Chapter 35:The Calls

Raising her heart rate, Hailey is bathing with cold sweat. Vince is waiting for an answer. She looked up at him and smiled.

"It's not important. It was my classmate. Probably he wanted to apologize again regarding what happened earlier. I will just talk to him tomorrow at school," she explained.

Hailey ignored Vince's suspicious stare. She picked up her fork and began stuffing her mouth when her phone is vibrating again. And once again, it was Bryan.

"Do you want me to talk to him instead?"

It freaks her out. Instantly, she refused and reason out. "It's alright! I will send a message that he need not bother about what happens. Since we have the same class tomorrow morning, we can talk about it, even though it's unnecessary. He apologizes already, anyway. So it's not important to talk to him."

Upon saying this, Hailey swipes the RED button to cancel Bryan's call. She then types a quick text.

"I'll message you tomorrow when I'm available. Please, don't call me at the moment."

Hailey then put down her phone and continued eating. But he received another call. She glanced at Vince, and he looked very curious about whose calling her.

Hailey was about to swipe the red button when she recognized the number that's calling her at the moment. It was her dad!

'Oh, my gosh! What am I going to do now? Dad would be suspicious if I cancel his call!' she freaked out. She can't figure out whether to answer it or let the call continues.

'I'm sorry, dad.'

In the end, Hailey only simply glanced at her phone and avoid making an obvious facial expression that she was like on a trial. She ignored the call and continued eating again. She picks up the wineglass and gulps the champagne in one go.

Vince is shifting his gaze between Hailey and her phone. It made him concerned whether it's still regarding her classmate. His head running wild thoughts that maybe other people bothering Hailey like Zenaida or Howie Gu.

Could not take the suspicion he is having, he asked Hailey after the call continues. "You want me to deal with him?"

Confused, Hailey processes Vince's words. Later, she understood and it made her anxious. "Oh, no! There's no need for that! I will just ignore it."

It freaked her out. 'There is no way dad should know I'm with a man! Ah! It will be the end of the world when the boys know! They dug a pit after they learned what Bryan did to me. It will be more than chaos once they learn about Vince.'

She's worried. The longer it takes for Vince to get his divorce, the more she was in trouble hiding the truth from her family. But Vince seemed to stop chasing the divorce. So what will happen now?

She knew how crazy it was. Other mistress wanted their man to divorce the legal and original wife. But in her case, she wants Vince to divorce his wife so that she gets free from their agreement. How ironic isn't it?

Meanwhile, Vince could see the trouble lingering on Hailey's face. He looked at her intently, studying her actions. She might casually put food in her mouth while ignoring her phone, but she looked nervous.

Not long, Hailey felt relieved when the call stopped. She was crying inside her head thinking about her father.

'I'm sorry, dad! I will call you tomorrow after Vince left the house!' She muttered inwardly.

But what happens next... Geoffrey and Leo are calling her as well. Her phone never stopped vibrating that Vince could feel the shaking on the table. And because she was ignoring everyone's call now, they were sending her messages.

This time, James and Kelvin also messaging her. 'What's going on!? Is there an emergency? Why is everyone contacting me?'

And after a while that everyone stops trying to contact her, one name shocked her...

Andre? Andre is home!?

Her heart thumping rapidly. Knowing that Andre attempt to call her, this unsettles her.

Vince, who was extremely curious now, could not hold to query. "What's the matter? Is everything alright?"

"Ah, yes! It was... It's Hazel this time! I think she already heard about what happened, so throwing a fret."

Ah! How lame excuse! No one would dare to contact her when they know she was with Vince! "I will message her now."

Hailey picks up her phone and types on it. She has a feeling that Vince only believes half of her lies. But she is more worried about the boys finding out the truth.

"Hi, dad! I'm sorry if I didn't answer your call. I have a meeting with someone today. And might if took long before our meeting ended. I'll call you tomorrow! Please, have a nice dinner and rest early. Don't work too much, okay? Love you!"

Hailey pressed the send button. After that, she set her phone on airplane mode. So then, all the calls and messages won't get through at the moment.

"There! We can continue eating now," she declared cheerfully, hiding the tension she's feeling. "By the way, Hazel wants us to help her choose a dress. So we're going to the mall in the afternoon."

Hailey glanced at him. She could sense a little roughness of his voice. 'Is displeased him when someone keeps calling my phone?' She mused, and it quickly answered.

"Tell me if someone bothers you. I will..."

"It's okay! It's just school stuff! Nothing to be concerned about!" She interrupted whatever Vince wanted to say, which she already guessed the phrasing he used to tell her.

'I will deal with them myself.' That is what he would quote.

It touched her. But a question always raises inside her mind. 'Why is he wasting his time dealing like Howie Gu? Why didn't he look for his wife instead of taking care of anyone who troubled me when I can deal with them myself actually?'

Well, she would answer this question herself. 'Vince didn't know my true background.'

Meanwhile, being cut by Hailey, Vince rendered his silence. He senses something is going on, but Hailey is avoiding sharing anything with him. So he guessed it was a personal matter.

'Could it be her family?' Vince had this thought.

He didn't ask further but finished their food. Hailey, on one hand, keenly observes Vince's expression. He may ask nothing, but she could feel that Vince was upset again. But she could share nothing with him. Not about her real identity. Not yet until she didn't find Eva and appeared in front of Vince.

To lighten the heavy atmosphere that filled the room, Hailey got an idea.

"Um... Can we visit M City Market before we head home?"

Vince glanced at his wristwatch. They still had plenty of time to enjoy dinner then went to the market after. He has work to finish soon, but he could not allow Hailey to go there alone. "Okay. There's still time, so don't hurry your food."

Hailey smiled. Vince encourages her to eat this moment.

They almost finished eating when Vince's phone rang. He answered it and talked to the other line.

Hailey finishes her food quietly. Later, she sat up and gestured at Vince to go to the washroom.

"Where are you?" asked Vince.

He looked outside the window of his yacht, then fixes his gaze on the Two Towers skyscrapers he designed years back for the SHEN GROUP: the 'Luxurious Penthouse Project'.