Chapter 451 William and Hayden （52）
Hayden looked down, a bitter smile on her face.
She wanted to attempt it, but she felt afraid. She worried Finn might disagree, that he might forcefully separate her from William, or, worst of all, that he might harm William.
If Finn had yet to have Sophia and the Johnsons around, she could take a bold risk.
But with Sophia present, the outcome seemed inevitable.
"Now is not the time," Hayden said after her bitter smile, a flash of cruelty in her eyes.
"What do you mean, 'not the time'? What are you planning to do?" Seeing her change in demeanor, Jasper immediately inquired.
"Isn't it time everyone knew that William is my boyfriend? So, are you going to help me with this or not?" Once Hayden had made up her mind, she wasn't likely to change it easily.
Seeing Hayden's determined expression, Jasper took a deep breath and eventually agreed with a nod, "Okay, I'll help. As long as you're serious, I'm with you all the way."
"That's the spirit!" Suddenly, Hayden flashed a brilliant smile. "Let's order whatever you want."
Jasper gave her a look, then picked up the soup menu and started to make his selection silently.
...
Back in his apartment, William quickly initiated a video call with his colleagues from his hometown. Being with Hayden made the differences between the Bennett and Smith families very clear. It's not an exaggeration to say one family was thriving while the other was struggling.
Without Hayden, he might have experienced less pressure and lacked such a strong motivation. However, with her, he understood the importance of working hard to gain Finn's approval and trust—to reassure him that Hayden would be in good hands. William needed to demonstrate to Finn and others that he deserved Hayden's love and was capable of marrying her.
The harder he worked, the quicker he grew Queen's Avenue Food Group and the Bennett family's enterprise, earning Finn's approval and trust in handing over Hayden.
Sitting at his desk, he participated in the video conference with the executives on the other side, fully engaged in the meeting. However, halfway through, his phone buzzed with a notification. He briefly glanced at it, noticed it was a multimedia message from an unfamiliar number, and decided to ignore it, concentrating on his meeting.
However, a couple of minutes later, curiosity got the better of him, and he picked up the phone to check the message. It was a few photos.
Opening the images, his brow furrowed instantly.
Hayden had said she had plans for a meeting with someone tonight. That someone was Jasper?
But it made sense. Michelle's family and the Smiths were both part of the Imperial Capital's elite circles, and Jasper's sister-in-law was Nico, Hayden's close acquaintance since childhood. It was rare for them to have dinner and talk business.
However, the way the two were entwined in the photos made it look almost like they were kissing.
Kissing!
Impossible.
William was confident that there was no way Hayden and Jasper were carrying on behind his back.
After all, they had known each other since childhood and were well-matched in social status. They needed to get to know one another before they arrived in the South.
After a moment of contemplation, William instructed the executives on the video call, "Let's take a five-minute break." He then stood up with his cell phone in hand and walked over to the windows.
After deleting all the photos, he dialed a number.
The call was answered quickly.
"Look into this for me—find out who was using this number today," William said, glancing once more at his phone to relay the unknown number that had sent him the photos.
"Okay, William, I'll have someone check on it right away."
With the call ended, William stood quietly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his brows still knitted in concern.
He didn't actually think that Hayden and Jasper were engaged in a secret romance. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was some kind of discussion or issue between them that they felt they needed to keep from him, something they preferred he didn't know about.
If Hayden were in some trouble and didn't come to him but instead consulted Jasper, it would undoubtedly be a huge blow to him.
If he wasn't able to protect and shield Hayden from life's storms, how could she comfortably be with him? How could their relationship last in the long run?
The thought of them eventually parting ways due to the disparity between the Smith and Martin families made William close his eyes in resignation, and his handsome features tightened even more.
No!
He wouldn't let that happen, not ever!
Given another three to five years, he was determined to catch up to the Smiths' stature.
After a brief pause, William reopened his eyes, his expression reflecting renewed clarity and determination. He returned to his desk and resumed the meeting without further interruption.
..........
The meeting lasted two and a half hours before ending. Afterward, William sorted out the meeting materials and went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat for himself.
For dinner alone, William planned to keep it simple with a bowl of tossed noodles.
As he was waiting for the water to boil, the apartment's front door clicked softly, pushed open from the outside.
Hayden had arrived.
Immediately, William turned off the stove and walked toward the entryway to greet her.
While Hayden was tying his shoes and glancing up, he spotted her coming towards him. Like a little girl welcoming her father home from a lengthy business trip, Hayden eagerly threw herself into his arms. With practiced grace, she wrapped her limbs around him, holding on tightly and leaning in to kiss him on the lips.
William caught her with equal skill, lifting her in a playful bounce, and smiled, returning the peck on her ruby-red lips. Walking toward the living room, he casually asked, "Did you eat out? You're as light as if you hadn't eaten anything."
