Chapter 28: Chapter 28

The sun was yet to cast a rosy hue across the morning sky, but Kendall was already outside for a morning jog. She went to a nearby park, jogged a few loop cycles, and only stopped when she realized she needed to go home to prepare for class.

Beads of sweat ran down her forehead as she did more stretches on her way home.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" Kendall hurriedly apologized after accidentally hitting a man while stretching her arm.

"It's okay, Miss. No worries," the man replied, nodding and smiling.

After apologizing once more, Kendall turned around and resumed walking.

She trailed the path to the mansion until she realized something, which caused her to come to a halt and look back.

The worn-out polo, slacks, and bag the man was carrying reminded her of someone, so she racked her brain to remember.

'He seems familiar, but I can't remember where I saw him. Damn!' Kendall exclaimed inwardly in frustration.

Time ticked forward, but there wasn't a single person that popped into her mind. Helpless, she continued walking until she reached the expansive gate of the Hoffman family's mansion.

Determined to remember, Kendall began thinking about where she saw the familiar man again. She tried to recall every person she had met in the last few days, and when she succeeded, her eyes narrowed in wonder.

'Wait, isn't he the man Nancy was talking to at the fast-food chain? How is he related to her, and why is he lurking around here?' she inwardly asked.

Kendall thought about possible answers to her question. She was confident that the man she saw couldn't be Nancy's father because the latter once mentioned that her parents were in the province. Thus, Kendall assumed that the man was merely a relative of Nancy, working around here.

Thinking that brooding over something that didn't necessarily concern her wouldn't do her any good, Kendall stopped stressing. She passed by the mansion's gate and happily greeted the guards. However, her expression changed almost immediately after setting foot in the mansion.

'Why am I feeling this way?' she asked as a growing sense of anxiety that she couldn't understand permeated her body.

Then, Nancy inevitably came into her mind again.

"That girl—she knew a lot about Grayson, and she's the only one in our class with the same schedule as him," Kendall muttered after realizing that most of the information she gathered about Grayson came from Nancy.

Kendall's experience as a police officer fostered her to be skeptical about a lot of things. Thus, she reasoned that Nancy's act of receiving cash from the man and the man's recent visit to the village was too much of a coincidence.

Unable to tame the growing suspicion in her heart, Kendall ran to her room, grabbed her phone, and called the young inspector, Noah Green.

"Hello?" Kendall greeted. "Are you there, Inspector Green?"

"Yes, good morning. What made you call this early, Inspector Whitlock?" Noah replied from the other end of the line and joked, "Are you still pretending to miss me?"

Kendall softly chuckled when she remembered what happened during their date that Cady had set up. She thought it was something they could chat and laugh about some other time to relieve stress. However, now was not the time for that.

"Good morning, Inspector Green. I'm sorry if I called abruptly. Did I wake you up?" Kendall apologetically said.

"No, not at all. I was just getting ready to go to the headquarters," Noah replied. "Why? Do you have something important to say?"

"I've sent you an email with the name and picture of a woman in the same class as Grayson," Kendall directly answered, not bothering to beat around the bush. "I haven't reported this to Chief Spencer because I wasn't sure yet, but I'm hoping you could help me. I was guarding Grayson while he was on a date last time when I happened to see that woman at a fast-food chain nearby. She was talking to a man I bumped into at Grayson's compound this morning. Well, this woman and I talked a lot, and from what I can see, she knows so much about Grayson."

"Alright, got it," Noah readily replied. "I will run a background check on her, and please do me a favor. Make a summary of everything she has told you, whether it is about Grayson or herself. Once we find any discrepancy between what she told you and what we discovered, we will investigate her more or tail her to make sure."

"Noted on that, Inspector. I'll keep an eye on her too. Thank you again!" Kendall said in both seriousness and delight.

She was about to end the call when Noah spoke again and said, "Wait, Inspector. I want to tell you something."

"What is it, Inspector Green?" she asked, a bit curious.

Noah didn't speak for a few seconds, so Kendall repeated her question. After a while, she heard him take a deep breath before saying, "I hope you're not letting yourself get too attached to Grayson, Whitlock. I know I don't need to remind you this, but let me do it anyway."

Noah paused for a moment, so Kendall patiently waited.

"I hope it is clear to you that everything about him is only temporary," the former added.

"W-what do you mean?" Kendall stuttered as she asked.

"It doesn't have any other meaning, Inspector. I meant it as is. You can consider it a bit of friendly advice," Noah said and chuckled lightly before getting more serious as he added, "That is also to say that we should know our limitations to avoid hurting ourselves or... someone else."

Kendall's heart pounded for some reason. "Why are you talking like that?" she asked again.

"No reason," Noah replied and faked a laugh as if he wanted to soften the seriousness of their conversation. "I only wanted to say that everything was just part of our job—your job. Anyway, I'll get going now, Inspector Whitlock. I'll call you as soon as I find something about what we discussed."

With that, Kendall could only reply, "Alright, thank you."

Noah's words had undoubtedly shaken the latter. She was so stunned that she didn't dare move an inch even after her colleague dropped the call. Kendall felt as if she had been splashed by a bucket of cold water, forcing her to wake up and face the reality of her mission concerning Grayson. She, of all people, knew that Noah wouldn't say such words if he hadn't noticed anything.

'Maybe he noticed that Grayson and I are getting closer and that I am gradually forgetting about the purpose of my mission,' she guessed.

True enough, Kendall got carried away by their situation. The longer they were together, the more she became more comfortable and delighted whenever she was with Grayson. She felt like the latter had filled the void of what she failed to experience as a teenager.

She had utterly lost track of her purpose. She forgot that Grayson was supposed to be just a job and that by allowing him to get close to her, she was increasing the likelihood of him getting hurt.

Halfway through her thoughts, she heard someone knock on her door.

It was, of course, the subject of her thoughts. Grayson scanned her from head to toe as soon as she opened the door. One of his eyebrows automatically raised upon seeing how she looked.

"You're not ready yet?" he asked.

"I-I just finished jogging," Kendall replied in a barely audible voice, still affected by Noah's words.

"Why do you look so sullen? Is there something wrong? Did you receive a piece of bad news?" he worriedly asked upon noticing her mood and seeing the phone in her hand.

"N-no. Maybe I overtired myself this time," Kendall reasoned.

Grayson didn't doubt what the latter said because he felt she was telling the truth, judging by her tone and expression alone. So, he only nodded and said, "Then, hurry up. We're having breakfast now."

"You can eat first, Grayson. I still have to take a bath. I'll just eat with Esther," she suggested.

However, Grayson refused, saying, "No, we will wait for you. You know that Grandpa wants us to eat together."

'Even Mr. Hoffman is getting close to me,' Kendall inwardly thought, utterly frustrated.

Helpless, she could only say, "O-Okay. I'll hurry."

Grayson then nodded and left. After that, Kendall frustratedly held her forehead with her hand, thinking, 'What if they found out that this is all a pretense?'

...

Kendall remained silent upon arriving at the dining table. She couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Noah, but she smiled and tried to keep the two men from thinking something was wrong with her.

Grayson didn't talk either, so Arthur broke the silence to brush off the suffocating atmosphere they currently had.

"Grayson, why don't you invite your girlfriend over dinner tonight?" the old man randomly urged, causing Grayson to put down his spoon and fork.

"I can't answer on her behalf, Grandpa, so I'll talk to her first. I'd call you later if she agrees. I hope you had told me about this earlier, so she could prepare herself," Grayson replied.

Arthur's brows furrowed as he asked, "Come on, Grayson! What exactly should she be getting ready for? She'll only meet me, so why can't she be herself? Take a look at Hailey. She's simply being real. Can't your girlfriend be like her, who can show her true colors without any pretense?"

Kendall, who was listening to the two's conversation, reached for a glass of water and took a sip. They were talking about Grayson's girlfriend, so she didn't expect the old man to mention her suddenly.

"That's not what I meant, grandpa," Grayson said and reasoned, "She's meeting you, so you can't expect her not to be nervous. It's only natural for her to feel that way."

"Is that so? Then why isn't Hailey tensed when I'm in front of her?" Arthur asked again in a slightly provocative way.

Seeing that Grayson struggled to prove his point, Kendall sat properly and spoke on his behalf. She cleared her throat and said, "Our situation is different, Mr. Hoffman. I'm just Grayson's friend, so I don't feel the need to act timid before you. She wasn't his friend, though; she's his girlfriend."

"What about you, Hailey? Will you get nervous meeting your boyfriend's parents or grandparents too?" Arthur curiously asked.

Kendall fidgeted with her fingers under the table upon seeing the two's inquisitive gazes at her. "I-I don't know, Mr. Hoffman," she answered. "I haven't experienced such a thing yet, but I think I will also be nervous. I might constantly worry about whether they would like me for their son or grandson. Perhaps, it's only a natural feeling like Grayson claimed."

Arthur then nodded, satisfied. After that, he asked another question.

"Do you personally know my grandson's girlfriend?"

"Yes, Mr. Hoffman. Why'd you ask?" Kendall replied and nodded.

"What can you say about her?" Arthur probed. "You are Grayson's close friend, so I need to hear your honest opinion about her."

Grayson and Kendall then exchanged gazes, not expecting Arthur's prying questions. Seeing hints of worry in the former's eyes, Kendall smiled reassuringly. She looked at him as if she was telling him not to worry about what she would say.

"Grayson's girlfriend is kind, Mr. Hoffman, and I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed if he ever chooses to marry her. She is smart, pretty, lively, and most importantly, she loves your grandson so much. I've seen them countless times together, and I can see that she can take good care of Grayson," Kendall stated.

However, Arthur didn't seem convinced still. He only looked at his grandson and asked, "Grayson, can't you marry someone who has a personality like Hailey?"

Hearing that, Kendall sighed again. She felt a little uncomfortable seeing Grayson's grandfather like her a lot.

"Then why don't you ask Hailey to marry me, grandpa? I'd be more than willing to make her my wife," Grayson said and smiled. "I'd even be grateful to you for the rest of my life."

Kendall wasn't sure if Grayson was merely joking or not, so she only sneered at him.

"Did you hear that, Hailey? You and my grandson seem close, but don't you like him even a little? Do you find him ugly?" Arthur asked while looking at her expectantly.

"No offense, Mr. Hoffman, but I told you already that I don't like guys like him who could almost replace the prince charming in movies," Kendall replied in embarrassment as her face flushed red.

"But Grayson won't be a prince forever, sweetie. He'd be a king sooner or later, so would you consider him by then?" Arthur inquired.

"I don't think so, Mr. Hoffman," Kendall firmly stated.

Still, the old man refused to back down.

"Then what qualities are you looking for in men? You're beautiful, so the only reason I can think of why you're still single is that you're selective."

"I'm not, Mr. Hoffman. I just don't have plans to get into a relationship right now because I'm happy with my life," Kendall reasoned.

Arthur wanted to say something more, but the latter immediately cut him off. She slightly lowered her head to hide her reddened cheeks and said, "Let's not talk about me but Grayson's girlfriend, Mr. Hoffman. I could see that you two are ganging up on me."

Grayson and Arthur, on the other hand, grinned and winked at each other.

...

Kendall continued being silent even after she and Grayson got inside the car. Her eyes remained focused on the road while her mind was still troubled about Noah's profound advice.

Grayson, who had noticed her unusual silence, unhesitatingly put his hand on her neck and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"No," she answered.

"Then, do you want me to drive?" he asked again.

This time, Kendall only shook her head.

Because of that, Grayson couldn't help but sigh, both confused and worried about Kendall's strange behavior. He had been watching her the entire time, and he could sense that something was wrong with her.

"What's wrong, Hailey? You've been so quiet since earlier that I am starting to miss your smile," he joked, not wanting to sound too serious.

Before Kendall could even respond, Grayson's phone rang.

"What's up, Chester?" the latter greeted.

Kendall couldn't hear what Chester was saying, but she could see that Grayson kept looking at her while the former was talking.

The two men's conversation didn't last long as the latter said, "I'm sorry, bro, but I can't go out tonight. I'm having dinner with grandpa, so I'll join you guys next time. Bye!"

Hearing that, Kendall instantly figured out why Chester called. Curious, she turned to Grayson for a second and asked, "I noticed you prefer staying home lately. Why are you no longer hanging out with your friends?"

"As much as I love to, I don't want to upset someone," Grayson replied as he glanced at the buildings outside the car window.

"Is that so? Then, Cady seems to be a good influence on you," Kendall replied, nodding.

However, Grayson corrected her, saying, "I didn't say it's Cady."

"Oh! Is it Mr. Hoffman?" she guessed again.

Still, Grayson shook his head.

Kendall tried to think of another person, but when she couldn't think of any, she gave up and asked, "Then who is it that you don't want to upset?"

"You," Grayson directly answered, his gaze glued to her.

Dumbfounded, Kendall chose to focus her eyes on the road. She couldn't say anything for a second and couldn't even look directly into his eyes.

"Why me?" she asked after a moment of silence.

Grayson didn't even think long and replied, "I can't stand seeing you angry."

With that, Kendall was rendered speechless. Her chest felt heavier as minutes passed, and she wasn't sure if it was because of her guilty conscience or Noah's reminder that her and Grayson's closeness were only temporary.

"G-Grayson," she called after a seemingly long time.

"Yes?"

"Cady has hurt you before, hasn't she?" she asked while her eyes remained focused on the road.

"Yes," Grayson replied.

Kendall swallowed nervously first before their conversation went on.

"Do you forgive people easily?" she wondered.

"Well, it depends on the pain and damage they've caused," Grayson replied.

"But you said Cady cheated. That should hurt a lot, right? Still, you forgave her..."

"It took a year before my anger subsided, though. Besides, I learned that what happened back then wasn't Cady's fault. She didn't cheat on me intentionally, so how could I continue blaming her for something she didn't want to happen in the first place?" Grayson explained.

The latter's response made it more difficult for Kendall to look at him.

'Intentional? What about my case? We thoroughly thought of everything! I have a motive, and this is all part of our plan,' she thought, realizing Grayson would never forgive her.

"Why are you asking those weird questions?" the latter asked.

"Nothing. I just want to prepare myself for your reaction if I sinned against you," Kendall sensibly reasoned.

"Hailey, you always annoy and frustrate me, but I always forgive you even if you don't ask for an apology. What makes you think I won't forgive you in the future?" Grayson asked with one of his brows raised.

"I was merely asking, Grayson. Don't overthink."

...

The day went on with Kendall still stagnant and preoccupied. When they arrived home, Grayson stopped her from entering her room.

"Do you want a sandwich? I'll make you one," he offered, still trying to uplift her mood.

However, Kendall readily shook her head.

Frustrated, Grayson asked, "Hailey, did I do something wrong?"

He took a deep breath and calmed himself. He also didn't know why he couldn't hide his frustrations right now when he had always been good at doing that.

"You did nothing wrong, Grayson," Kendall flatly replied.

"Do you want to go outside? Meet the gang, perhaps?" Grayson asked for the third time.

Still, Kendall shook her head.

"Are you trying to avoid our study session?"

"No—"

"Then what do you want me to do?!" Grayson snapped. "I can't stand seeing you like that, Hailey. You are frustrating me! Tell me what I can do to make you happy."

"Do you really want me to be happy?" Kendall seriously asked.

"Of course!"

"Then learn to decide for yourself and not for me from now on, Grayson. Get me out of your system. Stop worrying about me. Don't think of me whenever you have to do something or decide about anything. I want you to look at me as a mere classmate or friend who could stay or leave your side anytime," Kendall snapped. "I want you to focus on your grandfather and Cady because they are the ones who will be with you for a long time," she added.

"Why are you talking like that, Hailey?" Grayson asked, stunned by her tone and reaction.

"If you genuinely want me to be happy, just do as I say," she advised. After that, she closed her door, not waiting for Grayson to reply. Not long after, she felt her tears run down her cheek alongside the weakening of her body.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed.