Chapter 473 William and Hayden （74）
The two men, neither of them sleepy, sat in the car smoking and chatting sporadically. Unbeknownst to them, most of their conversation revolved around Hayden.
Jasper was the late-life son of the Mason family, a full twenty years younger than his elder brother.
When Nico married into their family, the Michelle household, he was just eight years old. That same year, he met five-year-old Hayden for the first time and managed to hold her hand and even sneak a kiss successfully.
After the kiss, Hayden was none too pleased and beat him up on the spot before storming off, prompting laughter from everyone around.
Back then, everyone joked that they were bickering soul mates, perfectly matched in social status, likely to end up together.
Jasper had harbored such thoughts, too, but sadly, Hayden never showed any interest in him.
Since she wasn't interested, why force it? He was the dashing, adored youngest son of the Michelle family, Liam. If Hayden wasn't interested, there were plenty of other women who were.
Their conversation drifted, and before they knew it, dawn broke.
The snow had stopped.
The whole world was blanketed in silver-white, plunged into a quiet pallor.
In the villa's second-floor bedroom, Hayden, too, had spent the whole night awake, window open, listening to the sounds outside.
The only noises were a car approaching and then stopping, never leaving.
Finn's villa was vast, sprawling across hundreds of acres, and nearby traffic was infrequent, particularly on a snowy night like this one. Consequently, every car sound outside was distinctly audible to Hayden.
All night long, William had been outside, not leaving even for a moment.
She wondered how he was doing with the heavy snow and bitter cold and his being injured.
Now, as daylight illuminated the world, turning everything a blinding white, Hayden lay by the window. Her only thought was to jump out.
But reason told her no!
That would be the least of her problems if she jumped and got hurt. She feared not only failing to see William but also provoking Finn actually to harm William.
Based on Finn's bodyguards' merciless treatment of William in his own apartment, it was clear that Finn would not think twice about William's well-being.
Therefore, she couldn't jump and certainly couldn't meet William.
Now, all she could do was endure.
Click!
Suddenly, a soft noise echoed as the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside, prompting Hayden to turn with a start, hope lighting her eyes, only to find a bodyguard standing at the door.
"Miss, the boss says you need to freshen up quickly. We leave for the airport in fifteen minutes," Finn's bodyguard said, standing at the doorway, looking at Hayden with respect.
—Fifteen minutes to the airport.
Hayden's eyes, which had momentarily brightened, dimmed once again.
Did she really not have a chance to even say goodbye to William?
No!
No goodbyes were necessary between them. He loved her, she loved him, and they resided in each other's hearts. They had never been separated, not even for a second, so why bid farewell?
William would surely understand her; he had to.
"Okay, I got it." Hayden forced a smile and acknowledged.
The bodyguard nodded and, out of respect, closed the door behind him as he left.
As soon as the door shut, Hayden's eyes reddened with uncontrolled emotion, the tears blurring her vision.
William would wait for her—he had said he would, no matter when.
William, please don't back out on your word, please!
.......
Outside the villa, in the black Land Rover.
William hadn't felt the slightest bit tired all night long, his mind painfully alert every moment.
As dawn broke, he stepped out of the vehicle and walked with heavy steps through the snowy ground toward the villa's ornate gates.
The gates remained tightly closed, with not a sound coming from inside.
Jasper, watching William, got out of the Land Rover, too, and walked over.
"We can't stay here forever. Let's go," Jasper said to him, taking a deep breath and exhaling a cloud of white air, attempting to offer some advice.
With narrowed eyes, William silently stared at the villa, well aware that staying was futile. However, deep down, he couldn't bring himself to walk away, knowing there were more important matters to attend to.
Whether it took ten or twenty years, he'd have to rely on his strength. As long as Hayden was willing to wait, he'd give her the grandest wedding this world had ever seen and eagerly welcome her as his wife.
"Yeah, let's go." After several minutes of silence, William finally nodded in agreement and turned to leave.
However, it was at that moment, inside the villa, when a car engine was suddenly heard. Abruptly, William's steps halted, and he turned back. Jasper also stopped alongside him.
Gradually, the gates of the villa opened, and three black Bentleys emerged.
Watching the trio of cars approaching, William stood motionless, his gaze firmly fixed on the rear window of the leading vehicle.
Although it was impossible to see inside the car's rear from the outside, William knew Hayden had to be seated there—he could feel it.
