As soon as she finished speaking, Hailey Tang turned and walked away, not giving them a chance to respond.
She strode out of the villa, her heels clicking rhythmically on the marble steps. When she finally reached her car, she bent down and frowned.
The tire was flat—completely.
Hailey rubbed her temple, exasperated. "Seriously? Just my luck."
She stood there for a few seconds, staring at the deflated tire like it might miraculously reinflate itself. But of course, it didn't.
"Forget it. I'll come back for the car tomorrow," she muttered. "Guess I'm walking tonight."
It wasn't worth trying to hail a taxi here either—not unless she wanted to walk another thirty minutes just to reach a proper road.
She turned back to one of the housekeepers standing at the entrance. "Please tell Mr. and Mrs. Yu that I've left my car here. I'll pick it up tomorrow."
"Yes, Young Madam."
Without waiting for another word, Hailey left with firm, decisive steps.
The Yu family's estate was vast. By the time she reached the main gates, the shadows had lengthened, and the wind was picking up.
Just as she stepped through the threshold, headlights flared behind her.
She turned, only to see Ethan Yu's sleek black car pulling up behind her. Her chest tightened for a second. For a brief, absurd moment, she thought he might've come to give her a ride.
The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of her. Without hesitation, Hailey walked up and said flatly, "You don't need to drive me. I'm fine going back on my own."
Just then, the iron gates swung open behind her with a deep mechanical hum.
But Ethan didn't even glance her way.
Instead, the car slid past her and drove straight through the gates without stopping.
Hailey stood frozen.
"…Seriously?"
So, she'd overestimated her own importance—again. She actually thought he was here for her.
She gave a short, self-deprecating laugh and stepped out into the night.
The road outside the villa was long and eerily quiet. Streetlights cast pale halos of light onto the pavement, but there were no other people in sight.
As brave as she tried to be, Hailey couldn't help the creeping unease in her chest.
To distract herself, she began humming lightly under her breath. Just a silly tune—but it helped. That was, until—
Rustle.
She froze.
The sound had come from a flowerbed just a few feet away.
Her body tensed instinctively. She turned sharply and called out, "Who's there?!"
Her voice was sharper than she expected, but not unwarranted—ever since Jo Ning had been nearly attacked, she hadn't been able to shake the feeling that danger was always lurking nearby.
Meanwhile, Ethan Yu had driven quite a distance down the road before he suddenly slammed on the brakes.
His body lurched forward from the momentum, his shoulder hitting the seatbelt with a jarring thud. For a second, he just sat there, gripping the steering wheel, jaw clenched.
His gaze was stormy, his expression tight.
He really didn't want to care about that woman.
He told himself that again and again.
And yet…
"Damn it."
With a harsh exhale, Ethan threw the car into reverse and spun the wheel.
There was only one road leading away from the Yu family villa. If Hailey had walked out, she would've taken this route.
But as he retraced his path, scanning the sidewalk on both sides, there was no sign of her.
He wasn't driving fast—there was no way he should have missed her.
And yet… she was gone.
By the time he neared the villa gates again, a sliver of unease crept into his chest.
Where the hell had she gone?
There was no way she would've turned back—not with her pride. That woman would rather limp home on broken heels than admit defeat.
So where was she?
Hailey, on the other hand, had crouched down beside the flowerbed. Out from the foliage, a small creature wriggled its way toward her.
She gasped when she saw what it was—a tiny, light-golden puppy with floppy ears and bright, innocent eyes. It whimpered and nudged her shoe with its nose.
"You little rascal," she chuckled, scooping it up in her arms. "So it was you making all that noise."
The puppy whimpered again, snuggling into her arms like it had just found its long-lost mother.
Under the glow of the streetlight, Hailey lifted the little dog up and inspected it. It was adorably chubby, with soft fur and a tongue that wouldn't stay inside its mouth.
"You're lucky I didn't run away screaming. Since fate brought us together, I guess you're mine now," she said with a smile.
"Woof!" The puppy barked as if to agree.
Still cradling the pup, she turned back toward the road—only to see a car stop abruptly next to her.
The headlights flashed in her face, momentarily blinding her.
She squinted—and then jumped in surprise.
Ethan Yu again?!
Didn't he leave already?
The car door swung open automatically.
Ethan sat inside, expression as cold as ever. "Get in."
Hailey blinked, then quickly regained her composure. Her voice was calm but firm. "No thanks. I said I'd find my own way back."
He turned his head toward her and gave a sardonic smile. "Why? Worried you won't be able to control yourself in my car? Or are you feeling guilty about something?"
Hailey's brows shot up.
"I just don't want to owe you anything," she said, holding the puppy a little closer.
Ethan leaned against the car door lazily, his eyes dark. "Then don't flatter yourself. I don't care what you do. But that road gets darker ahead—and your legs are short."
Hailey glared at him. "What did you just say?!"
"I said get in," he repeated, this time with a note of impatience.
Hailey hesitated.
The puppy whimpered again, as if picking up on the tension. She looked down at its big round eyes—then back at Ethan.
She gritted her teeth.
"Fine. But I'm only getting in because of the dog."
Ethan smirked, but didn't reply.
Back at the dinner table earlier that evening, the atmosphere had been nothing short of awkward.
When Ethan entered the living room, the first thing he heard was Hailey's firm rejection of the family meal.
His eyes darkened instantly.
Mrs. Yu greeted him with a nervous smile. "Ethan, you're back."
Hailey looked over, meeting his cold gaze.
Ethan's voice was chilly. "Why did you call me back?"
"Nothing in particular," Mrs. Yu replied quickly.
"Then I'll leave."
He turned, already walking toward the door.
"Wait!" Mrs. Yu rushed forward to stop him. "We're all here already. Just stay for dinner, will you? It's rare to have everyone gathered."
"I already ate. You go ahead."
"You can still eat a little. Come on, just sit."
She turned to Hailey. "Hailey, come eat with us."
"I have other things to do," Hailey replied, offering a polite smile. "I'll take my leave now."
"No one wants to eat?" Mrs. Yu asked in disbelief.
"Yes," both Ethan and Hailey said in unison.
Even a fool could see—they just didn't want to eat together.
Mr. Yu's face darkened. "This is your mother's heartfelt invitation. Both of you—sit down and eat!"
No one dared argue after that.
The meal was lavish, but Hailey couldn't taste a thing. Ethan sat directly across from her, cold and silent, acting as if she didn't exist.
Hailey could feel the frost between them, and honestly, she didn't want to be there either.
After finishing a small bowl, she quietly set her chopsticks down.
"Dad, Mom, thank you for the meal. I'm done. I'll be heading back now."
"Eat a bit more," Mrs. Yu urged.
Hailey's heart warmed slightly.
Her mother-in-law was truly a good woman. If only her relationship with Ethan weren't so hopeless.
"Thank you, Mom. I'm really full. It's getting late—I should go."
Mrs. Yu quickly said, "Ethan, drive Hailey home."
"No need," Hailey interjected. "I drove here. And actually, I—"
Before she could finish, a housekeeper rushed in. "Young Madam, something's wrong with your car. We heard a noise earlier—turns out the tire burst!"
"What?" Hailey blinked in disbelief. "It broke?"
"Yes, suddenly. No idea why—it just exploded!"
Both Ethan and Mr. Yu turned their heads toward Mrs. Yu at the same time.
She blinked innocently. "It really broke? How strange. But don't worry, I'll have someone fix it tonight. Ethan, you should drive her home."
"Have the driver take her," Ethan said without looking up.
Mrs. Yu scowled. "She's your wife. How can you let someone else drive her? Go. If you don't, both of you are staying here tonight! Your wedding suite is cleaned daily. You could move in right now!"
Hailey nearly jumped up in panic. "Mom, that's not necessary! I'll just take a cab. Dad, Mom—goodnight!"
And with that, she rushed out, the puppy still cradled in her arms, not daring to look back.