"Nath, are you okay?" Loretta grabbed his shoulder. Nathan chose not to answer. He glanced back at his mother, who shrugged and walked away from the bar table with a bowl of snacks in her hand. Nathan then turned when he saw Haisley being led by Gilbert. Suddenly, he reached for Loretta's waist, surprising her, and then tilted his head to the left, so from Haisley's perspective, it looked like Nathan was kissing Loretta. Annoyed, jealous, angry—while intoxicated, he felt all of it, but he tried to ignore it. He chose to grip Gilbert's arm tighter and simply followed his friend's steps, who helped him upstairs. What was really in that drink that made the floor feel like it was twisting like a snake? He wondered to himself. The drink tasted sweet and refreshing, but its effects made him feel weak and miserable. Gilbert opened the door to his old room and led him inside. Slowly, he seated Haisley on the bed. "Lie down, the dizziness will go away," he said gently. Haisley looked up,
Haisley raised her hand and then gently rubbed Nathan's face with her fingers. The girl's index and middle fingers touched Nathan's forehead, tracing down his nose to the tip. "You're handsome, very handsome," she whispered. Her eyes blinked slowly, as if holding back sleep. Nathan knew the girl sitting on his lap was now intoxicated, and he chose to let her be. "You have a nice nose. Well-shaped," she chuckled. Then her fingers touched Nathan's closed eyes. "You also have long and curly eyelashes. You know, I'm always jealous when I see them," she continued. Nathan opened his eyes again and saw Haisley looking at him with her half-closed eyes. "But unfortunately, your eyes always stare at me sharply. Sarcastic. You always look at me with accusing eyes," she said with a sad smile on her face. "And yet, I always want you to look at me, Nath," she sighed softly. The girl's eyes then moved towards Nathan's lips. Her fingers touched his thin lips and lowered his bottom lip. "I'm always c
"Dean?" the man asked with a soft chuckle. Haisley nodded. "Yes, Dean," she said, still smiling. "You don't love him," Nathan said coldly. "A woman can't do that unless it's with a man she loves," he continued with a mocking smile. Haisley shrugged, her face still smiling. "You said if it's not done with love, it's called sex. So, Dean and I can do that because even if I don't love him, he loves me," she continued. "You also do it without feeling love for me, Nath. So, I'm sure I can do it too," she added. Haisley then chuckled. "If I had known the pleasure from earlier, I would have gladly accepted Dean's proposal from the other day." She laughed again. "What does that mean?" Nathaniel asked with narrowed eyes. Haisley shrugged. "It doesn't mean anything. Dean just said he loves me. And he wants to be with me. You know, he said he could be your replacement," she said again. "And although I reluctantly admit it, Dean is the best option I have right now." Nathan stood up instantly
The throbbing sensation returned to Haisley's head. She opened her eyes and blinked to ward off the light emanating from the ceiling above her.. Where is this? The question immediately popped into her head. Slowly, Haisley got up and sat. Her eyes scanned the surroundings. Isn't this her old room? Why is she here? Haisley stood up and felt a queasiness in her stomach, then the girl ran to the bathroom and emptied whatever was writhing in her throat. Nausea, heat in her stomach, and a burning sensation in her throat made Haisley shed tears, the effects of everything she felt. Haisley rinsed her mouth and then sat on the closed toilet. The dizziness pierced her head more and her vision seemed to shimmer because of it. What happened? The question without an answer once again filled her head. She tried to remember what happened last night. She danced with Steven and afterward, she drank the juice on the bar table, then she felt dizzy. And after that? She forgot. Her mind was complete
A few hours earlier. The party had ended, some of Gilbert's friends had already returned to their respective homes, and Gilbert himself was tired and eager to drop his body onto the bed. The tall and big-bodied man then went up to his room, but his steps stopped when he passed Haisley's room. Gilbert was surprised because the door to the room was open. As far as he remembered, he had closed it before going back downstairs. Gilbert walked closer and peeked inside. The room's lights were still off, and he opened the door wider. Haisley, the girl he had left behind, was not there. Quickly, Gilbert headed to the bathroom whose door was closed and knocked. He felt afraid that, because of her drunken state, Haisley might be drowning herself in the bathtub. "Haisley!" Gilbert pounded on the door while calling her name. Silence. No answer, no sound of water. "Haisley, are you in there?!" He asked louder, but still, Gilbert didn't get any response. "Haisley?!" Gilbert grabbed the doorknob,
"Love is just a camouflage, G. In fact, love won't last if we don't give women what they need. The main source of love is money and power. Will your woman stick with you just because you shower her with words of love? Can she buy designer clothes or collect diamonds with love? No, she won't be able to." "And also, what I felt for Crystal back then can't be called love," Nathan answered flatly. "Just consider it as an adrenaline trigger because I wanted to compete with Juan. Then I lost. And it's all over." Nathan spoke without expression. "Is that so? So you consider your feelings for Crystal just some kind of intense competition? Whoever she chooses is the winner?" "Yes, and I lost," Nathan replied without a hint of sadness. "So, what are you doing with Haisley now? Is this also your game? You act reluctant to accept her but take advantage of her innocence. You play with her feelings. Who's challenging you this time? Steven? Dean?" Nathan looked at Gilbert coldly. "I never played
Haisley nodded with a smile on her face. Mrs. Monica had extended her hand, calling for Haisley. The girl nodded and approached her, wrapping her hand around the arm of the woman she considered her own mother. Once on the plane, Haisley sat separately. Of course, their seating classes were clearly different. Haisley bought an economy class ticket, while Mrs. Monica purchased a first-class ticket. However, to Haisley's surprise, just before the plane was about to take off, Mrs. Monica walked into her class and asked the woman sitting next to her to change seats. "Aunt, why?" Haisley asked, confused. "I can't sit quietly alone for hours. It annoys Haisley," Mrs. Monica replied casually. They fastened their seatbelts, and the journey began. Haisley chatted during the trip, and when sleep came, both of them slept. Upon arriving in America, a driver was already waiting for them at the airport. Fortunately, Haisley hadn't asked Juan to pick her up because Mrs. Monica had instructed he
"I can't say you're already an adult, but you're not a child anymore who needs guidance and is confused in making decisions. Papa knows you've considered everything thoroughly, but does it really have to be like this? "Papa can't blame you; from the beginning, Papa didn't agree with your intention to study in England just because you wanted to be with Nathan. Papa has also been young, fallen in love, and been obsessed with the feelings Papa had. But Papa doesn't want to sacrifice Papa's future for those uncertain feelings. Papa doesn't want you to experience that." Haisley lowered her head and twiddled her fingers. She knew, very well, that her actions from the beginning could be considered impulsive. She was too confident. She was too sure that her past actions could stir Nathan's heart. But the reality was different. "Now, what do you want to do here?" Haisley lifted her head and looked at her father. "Haisley will work while studying to enter university next year," she said earn