Chapter 125

My heart leaped, and I froze, unable to move. I knew better than to make a sound; otherwise, I'd expose myself. Joanna began walking toward me, step by step. She was about to discover me when a sharp meow echoed from a nearby corner. "Meow!" Joanna quickly turned, frowning. How could there be a cat in such a luxurious hotel? Before she could question it further, a plump woman in a kitchen uniform appeared at the door.

"White! How did you get here? Don't scare the guests!" the woman scolded, scooping up the cat and quickly leaving without a glance at Joanna.

This interlude seemed to relax Joanna. After adjusting her dress and composing herself, she left the restroom. I waited several minutes after she was gone before cautiously stepping out. Still cautious, I was startled when someone suddenly appeared behind me.

"She didn't notice you," a familiar voice said. It was Ethan.

Relief washed over me, and my racing heart finally slowed. "You scared me to death! What are you doing here?" I asked, still calming my nerves.

"I saw Joanna go in after you, so I arranged for someone to bring a cat," Ethan replied.

I blinked in realization. So that's why a cat suddenly appeared—it was all Ethan's doing. "Good thing you brought that cat," I sighed in relief. But Joanna's words echoed in my mind. I frowned and looked at Ethan. "She mentioned giving Hayden something to drink. There's definitely something in it. Go to Room 303 and see what she's up to!"

For reasons I couldn't explain, I felt a deep unease about Joanna's plan.

"Understood," Ethan nodded and headed upstairs.

I took a moment to steady myself before returning to the dance floor. Hayden had left before me, and by the time I returned, Yasir had already surrounded him.

"Where did you just take Yvonne? I never realized you had such a manly side!" Yasir exclaimed, visibly amused. Earlier, Hayden had pulled Yvonne away so decisively that Yasir couldn't hide his excitement. Although not exactly a "sweep her off her feet" moment, this domineering attitude suited Hayden perfectly, in Yasir's opinion.

Hayden shot him a cold glance. "Where's Marlon?"

"No idea," Yasir replied with a shrug, then smirked. "Why don't you ask me where Joanna was? She was performing her heart out for you just now, and you didn't even notice!"

"Joanna," Hayden muttered, as though suddenly remembering her.

"Wow, aren't you ruthless?" Yasir teased, a playful glint in his eyes. "Wasn't she your little treasure not long ago?"

Hayden didn't bother hiding the truth. "It wasn't her who took care of me overseas."

"Huh?" Yasir's brow furrowed. After a moment, he scratched his head. "So... you only treated her specially out of gratitude? Now that you know it wasn't her, you've lost interest?"

Hayden remained silent, his lack of response an implicit admission.

"So, when you found out it was Yvonne who looked after you, that's when—wait. Do you still not love her? Are you just grateful?" Yasir stammered, clearly confused.

After a brief pause, Hayden suddenly asked, "Is there a quick way to tell?"

"Of course!" Yasir answered immediately, leaning closer with a mischievous grin. "Whoever stirs your desires—that's who you like! We're men, let's not kid ourselves. Nothing proves love better than attraction."

Hayden frowned, but the suggestion wormed its way into his mind.

"Don't doubt it. Think about it—how many women have caught your interest? Someone as distant as you, anyone who tempts you must be the one you like! We're all men here, no need for vagueness. What's more convincing than physical attraction!" Yasir continued passionately.

Hayden knew it was nonsense, but he couldn't help thinking along those lines. He had no special feelings for Joanna, but Yvonne... The first time had been under the influence of the drug, but even after that, sober, he often felt the urge to touch her. Even earlier, in his anger, he had instinctively moved closer to her. He thought, according to Yasir's nonsense, does this mean I like her?

Yasir, waiting for a response, noticed Hayden deep in thought. He grinned wickedly. "Looks like something happened..."

Hayden finally snapped out of his thoughts and muttered, "But she said she can't stand me."

Yasir caught the sadness in his voice and raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Yvonne said that?"

Hayden's handsome face turned somber, and he didn't respond further. Yvonne's decisive words earlier had sent a sharp pain through his chest.

Yasir sighed. "If I were her, I wouldn't just dislike you—I'd hate you!"

Hayden frowned at him, his gaze darkening. Thinking of his finances, Yasir pressed on, "You ignored her for so long, yet when she heard you were injured, she rushed to care for you, never seeing her mother one last time. If you hurt her again, can you even call yourself human?" He wanted to secure business with Pax Oceana, so these two better not get divorced. Thinking about his finances, Yasir continued, "Think about it, you ignored her for so long, yet when she heard you were injured, she traveled all this way to take care of you. She didn’t even get to see her mother one last time. If you hurt her again, can you even call yourself human?”

He was getting bolder by the minute, but Hayden's expression didn't darken further. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. Hearing it like that, he really did feel like a jerk!

"So..." Hayden opened his mouth, hesitating. "What should I do?"

"But if you really want to make things right," Yasir continued, "start by dealing with the women around you. Then apologize to Yvonne properly. Honestly, how are you so smart in business but completely clueless when it comes to love?"

The Creator is truly fair. No one is perfect after all.

As their conversation reached this point, Joanna strolled over.

"Marlon, I've been searching for you everywhere! So, this is where you've been hiding," she said, her voice laced with a coy sweetness.

Yasir felt his skin crawl at the saccharine tone. He had met countless women—mature, aloof, innocent, even excessively sweet—each with their own allure. He thought, why does this kind of sweetness always feel so insincere? She was something else entirely, evoking a rejection I couldn't quite articulate. I can't imagine how Hayden tolerated her, he mused, sneaking a glance at Marlon, whose expression betrayed nothing.

Seeing Hayden's silence, Joanna pressed on, her voice softening into a calculated shyness: "Did you hear my piano piece earlier? I played it just for you." Her cheeks flushed with an affected bashfulness, her confidence unwavering. She assumed Hayden's interest in the piano was limited to its melody, failing to grasp the layered meaning behind his earlier requests. Yet to Hayden, her performance felt like a hollow echo, devoid of the depth he sought.

"Why not play the song that once woke me?" Hayden asked suddenly, his voice cold yet tinged with intrigue.