Chapter 559 William and Hayden
Hayden made dinner arrangements with Gabriel. Her primary intention was to seek his help in meeting William, and secondarily, she was interested in potential cooperation with Capital Construction. This would provide her with a more legitimate reason to frequent River North.
Gabriel readily agreed. The meeting place was a branch of Teresa Pavilion, a dining establishment under The Bennett Group.
Hayden was aware that Teresa Pavilion was named after William's sister, Teresa, and was one of the upscale hotels under The Bennett Group. Teresa Pavilion had an excellent reputation in River North.
They had agreed to meet at 7 o'clock. Gabriel arrived first, as he owed Hayden a significant favor. Moreover, in the business world, Hayden was indeed a respected partner or competitor.
Guided by the server, Hayden entered the private dining room and spotted Gabriel standing by the window—elegant, handsome. She was briefly taken aback but then burst into laughter.
"Ms. Hayden, we finally meet," Gabriel said, hanging up a call on his phone upon seeing Hayden's arrival and offering her a smile.
Hayden walked in, saying, "Had I known Gabriel in person is even more distinguished than in photos, I wouldn't have called off the engagement."
Gabriel also smiled but didn't respond to her comment, instead instructing the server to bring the dishes. He then walked directly to the table, gesturing for Hayden to sit on the chair offered by the server.
Only after Hayden was seated did Gabriel take his own seat. Looking at her, he said, "Ms. Hayden, what can I assist you with? I will not decline any request within my capacity."
Hayden glanced at the server pouring coffee beside her and took her time before speaking. After the coffee was poured and tasted, she found it to be exquisite Blue Mountain coffee, leaving a lingering taste on her lips.
The offerings at Teresa Pavilion were indeed exceptional.
Noticing Hayden's desire for privacy, Gabriel signaled the server to leave once the coffee was served to him as well, leaving just the two of them in the room.
"It's quite simple. For you, I believe a simple phone call should suffice," Hayden finally spoke with only Gabriel in the room.
"Is that so?" Gabriel chuckled after sipping his coffee, "Ms. Hayden, please continue."
"I see you are quite familiar with Teresa Pavilion, Gabriel. You must be a regular here. You must also be familiar with the behind-the-scenes owner of Teresa Pavilion, right?" Hayden sipped her coffee calmly, smiling softly.
Setting down his coffee cup, Gabriel furrowed his brows slightly, "You mean William?"
Hayden nodded, looking at him.
Suddenly, Gabriel laughed once more.
"Gabriel, what's so amusing?" His cryptic smile confused Hayden.
Since she didn't understand, she felt compelled to ask.
"I do know him. After all, the circle in River North isn't that large," Gabriel replied, nodding after controlling his laughter, "What's on your mind, Ms. Hayden? Is the favor you require related to William?"
"Yes," Hayden nodded. "There are deep misunderstandings between William and me, which have led him to avoid me at all costs. He won't even exchange a single word with me."
As he looked at her, Gabriel recalled the investigation he had conducted three years ago for the Garcia and Bush Smith families during the proposed alliance. The files clearly indicated that William was Hayden's first boyfriend. They had lived together for a few months in Southern. The child she had lost was undoubtedly his. Her second boyfriend was Hall. Shortly after Hayden and Hall began their relationship, the Johnson family was almost obliterated. It appeared that Hayden's involvement with Hall had hidden motives. After all, from every angle, Hayden wouldn't have had any relations with someone like Hall.
"Are you asking me to act as a mediator to resolve the conflict between you and William?" Gabriel asked after a moment of thought.
Hayden shook her head, "That isn't necessary. I simply need you to create opportunities for me to meet William."
Gabriel smiled faintly, "Do you know that William has a sister?"
Though uncertain as to why Gabriel suddenly mentioned Teresa, Hayden nodded, "Yes, Teresa. She's studying in Jermany, I believe."
Gabriel took another sip of his coffee, "No, Teresa has returned to the country."
Teresa.
When Gabriel spoke her name, there was an undeniable tone of warmth and affection in his voice.
"Gabriel, are you suggesting...?"
Gabriel smiled slightly, "Teresa is William's most beloved sister, his only sister. Perhaps Teresa could speak highly of you to William. Her influence far surpasses mine."
Hayden was already aware of William's deep affection for his sister Teresa.
Furrowing her brows, she immediately understood. Unable to contain her amusement, she said, "I see. Thank you, Gabriel."
With that, Hayden raised her coffee cup in a toast toward Gabriel.
Gabriel smiled back and reciprocated the gesture with his own coffee cup.
As they continued their meal and business discussion, an hour passed swiftly.
After the meal, they both departed. Once in her car, Hayden suddenly found herself unsure of where to go. Memories of her time with William flooded her mind.
Almost involuntarily, she input the address of The Bennett Mansion into her navigation system and began driving in that direction.
Being unused to the white luxury car provided by the subsidiary, she accidentally collided with a black Bentley halfway there.
To her surprise, the person in the car she hit was Teresa, Liam's fiancée. During her management of the overseas branch of The Bush Smith Group, she had met Liam a few times. Liam was a decent person, and they could be considered friends.
When Teresa stepped out of her car, Hayden was immediately struck by her presence—not due to her physical beauty but because she was William's only sister and bore a striking resemblance to him.
After a brief introduction, Teresa and Liam quickly bid farewell to attend to airport matters.
Watching them drive off, Hayden dialed Justin to investigate Teresa's background and preferences.
Having decided after observing Teresa's appearance and behavior, Hayden was determined to become Teresa's close friend.
Once the call ended, she summoned the courage to dial a specific number and connect the call.
The phone rang and rang until unexpectedly, it was answered.
"Hayden, whatever you have in mind has nothing to do with me. Please, don't bother me! I have no time for your games!"
The man's voice was sharp and cold.
Hayden frowned slightly. As she tried to process the conversation, the phone line abruptly went silent, signaling the call's end.
Did he despise her this much now? Tears welled in Hayden's eyes.
After a moment, she forced a smile. Getting back into her car, she continued toward The Bennett Mansion.
Stopping just a few dozen meters away, Hayden parked her car by the side of the road, wary of going any closer to the building.
Sitting in her car, she gazed quietly in the direction of The Bennett Mansion.
Unbeknownst to her, a black Land Rover passed by her car toward The Bennett Mansion.
William was inside, completely unaware of her presence.
At that moment, Hayden found herself in a contradictory state, uncertain whether to feel joy or sorrow. Simultaneously, she pondered—did she truly love William that much? Couldn't she continue living without him?
Over the past five years, she had managed to forget him completely, living a fine life without him. Yet now his memory resurfaced, causing her distress and confusion.
Shortly after the black Land Rover entered The Bennett Mansion, a light came on in a room on the second floor facing the street. Behind large floor-to-ceiling windows draped in sheer curtains, a tall and slender figure was clearly visible.
It was William.
Staring at his silhouette, Hayden felt a trance-like quality wash over her.
After an indefinite period, she mustered the courage to call William once more.
This time, the call connected almost instantly. Before William could speak, Hayden said, "William, I'm outside your house. Let's talk."
Upon hearing her words, William remained silent and promptly ended the call.
Was he unwilling to meet her?
As Hayden sat there, lost in thought, a familiar figure strode purposefully toward her from the entrance gate of The Bennett Mansion.
It was William.
Suddenly, Hayden's emotions surged, and she promptly pushed open the car door.
