,

"You want him?!

", The audacity she had to claim that., I looked at her pitiful face, my voice dropping a few degrees colder.

"Haley, you misspoke. You're not after Conrad for him. You're after the status, the fortune that comes with his name.

", Haley replied,

"I won't deny that, but...

" She paused, then delivered a blow straight to the heart,

"But over these past days, he's been just as kind to me as Aiden ever was. I've truly fallen for him. I do want a life with him.

", She was making it clear - Conrad was the one for her, and in her eyes, I was still the rival for his affection., But still, here she was, asking for my help and rubbing salt in my wound at the same time. Did she actually think I was such a pushover?, A smirk crossed my lips as I said,

"Conrad might have been good to you, but he ran away, didn't he?

", Haley's face stiffened at my counter. I pressed on with a mocking tone,

"Are you sure he wants a life with you too?

",

"As long as he comes back, I have a way,

" Haley murmured, almost in despair., I nodded slightly,

"Then find a way to bring him back. I won't help you.

", Haley had been kneeling for so long, already on the verge of collapse. My words seemed to snuff out her last hope, and she gripped the car door tighter,

"Why? Because you're still in love with him, right?

", It's a tragedy, really, when a woman blames another for a man's lack of love., I didn't want to entertain this conversation any longer, giving a mocking laugh,

"If that's what you want to believe.

", Haley froze, seemingly at a loss for words.,

"Ms. Perez, kneeling for so long isn't good for the baby. You should stand up; I'm leaving,

" I glanced at the car's clock - ten minutes wasted on this.,

"Felicia, if you don't call Conrad, I'll keep kneeling here,

" Haley threatened, resorting to a tactic I hadn't expected., They say even the bravest can't, stand against a relentless nag. At, that moment, I understood why Conrad might have run away, perhaps it wasn't just a fallout el, Herschel but also Haley's incessant badgering. ,

"Then keep kneeling,

" I revved the engine for emphasis., Haley shuddered at the action but clung tighter to the door., She was determined to have a standoff, believing I wouldn't dare to drive away, to actually hurt her., Seeing her like this, anger bubbled within me,

"Haley, if you don't move, that's on you. If you were to get hurt, do you think the Wagner family would let me face consequences?

" , Her eyes widened in disbelief.,

"Haley, if you were out of the picture, that'd be a celebration for the Wagner family, get it?

" I reminded her with a smile., At that, Haley shifted, finally sitting down on the curb, not daring to gamble against me because she knew where the Wagner family's loyalties lay., I grabbed the phone from the passenger seat,

"You want Conrad back, right? I'm calling him now. Listen for yourself.

", This call wasn't out of pity or to help her. It was to crush any hope she still harbored.,

"Felicia,

" Conrad answered within seconds, his voice coming through on speaker.,

"Conrad, Haley's been making a scene at your place and now she's stopped my car in the street, demanding we bring you back,

" I laid it out plainly.,

"Where is she now?

" Conrad's voice was emotionless, but I knew him well enough to recognize the anger brewing., Haley, upon hearing Conrad's voice,, scrambled up from the ground and, snatched the phone from me,

"Rad, please come back. If you don't, the, Martin family is going to make a decision about this baby.

" , Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.