Harold immediately let go of Camille, but he did not move an inch from his position. In fact, he almost seemed smug.‘How foolish,’ Camille thought in her head, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.“What were you doing just now?” Christian’s voice was icy cold.“Just talking with your little secretary,” Harold had the guts to respond.“Excuse me?”Meanwhile, Camille took a few steps back, dusting off her collar and fixing her blouse in place. She could not keep the disgust off her expression. She would let Christian deal with this now, thank god.That just now was one of the most revolting situations she had ever been placed into. Normally she would pummel touchy men like that into the ground, but seeing as this was one of the more influential men in the city, she could not afford to be too hasty. Reputation mattered in this town, unfortunately.She also did not want to be in the spotlight too much. The Callahans made sure that her new identity was not suspicious at all and pulled a l
The atmosphere in the office instantly changed. The murderous look in Christian’s eyes faded away, replaced by a startling blankness.Startled, Camille wondered what exactly Harold meant by that.‘The truth about Pamela Callahan’s death?’ she thought, shocked. ‘I only heard that Gregory Callahan lost his wife to an illness, but at that time, she had already left him and their kids.’‘Come to think of it, I’m not sure if they got an actual divorce back then…’At that moment, employees started to notice the commotion. Camille stepped back and tried not to seem like she was involved in any of this. Gossip was merciless in a society like this one.Christian knew this as well, so he backed off a bit. Interestingly, he no longer looked furious. Instead, there was this cold, calculative look in his eyes.“We will talk about this tomorrow,” he said icily. “Alone.”Harold looked satisfied at this. “Very well. Like you, I don’t want any trouble, either. I’m glad that we have both come to a mutu
“When are you going to get married?” The lively dining table went silent in an instant, and there was a lingering anticipation in the air that did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room. Michael McGregor could hear his father’s voice loud and clear, but he chose to ignore it, focusing on the meal before him. It was a question that he had grown accustomed to over the years. There was no need for him to give a verbal response. After all, his answer would remain the same. Around the table sat five individuals overall: the Chairman of Haynes-McGregor Industries, his wife, Michael, and the latter’s two siblings, namely William and Joanna. John McGregor sat at the head of the table with a scowl, obviously displeased by his son’s blatant lack of response. He slammed his fork down on the plate, making a loud noise that caused the others to jolt in surprise. “I am talking to you,” John said, his eyes narrowing in anger. “When are you going to stop refusing marriage prospects and blind dat
[Sixteen years ago, in the city of Lenford…] - A single petal floated in front of his eyes. It was a cherry blossom petal, one that signaled the beginning of the tree’s full bloom in spring. It was the first thing Michael McGregor saw before a girl about his age suddenly walked up to him, her hand tightly gripping the strap of her shoulder bag. She was a pretty girl with long dark hair and striking olive-green eyes. She had an intelligent look about her that gave off elegance and beauty, catching the eyes of some of the boys who passed by. Her hair was loose and long enough to reach her waist, letting the wind blow the strands behind her. It was like a picturesque moment that could have been a little romantic if it weren’t for the words that came out of her mouth the next moment. “What are you doing with that cigarette?” - At 15 years old, Michael McGregor had just arrived for his first day of high school. Back in middle school, he was notorious for rebelling against his famil
Michael was still frozen in disbelief even after hanging up the phone. As though sensing that Michael was in internal conflict with himself, Grady told him that he would send all the details through one of their secure chat channels. Michael agreed to it absently and ended the call. Michael scrolled down all of the information that Grady had investigated for him about Hailey. Apparently, after going off the grid for fourteen years, she had managed to turn herself into a different person. The woman in the photo who was staring back at him was so different from the girl he once knew years ago. In the past, Hailey had long black hair. She used to grow it so long that it reached her waist. But now, she had blonde hair that was cut short at a modest length, just a little below her shoulders. Her face had become mature over the years, having lost some of the baby fat from her cheeks. Her features had morphed from cute and smiley to serious and intelligent. Her eyes were still the same,
By the time morning came, Michael was still wide awake, looking like he had barely gotten a wink of sleep. He couldn’t think about anything else other than Hailey. Just the thought of her made his heart constrict. What in the world happened to her? Why did she have to change her identity? Was it because she feared backlash from her family? The fear of being found? Or perhaps just the desire to start a new life? Michael let out a heavy sigh. Fourteen years. He had been waiting for her for fourteen years now. Sometimes he couldn’t understand why she was the only woman who occupied his mind for years. It was surprising, to say the least. It was as though his heart never wavered at all. They had been friends back in high school. Kind of. Rather, Hailey watched over him like a hawk, and she would often scold him whenever he did something wrong. Until now, he didn’t know the reason why she paid so much attention to him. Perhaps it was just her strict and diligent nature. Perhaps she
“Who was that just now?” Camille Parker turned around in surprise to see her boss, Christian Callahan, standing behind her with a raised eyebrow. The esteemed CEO of Callahan Group himself. “Oh, it was…” Camille hesitated for a moment. “An old friend.” “An old friend, you say?” There was a wry smile on Christian’s face. “And who might that be?” Camille narrowed her eyes at him warily. “It’s a friend from high school,” she replied calmly. “They got my number somehow and wanted to say hello.” “A friend from high school,” Christian repeated, nodding thoughtfully. “It seems that you’re meeting up with them on Monday?” Camille sighed heavily. “Look, Christian… it’s not polite to eavesdrop on someone else’s conversation, okay? Let it go. It’s not a big deal.” “It’s not a big deal, and yet you’re being strangely defensive.” Christian’s features turned cold. “Is it a man? If it is, you know that you can’t be seen with other men in public except for me, right? Especially when the offici
Camille Parker had once been Hailey van Gowen.It had been a tough fourteen years. Back then, she had lived well, with wealthy parents, supportive brothers, and convenient resources available all around her. She studied hard and had goals of her own.But all of that changed when she found out. The discovery that changed her life from then on.She had already thrown away the name ‘Hailey’ years ago and made peace with her new identity. She was older now, no longer the teenager from back then.A woman in her early thirties who had a career of her own, but was alone with no family. She had never really planned on dating or getting married, and she had no real goal of her own, either.Because she felt trapped.All because of one stupid favor.After leaving the van Gowen family behind, she settled down in a faraway country with the help of her savings, in a small, peaceful city called Vesdale. It hadn’t been easy, but she had the help of a kind nurse who took her in afterwards, so she at l