Chapter 62


    “No, Elliot-I want you to go to the hospital with me,” Hayley pouted as she clutched onto Elliot’s sleeve


    tightly like a child terrified of losing affection.


    “I can’t go with you because I still have stuff to do. Be good and let Rèy take you to the hospital,” Elliot


    cajoled patiently.


    “No. I want you to go with me, or I won’t go at all,” she whined stubbornly.


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    He frowned pensively. Given that she was still in shock after the ident, it made sense for him to take


    her to the hospital and stay with her throughout the check-up. However, just as he was considering this,


    Anastasia suddenly snorted. “So don’t go to the hospital then, Hayley. President Presgrave and I still


    have things to do. Come on, President Presgrave, we have to get going!”


    Hayley’s chest rose and fell erratically when she heard this, and she started trembling as she groaned,


    “I feel dizzy, Elliot!” With that, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her legs buckled under her. It


    was only because Elliot moved quickly enough to catch her that she did not copse onto the ground.


    He swept her into his arms and carried her into the backseat of the car, saying, “I’ll get you to the


    hospital now, Hayley.” He then addressed Anastasia, who stood firmly in ce, “Could you get a ride


    back to thepany?”


    Anastasia watched as his car sped out of the parking lot, leaving her behind. She heaved a sigh and


    headed back to thepany.


    Over at the private hospital that was run by the Presgrave Corporation, Hayley had gone through


    several tests, and it was concluded that she was fine aside from the shock and the concussion that


    came with the ident. The doctor also mentioned that she would be fine after a few days’ rest.


    Elliot was presently seated by her hospital bed. Taking in the bump on her forehead and her pale face,


    he consoled her by saying, “Don’t worry, you’ll just have to stay here for a couple of days for


    observation purposes.”


    “Elliot, what were you doing with Anastasia? Were you both going out for work or something?” Hayley


    asked as shey demurely in bed, feigning curiosity.


    He shook his head. “I was going to bring her to the Presgrave Residence to meet my grandmother.”


    Hayley was in shock as she asked, “Why do you want her to meet your grandmother?”


    “I was kidnapped once when I was only a child, and it was Anastasia’s mother who sacrificed her life to


    save mine. My grandma’s been waiting to repay the deed ever since,” Elliot exined frankly.


    “What? You were the kid Anastasia’s mother saved back in the day? Anastasia and I were ssmates


    throughout elementary and high school. I heard about how her mother had died while on duty, but I


    didn’t think you were the person she saved. Her mother was a selfless woman,” Hayley pointed out


    with admiration. “I’ve always looked up to her mother.”


    “Did something happen between you and Anastasia?” Elliot asked curiously. He could tell that


    Anastasia harbored enmity toward Hayley to the extent that her hatred for thetter was unmistakable.


    Hayley had long since thought of an answer, and she lied with a sigh, “Anastasia came to save me


    once when I was being taken advantage of, but in the end, she ended up getting assaulted instead.


    She’s been holding it against me ever since.”


    “Assaulted?” He nched at this, wondering if Hayley was perhaps referring to some other kind of


    assault.


    “Yes. Some gigolo ended up viting her. It was because of me that she had to suffer something as


    horrible as that,” Hayley went on to say as tears of guilt glistened in her eyes. She buried her face in


    her hands and muttered in anguish, “I could never make it up to her, not even if I were to spend the rest


    of my life trying to atone for my faults.”


    Elliot felt his heart leap to his throat. Anastasia was assaulted by a man before this? “Are you sure she


    was.” The words died on his tongue as he fixed his gaze on Hayley, unwilling to ept what he had


    just heard.


    Hayley’s tears streamed down her face as she nodded firmly and said, “Yes, her chastity had been


    cruelly taken away from her that night against her own will. That was her first time and I… She was


    assaulted because of me, and I can’t ever make it up to her. She’s hated me since that horrific ordeal,


    and I deserve it. I deserve to be loathed by her for the rest of this lifetime.”


    Just as she was saying this, Hayley thought darkly, I just need to let Elliot know that Anastasia isn’t


    some virtuous and puredy. Now, regardless of how pretty she is, she will forever be tainted goods to


    him!


    Elliot, on the other hand, felt as if he was caught in the aftershock of an earthquake. He was so


    stunned that his handsome features seemed frozen in ce, and his eyes were wide as he


    contemted what he had just learned.


    “It’s only right that she hates me. There is nothing I can do to atone for this sin of mine, Elliot. I know


    that I had the same experience as she did, but I was lucky


    Anastasia, though; she met a scoundrel who slept with her and abandoned her as soon as the deed


    was over.”


    “Does that mean the kid belongs to that gigolo?” Elliot pressed in a low voice, his fist clenching where it


    rested atop his knee. I can’t believe she went through something like that.