Chapter 5

Hailey stared at Travis’s injured hand.

The cuts across his knuckles were small, but blood still stained his skin.

Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed a thick pillow from the couch and placed it beneath his wrist.

“Put your hand here.”

The room went strangely quiet.

Hailey looked up.

Why was everyone staring at her?

Then she noticed Travis.

His eyes were fixed on her.

“What?” she asked.

He said nothing.

Hailey frowned and reached for the alcohol.

The moment her fingers touched his hand, someone nearby gasped.

Hailey paused.

Seriously?

She glanced around the room.

The servants were watching them as if she had just done something unbelievable.

Even Travis’s mother, Thalia Blake, had turned toward them.

Her expression remained calm, but her sharp eyes missed nothing.

Hailey looked back at Travis.

“Am I not supposed to touch you?”

One of the maids immediately lowered her head.

The butler suddenly became very interested in the floor.

Hailey understood.

Apparently, she had broken another Blake family rule nobody had bothered explaining to her.

Travis extended his hand toward her.

“Continue.”

Now the servants looked even more surprised.

Hailey raised an eyebrow.

Strange family.

Still, she said nothing.

She carefully cleaned the cuts.

Travis’s fingers twitched when the alcohol touched his skin.

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

Hailey almost rolled her eyes.

Of course not.

Apparently Travis Blake was too powerful to feel pain.

She continued cleaning his knuckles.

From across the room, Thalia silently watched them.

Everyone in the Blake family knew Travis hated unnecessary physical contact. Even people close to him knew better than to touch him without warning.

Yet Hailey had been holding his hand for several minutes.

And Travis had allowed it.

That alone was unusual.

Hailey noticed none of this.

She was too busy deciding what to do with the wound.

After another moment, she put down the alcohol.

“I think that’s enough.”

Travis looked at his hand.

“You’re not bandaging it?”

“I don't think it needs one.”

Several servants stiffened.

Hailey noticed.

She sighed.

“Fine. I admit it. I don't know how to properly bandage knuckles.”

The butler looked startled by her honesty.

Hailey shrugged.

“The cuts aren't deep. They're clean now. Unless you want me to wrap your entire hand until it looks like a dumpling, I think we should leave it alone.”

For half a second, Travis simply stared at her.

Then something almost like amusement appeared in his eyes.

It vanished before Hailey could be certain.

The butler stepped forward.

“Eldest Master, shall I take over?”

“No.”

Travis pulled his hand back.

“She’s right. It’s fine.”

Another silence.

Hailey looked around.

Why did everyone keep acting as though Travis agreeing with her was some historic event?

She stood.

“Then I'm finished.”

She started to walk away.

“Hailey.”

She stopped.

Travis looked at her.

“Thank you.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

That might have been the most shocking thing he had done all day.

“You're welcome.”

Hailey walked away before the situation could become any stranger.

Behind her, Thalia’s thoughtful gaze followed her.

---

Later that day, Rowena returned to Blake Manor.

She looked nothing like the woman Hailey had seen beside Calvin’s hospital bed.

Her face was pale.

Her eyes were swollen.

Grief seemed to have aged her overnight.

Hailey immediately stood when she saw her.

“Mrs. Harver.”

Rowena stopped.

Her eyes landed on Hailey.

For several seconds, she simply stared.

Then something inside her broke.

“You.”

Hailey stiffened.

Rowena marched toward her.

“You brought misfortune into this family!”

Her voice cracked.

“Calvin was still alive before you came! Then you married him, and now…”

She couldn't finish.

Tears filled her eyes.

Hailey's chest tightened.

She understood Rowena's grief.

But she would not accept the blame for Calvin's death.

“Mrs. Harver, I…”

A sharp slap cut her off.

Hailey stumbled sideways.

Her cheek burned.

The entire room fell silent.

She slowly touched her face.

Anger rose inside her, but she forced herself to remain calm.

Rowena had lost her son today.

Hailey could forgive one moment of grief.

But she would not become anyone's punching bag.

“You brought bad luck!” Rowena cried. “You were supposed to save him!”

Hailey looked at her.

That accusation broke the last of her patience.

“If I really bring bad luck, then why did your family force me to marry him?”

Rowena froze.

Hailey's voice remained controlled.

“I never asked to marry Calvin. Your family came looking for someone with the right horoscope because you believed marriage could change his fate.”

Several servants exchanged uneasy looks.

Hailey continued.

“I didn't kill him.”

Rowena's face twisted with grief.

“How dare you!”

“I'm telling you the truth.”

“You little…”

Rowena raised her hand again.

Hailey immediately stepped backward.

She understood Rowena was grieving, but she would not stand there and be hit twice.

“Mrs. Harver, that's enough.”

But Rowena wasn't listening.

She moved toward Hailey again.

Hailey turned to get away.

Instead, she walked straight into someone.

A hand caught her arm before she lost her balance.

Hailey looked up.

Travis.

Her heart jumped.

Of course it was him.

Why did she keep ending up in this man's arms?

Hailey immediately tried to step away.

Then Rowena reached them.

“You stay out of this!”

She raised her hand toward Hailey again.

Travis caught her wrist before the slap landed.

The room went silent.

“Enough.”

His voice wasn't loud.

It didn't need to be.

Rowena stared at him.

“Travis.”

“She didn't cause Calvin's death.”

Rowena's eyes filled with tears.

“You don't understand. She came into this family this morning, and hours later my son died!”

“Calvin was already critically ill.”

The words were calm but firm.

Rowena's face crumpled.

Travis released her wrist.

“I know you're grieving. But blaming Hailey won't bring him back.”

Hailey stared at him.

She hadn't expected that.

Not from Travis.

Not after everything between them.

Rowena looked from Travis to Hailey.

Something changed in her expression.

“You're defending her?”

The question made the entire room feel different.

Hailey immediately stepped away from Travis.

“That's not what he's doing.”

Rowena ignored her.

Her eyes remained fixed on Travis.

Even Thalia was watching her son more carefully now.

Travis's expression hardened.

“I'm stopping you from blaming someone who had nothing to do with Calvin's illness.”

Rowena laughed bitterly through her tears.

“Nothing to do with him?”

Her gaze shifted toward Hailey.

“She was his wife.”

“For less than a day,” Hailey said quietly.

Rowena flinched.

Hailey immediately regretted the words.

Not because they were untrue.

Because she remembered Calvin's smile.

His weak voice.

Please take care of my mother after I'm gone.

Hailey lowered her eyes.

“I'm sorry.”

Rowena's anger faltered.

Hailey swallowed.

“I didn't mean it like that.”

For a moment, neither woman spoke.

Then Rowena covered her face and began to cry.

The anger disappeared, leaving only a mother who had lost her son.

Hailey stood frozen.

She wanted to comfort her.

But after being slapped and blamed for Calvin's death, she didn't know whether Rowena would even allow her near.

Mary Hewitt finally stepped forward.

“Take Rowena upstairs.”

Two servants gently approached her.

This time, Rowena didn't resist.

As they led her away, Hailey remained where she was.

Her cheek still burned.

Then she noticed Travis looking at her.

“What?”

His eyes moved toward the red mark on her face.

“Nothing.”

Hailey frowned.

There was definitely something.

Before she could question him, Thalia spoke from behind them.

“Travis.”

He turned.

His mother looked from him to Hailey.

Her expression was calm.

Far too calm.

“Come with me.”

Travis's eyes narrowed slightly.

Hailey suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that Thalia had noticed far more than either of them wanted her to.

And judging by the way she was looking at her son, Travis was about to face questions of his own.