone wasn’t noticeable. Helen didn’t catch on and simply lifted her chin, walking ahead confidently. “Keep up, then.” Outside in the garden, Haley was watering her flowers. These were the same ones she had admired in the Gibson family’s garden. Wilfred had bought some for their home in Mistletoe Villa and even had more shipped to Merika State. “Hey, Sis! I’m taking Alex out. We’ll be back later tonight!” Helen called, pulling ‘Alex’ along. Chase, now playing the role of his brother, hesitated before adding a cheerful touch. He raised his hand, waving dramatically. “Bye, Mom! I’ll miss you while I’m out!” Haley smiled, clearly pleased by his sweet behavior. “Be good and don
Haley shook her head quickly, flustered. “No… I mean—no.” Then she realized how that sounded and corrected herself. “Actually, yes. I’m just hot.”Helen blinked in confusion. “Hot? The classroom has air conditioning. Was the sunlight from the window hitting her seat?” Helen wondered.Without missing a beat, she rushed over and tugged the curtains tighter, making sure her bestie didn’t get “sunburned.” She still needed Haley to hold onto that top spot. Otherwise, she would lose her excuse at home for going out to “study” with Zac.The pressure and tension of senior year finally came to a close. On the day of the college entrance exam, when everyone stepped out of the test hall for the last time, their faces lit up with genuine smiles—relaxed, free, and full of relief.Haley tossed aside her textbooks. Her summer break was filled with makeup shopping trips with Helen or third-wheeling her and Zac on their study-dates-turned-real-dates.That routine came to an end the d
Haley’s eyes shifted as she thought quickly. “But… I don’t really like guys who rank higher than me on exams.”She gave a light shrug and continued, “I mean, I think we should be focusing on school right now. Relationships can wait until after we get into college, right? What if we don’t even end up at the same school? Long-distance never works, and after a while, we’d probably drift apart. Don’t you think?”Was that a gentle rejection? It seemed like it. Haley wondered if she had been too blunt. Had she left him any dignity at all?They still had a whole year of high school left together. She didn’t want things to get awkward between them. A harsh rejection would only make everything more uncomfortable.Justin furrowed his brows, thinking for a long moment before giving a single reply. “Okay.”Then he slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked off.Haley stood there, completely confused.“Okay? What did he mean by that?“Did he understand what I was trying to say?
Emma and her little clique of schoolyard mean girls had Justin completely surrounded.“I’ll ask you one more time,” she said, smug and unbothered. “Will you be my boyfriend or not?”“No,” Justin replied coldly, his face unreadable.“Hey!” one of Emma’s loyal followers stepped forward, cracking her knuckles and getting way too close. “Do you even know who our Emma is? She’s the heiress of the Xander Corporation. She’s giving you a chance, and you should be grateful. You better say yes.”“What, you want us to beat you up before you agree?” another girl sneered.Justin didn’t flinch. His icy stare locked onto the girl who spoke, completely unbothered by the threat.Emma waved a hand to hold her crew back, pretending to be generous. Then she turned to Justin again, cocky and bold.“I like you way too much to have anyone rough you up,” she said sweetly. “But I heard you’re trying to get into Altiplano University in the capital. Here’s the deal—if you go out with me, I’ll have my dad
As soon as Justin sat down and pulled out the textbook for the next class, a hand suddenly reached out from beside him.“Hey, I’m Zac White,” Zac said.Justin glanced up with a cold look, then went right back to pulling out his notebook and pen—completely ignoring the extended hand.Zac awkwardly pulled his hand back, speechless.“Man… this guy’s seriously cold. What a show-off,” he thought to himself.The class flew by. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, Haley and Helen linked arms and headed off toward the bathroom. Zac immediately trailed after them.“Where are you two going? Take me with you.”“You planning on going into the girls’ bathroom, you perv?” Helen smacked his hand away, not wanting their classmates—or worse, their teacher—to get any ideas about the two of them dating.Zac scratched his nose. “Fine, I won’t go in the girls’ room… but I can go to the guys’ one, can’t I?”“Hmph!” Helen huffed, scrunching her nose playfully.Zac clutched his chest
At a top-ranked high school in Lincourt City, the bell rang.Students still lingering in the hallways or restrooms were urged to hurry back to class.Outside, the summer heat simmered, accompanied by the steady buzz of cicadas. Inside, the air-conditioned classrooms offered a much more comfortable escape.In Class 2–1 of the junior year, students hurried back to their seats. Just as the final chime faded, the homeroom teacher walked in, holding a stack of freshly graded exam papers.“For this round of mock exams,” she announced, loud and clear, “the top score in the entire grade once again goes to our very own Haley!”A wave of murmurs and applause followed. “Let’s all work hard and try to catch up to her next time!”She began handing out the papers in order, from the highest score to the lowest.After Haley got her paper, the next few went to her seatmate, Helen, and the student sitting behind them—Zac.“Work hard and catch up?” Helen muttered as she slid back into her seat, s
But what did it matter, even if she still loved him? The pain he caused her in the past was still there, lingering beneath the surface.They had loved, they had hurt, they had been entangled for years. But not every love story had to end with forgiveness and reconciliation.Haley couldn’t pretend the past hadn’t happened. She couldn’t smile and pick up where they left off, as if nothing had ever gone wrong.She would always remember that street in Merika State, when Justin turned away, picked Emma up in his arms, and left her standing there alone.Even if he had mistaken someone else for her, the pain he caused and the love he failed to give were real.And that wasn’t something she could ever forget.She could make peace with the past, but she could never erase it.Her heart ached, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned and walked away.*Years later, Haley passed away peacefully in her bedroom at the estate.That same day, Justin had gone out to the grocer
It was just a shame that life rarely worked out the way people wanted it to.*Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.Chase and Alex had grown taller and older. Haley’s once-small jewelry brand had not only found its place in the industry—it had grown into a globally recognized luxury label, known for bespoke, high-end pieces.As for Justin, he split his time between Haven State and Merika State. Whenever he wasn’t busy, he would shamelessly camp out at the estate, claiming he was just there to “see the kids.”Eventually, no one even bothered to call him out on it anymore.One day, Haley had a business meeting with a potential partner—a widowed single father. Somehow, Justin caught wind of a rumor that the man had feelings for Haley and was actively pursuing her. Word had it that she was interested too, and they were currently having dinner together at a restaurant.The second Justin heard that, he canceled a company meeting, boarded his private jet, and flew straight to Mer
As soon as Haley stepped into the room, Justin followed right behind her.It was the first time he had ever set foot in Haley’s room—the space where she lived in Merika State.“Get out!” she snapped.“Haley, I just wanted to see you. Please don’t make me leave, okay?”His eyes scanned the room. The walls, the shelves—everything was filled with Haley’s photos. There was even a custom-built glass display case, clearly made with love, housing her pictures from childhood to adulthood. It was something Evelyn had put together just for her, and it overflowed with affection.There were portraits of her alone, family pictures, and right at the top—photos of Chase and Alex.Justin looked at each one carefully, as if he were trying to piece together a life he hadn’t been part of, but desperately wished he had been.Then his gaze landed on a particular photo: Haley in her teens, wearing a soft pink-and-white hoodie with little bunny ears on the hood. Her pale skin, big round eyes, and brig
“Haley…” Justin’s voice was weak. There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn’t even know where to start.“I heard you’re sick?” Haley said.“I… I’m fine. I’m not really sick, I just—”“Take care of yourself. Heart problems aren’t like other illnesses. Just look forward. Let go of the past. Meet someone new. Live your life.”Justin fell silent. His head dropped, and the phone pressed against his ear was clenched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles turned white. He wrestled with the words for a long moment before finally managing to force out.“Okay.”But he knew. He wouldn’t meet someone new. Without Haley, what kind of life could he possibly call “living”?The call ended. Life went back to its quiet rhythm. Justin no longer clung to Haley or tried to find her. After one more day in the hospital, he threw himself back into work and took over the reins of RC Corporation.They had truly managed to part on peaceful terms.After returning to Merika State, Haley d