“You can leave now,” Travis said, his tone icy despite his high body temperature.
He had unexpectedly lost control over the woman tonight and shouted a name, which was uncharacteristic of him. However, he wasn’t worried about her spreading the word about the name he had yelled. If she wanted to disturb his peace, she could share it as much as she wanted.
Hailey had no intention of staying any longer.
“Can I use the bathroom?” She asked.
When Travis looked at her, her request that he leave her alone vanished from her lips.
“I’ll give you five minutes.”
Hailey gritted her teeth, feeling unlucky to be a replacement for someone else. She struggled to make her way to the bathroom, hoping she didn’t look too disheveled.
The hot water soothed her body but stung a little.
She quickly washed away any traces of the recent events and cleaned the rest of her body upon returning home. If not for the lingering odor and her messy hair, she wouldn’t have stayed a second longer.
The late spring night was no longer too cold, making it simple to hail a taxi.
When Hailey arrived home, she immediately discarded her clothes and threw them in the trash before proceeding to wash herself thoroughly. The bite on her shoulder still stung, but she was relieved that the lunatic who had attacked her had used a condom, assuming she was a prostitute.
The next morning, a loud knock echoed on her door. Opening it, Hailey was surprised to see her father, Denver Stewart, standing there. Upon seeing Hailey’s disheveled appearance, Denver anxiously questioned why she hadn’t cleaned up yet, as the Blake family would arrive soon.
Nonchalantly, Hailey replied, “It’s too late for that.” Ever since the terrifying day when Denver forced her mother to kneel before her, Hailey has stopped caring. Despite her father’s worry, she grinned.
Shortly after, the Blake family’s servants arrived. Denver received a “Mr. Stewart” greeting from the butler, who then turned to Hailey and addressed her as “young madam.” The butler explained he escorted her as per orders.
Hailey couldn’t help but smile at the butler’s formal speech. She had been in the Blake family’s service since she was seventeen, primarily involved in traditional clothing making. However, she had never interacted with guests before. The butler’s eloquence was unlike anything she had encountered, giving her a surreal feeling as if she had entered the Twilight Zone.
“I’m not a young lady yet,” Hailey reminded herself. She wasn’t one to vent her frustrations, especially with someone who would be polite to her, even if that person was a member of the Blake family whom she didn’t like.
“You are,” the butler said, maintaining his smile. The matriarch had already sent the marriage certificate early this morning and arranged for you to receive it. You can see it once you arrive.
Hailey’s heart sinks. They even received the marriage certificate without her being present. The Blake family, known for their power and wealth, delivered the marriage certificate as expected! Rather, it was her ailing husband, whom she had never met.
“Then let’s go.” Since there was no way to retreat, there was no reason to argue.
The Blake family’s former residence occupied a large estate with high walls and many pavilions. The decor was old-fashioned, with red lanterns adorned with characters hanging throughout, creating a classic atmosphere.
Hailey followed the butler for several minutes until they reached the room, where the matriarchs of the Blake family were engrossed in reciting scriptures. The butler hesitated to interrupt them, and Hailey stood by, waiting patiently.
After the old woman finished reciting the scriptures, she opened her eyes and fixed a sharp gaze on Hailey. Since you have joined the Blake family, you must follow our rules. As Calvin’s wife, stay with me instead of going to the hospital to care for him. It will be too late for him to meet the other family members once he returns from the hospital.
The second son of the Blake family adopted Calvin Blake. After his abandonment on a snowy day, the matriarch of the Blake family took him in. Currently, he lay down on a hospital bed, pale and thin, his survival dependent solely on the medical instruments by his side.Hailey stood in front of the hospital bed, gazing at the person lying there for a long time, much to the annoyance of her mother-in-law, Rowena Harver.“What’s the point of standing there? If you can’t help, step aside!” Rowena exclaimed.A servant brought a basin of warm water, and Rowena cleaned Calvin’s face and hands. Unable to give birth, Rowena had placed all her hopes in Calvin, despite his current illness.Feeling helpless, Hailey took two steps back to give space to the emaciated Rowena, who was also a pitiful figure.At that moment, Calvin’s hand flashed. Initially unnoticed, he then opened his eyes.Rowena, tearful yet composed, immediately requested the servant call a doctor. She felt the urgency, so she disp
Before reaching the taxi pickup point, a black Bentley sedan passed silently and stopped in front of her. Hailey recognized the black-clad man in the passenger seat as Travis’s bodyguard. The night before, he had grabbed her in the elevator and taken her to Travis.The man opened the backseat door and respectfully said to Hailey, “Young madam, please get in the car.”Hailey hesitated as her eyes met Travis’s once more. Despite the bustling hospital entrance, she didn’t want to attract attention or be part of the gossip. She crouched and lowered her head as she got into the car.Travis’s face remained stiff as he looked ahead in silence, but neither of them spoke.In her heart, Hailey silently cursed him for making her get into the car without explanation. She didn’t understand why he wanted her there.“I’m sorry, could you please stop at the bus stop ahead?” Hailey finally spoke, extending her hand.Hailey recognized the black-clad man in the passenger seat as Travis’s bodyguard, the
Hailey furrowed her brow and quickly grabbed a thick pillow to support Travis’s hand, making it easier to handle. As she gently grabbed Travis’s wrist, two audible gasps filled the room, drawing the attention of Travis’s mother, Thalia. Though the butler’s expression remained stoic, she silently observed the reactions of the two individuals, noting their struggle to maintain composure and their need for reassurance.After carefully applying alcohol to Travis’s wound, Hailey noticed his hand trembling slightly from the irritation. Witnessing Travis’s volatile temperament and the force with which he had hit the car window, Hailey felt a pang of concern. She understood the potential danger if Travis’s anger turned towards her. After a moment of contemplation, she kneeled to tend to Travis’s wound, surprising him and leaving the onlookers, including the butler and servants, in disbelief.The Blake family elders had been aware of Travis’s mild mysophobia since he was young, as well as his
“Even if you beat Aunt Rowena to death, Calvin won’t come back. Don’t let yourself become a laughingstock in the eyes of others," Travis said emotionlessly, which made Rowena feel sad.“Travis, this woman is a bearer of misfortune. You should hurry and get rid of her!” Rowena cried out.Hailey was ecstatic upon hearing this news. It would be wonderful if they kicked you out!Travis’s distant gaze scanned everyone present before he grabbed Hailey by the shoulder and carried her like a chicken in front of Rowena.“This woman has expressed no desire to return to the Blake mansion since the day she left the hospital.” I told her that the rest of her life belongs to the Blake family. Even in death, she will remain a part of the Blake family. I stand by my words."As long as she lived, she was part of the Blake family. Even after her death, her ghost would still be a part of the family.Following three repetitions of this phrase, Rowena let out a terrifying laugh.“Okay, let her stay in the
Hailey looked at the bus stop not far away, then crouched down to look at Travis, who was staring straight ahead in the car. She said calmly, “Thank you for your kindness, but I’ll be fine taking the bus.”When Travis heard this, he turned to give her a sharp look. “Do you want others to think that the Harvey family is mistreating their new lady? She can only use a public bus if she wants to go out?”There was no need to mention Hailey’s status as the new Harvey lady since only the Harveys and Stewarts knew. Hailey also didn’t think there was anything wrong with taking a public bus.However, she could only keep these thoughts to herself and not say anything out loud. Despite her desire to take the bus, she faced accusations of harming the Harvey family’s reputation. If she kept insisting, other people might think she was just putting on a facade.She wasn’t sure if she wanted Travis to know where she was going.As she still hesitated, Travis said, “Get in the car.” His tone revealed h
Luna’s height and body shape differed slightly from Hailey’s, but her appearance was much more refined. She wore a tight and elegant traditional dress, with her hair tied up in a bun. She looked elegant and charming, with well-drawn makeup on her face.Luna gave Hailey a disdainful look. “What do you have that I want? What do you have that I don’t?”Hailey smiled. “In fact, you have everything. Whether it’s a fiancé, fame, fortune, or even a powerful patron, what can I have that can compare to you? But there is one thing you definitely don’t know. The master left a will.”“A will?” Luna’s heart skipped a beat. She and Annie had searched everywhere, but they couldn’t find the deed to the shop. There were collections from previous time periods that Xavier Yates had kept hidden, and they couldn’t locate those either, and all of this was money.“What do you mean? Are you saying you have the master’s will in your hands?”“Why don’t you guess?” Hailey examined Luna’s amused expression and t
Before Hailey could realize what was happening, someone had grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. The person desperately dragged her forward. The person surprised her by pulling her in a sprint for quite a distance before stopping.As they ran, she heard a loud crash.After regaining her footing, she turned around unconsciously. Right where she was, an SUV had hit the sidewalk. The car’s front suffered severe denting.If she had still been there... Hailey couldn’t help but shudder. She didn’t dare to continue that line of thought.“Are you okay?” A soft and seductive voice sounded in her ears.Hailey instinctively turned to look at the person, only to find a handsome, translucent, and youthful face before her. His face appeared to be concerned, and his dark eyes gazed at her. His elegant facial features looked quite dazzling in the sunlight.“Just now... Did you rescue me?” Hailey asked with little thought and confusion.The handsome man smiled. “I wouldn’t call it a rescue. It turn
Hailey smiled and shook her head, easily responding without hesitation, “You’re the one who saved my life, so why would I be afraid of you eating me?”Christian tilted his head. “Then, come in.”Hailey was now in agony inside, reprimanding herself for being stupid enough to be tied up. How she had come to this refusal seemed inappropriate, so she got into her car and gave him an address.Once they arrived, Christian lowered his head to look at her through the car window. “It was enjoyable meeting you, but it would have been better if we didn’t meet in such a risky situation.”Hailey couldn’t help but laugh at this. “Nice meeting you too.”Watching Christian’s Aston Martin sports car disappear from view, Hailey wondered, “Both are rich, but this Christian Ford is much kinder than Travis Harvey.”After sitting on the ground floor for a moment, Hailey called Michelle. Luna’s voice sounded soft and elegant over the phone.Hailey hoped Luna would never have imagined she would call.“As exp