?Chapter 1117:


    Yet when it came down to it, the one who held her heart had always been Noah. All those six years he’d spent by her side couldn’t hold a candle to the return of a man thought to be gone forever.


    How was Alex supposed to make peace with that?


    A sleek ck sedan slid to a stop just ahead of him, its engine barely making a sound.


    The tinted window lowered inch by inch, and behind it sat a woman withrge sunsses and a sly curve to her crimson lips.


    “Mr. Howe, how about we sit down and talk things over?”


    At the sound of her voice, Alex stiffened. His expression hardened, his eyes turning to ice.


    Hailey? Of all people, why her—and why now?


    “We have nothing to say to each other,” he said, his voice sharp and t.


    Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel to leave.


    Unbothered, Hailey stayedposed. Her voice remained even. “Mr. Howe, you’ve chased after Ms. Hudson for years. And now you’re just going to watch her go back to Noah? Carry his children? That’s how you n to end it?”


    Those words stopped Alex cold. Every syble cut deep, striking nerves he thought he’d buried.


    His shoulders tensed. Slowly, he turned to face Hailey, shadows creeping into his gaze. “What exactly are you getting at?”


    Her smile stretched wider, slow and deliberate. “This sidewalk isn’t the right ce for this kind of talk. Let’s go somewhere quiet.”


    For a beat, Alex didn’t move.


    He knew what Hailey was—clever, ruthless, and dangerous. Getting involved with her was like handing matches to a wildfire.


    But she’d found the weak spot. She knew where to aim.


    A few seconds passed before he yanked open the car door and slid inside.


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    The vehicle rolled forward without a word.


    Thirty minutester, it slowed to a stop in a neighborhood long forgotten by time.


    Run-down houses stretched out in every direction, their walls cracked and sinking with age.


    Alex shot Hailey a look, his eyes narrowing with dry amusement.


    “Ms. Burgess, when did life knock you down this far?”


    The dig hit its mark. Hailey’s jaw tensed, her smile faltering for a split second. It always came back to Sadie. If that woman hadn’t wrecked her carefullyid ns, she wouldn’t be stuck hiding in this pitiful corner of the city.


    Burying the venom rising in her throat, Hailey pulled her lips into a forced, brittle smile.


    “This way, Mr. Howe.”


    She led Alex toward the small, unimpressive house without waiting for a response.


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