Chapter 467 William and Hayden （68）
It wasn't a question but a statement of fact.
Seeing Jasper, William smiled and then looked at Hayden, squeezing her hand and saying, "Patrick is here, then let's hurry up."
Hayden struggled to open her mouth, but whatever she was about to say was swallowed down.
The issue between her and William was something Finn would eventually discover.
Considering that it had to be revealed eventually, she reasoned that sooner was better than later. After all, her decision was not going to change.
Stretching out her fingers to interlock with William's, Hayden gripped his hand tightly, looked at him as he smiled and nodded. "Okay, let's go upstairs."
"Hey, there's nothing to worry about. What's meant to come will come," Jasper said as he patted Hayden on the shoulder. "A tiger doesn't eat its cubs—don't worry, your dad wouldn't go that far."
"Yeah, he can't do anything to me. Let's go!" Laughing, Hayden led the way to the elevator, William holding her hand tightly and Jasper following behind.
...
When they reached the elevator and stepped inside, they observed as the floors ascended swiftly, and the atmosphere among the three grew increasingly tense.
William had a clear idea about Hayden's reaction.
In fact, he felt he had understood for quite some time. Finn was vehemently against the notion of accepting a relationship between himself and Hayden, let alone assuming the role of son-in-law in the Smith family.
For Hayden, it didn't matter whether Finn cared or not. All he wanted was Hayden herself.
Therefore, regardless of Finn's attitude, it was insignificant.
What mattered was that Hayden would never leave him, and he would never let go of Hayden's hand.
Ding-dong.
As the elevator chimed their arrival at their floor, the tension in all three was palpable and more intense than ever before.
Hayden and William were understandably anxious, while Jasper felt nervous because of them.
He had previously called, pretending to be Hayden's boyfriend, and now that the charade was up, he was surprisingly unbothered. After all, Finn wasn't going to do anything to him.
The elevator doors slid open, and William turned his head to glance at Hayden. His lips maintained a gentle curve, and he smiled tenderly and indulgently.
His face betrayed no sign of concern or unease, only the calm and composure he always emanated.
Hayden knew he was trying to put her at ease, to make her feel like there was nothing to worry about.
But she knew better than anyone what might happen next.
Responding with a faint smile of her own, Hayden and William stepped out of the elevator together.
Exiting the elevator, they glanced up to find William's apartment door wide open, a surprising sight. Four tall bodyguards stood by the grandly open entrance.
In an instant, Hayden's face fell, and the nervousness in her heart turned into anger.
Not just Hayden, but William's brow also furrowed, a flash of displeasure in his eyes.
It appeared that Finn had completely ignored him, which explained his audacity in forcing open his apartment door and entering without invitation.
Jasper noted the scene with a frown but remained silent.
Such an authoritarian attitude fits Finn's character well.
"Miss, the gentleman has been waiting for you for a long time," one of the bodyguards at the door said respectfully to Hayden upon her arrival.
"I'm aware," Hayden responded calmly to the bodyguard, then raised her gaze to William.
"Let's go," said William, smiling serenely at her.
"Okay," Hayden nodded. Hand in hand, they walked toward the apartment, Jasper following closely behind.
Entering the room, they realized that another four were standing inside in addition to the four bodyguards at the door. Finn was seated on the living room couch, leaning back, legs crossed, puffing on a cigar with the air of an undisputed boss about him.
When Finn heard them enter, he didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. Instead, he continued to smoke his cigar casually, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
William glanced at him, a tiny frown crossing his face, yet he was not intimidated by Finn's demeanor.
"Patrick."
Stepping into the living room and stopping, Hayden addressed Finn first, with William followed suit and called out politely.
As if he had just realized their return, Finn leaned forward to extinguish the cigar and looked over languidly.
"Finn, you really are a VIP, coming over without a word. Why didn't you stop by my place first instead of heading straight over here to William's?" Backed by Michelle's support, Jasper felt confident and grinned as he spoke to Finn with his hands in his pockets.
Finn's expression darkened almost instantly. He forcefully grabbed a paper bag from the coffee table and hurled it toward them.
With a smack, the contents of the paper bag scattered across the floor by their feet.
The three men looked at the photos strewn about, each remarkably calm and undisturbed.
"Jasper, is that you in these photos?" Finn asked, his face like thunder.
"It's me," William said before Jasper could answer Finn.
Matching Finn's gaze, William's eyes were steady and firm yet carried the appropriate amount of humble politeness.
