Chapter 160: Chapter 160

At her last words, the room erupted into murmurs and whispers as reporters frantically took notes.

Hailey’s subtle but heartfelt confession had taken everyone completely by surprise.

“I’m not perfect,” Hailey continued as if nothing had happened, her voice strong and resolute. “I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve faced challenges that no one should have to face. But I have also learned and grown from these experiences. I am ready to move forward, to face my future with courage and determination. And I hope that, with Michael’s support and the support of my family, I can finally find the happiness and peace that I have been searching for.”

She looked out at the sea of faces before her and smiled warmly.

“Thank you all for listening to my story.”

With that, Hailey stepped away from the podium, her heart racing and filled with a sense of accomplishment.

She had said what she wanted to say, and she knew that from now on, this was a new chapter of her life that she was eagerly looking forward to.

***

Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, evening had arrived.

But instead of feeling completely exhilarated by what she had done, Hailey lay flat on the mattress of her bed, face down, feeling her ears turn red with embarrassment.

She had bared her soul on national television, laying her feelings bare for the world, and for Michael as well.

She had prepared herself to say those words, but the part where she asked for a second chance had been done on impulse.

That was the result of following her damn heart.

Not to mention that when she got back to her apartment, she decided to check social media — which was a bad, bad idea, by the way — and was startled to see hundreds of clips of her subtle confession to Michael McGregor and various reactions from thousands of accounts online.

Hailey groaned and wished the ground would swallow her whole.

What had happened to her bravery? Now it was deflated like a balloon popped by a needle.

She was doomed. She didn’t want to see Michael’s face anymore.

‘So embarrassing!’ she wailed internally.

She didn’t even want to talk to him yet, so she turned off her phone. It wasn’t permanent, just temporary, until she could pull herself together and become the mature and professional woman she always was.

‘If only it were that easy, like flipping a switch,’ she thought with a sigh.

She closed her eyes and was about to take a short nap to clear her mind when the sound of the doorbell suddenly pulled her out of her reverie.

Her eyes immediately fluttered open, and her heart began to race.

‘Calm down,’ she scolded herself. ‘It’s probably just Mom or my brothers.’

Those three had been visiting her a lot lately. Not that she minded, because she loved spending time with them and catching up.

Since Luther was still in the hospital being treated and cooperating with the investigation and the detectives, Emilia was often with him to fill in the story and add more evidence.

Her brothers, on the other hand, were the most frequent visitors to her home.

It was a little surprising, to say the least, because she wasn’t used to being visited and pampered so often. Before, she was always alone and felt suffocated living under the same roof with Christian.

But now, she was surrounded by family, and she never thought she could feel so safe, comfortable, and happy.

She rose from her bed and walked to the door, trying to calm herself.

She mentally prepared for the teasing she might get from her brothers after her embarrassing public statement today. Although she wasn’t ashamed of everything she had said, the part about Michael made her feel a little shy. She had never done anything like that before, and it was only when she got home that it began to sink in.

On the other hand, if she had the chance to go back, she would do it all over again. She would still say the exact same words because she meant them from her heart.

She took a deep breath and opened the door.

And it was not one of her brothers.

Michael stood there, dressed in casual clothes. A brown vest over a simple white shirt and dark pants. He had a baseball cap on his head, which reminded her of that night when they went to a fast-food restaurant and acted like normal people, like good friends going out for dinner at night.

For a moment, they just stood there, the silence heavy with unspoken words from their hearts.

A lump formed in Hailey’s throat the more she gazed at the tenderness in Michael’s eyes.

“What are you doing here, Noah?” she asked quietly, although deep inside she already knew.

But she couldn’t admit it yet. Not when her heart felt like it was about to burst from her ribcage any moment now.

Michael’s expression softened, and he took a tentative step forward.

“Hailey,” he began, his voice calm but full of emotion, “is the offer still available?”

So many things raced through Hailey’s mind at that moment.

Memories of her and Michael from high school flooded back: hanging out on the school roof, him giving her his homemade lunch boxes, defending her from malicious rumors, their awkward prom dance, her giving him a necklace to remember her by, and finally… their reunion after fourteen years.

The Michael of all those years merged into the Michael McGregor standing before her now, and tears welled in her eyes from the emotions rising in her heart.

She nodded shakily, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

Michael reached out gently and took her hand in his.

In that moment, the distance between them vanished. Without another word, he pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her as if he never wanted to let go.

Hailey buried her face in his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt.

For the first time in a long time, she felt truly at home.