Chapter 3

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. Unnoticed at first, he then opened his eyes.

Rowena, tearful yet composed, immediately requested the servant call a doctor. She felt the urgency, so she dispatched the servant to fetch the doctor.

Hailey was taken aback. Could her marriage’s blessings work? Calvin scanned the room and locked eyes with Hailey.

“Who are you?” he asked weakly, directing his gaze at Hailey. Rowena shot Hailey a stern look, silently urging her to respond accurately.

Hailey’s lips quivered as she replied, “I am your wife. My name is Hailey Stewart.”

If Calvin could survive, that wouldn’t be so bad, either. Hailey didn’t dare harbor any hatred for the young man, who appeared to be on his deathbed.

Calvin’s smile, surprisingly beautiful, was as soft as a spring breeze, showing that he must have been very handsome when he was healthy.

“I didn’t expect to still have a wife,” Calvin said.

“What are you saying, child?” Rowena scolded. “Why can’t you have a wife? Even if you get better, you still need to have a good life together.”

Calvin closed his eyes and smiled. He told Hailey, “Even if it’s just for a few moments, being husband and wife is still our destiny. Please help take care of my mother after my departure.”

Calvin passed away barely half an hour after waking up. Before he died, he asked his mother not to blame Hailey. Hailey tied the knot in the morning and became a widow before noon.

Meanwhile, Travis had an important meeting scheduled for the day. His family notified him halfway through the meeting. He raised his hand to stop the meeting.

 “Something has come up at home. We will stop the meeting today and resume tomorrow,” he said.

No one dared to challenge Travis’s decision. As CEO, he was known for being ruthless and uncompromising. He had defeated his uncle at a young age and soon gained control of most of the Blake family’s power. His subordinates simply had to work without worrying or feeling guilty about their work for him.

When Travis arrived at the hospital, everyone was waiting for him. Travis viewed Calvin’s body, destined for the morgue.

He quietly bid farewell to his cousin, with whom he had no blood relation, and then visited Rowena, who had collapsed because of mental illness and received an injection.

Meanwhile, Hailey sat by her mother-in-law’s hospital bed, vigilantly monitoring her condition.

A servant approached Hailey and whispered, “Young madam, the eldest main visits Mrs. Rowena.”

Hailey’s heart raced. Was the Blake family’s leader present? He was the role model that Harvey, her eldest, had always admired. Hailey was eager to see what kind of man he was. Footsteps approached from the living room door, and Hailey turned to meet Travis’s gaze.

They were both stunned.

“Get out, all of you!” Travis hissed quietly.

The servants were shocked, unsure why their eldest master had suddenly lost his composure. They hastily exited the room, apprehensive that their tardiness might provoke his ire.

Hailey paused briefly before heading towards the door. Her expression was indifferent, but her heart was filled with confusion. She hoped the man from last night was Travis Blake, the current head of the Blake family.

How could such a coincidence occur?

“You, stay here,” Travis ordered Hailey.

Hailey froze, her hands clenched tightly. She never imagined she and this man shared such a fate. They were now family, and there was no escaping this inevitable connection.

After everyone else leaves, Travis pulls Hailey into the living room and asks, “What is this?” and, “Why are you here?”

Hailey stared at him with a distant gaze, as if he were an enemy.

“I’m Hailey Stewart,” she said, suddenly smiling, neither frivolous nor gentle. Then she added, “I am the wife of Calvin Blake, who passed away today.”

Travis’s gaze was intense. Blake’s family had married a prostitute! “Are you the replacement Denver Stewart sent?” If this woman said yes, she wouldn’t let Denver go.

Hailey’s lip curled into a small, sarcastic smile. “Your family, alone, wanted to find someone with a favorable fortune horoscope.” Have you ever wondered how many daughters Denver Stewart has?

Travis was surprised, as he hadn’t considered investigating that aspect. He had only needed one wealthy woman to turn Calvin’s luck around. However, he refused to admit any negligence on his part.

“A Denver-raised daughter engaged in such activities!” Hailey exclaimed. Hailey said with a mocking smile, “You bring shame to the Stewart family.” “If it weren’t for men like you, women wouldn’t use such means.”

Travis could not counter Hailey’s words because of her intelligence and eloquence. No woman had ever challenged him in such a manner.

Frustrated, Travis warned Hailey, “If you involve yourself in such activities again, don’t expect me to be polite.”

With that, he stormed off. Hailey rolled her eyes, shook her head, and smiled disdainfully, recognizing the man Travis had called the previous night and finding it absurd. She would have burst into laughter if the servants hadn’t returned.

Initially assuming Luna’s involvement with Travis was purely business, Hailey was surprised to discover it was emotional. This revelation reassured her about her decision to marry into the Blake family, as she saw the true nature of Travis and Luna’s relationship.

Hailey’s mood brightened, as if a million flowers had bloomed in her heart, and a gentle breeze had swept away the fog of the past few days. However, she knew she couldn’t openly display her joy, considering her recent loss of her husband. The thought of Calvin immediately darkened her mood.

Hailey never expected that a dying stranger would bring back the warmth that had been missing from her life for so long. After Travis left the hospital, she fell into an irritable mood and had someone take him to the hotel.