…Haley's body itched all over.It was as if insects were prickling under her skin.Damn that man!No doubt, there were harsh chemicals inside that storage room.Was he planning to suffocate and kill her?How heartless could he get?Standing outside the hospital's tall building, Haley took in long drags of the fresh air.She held out her hand to stop a taxi, anxiety jostling her nerves.She needed to get out of here fast.That evil man must have started looking for her already.No doubt,Liam pushed all the blame on her for what happened to his mother.To punish her, he locked her inside that dangerous room.Haley had her stars to thank for finding those spare keys in a corner.She wasn't even sure if they'd work, but they miraculously did!Or she'd be dead meat by now after inhaling all those chemicals.For how long was that evil man planning to keep her locked in there?Haley's hand became heavy as she held it out for too long.No taxi was coming her way.Urgh!If only her phone was
…Liam had searched the whole hospital, going from department to department, from ward to ward.Neither did he glimpse a shadow of her nor somebody who resembled her.Where the hell was Haley?She shouldn't have gone that far.After not finding her at the entrance through the front exit, Liam decided to check the back exit too.Who knew he'd bump into these annoying paparazzi?As they bombarded him with unnecessary questions, he struggled to maintain his cool. If not for his reputation, Liam would push each and every one of them out of his way.“Mr. Nash, what do you have to say regarding the current scandal involving your family and the Woods family?”“Is it true that Vera Nash is severely wounded and blinded by that daughter-in-law of the Woods Family?”“Mr. Nash, after what has happened, what conclusion can you draw about the Woods Family?”“Do you plan to reconcile with the Woods Family anytime soon after what they have done to your mother?”“You are business partners, Mr. Nash…
D- Dead…Dead!?Who died?Liam spaced out, the phone slipping out of his hold.He must be hearing wrong.His father was definitely pranking him.“Son, are you there?” His father called out through the phone. “I said Haley is dead. From now on, no one will come between you and Leah!”Liam opened his mouth, dread settling in his heart.His father's promise.The man's vow to get rid of her.His eagerness…Haley was dead?Slowly, realization sank in. Liam snapped back to his senses and shot to his feet. “Haley's dead!?”That meant his father found Haley.The man fulfilled his promise of getting rid of her.No way!Liam was too late!“Tell me you're joking!” Liam yelled, his voice shaking, his whole body trembling. The man had better be joking!He wouldn't have the mind to do as he said.At most, Desmond would only detain Haley!“Of course not,” his father laughed. “In fact, this is worth celebrating-”“Are you crazy, Desmond Nash!?” Liam shouted. “Why would you kill an innocent girl!?”
Testing him?A test?What was his grandmother saying?What kind of a test?Grandma Lily ordered him to divorce Haley and marry Leah.Did she not mean it?“Grandma, I don't understand…” His voice strangely came out hoarse and helpless. “What test?”Grandma Lily sat up, leaning her back against the bed's headboard.She held her chest, crying bitterly. “Indeed, it was a test, Grandson. I didn't mean to abandon Haley- I- I just wanted to know if you truly love her.”So that was the reason.Stunned, Liam spaced out.So his grandmother's reason was to test if he loved Haley.To see if he would divorce her or not.“I didn't mean to hurt her, Willy. I wanted you to suffer a little for bullying my Haley!”Liam sighed.Now it all made sense.He knew his grandmother.She wouldn't suddenly start hating Haley out of nowhere.Grandma Lily loved Haley more than even her own children.There's no way she'd push Haley away without a reason.“But it's too late-” Grandma Lily lamented. “Too late, Grandso
His father stood stunned, a momentary look of shock flashing in his eyes.Glancing between Liam and his hands gripping his collar, Desmond's mouth hung open. He shouted. “What is the meaning of this!? What are you talking about!?”“Killing Haley!” Liam glared at him, fighting the urge to strangle the man.Coming face to face with his father only increased the murderous instinct in him.He couldn't believe this was his father.He couldn't believe Desmond was the same person who gave birth to him.No sane person would commit such atrocities and be jumping around happily. But his father neither appeared regretful nor apologetic. In fact, he pushed Liam's hands away, spatting out, “So what!?”“That stupid girl is a nobody!” Desmond continued. “She’s a good riddance and you're supposed to be happy!”Happy that he killed her?Liam cursed under his breath.His fists shook and he fought the urge to throw them forward.Even if Haley was a nobody, her life was as precious as anyone else's.S
As we arrive at another turning point of this book, I'd like to thank you all for your time and immense support, My Dear Readers.Your votings and comments fuel my creativity. I read all your comments and I must say I'm amazed by how engrossed you guys are. MORE chapters are coming, but I won't drag the story's pacing... Will keep you engaged throughout. Your patience and understanding is highly appreciated as I miss some update days due to battling with my health issues. Once I fully recover, I'll resume updating frequently. My regular readers know how I hate leaving them hanging for long. In the meantime, can you please spare a minute and leave a review for this book on the homepage? It'll be great to know what you think about the characters and the overall plot, or anything else you'd like to contribute.Sometimes, I pick more ideas from my readers'comments.Thank you so much! Looking forward to your feedback.Xoxo.
Liam shot to his feet, his heart skipping before it resumed racing at a rapid pace.Was he imagining things?Haley stood in front of him in all her glory.Wasn't she the same girl declared dead? It might be her ghost who had come back to haunt him.No!He needed to confirm.Leaving his chair, Liam approached where she stood. She glared hard at him, her cold look sending unease tremors down his nerves.Summoning courage, Liam reached forward with his hand to touch her, then-“PAK!”The hard slap that landed on his face was unexpected.Liam was stunned for a few seconds, blinking at the girl standing in front of him.He needed not to confirm again.Haley was real.How?When?Didn't his father's men kill her?Had Desmond been lying?Most importantly, why did she seem mad at him?“What the hell did I do wrong, William Nash!” She didn't just stop at slapping him, but also grabbed his collars, the fury in her eyes dancing like a storm. “Locking me up wasn't enough! You had the guts to try
…Haley sat in her cubicle, her blood boiling.Her mind told her to go back to that office and ruffle that man up!A slap and a threat shouldn't be enough to deal with someone who tried to murder her.She should have taken him straight to jail!But Haley had no evidence!Those boys refused to confess anything despite being tortured by the cops.They all claimed that they just wanted to kidnap her.If the cops hadn't driven past coincidentally in that area, Haley would be dead meat by now.That evil man, William Nash!If it wasn't him who sent them, why would the gang leader call him and tell him ‘Mission accomplished?’Among all people Haley interacted with, wasn't Liam the only person who hated her the most?Because of Vera's conflict with Camille, he locked her up.Not satisfied, he decided to just get rid of her!“Tsk, she's back.”The employees whispered among themselves.“What’s she still doing in this company?”“Didn't Mr. Nash promise to fire her the day she burnt Mrs. Nash's l