Hailey stared at the evening gown in front of her—which would expose a large part of her back if she wore it—and was speechless. Was she really going to wear this dress and attend the opening party as Travis Blake’s date?“Are you sure you want me to wear this?” She hesitantly turned her head to look at Travis, wondering what kind of game he was playing this time.Travis gave her an indifferent look. “I’ve never seen you in it. How else would I know if it suits you or not?”Hailey still hesitated, but the dress looked good. Speaking of which, she had never worn such a revealing dress in her life. There was no harm in trying it on; if it didn’t fit, she could always get another.Travis said he was going to take her to the opening of a chic club called Chalcox Club. In the past, Holtbay City was known as Chalcox.Hailey wasn’t sure what the dress code was for the opening of this supposedly exclusive club and had left the matter in Travis’s hands, who immediately dismissed all her option
Matthew was initially stunned. Then he shook his head and looked at Travis as if he were looking at a monster. Matthew was curious! What type of woman could be so obsessed with Travis?After giving it some thought, Matthew cautiously said, “From what you just said, it seems like you and the lady in the car have some kind of relationship that can’t be public.” He frowned, and a person who fit the criteria floated in his mind. If this person really showed up here, Matthew wouldn’t be happy. However, he would endure it for the sake of his loyal friend.Travis didn’t respond, and Matthew became even more curious about the person in the car. He hoped it wasn’t who he thought it was.“Now, I’m going to add a third option for you,” Matthew said in an exasperated tone.A faint smile curled Travis’s lips. “Let’s hear it.”Matthew put his hand on Travis’s shoulder and said meaningfully, “Let me see her face. Just me and no one else. What you want to do after that is up to you. Don’t forget. I m
For a moment, Hailey thought Travis had unraveled the scheme within her mind. “You...” She opened her mouth, unable to say anything more.What would happen if Travis found out about her little plan? Would he go against her for Luna’s sake?For Hailey’s sake, she had transferred the talkative Lydia Andrews to one branch. Would he make a move against Hailey to get Luna?Travis was completely unaware of Hailey’s thoughts. “Even if you don’t want to, you can’t deny that you’re not Blake. You also can’t deny our relationship. A smart woman could advantage over the benefits that come with this kind of relationship. She won’t simply suppress it with force and endure all the problems silently.”Travis didn’t know why he was telling all this to Hailey. But when he saw how formal and rigid Hailey was in front of her mother and how cautious and solemn she was back at the Blake mansion, a wave of irritation burned within him. He didn’t want to see her in that state.Hailey was much prettier durin
Christian stood in the corner quietly, sending the photos he had just taken of Matthew on stage to his sister, who was filming abroad. Since he couldn’t attend the club’s opening ceremony, he asked her to take some photos at the very least.He had never expected becoming paparazzi one day. He sighed to himself and thought, “I would be more than pleased to take photos of Hailey. Too terrible, I’m taking photos of this guy.”He was extremely nervous during this process. He had to ensure that Matthew looked stylish and sharp in every photo, and he was concerned that people might mistake him for a fan of Matthew or assume he was in love with him.He could have easily taken the photos without exerting much effort, but he knew his sister would pursue him if he did. Therefore, it was wise to take this seriously for his own sake.However, he struggled to comprehend his sister’s refusal to pursue Matthew on her own. She was a powerful person, yet she kept this crush to herself. She had fallen
Travis didn’t let Matthew get what he wanted. After all, he never intended to introduce Hailey to anyone else, even though she had thought of the pseudonym “Holly” for herself.“Um, this is...” Individuals experimented with initiating conversations in this manner. However, Travis always responded coldly, “If you had to figure out who was under this mask, then this masquerade would have lost its meaning.”Since Travis had taken a stance, those who attempted to change the subject immediately engaged him in a brief conversation. Although they were very curious about Hailey’s identity, none dared to take off the mask.When Hailey heard others enquiring about her identity, she constructed sentences in her head, feeling quite worried. She was waiting to answer herself, hoping to appear calm in front of these people.Still, she knew she didn’t have to do anything as soon as she heard Travis’s words. All she needed to do was show a slight obedience.Matthew felt helpless and wanted to laugh a
Theodore Balsa’s recognition was surprisingly easy. Their presence captivated everyone’s attention. Although the masks obscured their expressions, it was clear too many that they had fought over a woman. Therefore, everyone was eager to witness their interaction as soon as they were in proximity.Matthew narrowed his eyes and apologized to the guest he was talking to at that moment. After that, he quickly made his way towards the three.“Blake,” Theodore smiled. “I didn’t join the crowd because many people wanted to talk to you a moment ago,” Theodore said, grinning. Don’t tell me you’re leaving already.”Travis gently asked, “What do you want?”Theodore smiled as he looked at Hailey. “Who is this? Could you please introduce her to me, Blake?”Travis felt no need to be polite. “There’s no need to introduce her.”Theodore scoffed as he toyed with his ring. “It’s not like I’m going to take her from you. I already have my dear little Lizz.”He continued to tease Hailey, “I really can’t t
Travis remained expressionless and replied lightly, “It’s okay.”Hailey instantly knew that her cousin had misunderstood them, so she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. I guess it would be hard not to misinterpret it, considering our current position and all. Anyone would think the same if they saw us now.As the door closed once more, Travis pressed one button but still didn’t let go of Hailey. Hailey did not know if there was anyone around them since he didn’t release her, so she didn’t dare move a muscle either.However, she could hear Travis’s heartbeat. It felt too intimate, and she wasn’t used to this at all. Her whole body froze as she continued to listen to his heartbeat.Her own heart also seemed to beat faster than usual, but this only made her more anxious. The elevator was too quiet; she worried Travis could also hear her heart beating.“If he did, would he believe me if I told him I’m worried someone saw my face a moment ago?”Hailey knew they shouldn’t stay like this an
Calvin spoke. “Her name is Belle.”“Belle?” Christian and Mark exclaimed in surprise.“Where does she work?” Mark continued to ask.That name really sounded like a pseudonym.“How would I know?” Calvin rolled his eyes. “Do you really think I would ask my cousin where he got her from?”“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” Mark replied. “If it were my brother, we could still ask. But damn, if we asked Travis that, we’d probably be skinned alive.”Christian felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. “Well, as long as it’s not Hailey.”He wanted to laugh at himself. What am I thinking? Why would Travis bring Hailey to this party? Let alone get intimate with each other.“Many people also share the same sentiment. Damn, I think I like Hailey so much that I’m hallucinating.”His mind relaxed from the tension he felt before. Now that he was less anxious, he could make even more cheerful jokes. Not only that, he could get the information he came for.“Hey, since Mr. Blake brought Mrs. Belle as his
“Has my mother left?” Travis asked, even though he already knew the answer.Hailey pretended to smile and said, “What a great moment. Don’t tell me someone already informed you of what happened here?”Travis didn’t even blush despite Hailey’s statement and said, “I don’t know about your closed-door discussion.”Hailey looked at Layla, who approached her with a thin blanket and said, “I’ll tell you later.”“Okay. I’ll go now,” Travis said as he hung up the call.Layla covered Hailey, who was resting on the couch, with the blanket. The air conditioning temperature was low.Soon after, Hailey’s phone rang again. It was Travis once more. She didn’t hesitate and answered the call.“My mom is here,”
Thalia was very punctual.Hailey, Layla, Harry, and Laura stood up and greeted her by the driver’s seat.Originally, Layla wanted to greet her with all the servants standing in a row. However, Hailey said it was unnecessary. She did not organize something so extravagant when her in-laws came last time even though the two were looking for a fight. However, Hailey believed it was more important for her to greet herself. Everything else was not as necessary. Not to mention that with all the servants around, it would be challenging to keep a low profile. They might also be curious about how she would act when Thalia was present. That’s why she managed without them.If she overdid it and accidentally leaked into the main mansion, someone would say she was trying to butter up Thalia.After Thalia exited the car and saw Hailey greeting her at the entrance, she smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around Hailey
Travis addressed Eva normally. He called her “aunt.” But Eva was so used to being called Madame Winters that she felt uncomfortable with the new term.“Ms. Blake...” She only got out two words when Travis interrupted her.“You’re my elder, so call me Travis,” Travis whispered.If any of the Blake family members had been here, their eyes would surely pop out of their sockets. Travis rarely spoke with such respect, and only a few people had been worthy of such consideration. His grandmother was one of them.Eva’s lips trembled. In the end, she couldn’t say his name. “You... What did you want to tell me?”Either way, there was no way out. She had heard too many unfortunate news, so she thought she could probably bear one more.Travis’s response caught her off guard. “I would like to talk to you about Hailey,” he replied calmly.“Eh?” Eva was f
Fortunately, Travis didn’t press on about the friend or the photo. After hearing Hailey’s response, he lowered his head and returned to the financial news section.Hailey breathed a sigh of relief. After finishing her breakfast, she gathered her things and prepared for her visit to the hospital. Her uncle’s surgery was scheduled soon, so she wanted to keep him company as much as possible before that.Travis did not know that Hailey was going out. According to his usual schedule, he usually headed to the mansion before lunch. Judging by his bare face and comfortable clothes, she could guess his destination.However, she still asked, “Where are you going?”“To the hospital,” Hailey said.“Yesterday, I went to the mansion and informed Grandma in advance. I can go to the hospital directly now.”Immediately, Travis dropped everything and stood up. “I’m coming with you.”
When Travis appeared, Hailey continued to check both the study room and the bedroom. The sight of him shocked her greatly.“Didn’t you say you would come back tomorrow?” she asked, confused.Travis was supposed to return from his business trip tomorrow, but here he was.“I finished my work early, so I returned,” Travis replied. He didn’t tell her he had returned a day earlier because Hailey had instructed the servants to clean the villa and store his things to welcome his mother.Hailey said, “Oh, you came back just when I had someone helping me clean up the place. Can you go back to the Imperial Garden tonight? Don’t come tomorrow night either.”Frustrated, Travis questioned the obvious. “Why?”Hailey raised her eyebrows. “Don’t you know? Mrs. Thalia, your mother, will come to inspect my house in two days. I was worried she would check the upstairs, so I kept all
“About what you mentioned earlier... I think it’s a good idea.”The following day, Travis suddenly brought up this topic to Hailey.Hailey still felt quite dazed, with a bewildered expression. “What?”Travis was calm. “About getting Uncle Liam and Aunt Rowena to have another child.”Hailey instantly woke up. Travis’s words quickly dispelled her drowsiness. “What? Why suddenly?”Travis replied, “I just said; suddenly, I feel like it’s a good idea.”Hailey touched Travis’s forehead and then felt her own. “Do you have a fever or something?”Travis gently removed her hand and held it in his palm, with a serious expression. “I’m serious.”“Serious? Doesn’t it sound like you’re trying to separa
Hailey was taken aback as if Travis had said something truly horrible.“I don’t know.” She was silent for a while. Then she asked with a blank face, “Can’t you finish this contract before anyone finds out?”Travis tightened his grip on Hailey. Unable to control his strength correctly, he was about to crush her jaw.“Ah...!” Hailey cried out in pain and tried to pry his fingers off.But Travis had no intention of letting go. Hailey’s words were sharp and painful needles that pricked his heart.“So, was it all a misunderstanding? Did she not care for me at all?”At that moment, Travis had never doubted his sixth sense more.“So, what you’re saying is: if someone finds out about us tomorrow, you want to cut ties with me today?” he asked, his face grim. With each word, his heart hardened even more.Hailey thought, “I guess Travis isn’t d
Christian was a complete gentleman to Hailey. They were friends, but not the kind who had known each other for a long time and could make inappropriate jokes. Therefore, their behavior seemed normal to everyone—everyone except Travis.Travis’s expression had always been icy, so his attitude was nothing unusual to everyone. Even Helena couldn’t tell what he was thinking, let alone anyone else.After dinner, Christian drank some wine and became bolder. He boldly asked Hailey to go out with him over the weekend, saying he had plans with some friends to hike in the suburbs. If she was interested, they could go together.Hailey could feel everyone’s eyes burning holes in her. She smiled, “I’m not sure if I’m free this weekend. I’ll let you know when I’m sure.”Everything seemed normal and harmonious, at least until dinner ended, and Hailey got into the car. After she drove away and lost sight of the o
When Hailey went to sit down, she looked at Travis. His gaze was elsewhere, and he wasn’t looking at her.Christian, who had been paying attention, noticed who she was looking at. He assumed she was afraid of Travis and sighed with sadness.Since Hailey was being so cautious, he also had to be careful. He didn’t want to make things difficult for her. He knew Hailey was shunning him. If she felt the Blakes would misinterpret things if she got too close to him, she would keep her distance.When Christian arrived at the office building a moment ago, he noticed something. Hailey now had a driver and a bodyguard. The two people accompanying her were probably her driver and bodyguard. They even shamelessly followed her to the company! What the hell happened? Why didn’t he hear anything about this?He had to find the opportunity to ask her about this carefully. Thinking about it, he conclu