Chapter 3 The condition

Chapter 003

Brianna finally looked up at him, and he noticed that her sapphire ones seemed to have a hint of green, but they looked so sad and empty, locking them with his icy grey hues.

There was something about his eyes that captured Brianna as well, and lured her in. She felt a shiver run down her spine and strange sensations coursed through her veins, which caused her stomach to experience peculiar sensations.

He moved back away from the woman standing in front of her, and finally stepped inside the restroom with a meaningful smile.

Brianna was still stunned at her spot as she stared at the closed door of the restroom. She was disappointed by the loss of their connection, since she didn't expect that Hailey's fiancé was more handsome on a closer look. And he was quite possibly the most handsome man she'd ever seen in her life.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the familiar clicking of heels getting closer, so she wasted no time as she sprinted towards the backdoor and quickly pulled it open before she stepped out.

Nobody in the house should know that Blake had seen her.

"Blake!'' She heard Hailey's melodious voice--too different from the harsh voice she was using to her everytime, followed by her fist pounding on the restroom door.

Brianna's eyes widened as she pressed her back against the back door. Her heart hammered so fast against her palm, scared that Hailey might catch her.

"Blake, are you done?" Hailey asked, her voice sounded suspicious. "I'm sorry, I wasn't able to assist you. Your mom was talking to me, and I didn't notice you leaving the dining room."

"It's okay. I'm done anyway." he answered, looking around for the beautiful woman earlier.

Blake frowned when he realized that the woman and Hailey slightly resembled each other. The color of their hair, the eyes, the body...

'Uh! But that woman is a far way prettier, and she looked so innocent in everything. And sexier too.' he thought.

They could be sisters.

But there was no way that the Parker family wouldn't let a relative join the lunch. If she was Hailey's sister, she would be at the dining table, eating lunch with them.

"Is there any problem, Blake?" Hailey hooked her arm around his, purposely rubbing her breast against him, which made the muscle in his jaw clench. His face hardened, looking at her with a frown as she started flirting with him. "Are you looking for someone?"

Hailey's eyes became sharp when she realized that Blake might've seen Brianna. Her fiancé couldn't see her! She had enough of her stealing the heart of every man she loved.

She remembered the first time she brought her first boyfriend into their house. He couldn't stop looking at her cousin.

And that same day, he broke up with her. His reason? He didn't love her enough to stay in their five-year relationship.

Hailey's second boyfriend saw Brianna too. She caught him talking with her in the garden, and even heard him getting her phone number.

After that incident, she never brought any of her boyfriends, or any of her flings into the house anymore, and would only meet them outside, or did one-night stands in a hotel.

And now that she was about to marry Blake, the man of her dreams, she couldn't let her steal him this time!

"Uh, I just want to thank your maid for assisting me here earlier." Blake's answer made Hailey smile. He saw a maid, not Brianna.

"Don't bother, babe. That's their job. Let's go." She dragged him back to the dining room with a flirtatious smile.

"Hailey, honey. We were discussing the possibility of you working for Blake's company once you graduate from college. What do you think of that?" Mrs. Miller asked, and Daphne almost choked on her wine.

Her stepdaughter was as dumb as a rock. She never wanted to work.

"My daughter has already started investing, and she's currently producing a fair amount of money. I don't think she would be comfortable working with her soon-to-be husband." John stated, sipping his wine as he gave Hailey a sideways glare. "It would be better for her to stay at home and take care of her husband's needs. Right, sweetheart?"

"Yes, daddy!" Hailey answered, her eyes glancing back and forth in nervousness.

"Wow! I'm impressed! At a very young age, she knows how to invest. You must be very proud of her." Mr. Miller said, smiling at Hailey, watching her take a seat next to her stepmother after Blake pulled the chair for her.

"Yes, of course!" John exclaimed. "Hailey is not only beautiful, but the smartest woman I've known. She's the best daughter a father could ask for."

Daphne smiled meaningfully in response to her husband's comment.

Daphne met John through a friend. He was a widow, and was living with his brother and daughter in the countryside. When the man she liked rejected her, she focused her attention on John.

They dated for a few weeks, until he introduced her to his daughter. In spite of the fact that she had reservations about whether she would accept Hailey as her daughter, she nevertheless accepted her as her own.

At first, it was a little bit awkward for both of them, but when Daphne gave Hailey everything she wanted, she accepted her as a mother wholeheartedly.

The lunch ended without any final details because Blake was called by his personal assistant on the phone, telling him that there was an emergency meeting at the office.

"I'll just call Hailey to talk about our wedding. It was such a pleasure meeting you all." Those were Blake's last words before he stood up from the table and left Parker's residence.

"Dad! What should I do now?" Hailey screeched, her teary-eyes widened in fear. "Blake wants a virgin wife!"

After the Miller family left, Hailey received a text message from Blake. The content of the message was, 'I'll notify you if I'm not busy. I want you to come to my penthouse so that we can talk about the preparation for the wedding. I also want to make sure that I'm your first. I want a virgin wife.'

"Dad, he--" Hailey was cut off by a hard slap coming from her father, causing her to fall backwards onto the sofa. Tears instantly fell from her eyes because of the stinging pain caused by the strong palm that struck her face. She tried to alleviate the discomfort she felt by pressing her warm palm on her cheek.

"John, stop!" Daphne stepped in, blocking her husband when he tried to hit Hailey again. "Why did you hit your daughter? What did she even do?"

"Back off!" Instead of responding to his wife, he pushed her out of his way and kicked Hailey in the stomach. His nostrils flared in rage.

"Dad, stop!" Hailey screamed, confused as to why her father was beating her for the very first time. She curled into a ball, clutching her stomach. "Why did I do? Why are you punishing me?"

"You're a b*tch, that's why?!" John exclaimed, pacing back and forth in the living room angrily. "You're such a sl*t for having s*x with different men! Now you're about to lose the opportunity of marrying the most influential man in the country! Why did God give me a daughter like you?"

"Dad, I... I don't know why he wants a virgin wife. You know... you know that it's impossible for him to find one, right." she stuttered in fear, but started crawling towards her father and kneeled in front of him while clutching the hem of his slacks, sobbing. "Dad, he... he will never know that I'm not a virgin anymore. Believe me, I will do anything..."

"Shut up!" John kicked her once more, making her groan and wince in pain. "Shut the f*ck up, Hailey! I don't want to hear anything from you. You always cause trouble and I hate you for that! B*tch!"

"Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." Hailey sobbed loudly, hugging her father's leg.

"Sweetheart, don't hurt our daughter. You know she's just enjoying her life." Daphne tried to defend Hailey, but only resulted in John shooting her an angry glare. "Don't worry. We can find a way to settle this. I can find a way, trust me. Just spare your daughter."