Chapter 178
“There’s one thing I never understood…”
As dusk fell, Frostvale lit up with colorful lights, and the bustling commercial streets were filled with people. On the second floor of a high–end café, a woman sat by the glass curtain wall and gazed outside, her eyes a bit dazed, as if lost in memories.
Chloe, who was across the table, raised her voice again. “Hayley, I’m talking to you. What are you daydreaming about?” Hayley snapped back to reality and flashed her usual smile. “What’s up?”
Chloe raised an eyebrow at her, lit a cigarette, and took a puff. “Hayley, you’ve been an executive for too long. Your smile looks really fake.” She spoke very bluntly.
“It’s just an occupational habit.” Hayley didn’t mind and shrugged.
Chloe didn’t dwell on it either, knowing that Hayley’s role as an executive at the Innovate Group wasn’t easy.
Chloe continued, “By the way, Hayley, the Pearson family’s banquet should have started by now. Why aren’t you there?”
Hayley didn’t seem to care, taking a light sip of her coffee and speaking nonchalantly. “There’s no need to go.”
“The Pearson family is where you belong, Hayley,” Chloe said. “People see you as a strong career woman, but I know you long for a family because you grew up without parents. So, stop pretending.”
She married Scott right after she graduated from university. Chloe was a bit like Stephanie, with little social experience and a direct way of speaking. Sometimes Chloe compared herself to Stephanie but always felt she fell short, which irked her.
“If you ask me, you should marry a man while you’re still young and let love enrich your life. Stop thinking about work all the time. And also…” Chloe paused, looking at Hayley with a suspicious expression. “Hayley, there’s one thing I’ve never understood… How did you end up with that fool from the Pearson family?”
Upon hearing that, Hayley’s hand, which was holding the coffee cup, stopped momentarily.
Chloe’s eyes became more piercing as she studied her. Not giving Hayley a chance to respond, she continued, “I never said anything when you were with that Pearson guy because Oscar was the only third–generation heir, so marrying him wasn’t a loss. But now things are different…
“Hayley, listen to me. You should cut ties with that fool as soon as possible. From what I know, Mrs. Teresa Pearson hates Oscar, the illegitimate child. They’re probably announcing inheritance matters at tonight’s banquet, and I guarantee that fool won’t get anything…”
Hayley didn’t say anything, picked up her coffee, and took a few more sips until the cup was empty, then slowly set it down.
Seeing her so calm, Chloe frowned even more, confused. “Hayley, don’t tell me you’re genuinely in love with that fool. Oscar has nothing but good looks, and he’s been in a vegetative state abroad for years. Even if he wakes up, he might have physical issues. You should sever ties with him.”
Hayley’s voice carried a hint of complexity as she remarked, “I never had a relationship with him.”
“What do you mean?” Chloe was taken aback. “Weren’t you and Oscar a couple? You said it yourself. You were heartbroken when he had the car accident, and you’ve been taking care of him in Aurorastra all these years…”
Halfway through her words, she suddenly realized something. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at Hayley and said, “I knew it! I was wondering how you ended up with that fool, Oscar! Now I know!
“No wonder. Back when we studied in Aurorastra, I remember clearly you had a crush on Dominick. At the beginning of freshman year, you mentioned him to me several times, the Wellington family’s oldest third–generation heir, acting all shy like a little girl. You even asked me how to get close to him.”
“Get close to him?” Hayley didn’t deny it, still wearing her habitual smile, albeit slightly strained. She casually stated, “Dominick pretty much avoids all women.”
The Wellington family heir hated women. This quirk was well–known with a bit of digging. Hayley had no chance of getting close to Dominick.
Chloe’s eyebrow lifted as she looked her over, snuffing out her cigarette disdainfully. “It seems that idiot finally served some purpose,” she sneered.
The so–called fool from the Pearson family she mentioned was Oscar.
Haley originally paid no attention to the strikingly handsome Oscar, but he happened to be Dominick’s best friend. Anything related to Dominick piqued her interest, compelling her to learn more.
Sometimes, people were just this strange. They couldn’t control their emotions, feeling a strong urge to get closer and closer.
Hayley turned back to the twinkling streetlights outside the window, recalling the day she first met Dominick on the university campus at Aurorastra.
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2/2
10:49 AM
Chapter 178
It was early evening when she rushed and scattered her textbooks everywhere. Being new to studying abroad, she wasn’t used to the environment, and the outgoing nature of the foreign students made her uneasy. Though she often pretended to be calm, she navigated each day with caution.
Hayley quickly gathered her fallen textbooks, only thinking about getting back to the classroom. Suddenly, a deep voice behind her said, “There’s
one more.”
The area was dimly lit, and she could just make out a well–built man leaning against the hallway railing, casually flipping through her law textbook.
Judging by his attire, Hayley could tell he was from a distinguished background. Like an arrogant young noble, he called out and then did nothing, waiting for her to come and retrieve her book, not even bothering to move.
She knew there were many rich kids at this school she couldn’t afford to offend. She walked over, ready to thank him politely and take her book to leave.
To Hayley’s surprise, the man’s cold face showed a moment of hesitation. She stared blankly as he lowered his gaze and gently smoothed out the wrinkled pages of her second–hand book with his strong, muscular hand.
At that instant, she was fully amazed by his beautiful hands and gentle actions.
“You’re going to be late.” It wasn’t until he handed her the book that Hayley snapped out of it.
Aware of her impoliteness, she looked up to meet his eyes at close range. She didn’t understand why her face felt so warm. His features were handsome, yet his expression was overly aloof.
Hayley even felt that when he handed the book to her, his fingers felt cool to the touch.
She then couldn’t help but wonder who he was.
After asking around, Hayley learned that he was Dominick Wellington, the famous eldest heir of the Wellington family’s third generation.
It was rumored that the Wellington family’s third–generation heir was cold and arrogant, but she thought Dominick was actually very attentive and gentle.
Following that encounter, an indescribable feeling began to grow in Hayley’s heart. She really wanted to know more about Dominick.
“Hayley, when Oscar was in a coma after the car accident, you were the first to claim to be his girlfriend and insisted on taking care of him. Now that Oscar has woken up, won’t Dominick and the others know you were lying?” Chloe’s words interrupted her thoughts.
Hayley’s smile turned bitter as she replied, “Yes, I lied. But if… If I weren’t Oscar’s girlfriend, he wouldn’t have even looked at me…”
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