Chapter 20

HAILEY

“Hailey! Hailey, wake up!” The voice echoed from a distance. She strained to recognize it, but it was a futile attempt.

She felt a sensation of being lifted, but her body was too heavy. She succumbed to the weight and drifted back into unconsciousness.

When she finally opened her eyes, she was in an unfamiliar setting. A throbbing headache pounded in her skull. She attempted to move, but the pain was too intense. “Ouch,” she whimpered.

A wave of relief washed over Valerian’s face. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

She felt a surge of panic. “Why am I here?”

“Don’t you remember?”

She shook her head, a small no escaping her lips.

“Someone broke into your house, and they attacked you.” He ran his fingers through his hair, a gesture of frustration.

“That can’t be,” she protested, disbelief etching her voice.

Who could possibly want to harm her? What had she done to deserve this?

She pondered over who could have a motive. Charlize, perhaps? But she had been at the dinner too. The thought of someone wanting to hurt her sent a shiver down her spine.

How was she supposed to defend herself? She couldn’t live in fear forever. The idea of someone out there wanting to harm her, without knowing why, was terrifying.

“I brought you some food. You’ve been unconscious for a while. You must be hungry,” Valerian offered.

She glanced at the food, and her stomach growled in response. He was right. He chuckled lightly at the sound.

As he set the food before her, she began to eat quickly.

“Slow down, Hailey. You’re going to choke,” he warned.

She ignored him, continuing to devour her meal. Valerian sat next to her on the bed, but she was too engrossed in her food to notice.

Then she felt him gently wiping her mouth. He was laughing.

“What?” she asked, confused.

“You look adorable when you eat. Like a little chipmunk.”

“Out of all the animals you could compare me to, you choose—”

“Finish chewing first,” he interrupted, wiping her mouth again.

She nodded, swallowing her food.

“That’s my girl.”

She shot him a sarcastic look, to which he responded with a wink.

Once she finished eating, Valerian asked, “Are you full?”

“I couldn’t eat another bite,” she replied.

He removed the tray from her lap and carried it to the kitchen. That’s when she took in her surroundings. The room was enormous.

She was lying in a large bed, beneath a glass ceiling. The sky and stars were visible from where she lay. It was breathtaking.

When he returned, she asked, “Is this your room?”

“Yes.” He gave her a rueful smile.

She leaned back. “What time is it? I need to leave.”

“Someone broke into your house and attacked you.” His hand was clenched into a fist. “I heard your scream. If I hadn’t, things could have been much worse.”

She nodded. “I still need to go home, sir.”

“Are you out of your mind? What if they return? What will you do?”

“I don’t know yet.” She couldn’t afford to move right now. She needed a plan, and fast.

“Stay here until you figure things out,” Valerian suggested.

“No, thank you,” she declined quickly. She couldn’t risk staying with him. What would their coworkers think?

“No arguments. I’ll move you to the guest room tomorrow. You’ll meet Ruiza, my housekeeper. Rest now,” he said, turning off the light and climbing into bed.

“What are you doing?” she asked, startled.

“Going to sleep,” he replied nonchalantly. “We’ve shared a bed before. What’s the problem now?” He pulled the blanket over them.

She couldn’t sleep, so she stared at the sky. It was mesmerizing. It felt almost dreamlike.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she agreed.

“I usually gaze at the stars when I feel lonely. But sharing this view with someone else is even better.”

Her gaze landed on his face, angled towards the heavens. Was he feeling alone?

“Where are your folks?” she inquired.

“They’re in Lanseria with my sister. I don’t see them much.” His eyes held a depth of sorrow.

She moved a bit closer to him, resting her head on his chest. He seemed surprised at first, then his hand found its way to the small of her back.

“Sleep,” she murmured to him.

He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Thanks, princess.”

“Goodnight to you too.”

The weekend flew by, and it was quite pleasant staying at Valerian’s place.

Ruiza was a delight. In her early fifties, she was full of life, her warm brown eyes mirroring her hair. She made her feel at home and enjoyed her company.

Hailey was a fan of her cooking, and it felt odd to wake up and not have anything to do. She was accustomed to cooking and doing her own laundry.

When Valerian and Hailey got to work, he held the door open for her. She entered, feeling self-conscious. She had attempted to go in alone, but he had insisted on opening the door for her.

She had also wanted to arrive much earlier to avoid attention, but he found her behavior amusing when she woke him up early.

He had grumbled, yanked the blanket from her, and went back to sleep. Apparently, he wasn’t a morning person.

“Good morning, sir,” Clara and the other receptionists greeted him. She noticed their glares directed at her.

She hurried to her office, eager to put as much distance between them as possible.

She worked throughout the day. She had tried to say hello to Clara and the others earlier, but they ignored her.

Hailey could hear them laughing at her. They were calling her names.

So, she sat alone while eating her lunch, then focused on her work.

At the end of the day, as everyone was leaving, Valerian approached Hailey. “Let’s go. But wait outside. I left something in the office.” He turned to retrieve it.

She gathered her things and went outside. Clara and the others were there. They all ignored her.

“I can’t wait to hit the Blue Room,” Clara exclaimed.

“Yeah, we earned this after a long day,” the others chimed in.

Valerian’s car pulled up. She had hoped that Clara and the others would have left by now.

As Valerian emerged from his car, Clara called out, “Enjoy your evening, sir.”

“Thanks. You ladies too,” he responded.

Valerian opened the door. “Hailey, what are you waiting for? Let’s head home.”

She tensed as she walked over and got into the car. She noticed Clara glaring at her with intense hostility.

“How was your day?” Valerian asked.

“It was fine. And yours, sir?”

“Can’t complain,” he responded.

When they arrived at his place, she went into the guestroom and changed.

Ruiza called her down for dinner. When she arrived, Valerian wasn’t there, and Hailey figured he was probably busy with work.

After dinner, she went to bed. Hailey woke up the next morning and got ready. When she went downstairs, she found Valerian reading a newspaper and having his breakfast.

“Good morning,” she greeted him.

“Morning, Hailey,” he returned the greeting warmly, which took her by surprise.

They ate, and he drove them to work.

When she entered her workspace, she found her work had been torn to shreds. Some of the other paperwork she had completed was missing.

Hailey grabbed some fresh paper to start over. She had a good idea who was responsible but lacked proof.

She was engrossed in her work when she felt something cold touch her cheek. She looked up to find Valerian.

“I haven’t seen you since this morning.” He handed her a can of soda.

“What time is it?”

“It’s three in the afternoon,” he laughed.

“What?” she shrieked. Hailey hadn’t realized it was so late. She had been completely absorbed in her work.

“What are you working on?” he glanced at her work.

“This,” she showed him.

“Very impressive,” he commented as he examined it.

She felt a surge of pride at his words—and something else.

After about half an hour, Valerian left. It was nice to have some company.

She needed to use the restroom, so she got up and went to the staff bathroom and entered one of the stalls. When she finished, she tried to unlock the door, but it wouldn’t open.

With a mighty tug, the door finally gave way. But the victory was short-lived as she was instantly soaked in a foul-smelling liquid that reminded her of fish guts.

Hailey glanced at the bucket on the floor, the culprit of her current predicament. She was in disbelief that this was happening.

She made her way to the mirror, wringing out her hair and uniform.

The stench was unbearable. As she exited the restroom, a wave of laughter hit her. She returned to her workstation, doing her best to tune out the mockery.

Upon arrival, she found her work shredded to pieces.

She rushed in, only to slip on a slick of oil. Landing hard on her hands and knees, she crawled to the remnants of her work, gathered them, and tossed them in the trash.

She began her work anew. By the time she finished, it was already five in the evening. She packed up her work, preparing to take it home.

The door creaked open, revealing Valerian. “Ready to g—what’s that smell?”

“It’s me,” she admitted softly.

He gave her a once-over. “What happened to your knee?”

She glanced down, noticing the dried blood. “I’m not sure,” she responded, her mood souring.

She started to limp towards him. “Hold on.”

She looked at him, puzzled, as he approached and scooped her up. “Put me down, I can walk, I promise.”

“Enough, Hailey! You’re injured,” he commanded.

She fell silent, burying her face in his chest. His warmth was comforting, even if she couldn’t understand how he could stand her smell.

His scent, on the other hand, was intoxicating. He smelled wonderful.

She glanced around, only to be met with hostile stares. Clara and the others were glaring at her, Clara’s fists clenched.

Hailey buried her face back into his chest, snuggling closer. He chuckled in response. The driver opened the car door and they climbed in.

She was nestled in his lap. She tried to shift off his lap as they drove away, but his grip tightened, and she gave up, leaning against his chest.

Upon arriving home, she immediately headed for the shower. She scrubbed for over an hour, until the stench was completely gone.

She changed into pajamas and headed downstairs, where Valerian was already seated. She joined him, her plate set next to his.

Ruiza placed her dinner in front of her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, dear.”

“It’s nice to have company for dinner,” Valerian said, smiling at her.

His smile was genuine, and she found herself smiling back.

She began to eat. Once she finished, Ruiza collected their plates. “Dessert?” she offered.

“Not now,” Valerian declined. He then turned to Hailey.

“What happened at work, Hailey?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you.”

“I fell.”

“How?”

“I was—”

Before she could finish, Ruiza returned, Matt trailing behind her.

“I got your message, let’s go,” Matt said.