Chapter 2

“You can leave now,” Travis said coldly.

Hailey didn’t need to be told twice.

After hearing him whisper another woman’s name, the last thing she wanted was to stay.

“Can I use the bathroom first?”

Travis looked at her, his expression unreadable.

“Five minutes.”

Hailey clenched her jaw.

Five minutes.

As if he couldn’t wait to get rid of her.

She entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

The moment she was alone, her confidence disappeared.

What had she been thinking?

Last night, she had been angry about her ex-boyfriend’s engagement and terrified of the marriage waiting for her. She had wanted one reckless night that belonged entirely to her.

Instead, she had spent it with a stranger who had another woman on his mind.

Hailey turned on the shower.

Warm water ran over her skin as she tried to wash away the scent of the hotel and every reminder of her impulsive decision.

She had made a mistake.

A huge one.

And there was nothing she could do about it now.

When she finally left the suite, she never looked back.

Outside, the late spring air was warm. Hailey quickly found a taxi and went home.

The moment she entered her room, she changed her clothes and threw last night’s dress into the laundry basket.

She never wanted to see it again.

Tomorrow was already here.

And so was the future she had been trying to forget.

---

A loud knock woke Hailey the next morning.

She groaned and pulled the blanket over her head.

The knocking came again.

“Hailey!”

Her father.

She forced herself out of bed and opened the door.

Denver Stewart stood outside, already dressed for the day. His expression darkened the moment he saw her messy hair and tired face.

“You’re not ready?”

Hailey leaned against the door.

“Ready for what?”

“The Blake family will be here any minute.”

That woke her completely.

Her marriage.

For a few hours, she had almost forgotten.

Denver frowned. “Get dressed. Don’t embarrass this family.”

Hailey gave him a bitter smile.

Family?

That word meant very little coming from him.

She still remembered the day he had forced her mother to kneel on the cold floor.

Something inside Hailey had changed that day.

Since then, Denver Stewart’s approval had meant nothing to her.

“It’s a little late to worry about embarrassment, isn’t it?”

“Hailey.”

Before he could continue, voices came from downstairs.

The Blake family had arrived.

Hailey quickly changed and followed her father downstairs.

Several servants were waiting in the living room. An older man stepped forward and greeted Denver politely before turning toward Hailey.

“Young Madam.”

Hailey almost looked behind her.

Was he really talking to her?

She had worked for the Blake family since she was seventeen, mostly sewing clothes and staying out of everyone’s way.

People like them barely noticed someone like her.

Now this man was calling her Young Madam.

“I’m not your young madam yet,” she said.

The butler gave her a polite smile.

“You are.”

Hailey frowned.

“The matriarch had the marriage certificate prepared this morning. You may see it when we arrive at the estate.”

Hailey stared at him.

“This morning?”

“Yes.”

Without her even being there?

Her stomach tightened.

She knew this marriage had been arranged, but hearing that it was already official made everything feel frighteningly real.

Somewhere out there, she now had a husband.

A man she had never even met.

A sick man who, according to everything she had heard, might not have much time left.

And apparently, she had become his wife without even seeing his face.

Hailey looked at her father.

He showed no surprise.

Of course he already knew.

There was no point arguing with him now.

“Fine,” she said quietly. “Let’s go.”

---

The Blake family estate was enormous.

High walls surrounded old buildings, stone paths, gardens, and traditional pavilions. Everything about the place spoke of generations of wealth and power.

Hailey followed the butler deeper into the estate.

The farther they walked, the more uneasy she became.

“Where is my husband?” she finally asked.

The butler hesitated.

“At the hospital.”

Hailey stopped.

So the rumors were true.

“How sick is he?”

The butler avoided her eyes.

“You should speak with the matriarch.”

That was not reassuring.

They continued until they reached a quiet room.

Inside, several elderly women sat together, softly chanting scriptures.

Hailey suddenly felt as though she had entered the wrong century.

The butler stopped near the doorway.

Hailey waited.

Finally, the woman sitting at the center opened her eyes.

Her sharp gaze immediately settled on Hailey.

The room fell silent.

“So,” the elderly woman said, “you’re Hailey Stewart.”

Hailey straightened.

“Yes.”

“You have married into the Blake family. From today onward, you will follow our rules.”

Hailey said nothing.

The woman continued.

“You will stay here.”

Hailey frowned.

“What about my husband?”

“You are not to visit the hospital.”

That caught her attention.

“Why?”

The woman’s expression hardened.

“You will meet him when his condition improves.”

Hailey stared at her.

His condition?

Everyone kept avoiding the same question.

How sick was the man she had married?

And why was his own family refusing to let his new wife see him?

Hailey looked around the silent room.

For the first time since arriving, a disturbing thought entered her mind.

What kind of family had she just married into?