"WHAT?!" Hayley exclaimed in shock. Leonardo watched as she staggered back, her gaze dropping as she was still reeling from the shocking news he had just revealed to her. He had anticipated this. He knew this revelation would create a problem from the start, but he had to tell her. He had almost reacted the same way too when Adrian had also informed him about the date. He felt sorry for Hayley.There was a momentary silence as the atmosphere around them shifted with Hayley's heart still beating erratically in her chest. Leonardo remained silent, unsure of how to react.After a moment, Hayley finally struggled to regain her composure and also mustered the courage to speak. Her eyes darted to Leonardo's, her disbelief at what he had just told her, still palpable. "What do you mean Adrian went on a date with Alison? I don't understand. How do they know each other? How?" Hayley's voice trembled as she poured out her questions in a panicked tone.Leonardo sat straighter on the chair and
"Dumb bitch!" The young man's derogatory insult echoed through the serene room, filled with tension and fear. He growled at the woman, who was currently on her knees before him, vulnerable and defenseless. The man had a gun in his hand, and it pointed at her.Despite that, the woman remained still, her expression devoid of any emotion. Her gaze was lowered, and behind the lowered gaze, her eyes flickered with a hidden determination as she discreetly observed the gun that could decide her fate. She needed to act rationally and fast, otherwise the man would kill her in no time.The lady's face was adorned with stains of crimson, likewise, the white shirt she was clad in, was evidence of the violent encounter that had happened not too long ago. Her blonde hair, tied in a ponytail, framed her doe-like blue eyes that lacked empathy. They held a distant calculating gaze as she inwardly plotted her next move.The man who was unaware of the lady's intentions, barked at her again, harshly dema
She scoffed incredulously, shaking her head."The fuck are you trying to imply? What makes you think I'll ever work for you again?" Lilian retorted indifferently upon hearing Wendy's request. She stood her ground by the doorway, locking eyes with Wendy in a silent battle of emotions. Lillian's insides surged with nothing but resentment and frustration towards her. Gosh, she hated this woman before her. She despised the power Wendy still held over her. And Lilian knew damn well that was the only reason why she dared to show up uninvited. Nevertheless, Lilian had no intention of getting involved in whatever business that had brought Wendy to her doorstep. All Lilian wanted was for Wendy to say her piece and get out after getting declined.After a moment, Wendy's initial smile faded and her face turned expressionless as she replied in a relaxed tone, still standing. "Oh Lilian, dear. I witnessed your performance not too long ago, you know. And in my opinion, it was outstanding. I mean,
As Hayley stepped into the serene office, her high heels echoed on the marble floor, disrupting the tranquility of the room and drawing Adrian's attention as his eyes darted to meet hers. She closed the door behind her.Adrian paused his hand on the mouse and relaxed upon seeing Hayley, a warm smile forming on his face. He silently watched her as she made her way to his corner, with a file in her hand. On the other hand, Hayley approached Adrian's desk nervously, a faint smile plastered on her face. She was feeling uneasy, still unsettled about the events that had been happening in her life recently, especially involving the Forbes family. It had been three days since Leonardo informed Hayley about the situation. Although Adrian still hadn't mentioned anything about the date to her till now, Hayley believed it was better that way. She wasn't sure how she'd react if he did bring it up anyway. Nevertheless, a new goal and determination had ignited within Hayley. And that goal was to
Before Adrian shattered the awkward silence that had settled over them the moment Leonardo walked in earlier; he couldn't help but notice the expression on Hayley's face when she saw Leonardo. It was a mix of surprise and anxiousness. He also witnessed the way their eyes had been locked on each other for a brief moment, their surroundings fading before them as if they were engaged in a silent battle of emotions. Adrian couldn't shake the feeling that there was a deeper connection between them, although he wasn't certain. And this fazed him.After all, Hayley had previously claimed that she didn't know Leonardo personally and had denied him as her ex-husband at the time he had assumed he was. But now, Adrian felt something wasn't adding as this wasn't the first time he had seen them being awkward around each other. It didn't seem to stem from Hayley's animosity towards Leonardo, but rather something else entirely. Something he couldn't comprehend. Nonetheless, he hesitated to jump to
Surprise and confusion were etched across Adrian's face as he redirected his gaze to Leonardo after a moment, asking, fazed. "Daughter? You have a child, man?" Adrian's brows were creased as he met Leonardo's expressionless gaze. Leonardo remained quiet, just staring at Adrian, and from his perspective, he could see the anxiousness and confusion that emanated from him. As much as he wanted to tell and boast about his daughter, Daisy to him, he knew Hayley wouldn't be pleased. He couldn't risk jeopardizing the newfound relationship he now had with her. Hence...After a moment, Leonardo let out a laugh, much to Adrian's confusion. What was wrong with this man? He couldn't help but ask inwardly. Leonardo laughed incredulously for a moment before finally saying amidst laughs. "I got you there, man. You should've seen your face!" He said, laughing even more.Adrian was still confused as he stared at Leonardo fazed. But he couldn't deny the anxiety that was slowly starting to dwindle fro
Later that evening, just a few minutes past 6 pm, Adrian found himself seated behind the bar counter in his home, a bottle of bourbon and a glass with the remnants of his drink settled before him. He appeared lost in thought for a while, his gaze fixed on the glass.After a moment of contemplation, he eventually lifted the glass and chugged down the remaining liquid. A heavy sigh escaped him as he set the glass back down, staring at it in surprise as a realization began to dawn on him. Though he wasn't typically a heavy drinker, he had recently found himself reaching for the bottle more often these days. Perhaps it was a reflection of his growing loneliness. And that had his mind wandering away in no time.As he continued pondering his thoughts, his mind drifted to the events of the day, particularly his earlier suspicion that Hayley and Leonardo might share a deeper connection from what he witnessed. A scoff of disbelief escaped him as he shook his head incredulously. He chastised hi
"Congratulations, SCA Nina, you've officially been enrolled in the program," Adrian declared with enthusiasm as he crossed the desk to greet Hayley, presenting her with a bouquet of flowers. Hayley had just entered his office to share the exciting news she received in her email the previous night, but it seemed Adrian already knew about it.Hayley couldn't help the smile that graced her features as she accepted the gift from him, expressing her gratitude in awe. "Aw, thank you, Adrian." Her eyes trailed down and she noticed the flowers weren't the usual roses he normally brought her.Seeing her astonishment, Adrian added as if anticipating her thoughts. "You mentioned on our last date that you do not fancy roses, remember?" He reminded her, his tone gentle. Hayley finally recalled she had mentioned something like that before. She lifted her gaze to his. Her smile deepened as she replied. "Thank you, Adrian. Thank you for remembering,"Adrian returned her smile, staring into her ocean
A brief wave of disbelief washed over Leonardo as he stared at Hayley in astonishment. "What?" he blurted out absentmindedly, a hint of excitement seeping into his voice.Hayley felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she observed his reaction, realizing this was the first time she had seen his response to her pregnancy news."Are you serious, baby?" Leonardo asked, his eagerness palpable as his gaze shifted to Hayley's abdomen, contemplating whether she was teasing him or if she truly meant it.A genuine smile spread across Hayley's face as she rolled her eyes at his question. "Yeah, duh...""Mi reina!" Leonardo exclaimed, a surge of pure excitement bubbling within him. He could hardly fathom it. His joy was boundless as he reached for Hayley's hand, holding it gently.Hayley reveled in his excitement, her eyes filled with affection as he began to speak."Hayley Forbes..."She interrupted him, shaking her head playfully. "No, it’s Nina or Hazel now. I can't go by that name anymore, Leona
Hayley hurried with overwhelming joy and excitement toward Leonardo's room, with Daisy beside her. Her elation was palpable as she realized that Leonardo was awake; she could hardly contain her eagerness to see him. At the same time, Leonardo engaged in conversation with his brother, Lorenzo, who had remained by his side since the women had departed an hour earlier following his awakening. Leonardo had undoubtedly been taken aback to see his family upon waking. However, his initial surprise gradually shifted to confusion when he noticed the absence of both his woman and daughter. However, they had reassured him that Hayley had stepped out briefly and would return shortly, while Daisy was in another room with Rosalie and Emily. With this information, his anxious heart began to settle as he accepted their reassuring words. After a further thirty minutes had elapsed without Hayley's return, Leonardo's concern began to intensify. Unable to contain himself, he called out to Lorenzo, who
.Hayley returned to the hospital after delivering the lawsuit documents to the wardress at Wendy's prison. Approximately an hour prior, the prosecutor, Alexa, who was overseeing Hayley's case, had provided her with the papers following their meeting. Hayley then drove to the prison, where Wendy and Lillian were incarcerated, and handed the documents to the wardress, choosing not to visit any of them. That was the least of her concerns; her only interest in seeing them was during the court proceedings, where the judge would render his final decision. With a sigh of frustration, Hayley pulled herself back to the present as she made a right turn onto the highway, heading towards the hospital. She recalled that the love of her life remained unconscious when she left earlier, and a wave of anxiety washed over her as she wondered if he had awakened from the coma. Thoughts of Leonardo tightened around her heart, causing her anguish. Hayley eventually regained composure as she caught sight
Wendy collapsed on the ground, her head buried in her palms as she absorbed the news of Alison's sudden accident. It hit her like a thunderbolt, shattering her heart into pieces. Her daughter had been involved in an accident and according to what the wardress had mentioned, Alison had also fallen in a coma after the incident. Wendy swallowed, her face flooded with tears. Her heart ached painfully as she grappled with the reality. How could this be? How did this happen? She felt a pang of guilt constrict her heart tightly, knowing she was mostly responsible for the unfortunate circumstance that had befallen her daughter. If she hadn't gotten herself in trouble in the first place, none of this would have happened. With that, her cries intensified as she remained on the ground. "I'm very sorry, ma'am," The wardress tried to sympathize, her tone laden with pity. But that did little to console Wendy, whose thoughts were all over the place. Meanwhile, Lillian had also been shocked upon he
"What are you saying? He has a guardian! You can't take that action."Lillian's heart raced with anxiety as she absorbed the unsettling information relayed to her over the phone. Despite her efforts to maintain her composure, her hand trembled slightly as it pressed the receiver to her ear. Beads of sweat began to form on her temples, and her anger flared as the caller finished her statement.Her grip on the phone tightened, and Lillian shot back, her frustration palpable. "What do you mean by that? You can't do that! He has a mother! I am his mother!"She fell silent as the caller replied, a response that clearly unsettled her. Lillian started again. "Listen, you cannot do this to me. Ethan is my son. I’ll be out of here very soon. Just be patient, please." Lillian pleaded, a tear streaming down her cheek that she quickly brushed away.She listened closely to the caller's words until the line beeped, indicating the call had ended.Her heart shattered, and fresh tears flowed down her
Hayley headed out of the hospital as soon as she received the news about Freya's capture. Right after Lillian was apprehended, she had instructed an officer of the law to discreetly conduct a search for Freya, ensuring that she returned to the city in one piece so she could serve her fair punishment for her actions. Hayley was quite surprised by the speed of the development, however, that was the least of her concerns at that moment. A blend of satisfaction and annoyance brimmed within her as she headed out to the awaiting car, parked in the hospital lot. She had nearly forgotten Emily was trailing behind her until Emily's voice sailed into her ears, pulling Hayley from her thoughts. "Where are you going, Hayley? Who was it on the phone?" Emily pressed, her tone filled with concern. Realizing she hadn't shared the news with her, Hayley stopped midway and turned to Emily in an attempt to placate her confusion. "I'll be right back, Em. I need you to stay behind and watch my mother a
Hayley made her way to the restroom section of the hospital and leaned against the door once she stepped inside. Her heart raced, stirred by memories of her confrontation with Clara.Painful tears stung her eyes despite her efforts to remain composed and resolute. She felt she didn't deserve to cry. If anyone ought to shed tears, it should be Clara, not herself. She hadn't done anything wrong.With this resolve, Hayley sniffled back her emotions, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand before heading towards the sink to wash her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror afterward, her chest heaving. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled before further questioning herself if she had been too harsh on Clara or if she truly deserved what she got from her. Her thoughts were disrupted as the door to the bathroom swung open, startling Hayley. Without moving an inch, Hayley caught a glimpse of the person who had just walked in through the mirror and saw it was Emily."Hey, ar
Meanwhile, Clara watched in silence as she absorbed the affectionate scene unfolding before her. Occasionally, her gaze would trail from the newfound couple to Hayley, who watched with enthusiasm and joy. Clara felt her heart pricked painfully, once again remembering that she and Hayley were no longer friends. And it was all her fault. She literally betrayed Hayley. Abandoned her when she needed her the most and turned her back to her in her times of trial and peril. She wondered if Hayley was ever going to forgive her for her actions.Sure, she had only acted out because she didn't like the way Hayley's deception affected Adrian. But recognizing Hayley's other predicament with Wendy and Lillian, she had now come to understand why Hayley had lied to them about her identity in the first place. She was obviously running from something and just didn't want to get entangled with her past again. It was unfortunate that Leonardo had just shown up to thwart those plans of Hayley.Reflecting
A momentary, awkward silence enveloped the trio as Hayley and Adrian's gazes remained fixed on each other, each moment stretching painfully. Hayley was obviously heartbroken, recognizing Adrian still didn't remember her at all. She couldn't believe all the memories they shared had all been erased from his mind. It was a painful realization.However, she inhaled deeply after a moment and forced a smile to appear on her face as she started, "It's good to see you, Adrian. I'm glad you're doing okay," Hayley said, her smile faltering as she averted his gaze.Adrian's response was curt. "Yeah, you too." He paused before adding. "And I apologize for not recalling who you are. My memory's quite messed up at the moment..." He apologized, seeing Hayley's devastation was palpable.Hayley lifted her gaze to him again, her eyes flickering between his face. She stared into his naive emerald orbs and her insides fluttered with warmth. At least he apologized for not recalling her. That was somethin