Chapter 31

“Hailey, did I understand you correctly?”

“Yes,” she replied softly.

He rose from his seat and approached her, pulling her to her feet.

“Am I dreaming, Hailey?”

“No, you’re very much awake.”

“So, you’re saying you’re ready to give us a chance?”

“Yes, I am,” she confirmed.

He lifted her off the ground in a joyful twirl, then set her down gently. He kissed her forehead tenderly before pulling her into a full embrace.

He stepped back. “I want to do this properly. We should start with dating.”

“Okay.”

“It’s getting late. I’ll take you home.”

She nodded in agreement as he guided her to his car. He held the door open for her, then drove her home. Upon arrival, he opened the door for her once more.

“Go on in,” he said, giving her a warm hug.

“Goodnight.” She waved at him.

Once inside her apartment, she reflected on the day’s events. At least she and Valerian had resolved their issues.

Now, it was just a matter of seeing where things would lead.

The next morning, she woke up to a message from Valerian.

Valerian

morning, beautiful. I hope you slept well last night.

Hailey

Morning, I did sleep well and you?

Valerian

I couldn’t sleep much because of how happy I am.

She rolled her eyes, got out of bed, and prepared for work. She managed to arrive on time, despite feeling a bit jittery.

Why was she feeling so nervous?

She settled into her workspace and focused on her tasks.

“Sir would like to see you in his office.”

She looked up to see Clara. “Okay,” she responded, rising from her seat and heading to his office.

She knocked lightly on the door. “Come in,” she heard from inside.

Entering the office, she closed the door behind her. He was standing there, hands in his pockets.

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

He approached her and pulled her into his arms. “I just missed you.”

“But we’re at work, sir. I don’t want us to get caught.”

“Don’t worry. No one comes in without knocking first or unless I invite them.”

“Oh, okay.” She giggled.

“Your giggle is adorable, Hailey.”

She smiled at him and returned his embrace.

“Can’t we just escape somewhere, just the two of us?”

“No, sir. That would raise too many questions, and we have a lot of work to do.”

“Alright, I suppose you’re right. Have you had lunch?”

“Not yet.”

“Good. I ordered food, and it’s just arrived.”

“Sir, I can’t stay here too long.”

“Well, you better start eating.”

She hurried over to the table. There was an array of food. She grabbed a sandwich and devoured it in a minute, then ate some salad while sipping on fruit juice.

“You sure know how to make the most of your time.”

“Thank you, sir, for the meal.” She straightened up.

“Come here, Hailey.”

She walked over to him, and he gently wiped the side of her mouth. “Perfect.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at him.

She left his office and returned to her workspace. Clara was giving her a strange look, but Hailey ignored it and got back to work.

When the workday ended, she gathered her things and waited outside.

A car pulled up in front of her, and she peered through the windows.

“Get in.”

She recognized the voice. She climbed into the car, and they drove away.