The atmosphere between the two was already awkward, and Finn Morgan’s words only made it more so. She didn’t answer, and he gently pressed the brake, pulling the car over to the side of the road. Hailey turned to meet his gaze, "What are you doing?" "Have you thought of an answer?" Finn pushed the awkwardness further; he hadn’t slept a wink last night. Hailey might have turned him down anyway, but now Melissa’s sudden appearance caught Finn completely off guard. He couldn’t wait, "Will you be my girlfriend? Can we be together?" Hailey’s eyes widened in surprise, "You’re really asking?" "I didn’t go back last night." Finn emphasized again, "I stayed at Ian Shelby’s place." "But that doesn’t change the fact you have a fiancée. I don’t want to be the third wheel!" Hailey said stubbornly, a hint of temper in her voice. She then reached to open the door, but Finn quickly locked it. "If it weren’t for her, you’d say yes, right?" Finn wanted an answer, resting one hand on the steering wheel, turning towards her. Hailey was forced to meet his gaze, her mind flashing back to that moment at his apartment last night, picturing the girl’s face. "I have no feelings for her." Finn told her, "The engagement was made by our parents when we were born. It’s just a joke, she’s not my girlfriend, we haven’t even held hands." After thinking for a long time, Hailey squeezed out, "She’s... very pretty." The moment the words left her lips, she realized she was babbling. "What does her being pretty have to do with me?" Finn blurted out, "I haven’t really looked at her face, so I don’t know if she’s pretty." "I like you, Hailey." Finn confessed, his eyes filled with sincerity, "I’ve never felt so strongly about anyone." The words made her heart warm, her pulse racing erratically. She didn’t respond because she didn’t know what to say. She felt everything Finn felt. "Drive on." She glanced up at him, Hailey reminded, "We’re going to be late." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novelFɪre.net On this stretch of road, Finn didn’t get his answer. But Hailey didn’t outright reject him either, so he was still quite pleased, holding onto a sliver of hope. "I’ll sort things out with Melissa." He promised, "Give me some time." The girl remained silent. At Celestial Heights, in the master bedroom of Finn Morgan’s apartment. The floor was a complete mess, with bedding shredded to pieces. On the bed, Hailey’s mother woke up, carefully getting up to avoid waking her daughter. But while putting on her shoes, she saw the girl was already awake, "Miss..." Seeing her tear-soaked pillow and swollen eyes. She must have cried for a long time. Hailey’s mother watched her quietly, heart aching as she saw the silent tears rolling down her cheeks. "I waited for him all night..." The girl’s voice trembled, full of grievance, and she suddenly burst into tears, "Mom, what part of me isn’t good enough for him? Why does he treat me ? Why?" Recalling her half-year of waiting and searching, her heart felt like it was being pricked with needles, "Everything was fine until I found out about the engagement, and then he started to drift away from me. Would we have been together if there wasn’t an engagement?" "Mom, I need to go to the office to find him." Melissa sat up, finally seeing the break of dawn, "I’m his fiancée, why is he avoiding me?" Her mother naturally couldn’t defy her, and there was no point in trying. If she wanted to go, she should go; after all, with her daughter’s personality, she couldn’t be stopped.