Hailey looked at the man silently. His eyes were light blue, and when her gaze met his, she felt her soul sucked in by the intensity of it. It was like a whirlpool pulling her in, leaving her in a daze. Hailey found herself blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "I have died before. And I was reborn." The words escaped her lips quickly, and she raised a palm to her mouth in shock as she realized what she had just revealed. Nolan fell silent, tapping his fingers on the wooden frame of the bed. Hailey immediately regretted telling him and was about to take it back when the door was suddenly pushed open by another stranger. "You should b—Master Nolan!" the bald butler exclaimed, not noticing Nolan's presence in time. "You are not supposed to be in here." The friendliness in the young man's countenance disappeared, replaced by a cold haze. "Last time I checked, I am the firstborn son of the Rothschild family, and nothing is limited or beyond my reach. You cannot tell me where
Nolan listened from outside the room as the two sisters argued with each other. He had excused himself, seeking the truth. Although he wasn't one to believe in what he considered nonsense, Hailey's story about reincarnation intrigued him. He knew it would be difficult for her to prove her claims, especially since she mentioned that the plot had changed and things weren't going as expected. On a different note, he overheard Cassidy mention that Hailey was the sacrificial lamb. Could it be that his uncle had been deceived by the Lincolns, he wondered. The Rothschild family held a revered and feared position, commanding vast connections and political influence. Their ancestor, Zachary Rothschild, had two sons who divided the dynasty upon his passing. The major family belonged to Mac, the first son, and the minor family to Samuel, the second son. Currently, Nolan's paternal grandfather, Gareth, held the reins of the major family, making decisions for the entire family. After eavesdroppin
Hailey nibbled on her breakfast, pondering over everything Mika had said. It was no wonder Nolan was so distant and cold towards others. Losing both parents at such a young age must have been incredibly difficult. At least she had been placed with foster parents when her mother passed away, even if they weren't the best parents in the world. But for Nolan, losing his parents wasn't the only tragedy he had faced. He had also lost the use of his legs and was forever confined to a wheelchair. It was a heartbreaking story, to say the least. "Do you want seconds, little one?" the housekeeper asked Hailey, standing closely beside her. The bulky woman had dark Samoan coloring, and her tattoos served as a testament to her heritage. The tattoos, although not overly flashy or extreme, encircled her arms. They didn't detract from her motherly demeanor, which she displayed without any shame. "No, thank you, ma'am. They were very nice, but..." Hailey's eyes quickly darted to where Nolan sat at th
"What is going on in here?" Nolan asked, unable to disguise his disgust. Both Hailey and Max were sitting on the same couch, engrossed in a book, and they were so shocked when the young master rolled in. They quickly gave each other some distance, and Hailey was terribly flushed, patting her palms on her cheeks. Max, on the other hand, was less embarrassed and more surprised. "Hey, Nolan. Hailey got lost, and I thought I would show her where the library was. Turned out she is a Shakespearean, just like your mum was," Max explained, picking up the dusty book they had been reading and showing the cover to Nolan. It was a comedic play by William Shakespeare titled "As You Like It." However, Nolan was not satisfied with the innocent explanation and frowned at the other occupants of the library. "So, let me get things straight: I asked you to get guidance from your maid, and instead, you somehow managed to drag my busy uncle into a book study with you. Am I on track, Miss Lincoln?" "It w
Living with the Rothschilds took some time for Hailey to adjust to. She no longer had to wake up early or do chores. She was pampered and the maids treated her kindly. Mika slept in an adjoining room, ready to assist Hailey if needed at night, although such instances were rare. Nolan made sure to speak to her at least once a day, and that brought her contentment. "Mika!" Hailey called one day while she was in the garden, enjoying the delightful scent of the flowers. Rows upon rows of them stretched out before her, some with complicated names that Mika had once told her, but she had long forgotten. After spending two weeks with the Rothschilds, Hailey had come to understand that things were never simple. "I'm in the garden!" Hailey responded, counting the flowers she had plucked from the abundant bunches. She had found the prettiest vase in the attic and wanted to decorate her room with some flowers. Her room was already beautiful, but flowers symbolized beauty and life. Mika came run
An hour and a bottle of white wine later, they had finished with the wedding preparations, and Lynn had jotted down enough to satisfy her curiosity. Subtly, she observed the couple about to wed and noticed the stark differences between them. Despite his physical disability, Nolan exuded confidence and spoke his mind without hesitation. On the other hand, Hailey was more reserved, willing to go along with Nolan's decisions and Lynn's suggestions. It was her wedding, and Lynn believed she needed to take ownership of it to avoid any future regrets. Her heart went out to Hailey, wondering if she would be more relaxed without her fiancé present. If she could help her loosen up, they might have more fun together. "Can I call you Hailey, Miss Lincoln?" Lynn asked, appealing to her generosity. "Yes, please," Hailey responded immediately, sighing wearily. Nolan noticed her expression change, and his own grew even more strained, if that were possible. "Okay. Perhaps you can visit me in my off
The drive to the hospital provided ample time for Nolan to brief Hailey on the details she needed to know about the patriarch they were about to visit. Initially tempted to write down the information, Hailey resisted the urge to avoid appearing foolish. Instead, she discreetly recorded the details on her phone, later listening to the instructions through her earphones to reinforce her understanding. Although the repeated information caused her head to ache, Nolan's soothing voice had an underlying ominous tone that captured her attention. Sitting so close to her, Nolan's warm breath on her shoulders made her self-conscious. A wave of discomfort washed over her, questioning whether she needed to maintain physical contact with him since they were not yet married. She shifted slightly, testing his awareness, and he instinctively pressed down on her palm. Unintentionally pouting, she was oblivious to how childish it made her appear. Placing his phone on the seat, Nolan scrutinized her sul
The drive to the hospital gave Nolan sufficient time to fill Hailey with the details she needed to know about the patriarch they were going to visit. She had been tempted to write some down to prevent forgetting anything but at the risk of seeming daft, she withheld against the urge. Instead, she subtly recorded them on her phone and when Nolan was done scaring the hell out of her, she plugged in her earphones and listened to the instructions all over again. There were a bunch of them but she was a quick learner when she set her heart to something. She was determined to leave a good impression of herself on the old man so as to hold up her side of the bargain. “Breath, Hailey,” Nolan admonished, feeling her pulse jump every now and then. “I don’t want you looking flushed when we have to go in neither do I want you to have a heart attack.” Hailey gulped hard and peeled the earphones off to take a break. Her head ached from hearing his voice repeat information over and over again. Alt