Chapter 10 Hayley’s Probe


    Angry and annoyed, Erica immediately thought of Hayley, whom she reckoned was the only person who could help her plot


    against Anastasia. Therefore, she contacted her to meet her at a cafe. When Hayley arrived, she appeared to be in an


    inconspicuous outfit. Just like what she usually did, she walked toward Erica and sat down opposite her.


    “You said you went away for a trip. Where did you go?” Erica curiously asked.


    “Erm... It was just a short trip around the city for a few days. After all, | needed a break,” Hayley answered in a panicky manner


    because she didn’t want Erica to know that she had been living like a rich womantely.


    “What about your shop? Aren''t you going to be back to business?”


    “Nah. The shop isn’t doing welltely anyway, so I’ve decided to take a break.” Hayley appeared unconcerned despite the


    worrying situation in her business.


    Erica responded in a huff. “Did you know? Anastasia got on my mom’s and my nerves today. She is back, but that’s not all


    because—she is now a mother of an illegitimate son.”


    Hayley was stunned when she heard that, holding Erica’s hand while anxiously asking, “What did you say?! She has a child?!”


    Noticing her friend’s dramatic reaction, Erica paused for a few seconds andforted the former. “That child is her illegitimate


    son. Are you worried that she''ll bring the man whom we put up to a one-night stand with her ande after us? Rx, nothing is


    going to happen!”


    “What does the kid look like? How old is he?” Hayley became especially sensitive, thinking that it was necessary for her to be


    aware of everything about Anastasia. Deep down, she couldn’t help but wonder whether Anastasia’s child belonged to Elliot.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    “| heard from my dad that the kid is three and a half years old, and the father is probably someone she gotid with when she


    was living abroad,” Erica replied unhappily.


    Three and a half years old? Hayley carefully calcted the time and deduced that the child didn’t belong to Elliot, instantly


    heaving a sigh of relief. She only had a one-night stand with Elliot. Nah, it wasn’t possible for her to be pregnant so easily in just


    one night. At the thought of that, Hayley gave in to her curiosity and probingly asked Erica more about Anastasia. “How is she


    now? Where is she working?”


    “She is now a designer at Bourgeois, but what''s the big deal with that? She is just an ordinary designer?” Erica was apparently


    unhappy.


    At the same time, Hayley shared the contempt and disdain that Erica had for Anastasia, expressing exactly what was on her


    mind. “Well, | must admit that she was always talented at drawing, but she didn’t even graduate from a university, so how far can


    she go in her career as a designer?”


    “Exactly! She is just a phony who is trying to act smart, yet she manages to gain my father’s favor. Besides that, even her idiotic


    son knows how to make my father happy. Bullsh*t!” Erica no longer cared about her decency as she acted like her feisty mother.


    Meanwhile, Hayley, who was more cunning and shrewd, offered her a word of advice. “You know what, Erica? You should drive


    her away from home and probably even out of this country since you don’t like her so much! You need to get rid of your eyesore,


    after all.”


    “That’s precisely what’s on my mind as well. When the timees, I''ll make sure she is gone.” Erica clenched her fists and


    swore to herself. Nheless, little did Erica know that Hayley wanted nothing more than Anastasia to be gone forever because


    that was the only way for her to continue enjoying her wealthy life and Elliot’s favor.


    Suddenly, Erica was drawn to the ne that Hayley was wearing. “Hayley, what’s the brand of the ne that you''re


    wearing? It looks so beautifull”


    Hayley rubbed her ne with a smile. “Oh, it’s just a fake that | bought from a second-hand seller.”


    Knowing Hayley’s financial background, Erica didn’t find anything wrong with herck of ability to buy a genuine ne.


    However, the ne that Hayley was wearing was, in fact, a product worth over two million under QR Jewelry Group.


    Needless to say, she had no idea who designed the ne. Upon hearing Erica’sints and grumbles, Hayley couldn’t


    stop looking at the time because of her facial appointment. After all, she was so obsessed with winning Elliot''s heart that she


    even wanted to undergo stic surgery to make herself look prettier. Tired of being overshadowed by Anastasia since they were


    kids, Hayley desperately wanted to kiss her ordinary appearance goodbye.


    Three dayster, around 5 AM, Hayley had a bad dream in which she saw Elliot recognizing Anastasia when she confronted her.


    Because of that, she was harshly cast away from the mansion and forgotten as she watched Anastasia take everything she had


    away from her. “No! Please! No!” Hayley sat up straight in horror with her face covered in sweat while frantically looking at her


    surroundings until she realized it was just a dream.


    Frightened by the surreal nightmare, Hayley came to understand that she could never get her hands on what Elliot gave her


    again once she lost all of them. As her greed for wealth got the better of her, her obsession with the currentfort of her life


    unknowingly took over her mind. No, | mustn’t lose what | have now! | mustn’t! Soon, she tossed her pillow onto the ground, as if


    it was Anastasia. “Why aren’t you dead, Anastasia? Why aren’t you dead?!” Anastasia will only prove to be a threat to me as long


    as she is still breathing.


    Suddenly, Hayley squinted and realized it was necessary for her to meet up with Anastasia because she wanted to know


    whether thetter was aware of what was going on back then. More importantly, she wanted to find out whether Anastasia knew


    she spent the night sleeping with Elliot. If Anastasia knows what is going on, | guess | must do something to prevent the worst


    from happening.


    Despite the thought of that, Hayley was sure that Elliot couldn’t remember who he slept with that night because the watch was all


    the clue he had before he decided Hayley was the one he had been looking for. Nheless, she was quickly worried by


    another possibility when she wondered what would happen if Anastasia was able to recognize Elliot.


    She wasn’t aware of what was going on that night, but there was no telling that any word they said during their conversation


    could just jog their memory and help them recognize each other. Overwhelmed by her fear and anxiety, Hayley decided to creep


    from her bed and get herself dressed up because she wanted to meet Anastasia at Bourgeois to find out how much she knew.


    In the meantime, Anastasia was heading toward her office after dropping her son off at school early in the morning. Then, she


    was upied by a meeting about thepany’s new productunching, in which Felicia wanted everyone to submit more than


    ten proposals by the end of the month. When everyone left the meeting room, Alice intentionally bumped into Anastasia and


    provoked her. “I heard that President Presgrave has raised the reward to a million, so you should know that | won’t be defeated


    by you, Anastasia.”


    In that instant, Anastasia was stunned by Alice’s sudden provocation, which left her wondering what Elliot was up to with the one-


    million reward. Somehow, she had a feeling that Elliot was trying to interfere with thepetition, considering his power and


    status.


    Is this guy trying to give me one million like that? No way! Fairness is the most important thing about thispetition! After all,


    thest thing | want is to be a champion in a riggedpetition arranged by him.


    While Anastasia returned to her office withplicated emotions, Grace came over with a cup of coffee and said, “Miss Tillman,


    you have a guest.”


    “A guest? Who?”


    “She is now in the lounge. Perhaps | should usher her here,” Grace replied.


    “Sure.” Anastasia had no idea who the visitor was, so she decided to wait and find out. Not long after that, a knock on the door


    was heard shortly before Grace opened the door with a silhouette that emerged from behind her. Although it had been five years


    since that upsetting incident, Anastasia was instantly filled with hatred and grudge. As soon as Grace closed the door behind her


    and left, Anastasia cially asked, “That’s audacious of you to swing by.”


    Hayley curled her lips upward. “I heard you’re working in this area, and since | happened to be somewhere nearby, | figured |


    should drop by to pay a visit.”


    “You disgust me.” Anastasia clenched her jaw, suppressing her angry urge to give thedy a p in the face.


    “| disgust you? What’s wrong? Weren''t you satisfied with the gigolo whom you slept with that night? | picked the most handsome


    one for you.” Hayley smiled sinisterly. “Don’t tell me you still remember the man’s face.”


    “Shut up!” Anastasia shivered from head to toe in anger.


    “Would you be able to recognize the man if he was standing in front of you?” Hayley continued to ask probingly.