“You can leave now,” Travis said, his voice cold, even though his body still burned with heat.

He had lost control tonight. Shouted a name he shouldn't have. That wasn’t like him, but oddly, he didn’t care if she figured it out or spread the word. Let her disrupt his peace as much as she wanted.

Hailey didn’t plan to stay a second longer.

“Can I use the bathroom?” she asked, her voice flat.

But when Travis looked at her, sharp and unreadable, her pride crumbled. She just wanted to clean up and leave.

“I’ll give you five minutes,” he said.

Hailey clenched her jaw. It wasn’t just the ache in her body—it was the sting of being nothing but a replacement for someone else.

She stumbled into the bathroom, turned on the water. The heat burned her skin, but she welcomed it. At least it masked the sting of humiliation.

She washed away the marks, the scent, the whole night—what little of it she could. If not for the messy hair and faint bite on her shoulder, she wouldn’t have stayed that long.

The late spring air was warm enough as she flagged down a taxi.

By the time she got home, she stripped off her clothes and dumped them straight in the trash. The bite still pulsed, but at least… at least the man had used a condom. Small relief in a night of regret.

*****

A loud knock startled her the next morning.

When she opened the door, her father, Denver Stewart, stood there, frowning at her disheveled state.

“You’re not ready yet? The Blake family will be here any minute,” he snapped.

Hailey stared at him. The same man who once forced her mother to kneel on the cold floor. Since that day, she had stopped caring what he thought.

“It’s too late for that,” she said lightly, a bitter smile on her lips.

Moments later, servants from the Blake family arrived. The butler greeted her father politely, then turned to her with a stiff smile.

“Young madam,” he called her.

Hailey almost laughed. Young madam? Her? She’d worked for the Blakes since she was seventeen—sewing clothes, blending into the walls. She wasn’t used to being noticed, let alone called that.

“I’m not a young lady yet,” she muttered under her breath.

“You are now,” the butler replied smoothly. “The matriarch sent the marriage certificate this morning. You can see it when you arrive.”

Hailey's heart dropped. They’d sent the certificate, without her even being there. Her so-called husband… a stranger. A sick man she’d never met.

But there was no point arguing. She couldn’t undo this.

“Let’s go,” she said quietly.

The Blake family’s old estate loomed large. High walls. Red lanterns. Old pavilions. The place reeked of power, money… and control.

She followed the butler for what felt like forever, finally stopping in front of a room. Inside, elderly women were chanting scriptures. The butler hesitated, waiting.

Hailey stood still, pulse racing.

Finally, one of the old women opened her eyes—sharp, cold eyes that pinned Hailey to the floor.

“You’ve married into the Blake family,” the woman said, voice like iron. “You’ll follow our rules. Stay here. Don’t go to the hospital. Your husband should meet the family when he’s… healthy.”

The words sank in like ice.

Healthy? The husband she hadn’t even seen yet. The husband they’d married her off to… how sick was he, exactly?

Calvin Blake, the adopted son of the Blake family's second son, had been abandoned on a snowy day. The matriarch took him in, raised him like one of their own.

Now, he lay on a hospital bed, pale, thin, clinging to life with only the machines beside him keeping him alive.

Hailey stood frozen by the bed, staring at the frail man for what felt like forever.

“Stop standing there like a statue,” snapped Rowena Harver, her mother-in-law. “If you can’t help, move aside.”

A servant entered quietly, carrying a basin of warm water. Rowena, thin and tired herself, gently wiped Calvin’s face and hands. Her eyes, red from sleepless nights, never left him. She had no children of her own—Calvin was all she had.

Feeling awkward, Hailey took two steps back, giving space to the grieving woman.

Just then, Calvin’s fingers twitched.

It was so slight, no one noticed at first. But then his eyelids fluttered open.

“Quick, get the doctor!” Rowena’s voice shook, though she tried to sound steady. The servant rushed off.

Hailey's heart raced. Could this be real? Did their marriage… bring him luck?

Calvin's eyes drifted across the room until they landed on her. His gaze, though weak, was sharp.

“Who… are you?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

Rowena shot Hailey a sharp look, the meaning clear: Say the right thing.

Hailey’s lips trembled. She managed to speak.

“I’m your wife. Hailey Stewart.”

She didn’t hate him. How could she? Looking at his fragile face, the thought vanished. He looked barely alive, but when he smiled… it was like spring sunlight breaking through clouds. For a moment, she could almost imagine how handsome he must’ve been when healthy.

“I didn’t think… I’d still have a wife,” Calvin murmured.

“What nonsense are you saying?” Rowena scolded, her voice cracking. “Of course you have a wife. You’ll get better, and you’ll have a good life together.”

Calvin closed his eyes, a faint smile still on his lips.

“Even if it’s only for a little while… we’re husband and wife. That’s fate.” His eyes met Hailey's again. “Please… take care of my mother. After I’m gone.”

Her chest tightened. No. Please, no…

But half an hour later, Calvin was gone.

Before taking his final breath, he told his mother not to blame Hailey. The young woman who became his bride in the morning… was a widow by noon.

Meanwhile, in a towering office downtown, Travis Blake sat at the head of a long conference table.

The meeting was in full swing when his phone buzzed.

A message from home.

His eyes darkened. He raised his hand, cutting the speaker off mid-sentence.

“Cancel the meeting.”

“Something came up at home. The meeting’s over. We’ll continue tomorrow,” Travis Blake announced, rising from his chair.

No one dared to argue. Travis, known for being cold and ruthless, had taken down his own uncle at a young age. He held most of the Blake family’s power now. His subordinates worked under him without complaint, knowing resistance was pointless.

At the hospital, the family gathered. Calvin’s body was ready for the morgue.

Travis stood beside the bed, silent. He had no blood ties to Calvin, but still, the sight of his cousin lying lifeless stirred something in him.

He quietly paid his respects, then moved to Rowena’s room. The woman had collapsed from the shock and was sedated.

Hailey sat by her mother-in-law’s bedside, watching over her.

A servant approached, whispering, “Young madam, the eldest master is here.”

Her heart skipped a beat. The eldest Blake? Harvey, her eldest brother, had always spoken of him like a legend. She had wondered what kind of man Travis Blake was.

The sound of footsteps drew closer. Hailey turned—and froze.

It was him.

The man from last night.

Travis’s eyes darkened with recognition. His voice dropped low. “Get out. All of you.”

The servants exchanged nervous glances but obeyed without question, scurrying from the room.

Hailey hesitated by the door. Her face calm, her heart in chaos. Is this even possible? The man she couldn’t forget from last night… was her husband’s cousin? The head of the Blake family?

“You. Stay,” Travis ordered.

Her legs locked in place. She clenched her fists, realizing the truth. There was no escaping this.

After the others left, Travis grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the living room.

“What the hell is this?” His voice was low, sharp. “Why are you here?”

Hailey stared at him with guarded eyes, her lips curling into a faint smile.

“I’m Hailey Stewart,” she said evenly. “Calvin Blake’s wife. Or… his widow, now.”

Travis’s face hardened. His family had married a prostitute. “Are you the replacement Denver Stewart sent?”

Hailey’s smile twisted into something sharp. “Your family was desperate for someone with a lucky horoscope. Ask yourself—how many daughters does Denver Stewart really have?”

That made Travis pause. He hadn’t thought to dig deeper. All they’d needed was a woman with good fortune to try and change Calvin’s fate. They hadn’t asked too many questions.

“A daughter raised by Denver… working those kinds of jobs?” Travis scoffed.

Hailey’s eyes flashed with quiet fury. “If men like you didn’t exist, women wouldn’t have to survive that way.”

For a moment, Travis couldn’t respond. No woman had ever talked to him like that—calm, sharp, unapologetic.

His jaw tensed. “Stay out of that life now,” he warned. “Next time, I won’t be polite.”

He turned and stormed out.

Hailey shook her head, amused. The mighty Travis Blake, the same man who had called her last night… now tangled in this ridiculous fate with her.

If the servants hadn’t returned, she might’ve laughed aloud.

At first, she’d thought Travis’s involvement with Luna was purely business. But now… she saw the truth. It wasn’t just business. It was personal. And it explained his icy attitude.

Oddly, that realization eased something inside her. Despite everything, marrying into the Blake family… maybe it wasn’t the worst decision after all.

A small warmth bloomed in her chest, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. But she quickly masked it. Her husband had died today. Smiling now would be unforgivable.

The thought of Calvin’s fragile smile, his final words… her heart ached again.

Later, when Travis left the hospital, Hailey couldn’t shake her mixed emotions. She sent a servant to escort him to his hotel.