Chapter 15

The sun dipped low over the horizon, casting a golden hue across Willow Park as laughter danced on the evening breeze. Christian had always found solace in this place, but today, an unexpected charge coursed through the air. He was lost in his thoughts, holding Hailey by the waist, affection swirling between them like the autumn leaves falling around them. But suddenly, that moment shattered. "Hailey! There you are! Why did you run off!"

A voice, brash and demanding, rumbled through the park like an imminent storm. Ace strode towards them, his demeanor a mix of arrogance and annoyance. The very sight of him sent a tide of memories crashing into Hailey – a thousand dreams constructed around a wedding that would never happen.

"Ace," Hailey interrupted, stepping forward. "What are you doing here?"

"As if you really need to ask, you left our wedding!" he sneered, eyes flaring with a stubborn fire. "I need to speak with you. about this its important!"Christian stepped closer to Hailey, his body tense, instinctively protective.

"What's important, Ace? The way you've been lying to her?" His voice rose, echoing through the park like thunder. "Three wives, Ace? And you thought it was okay to invite them to your wedding?""Christian, back off," Ace shot back, his fists clenched at his sides. "This is between me and Hailey."Hailey felt a rush of confusion between the two men she had once considered pillars of her life. "Just... stop. Both of you," she insisted.

"This isn't the way to handle things."

"They deserve to know the truth!" Christian shouted, his frustration palpable. "You hurt her, you betrayed her trust."

"Betrayed?" Ace laughed derisively. "You think you can come in here and play the hero? Hailey knew the risks! There's more to love than monogamy."Hailey felt a heat rise in her chest, her heart pounding. "You don't get to define love, Ace! You don't get to invite other women to my wedding especially if their your other wives!"

In a moment of fierce determination, she stepped between the two men, shoving Ace back, but he stumbled forward, anger spiking within him. "Don't do that, Hailey!"Before she realized what had happened, Ace's hand swung towards her, but Christian was quicker, shoving Ace away with a force that surprised even him. "Don't you dare touch her!" Christian roared. What happened next was a blur of fists and fury. Ace lunged at Christian, throwing a punch that connected with Christian's jaw, and the world spun into chaos as they tumbled to the ground, grappling with one another in a flurry of anger and hurt.

"Enough!" A voice rang out, slicing through the tumult. Haiden, Christian's twin brother, emerged like a ghost—a calming presence amid the storm. With a firm grip, he pulled Ace away and leveled a steely gaze at him. "The family deal is off. You've embarrassed everyone, including Hailey. We're done here.

"Hailey watched as Haiden took Christian's arm, guiding him away from the fight. Her heart was heavy, caught in the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future. She stood frozen, watching the two men who had once she thought she knew, now entwined in animosity. But as Haiden led Christian away, she gathered the strength to call after them. "Christian! Wait!" He paused, turning only when Haiden urged him to. Recognition flickered in their eyes, and for a moment, everything between them and the hurt they shared pooled at their feet like fallen leaves.

Later that night, under the shadows of Christian's mansion, the atmosphere felt different—charged with lingering emotions. Hailey hurried through the shower, the hot water washing away the remnants of the day; it was needed. So many feelings tangled within her, and she wished she could wash them away too. When she emerged, wearing one of Christian's loose T-shirts and her hair dampened by droplets, she found him in the living room, nursing a bruised jaw with a cold compress. The sight of him stirred something deep within her—the worry, the tenderness she'd always held for him.

"You look better," she said softly, approaching. Christian chuckled wryly, his lips twitching despite the swelling. "You should see Ace. He definitely got the worst of that encounter."

"Not that I'm complaining," she said, her lips pursed. For a moment, silence enveloped them. Hailey took a deep breath and knelt beside him, reaching out to adjust the compress. Their fingers brushed, igniting an electric pulse between them. Something simmered just below the surface, an unacknowledged desire that had been too long ignored. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking the tension.

"For everything." His eyes softened, the tempest fading as sincerity took root. "You're not the one who should apologize. Ace... he was never worthy of you. "Hailey felt a weight lift at his words, and in that moment of vulnerability, their closeness morphed. Within a heartbeat, she found herself leaning in.

Christian's breath caught, and before either could think it through, their lips met—soft and tentative at first, then crashing together with a desperate passion.

In an instant, everything changed. The confines of their hearts broke open, and with a fervor fueled by release, they stumbled towards his bedroom, devouring each other in a race against time.

In Christian's embrace, Hailey felt safer than she had felt in years—an unspoken promise lingering between them. That night marked a rebirth, a new chapter tinged with love, vulnerability, and trust.

Together, Hailey and Christian took a chance on a future neither of them expected but needed desperately, leaving behind the chaos of the past, stepping into a horizon lit by the radiance of possibility.