Chapter 99
Hayden wanted all three of them to go on the trip together. Without Matthew, their family wasn’t whole.
Although Hayden was disappointed, he still entered the car with Nicole. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and drove Nicole to the aquarium.
The aquarium was crowded with people today. Hayden shielded Nicole the entire time to make sure no
one could touch her.
Even though there were a lot of people present, Nicole didn’t bump into anyone at all. That said, the arm
Hayden used to shield her brushed against a lot of people.
Still, Hayden didn’t complain at all. Every time they passed a tank, he would ask Nicole if she was
interested in the sea creatures.
Nicole felt that Hayden was treating her like a child in his efforts to win her favor.
She wasn’t used to Hayden treating her so well. She thought that nothing he did was sincere–that he just wanted to make her comfortable so that she wouldn’t escape.
Nicole glanced at one of the signs in the aquatic center. “Let’s just go and see the dolphins,” she said.
“Okay. I’ll take you there.” Hayden smiled and brought her to watch the dolphin show.
There, the dolphins were playing with the caretakers. Everyone was enjoying the show, laughing and clapping along.
Nicole also watched the show from somewhere nearby. Suddenly, she was reminded of what Shawn
used to tell her.
One of Shawn’s favorite things to do was to take her to see the dolphins when she was stressed out.
There were a lot of dolphins abroad. They even had a center dedicated to dolphins where she used to live.
Nicole had interacted with the dolphins there countless times. Back then, she had no concerns, and her body was not as weak as it was now.
So much time had passed in the blink of an eye. She had never visited an aquarium since then. She certainly didn’t expect to see these cute and lively creatures again near the end of her life.
Suddenly, Nicole pursed her lips and said, “I heard that when some animals fall sick and sense that they’re about to die, they would find themselves a resting place in advance. Then, when their time’s up, they’ll disappear so they won’t trouble their partner or owner.”
Hayden didn’t know why she said that out of the blue. It only made him nervous. He quickly hugged
Nicole as if she might vanish.
“Enough of that. We’re here to have fun, so don’t say something so ominous, okay?”
Chapter 99
2/2
Nicole looked up into Hayden’s eyes and said, “Do you still remember what I said to you after we slept together when I was still pursuing you?
“I told you I wasn’t a prude, so you didn’t need to take responsibility. I also said I wouldn’t cling to you when I was the one who basically threw myself at you.”
She continued, “Do you still remember what you said in response?”
Hayden smiled and pinched her cheek. “I said I wasn’t trying to take responsibility. I sincerely wanted to marry you, and your words had already touched me.”
Nicole smiled and stared at his handsome features. He was as captivating as ever.
“But I also told you that if you really wanted to marry me, then you should be frank with me. I asked you
not to hide anything from me. Now, I’ll ask you once again. Have you fulfilled that promise?”
She had asked the same question a while ago. Back then, Hayden said he wasn’t hiding anything from her
without any hesitation. But in truth, their marriage was nothing but a facade.
Hayden stared down at Nicole and said, “Don’t worry. I’d never hide anything from you. You have to believe me, okay?”
He was planning on coming clean about their marriage certificate anyway, so he technically wasn’t hiding anything from Nicole. He did indeed fulfil her promise from back then.
Mockery flashed in Nicole’s eyes as she nodded silently.
