Chapter 402: Moving Out

Hayley’s POV:

I walked over and sat down beside her. “Is there something you need to talk about?”

Odessa looked at me coldly and said, “I heard from the family that you were only supposed to stay here for a year. Now that the time is almost up, don’t you think it’s time for you to find somewhere else to stay?”

“I’m not saying you need to leave the Midnight Pack, but I do believe you should move out of the Southwell Residence.” Her words left me momentarily speechless. The reason I came here in the first place was because of Grandpa Southwell’s invitation; now that he was gone, it didn’t seem quite right for me to continue staying here. And she had already made it clear I was no longer welcome.

“You’re right. I should move out,” I said calmly.

She continued, “I’m glad you understand. I have a two-bedroom apartment in the city. You could stay there if you want.”

I immediately declined. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll find my own place.”

Upon hearing my response, Odessa’s expression softened slightly. “That’s fine then! Although you’re engaged to Ben, you’re still not officially his Luna, so your relationship is still uncertain. I’m just looking out for your reputation. If Ben or anyone else asks in the future, I’d prefer you to say it was your own decision to leave.” In other words, she didn’t want anyone to know it was she who had essentially asked me to leave. It was clear to me what she really meant. For this family, I truly was an outsider. Living here didn’t feel quite right.

“Don’t worry, I understand.”

The next day, I packed up my things. I had already bought a place in the Midnight Pack, which had been empty. I had planned to move there after the one-year arrangement with Grandpa was over. Now, it seemed like the perfect time to make it my new home.

At breakfast, I directly mentioned my plans to move out. Everyone at the table was immediately taken aback.

“Hayley, is something wrong? Why do you suddenly want to move?” Tanner asked.

Christopher frowned and added, “Is it because my parents are back, and you’re not feeling comfortable? Is that why you’re thinking of moving?”

I quickly smiled and said, “No, it’s not that! I just feel like I’ve been here too long, and I don’t want to bother you. I’ve graduated high school, and I’ll be leaving soon for college, so it’s not really convenient to stay here any longer. I figured it was a good time to move out.”

Upon hearing this, Henry immediately tried to convince me, “No way! Boss, don’t move out! If you leave, how am I going to get better at ranked matches? Whose am I going to play with?”

“Yeah, Hayley, there’s still about a month until school starts. You could stay until then.”

Before I could respond, Benjamin, who had been silent until then, looked up and calmly asked, “Where are you planning to move?”

I answered honestly, “Champagne Oaks on Riverside Road.”

“I’ll help you move your things later,” he offered.

I nodded in agreement. I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. He didn’t even try to stop me with a single word. Hera was upset about my decision; she didn’t want to be far from Benjamin. But when I remembered how indifferent Benjamin had been about the whole thing, I grew frustrated and told Hera to keep quiet.

Henry frowned and turned to Benjamin, saying, “Ben, what are you thinking? Hayley’s moving out, won’t it be harder for you two to see each other now?”

“Exactly, Hayley and you are engaged. We’re all family, and eventually, you two are meant to live together,” Christopher added.

But Benjamin didn’t even look up, his tone cold as he replied, “I’m just respecting her decision.”

Hearing those words, my mood plummeted.