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 toward her. After contemplating, 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 desire to maintain a specific image. Despite his injuries, Travis allowed no one to assist him or show any signs of discomfort. His ex-girlfriend’s complaints about his refusal to accept help or affection were a testament to his independence and reluctance to display vulnerability. The young lady, who had lost her status upon joining the Blake family, bravely blew into Travis’s hand, determined to survive. To her surprise, Travis did not react angrily to Hailey’s action. He looked at her coldly, then closed his eyes, conveying his indifference. This unexpected reaction puzzled everyone, sparking various speculations about the teacher’s thoughts. Was it for Calvin’s sake? Did Travis find the young lady pitiful and decide to forgive her again? No one noticed the angle, which allowed a glimpse of Hailey’s chest when she crouched down. If Travis shifted his gaze slightly, he could see inside her clothes. A single glance reminded Travis of the tender moment they shared last night. However, it was neither the time nor the place to dwell on such thoughts, so he quickly averted his eyes. Was this woman too frivolous, or was she simply not cautious? Focused on treating the wound, Hailey failed to notice the reactions of those around her. She concentrated all her attention on the hand-inflicted wound on Travis’s back. As she disinfected the wound, she gently blew on it to ease the stinging sensation from the alcohol. After the disinfection, she examined the gauze and reconsidered the need for bandages on Travis’s hand. In Hailey’s opinion, the minor wounds did not require bandages. Although she was more concerned about Travis’s hand, his swaying motion reassured her about his bones. Placing a bandage on his knuckles, where his palm and fingers met, seemed challenging. Wrapping gauze around that area also appeared inconvenient. Hailey took a deep breath, overcame her fear of Travis’s fist, and suggested, “I believe these minor wounds only needed disinfection. Bandaging them may slow down the healing process.” Her statement induced anxiety in some individuals, as they expected a potential confrontation. Thalia gave Hailey a fleeting glance, as she was interested in both her relationship with Calvin Blake and Hailey’s potential future actions. Travis opened his eyes and casually looked at Hailey, questioning the sincerity of her suggestion. Hailey hesitated before admitting that she was unsure of what to do next. Hailey believed her wounds only required disinfection and not bandages, a stark contrast to the expectations of someone from the esteemed Blake family. In her childhood, a simple remedy sufficed, but she understood the importance of proper care in their eyes. With a single glance, Travis coldly dismissed Hailey’s lack of genuine concern, realizing she wasn’t truly worried about him. However, Travis Blake seldom cared if someone was genuinely concerned about him. At that moment, the butler approached with a smile and suggested, “Master, since the young lady is unsure of what to do, shall I take care of it?” Travis examined the injured fairy’s hand and remarked, “It’s unnecessary. Disinfection should suffice for minor wounds like this.” This unexpected display of casual conversation from Travis surprised everyone. Some felt disappointed, realizing that the dramatic scene they had hoped for did not unfold. Although Hailey was slightly taken aback, she found it unsurprising as the injuries were minor. After that incident, Hailey remained at the Blake mansion, releasing Rowena Harver before Calvin’s funeral. Upon returning home, Rowena immediately charged toward Hailey, intending to hit her. You are a bringer of misfortune! You killed Calvin the moment you entered the family! “Give me Calvin back!” A slap in the face stunned Hailey. She covered her cheek, thinking, “There are so many irrational people in this family.” “Even though I may bring bad luck, your family forced me to marry Calvin to change his luck,” Hailey retorted. “I didn’t insist on it,” she said. Her bold response shocked everyone. How could she speak to her mother-in-law like that? Thalia’s expression remained indifferent and inscrutable, making it difficult to discern her thoughts. Mary Hewitt, the third lady of the Blake family, had always looked down on Rowena because she couldn’t bear children. Because she wore her heart on her sleeves, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter upon hearing Hailey’s words. Rowena screamed in rage and ran after Hailey to strike her in the face once more. Hailey was naturally reluctant to take another slap after the first one. However, she could not defend herself because no one in the room was on her side. Anticipating the inevitable outcome if she fought back, she turned around and lowered her head to escape. A few steps later, she collided with someone, the impact nearly knocking her thin and slender figure off balance. Travis noticed Hailey rebounding after bumping into him, and he instinctively reached out to steady her around the waist. As Hailey clung to Travis’s shirt, she regained her balance and realized who she had collided with. This incident allowed Rowena to catch up with Hailey, who grabbed Hailey’s hair and raised her other hand to strike her once more. With her hands on her head, Hailey let out a painful scream. Travis instinctively seized Rowena’s arm, preventing her from striking Hailey and unintentionally injuring herself. Rowena was stunned when she realized what had happened, and her grip on Hailey’s hair loosened. Hailey seized the moment to free her hair, and the area fell silent.
“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