Alpha Hayley’s Destined Mate
Chapter 265: A Bold Idea
Hayley’s POV:
I had never seen Christine act like this before. When I asked her a question, she quickly looked away, flustered. “What are you talking about? I just wanted to know Christopher’s schedule. It’s not as complicated as you’re making it sound.”
I could sense something strange in her reaction, but since she wasn’t willing to explain, I decided not to press the issue. After all, winter had arrived, and spring wasn’t far off. The season of love was about to begin.
“How about we spend Christmas Eve together tomorrow?” I suggested. But to my surprise, Christine immediately declined, saying, “I can’t. I—I have other plans.”
I had been thinking of asking her to go shopping or catch a movie, but since she had something else to do, I let it go. “Alright, go ahead and take care of things. I can spend the holiday by myself,” I said.
Christine stuck out her tongue, looking a bit guilty. Then, a bold thought crossed my mind. Was she meeting with Christopher? But that was her business. If she wasn’t ready to talk about it, I wouldn’t push any further.
This Christmas Eve was unusually cold. When I opened the window, a thick fog blanketed the outside. I threw on a heavy coat before heading downstairs. Since George’s passing, I hadn’t seen much of Benjamin. But today, from the moment I stepped out of my room, Hera seemed eager for me to go downstairs.
Sure enough, when I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw Benjamin sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast. I was a little surprised but greeted him happily, “Good morning!”
Benjamin grunted in response and then added, “I’ll drive you to school later.” I didn’t say more, just pulled out a chair and sat down to eat. As I ate, I glanced over at Benjamin.
“Is there something on my face? Why do you keep staring at me?” Benjamin asked, lifting his eyes to meet mine. Embarrassed, I quickly looked away. “No, it’s just… I haven’t seen you in a while, and I noticed you’ve lost some weight.”
I knew he’d been incredibly busy lately. After George’s passing, the pack had gone through some changes. Rival packs were becoming more restless, and Benjamin had been tied up handling those issues. Now that things were finally calming down, I hoped he could enjoy this Christmas.
I nodded. “It’s alright! The exams are coming up soon, so I’m cramming for…”
“I know you’ll do well,” he said, giving me an encouraging smile. I smiled back, finished my breakfast, and stood up. “Tr… done. I’ll wait for you outside.”
With that, I walked out the door. Not long after, Benjamin followed me out. We got into the car without saying a word. The drive was quiet until we reached the school, and I unbuckled my seatbelt. “I’ll head in now.”
Just as I was about to get out, Benjamin stopped me. “Do you have time tonight? How about we grab dinner together?” I hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded firmly. “Sure.”
“I’ll pick you up in the afternoon,” he said. I nodded again and got out of the car.
Inside the school, there was a strong sense of holiday cheer. As soon as I entered the classroom, several of my classmates handed me beautifully wrapped little gifts, saying, “Merry Christmas, Hayley!” I felt a little embarrassed but accepted the gifts with a smile, saying, “Thank you!”
To my surprise, more classmates kept bringing me gifts, and soon my desk drawer was filled to the brim. “Wow, Boss, you’re so popular! Look at all these gifts,” Henry said, glancing at his desk, where only a few gifts were piled up. He seemed envious. I was also a bit surprised.
Then, Henry pulled out an especially beautifully wrapped box from somewhere and handed it to me. “Merry Christmas, Boss.” I was taken aback that he had prepared a gift for me. I smiled and thanked him. “Thank you!”
Henry grinned and said, “It’s the least I could do. But Boss, don’t forget your promise, alright?”