Hailey crossed her arms and gave him an exaggerated look of innocence. "I didn't say you were sleazy. I just said whoever is sleazy, that's who I'm talking about. If the shoe fits…"
That smug little smirk on her face—it was obvious she meant him!
Howie narrowed his eyes. Sleazy? Really?
Even if he had done something to her, wouldn't that be justified? After all, hadn't she spent her teen years throwing herself at him?
And what was with calling him an old man? He was only twenty-five!
He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Coming from someone who was already being suggestive before she even turned eighteen, I'd say that's more shameful."
"You—!" Hailey's cheeks burned. That smug jerk! She was just young and foolish back then. Okay, maybe she had clung to him like a lost puppy. Maybe she had tried to act mature, tried to seduce him a little. But that didn't make her sleazy!
Grabbing a chunk of bread, she tore at it viciously like it was his face. "At least I wasn't hiding behind a mask of virtue like some people. Acting all high and mighty while secretly being a total creep. And worse—preying on a nineteen-year-old girl. That's messed up!"
Howie snorted. "That nineteen-year-old girl fell head over heels for her so-called creep of a man when she was twelve. And if I recall correctly, she was the one who crawled into my bed at eighteen."
Hailey nearly choked on her bread. "That's because you kissed me first! You made the first move!"
That wiped the smirk off his face. "What did you just say?"
Her eyes flared. "You heard me! You were the one who started it!"
"So you're saying I was drunk and touched you?" he said with a scoff, as if the idea was laughable.
"Yes! You were the one who crossed the line first!" she snapped.
A tense silence followed. Then Howie's expression darkened, his voice dipped low. "That's funny. Because last I checked, you were an adult. You had full control of your choices. You could've stopped it—if you wanted to."
Hailey's lips parted, but no words came out.
"And if that's how it happened, why didn't you ever speak up?" he continued, stepping closer. "Funny how you suddenly want to 'clear your name' now. But it's too late for that."
He leaned in, his voice a whisper laced with heat. "But… since you used to love me so much, if you're still interested, I won't turn you down. Fulfilling my wife's needs is my duty, after all."
With that, he turned and walked out, leaving her stunned and furious.
Hailey's appetite was instantly gone. Her face was flushed, her fingers clenched around the edge of the table.
Yes—it really was him who kissed her first. That kiss had ignited something dangerous inside her. Something greedy and irrepressible. And he… he didn't even remember.
Or maybe he just chose to forget.
Either way, she hadn't argued back before. Because no matter how it started, the one who made the final decision that night… was her.
The ride to the airport was quiet. Hailey leaned against the window, eyes closed, pretending to sleep.
She didn't want to talk. Didn't want to argue. Didn't even want to look at him.
Howie, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. He sat beside her, working on his tablet, focused and efficient as always.
Everything was calm—until it wasn't.
Out of nowhere, the SUV jolted violently to one side!
"Ah!" Hailey yelped as her head slammed against the car door. The sudden pain made her eyes tear up.
Howie immediately looked up, his expression sharp. "What the hell was that?"
"I'm sorry, sir!" the driver exclaimed. "A car came out of nowhere—almost sideswiped us! I had to swerve!"
Hailey blinked and looked out the window. Sure enough, a silver sedan was tearing down the highway at breakneck speed, weaving through traffic like a maniac. Horns blared. Cars veered aside to avoid it.
And behind it—another car, giving chase.
Her breath caught. The second car's window was down. A man leaned halfway out, holding what looked terrifyingly like…
"A gun…?" Hailey whispered in disbelief.
The man aimed with practiced precision. The glint of the weapon, the tension in his posture—it was all too real.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
Three shots rang out in rapid succession.
One of them hit its mark.
The silver sedan's tire exploded, sending the car into a spin. It crashed into the highway barrier with a thunderous screech of metal.
Hailey's jaw dropped.
"What the hell…" she murmured.
All around them, drivers were slamming their brakes, trying to avoid the scene. Horns blared, tires screeched, people shouted. The road had turned into chaos.
Howie's driver immediately pulled over to the side of the road.
"Stay in the car," Howie ordered, his tone sharp.
Hailey didn't need to be told twice. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest.
Had she just witnessed a hit? A drive-by assassination? This was supposed to be a ride to the airport—when did they stumble into a movie?!
She turned to Howie, who was already dialing someone on his phone, face grim.
"We need reroute clearance. Now," he said curtly.
His calm under pressure was impressive… but also mildly terrifying.
Hailey shrank into her seat. She hadn't even eaten breakfast and now she might be in a police report.
And to top it all off, she was stuck in a luxury SUV with the very man who called her a teenage seductress and offered to 'fulfill her wifely needs' five minutes ago.
Could this morning get any worse?
Spoiler: Yes. Yes, it could.