Elena's POV
The morning air was cool, almost as if it were wrapping around me in a caution. It was too long since Hailey had been silent. I observed her frantically pulling the fabric of her robe with her fingers and avoiding eye contact as though she was looking for a way out.
Good. That meant my words were sinking in. She wanted to trust Vickson, yet inside her heart, she knew that was wrong. He had already hurt her once and she was just naive enough to think he wouldn't do it again. I couldn't allow that to happen, not again.
"I know you want to believe he's different this time," I said, keeping my voice calm and almost careful. "That things will be better finally but you know and I know the truth Hailey"
She swallowed hard and I could see the tension in her shoulders and how she struggled against the weight of my words. "People change" she said softly as if seeking to reassure herself "Vickson... he's trying"
I sighed softly and shook my head. "No, people like him do not change. They just adapt. They learn what to say and what to do to keep you exactly where they want you." I leaned forward, lowering my voice. "Tell me, Hailey. Has he apologized for the past? Has he truly owned up to what he did? Or is he just pretending like it never happened?"
She flinched, and that was all the answer I needed.
"I just need to figure this out on my own," she said softly. I straightened up exhaling. "You're not alone in this. You have me. You have Ava"
Her eyes flickered at the sound of Ava's name, yet she uttered no word. I could tell that she had some misgivings about Ava. And perhaps, just perhaps, that was a wise thing to do.
"Just be careful," I finally said as I stood up. "I would not want to see you get hurt for the second time."
She nodded, yet I was not convinced that she really agreed.
Hailey's POV
I watched Elena leave the door clicking shut behind her in a way that seemed somehow heavier than it ought to have been. My breath was tight in my chest and my head was full of questions. Vickson had hurt me once. That much was true but could he do it again? Would he?
I moved into the kitchen, just clutching the edge of the counter as I looked at the clock on the wall. My thoughts were disjointed everywhere, entangled between yesteryears and the present day.
Elena always had a kind of art to provoke me. She could guess the words that irritated me instantly and employed those that sowed the seeds of doubt. And the worst part? She wasn't wrong.
Vickson hadn't apologized yet. Not a real one. He had slipped back into my life as if nothing had happened and I let him back in. My phone buzzed on the counter and I jumped, my heart thudding against my ribs. I reached for it with trembling hands.
Vickson: Good morning, beautiful. I hope you had a good sleep. Can we talk today?
I hesitated, hovering my fingers over the screen. My mind was replaying Elena's words, her warnings.
Then, almost as if I were forced to reply by some mysterious force, I typed out a response.
Me: Yeah. Come by later. We need to talk.
I hit send before I could change my mind.
Maybe Elena was right. Maybe Vickson was just playing another game altogether.
But I needed to hear it from him.
One way or another.
Hailey's POV
The night air was cold, yet I stood beside the large bay window peering into the blackness that stretched beyond the estate. Five years had passed since I'd left Vickson and the life he had built for me. Five years since I signed those divorce papers with a shaky hand and a broken heart. No distance could be great enough, no collection of sleepless nights profound enough to erase the memories of him—the betrayal, the love, and the anguish.
And now, he was back.
I spent the whole day at the office dodging the encounter that was inevitable. Still, I knew Vickson; he would never take a challenge lying down. Hiring someone to follow me was just the opening gesture. He would demand answers from me. And when that happened, I needed to be ready.
A tap at the door was enough to make my heart leap in my chest. My robe was all I had as I heard that tap. Before I even opened it, I already knew who it was.
Vickson stood in the doorway, broad shoulders filling the space, chiseled jaw clenched in a determination I knew all too well. His gray eyes were locked onto mine, filled with something primal, something perilous.
He told me it was time to talk. His voice is deep and unwavering.
I swallowed hard trying to convince my hands not to tremble. "There is nothing more to say, Vickson. It's over"
He stepped inside not waiting for an invitation. His towering frame closed the space between us. "You don't get to decide that alone, Hailey" His voice was low and almost desperate. "Not after the lies you told me"
I stiffened "I don't know what you're talking about"
"Don't you dare play games with me" he growled, his eyes flashing fury still barely kept under control "I am aware of the children and. The quadruplets"
My breath hitched. So, he finally knew. My fingertips curled into friends as I tried to hold on to my temper. "They're not yours," I lied, keeping my voice steady even though there was a hurricane inside me. "You lost the right to ask about my life the day you chose Ava."
Vickson's jaw tightened, and his fists were clenched around his sides. "Damn it, Hailey!" There was a crack in his voice that was almost agonized. "I never stopped loving you. It was never meant for you to go."
I laughed bitterly. "And yet you let me go."
Silence hung between us for a moment, thick and unbearable. He then breathed out violently, combing his raven-black hair with one hand. "I was trying to protect you. Ava had my sister, Hailey. They would have killed her if I didn't choose Ava. I had no choice."