Vince is Mad Again?

After a moment of silence passed, Hailey further queried Geoffrey regarding the accident's badly hurt workers. 

She asked, "Geoffrey, were the two workers in a coma locals or from overseas?"

"They were foreigners immigrating hereafter accepted to work for us," Geoffrey replied. "What's wrong?"

Geoffrey was curious about Hailey's plan. He has known this girl all his life, so he is sure that Hailey would do something for those workers.

Hailey ponders for a moment. She carefully weighs the idea she comes up with.

"Geoffrey, why don't we help someone from their family come over? They must feel devastated, and it's the least we could do to ease their worries. Manager Brown should assign someone to work on papers for the family representative's visa and expenses."

"Hm… That was a great idea, Hail. I will contact Manager Brown to work on it immediately!" He knew it. This girl would not just sit around.

"Thank you. I could not be at peace, knowing the family of these workers have no restful days, thinking about their injured family."

"And you… Stop worrying too much, okay? We will do everything we can. I'll be more worried that you will keep thinking about the mishap as well," Geoffrey's comforting words to Hailey. Honestly, this is Bryan's role; he is the first man Hailey runs to before her dad. Geoffrey thought, he added. "I'm furious at Bryan because he neglects his work because of the same woman that caused your heartbreak."

"I'm not heartbroken anymore, so there's nothing you have to be concerned about. It's not worth mentioning either."

"I'm hoping that was true, Hail. I don't want to see you were protecting Bryan instead, and you were saying all of this now, so we stop hating him and beat him again."

"Nah. I'm totally over it. I'm totally fine now." She does. Everything that happened in the past was just a bizarre event in her life now she could laugh at. "Well then, I must end this call so you can continue your work. I'm sorry if I burden you with more tasks that are supposed to be my responsibility."

"What are you talking about? It's not your fault, although you have to take action on Bryan's negligence. I can punch him one more time if you allow me."

"You just wanted to use it as an excuse to beat him up."

"I would not deny it." Geoffrey chuckled as he admitted it, which made Hailey giggle as well. It gladdens Geoffrey to hear Hailey laugh.

"Director Wilson, the meeting is about to start. Everyone is already waiting for you."

Hailey picked up a female voice in the background. She recognized Geoffrey's secretary.

"Alright. I don't want to keep you away from your work. I will call from time to time to hear the progress of the injured workers. I wanted to meet them and will try to visit soon."

"Okay, Hail. See you soon, then? I have to go now to start the meeting."

After a bid goodbye to each other, Hailey ends the call. She heaves a long sigh to lighten the worries she feels at the moment.

She needs to go home soon to make sure that everything is alright. Even if Geoffrey assured her to take care of the matters, it was her sole responsibility to ensure that her men worked seriously and the accident wouldn't happen again. And Bryan is not exempted from this matter.

She must visit Australia to meet the injured workers and call for a Board Meeting. But what excuse can she tell Vince?

'Ugh! Pitt should hurry his investigation and find Eva!' 

~ ~ ~

When Hailey returned to her friends, they noticed the sadness in her eyes. The three girls exchange glances. It was Hazel who could not behave, not to ask what bothered her.

"Hail, what happened? You were gloomy after you made a call. Is there some problem with your family?"

Hailey nodded. She pursed a sad smile and said, "Just a minor accident," she said.

"Are you sure that's all?"

Hailey smiled. "Yes. It's all right. I feel my aunt's sadness." She lied. But she has no other choice.

Honestly, she doesn't want to lie to her friends. But it's not the right time to tell them the truth. Maybe the time would come…

~~~

Now that the afternoon field activity has ended, it's time for them to return home, and most of them have to get their car back to the university. 

Hazel and her friends plan to have dinner in a fast-food restaurant near the university before heading home, but Hailey refuses as she has to make dinner for Vince.

Hailey sent Vince a message to ask him when he would come home. She also includes in her message that she might be home late as they may be stuck in traffic on their way back.

However, instead of a reply, Hailey's phone rang. She checked the caller, and it was Vince. She was lining up to climb onto the bus, so she excused herself and quickly answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hi… Are you going back to the city now?"

Hailey could sense something different in Vince's voice, hinting that Vince was not in a good mood. So then, she cheerfully replied, "Yes! The bus is leaving soon."

"Great timing. I'll be there in about five minutes."

"Huh? Do you mean that..." 'Vince is picking me up? No. Vince is coming to the resort!'

It surprised her a bit. He is too busy at work outside the central city, far from his company. Maybe just a coincidence, and he is nearby.

'Or maybe, he needs me to escort him for a dinner meeting with his business partners? Or… Ah!'

She doesn't want to assume, but she has a bad feeling. Vince came because of what happened earlier.

Honestly, she has all these ideas because Vince has no reason to act like a real boyfriend unless for a show-off purpose to reach the media or let someone recognize her as Vincent Shen's girlfriend. 

"Hailey, come on!" Liza calls out to her after all the students are inside the bus.

Hailey turned around to face Liza while pointing a finger at her phone. Liza figures out that it was Vince on the phone. Not that long, a black sports car is coming toward Hailey.

A worried look in her eyes flashed for a moment, then she pursed a smile on her lips, staring at the car parked in front of her.

She bit her lower lip and settled her heartbeat. Vince didn't drive his Maybach coming here. Instead, it was his latest black Lamborghini Aventador.

And because she was standing across the parking lot, opposite the school buses, all eyes were like watching a romance drama when the ML picked up the FL.

Suddenly, everyone took out their phone to take a photo. However, on the bus where the first-year college students are, Hazel casually coughs and says...

"If you don't want to face the consequences, I better delete it."

Everyone growled in protest. But they know better than they could not post it on social media and spread gossip.

Meanwhile, Hailey could still not believe that Vince was picking her up. She keeps convincing herself that maybe he has some business matter in the resort or something.

When the car door opens and Vincent gets out of the car, she holds her breath. 

Hailey hid her emotion when Vince walked toward her.

She gathered her thoughts in one place to prepare herself. She knew the game, and she must do her act when they were in public like this.

"Hi! You're here!" Pursed a sweet smile across her lips. When Vince lowered his head and kissed her left cheek, Hailey held her breath.

'Of course, it was only for a show!' Hailey reminds herself.

Hailey blushed when Vince scanned her from the head down to her shoes. She did not perceive that Vince would pick her up today, so she didn't think of an excuse to give him.

When she left home this morning, Vince knew these were not her clothes. But why does she have to change her clothes?

Well, it was better than seeing her look earlier. Gladly, she still has extra clothes left in the resort's suite that belongs to Vince. She showered and changed into a comfortable dress, replacing her pink Converse shoes, now wearing a green stiletto.

"Um... About the clothes..." Hailey attempts to explain, but she stops talking when Vince raises a hand.

His eyes sweep to the three buses that park across them. Later, the bus, one by one, left the resort.

Hazel, Nadia, and Liza wave at her. Hailey nodded and waved back to her friends.

Everyone didn't hide their curiosity—every pair of eyes staring at them when the busses passed them. 

Now that they were alone in the parking area, Hailey brightened her smile. 

"So? It's time for us to go as well?"

The uneasiness she felt was still there. Now that no one is around, Vince's smiles disappear from his face and replace them with a grave expression. 

'He is truly mad, does he?' Hailey mused inwardly. 

She doesn't need to guess. It is indeed that someone in the resort reported to him what happened earlier.