And yet, no one made the connection between Haley the artist and that woman.Most assumed Justin’s public declarations on social media were just a phase—flirting with a cultured, artsy type for fun.Now that the supposed mother of his children had shown up, everyone figured his attention had simply moved on.And because these people only cared about money, even if Haley walked right past them, they would only pause for a moment, noting how much she resembled Emma, and move on without a second thought.Just like that, Haley made it through the funeral without incident—no confrontations, no whispers. After the luncheon, it was time for the cremation. Haley chose not to attend. She texted Chase, asking him to let Justin know that she had booked a hotel room upstairs to rest and would take the boys back after the burial.She headed up with the key card. But as soon as she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her, she caught a whiff of something in the air—an unnaturally sw
The room was small, so it didn’t take long for them to find the hidden passage leading down to the lower-level guest room.The fresh cut along the concrete edge was obvious that it was newly made. But if someone had really cut through reinforced concrete, the noise should have been massive. How had no one heard it?Not the bodyguards outside the door. Not even Richard, resting in the room next door.There was only one explanation: the passage had been pre-built. And someone inside the hotel had helped make it happen.Justin’s eyes turned sharp. He came to the same conclusion immediately and ordered Sam to gather all hotel staff and place them under control. He didn’t care anymore if this exposed Haley’s identity to the rest of the Yates family.“Lock down the hotel. Now.”“Yes, Mr. Yates.”“William,” Justin added coldly, “go to the control room and pull the security footage—start from right after lunch.”His mind was on high alert, every nerve stretched taut. And yet he forced
“Alright. I promise you,” Justin said firmly. There was no time to waste on more words. Justin turned and headed for the underground parking lot with William and the security team. Halfway there, they ran into Sam, who had rushed over to report.“Mr. Yates, the staff has been secured. We’ve identified the front desk clerk who checked Miss Haley into her room.”Justin stopped in his tracks, expression grim. “Prepare two contracts. If I die in this operation, transfer all my assets and shares to Haley. If both of us die, divide everything equally between Chase and Alex.“Until they’re of age and capable of managing the company, Wilfred will act as trustee.”“Mr. Yates…” Sam’s expression tightened. This was essentially giving away everything—including the entire RC Corporation.“Hurry!” Justin barked.“Yes, Mr. Yates!” Sam responded quickly. He didn’t even stop to finish questioning the hotel staff. This took top priority.Justin wasn’t about to gamble. Not again. Not after w
“And I’ve gotta say, your identity was a real surprise,” the man sneered.“Turns out you’re Wilfred’s sister. If I’d known that earlier, I wouldn’t have had Emma out there selling herself for cash. I would’ve had her swap places with you—pose as Wilfred’s sister and dig for intel. Hell, I could’ve taken over as the new kingpin.”He let out a low, dark chuckle, full of malice.“But hey, it’s not too late. What if I post your little video online? Use it as bait—Wilfred’s sister, Justin Yates’s woman. Imagine the headlines. I bet it’d sell like wildfire.”He burst into manic laughter at the thought.His operation had been torn apart. Enemies were closing in from every direction. So why not go out with one big score?If it worked, he would rebuild from the ashes. And if it didn’t? Then Justin and Wilfred could watch the woman they love burn with him.If he was going down, he wasn’t going alone. Especially not when he could take their most precious people with him.“Mmmph—mmph!” Hal
So that was what the enemy was doing—playing hide and seek. Luring them away from the hotel. “Clever move,” Richard muttered.But now that he knew where Haley was, things got easier.Richard locked onto the license plate, hacked into the traffic cams, and started real-time tracking. The van was headed southwest.He called Justin, who was still relatively close by.“You and my brother are chasing decoy signals. My sister was just taken—shoved into a van that’s now heading down Seaview Road, southwest. There’s no airport or train station that way, but at the end of that road is the sea. He’s probably planning to escape by water,” Richard said quickly.Seaview Road... southwest… Justin instantly recalled the abandoned port out there.“Get moving—if they reach open water, we’ll lose all tracking!” Richard urged.“Got it!”Justin ended the call. “William, floor it—head for Seaview Road!”Then he turned to Sam. “Get me a fully fueled yacht to the old port in the southwest. Now.”
The bedroom inside the yacht was small. It was barely fifteen square meters. After a few dodges, Haley was caught. The man wrapped his hands around her throat and slammed her back onto the bed.“Mmph!” She thrashed weakly, but his grip was iron-tight. Her airway was blocked, her face flushing deep red from the lack of oxygen. Her brain was starting to shut down, her vision blurring at the edges.But the man had no intention of killing her. He wasn’t interested in a corpse.He kept his grip firm, his face inches from hers as he snarled, “You and Emma look so damn alike—but you? You’re the feisty one. Don’t know when to back down. Don’t know how to please a man.”He grinned. “But that’s what makes taming a wild one like you all the more fun. Don’t you think?”Haley's lungs screamed for air. Her body was seconds away from giving out. Just when she thought she was done for, he finally let go.Air rushed into her nose, sharp and painful. She wanted to cough, but her mouth was
Just moments ago, the man hadn’t planned to kill Haley so soon. But now, he had no choice.Haley twisted hard, managing to wrench her body away from his grip just as the bedroom door shuddered under a heavy blow.It was about to burst open.The man yanked her bound arms, pulling her in front of him like a shield. He pressed the blade to her throat, desperate for leverage.The door burst open.Justin stormed in, eyes bloodshot. Without hesitation, he grabbed the attacker’s arm mid-strike, catching the blade in his bare hand.“Ugh—!” he grunted, blood pouring from his palm. With his other fist, he drove a brutal punch into the man’s temple.“Agh!” the man cried out, stumbling and loosening his grip.Justin shoved Haley behind him protectively.She felt warm blood drip onto her neck. Turning in shock, her eyes widened. It wasn’t Wilfred. It was Justin!Stunned, she stared at him in disbelief.“Easy,” Justin said gently, even now trying to calm her. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”
Haley’s words—“ Saving my life doesn’t mean I have to marry you.”—kept echoing in his mind, hitting him again and again.And that one moment of stunned silence was all it took.The man—thought to be unconscious—suddenly burst back in through the door. He lunged from behind, wrapping a hand tightly around Haley’s neck and dragging her backward toward the edge of the yacht.His other hand pointed the knife straight at Justin. “Don’t take another step! One more move and I swear I’ll snap her neck!”“I’m not moving,” Justin said, his voice low but tense. He glanced at the churning sea behind the railing, then at the way Haley struggled to breathe under the man’s crushing grip. Panic flashed in his eyes.“You—go get the knife. Bring it here and stab yourself in the wrist!” the man barked.“Okay. I will. Just don’t hurt her,” Justin said, inching away toward the helm to retrieve the knife.Haley’s eyes scanned the surroundings frantically, searching for any opening to break free.S
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