Edward remained distant. He turned his cold eyes to look at her. The moment his eyes met hers, the coldness in his eyes seemed to have melted. There was a hint of tenderness on his face. But he did not respond to her with more words.

Hailey felt a little bit awkward to be greeted with no response. She then sat down beside Philip. Despite the fact that she hated Philip, she would rather sit beside him when Edward showed such indifference to her.

“Hailey, I had a dream last night. I dreamed of my mother. Could you explain a bit to me what the dream means after lunch? I would appreciate it if you could help," Alex said at that point in time.

"Sure, Uncle Alex," Hailey replied embarrassedly.

This probably was the least delicious meal Hailey had ever had.

It all seemed that a witch had cast a spell on Philip. During the whole process, Philip had been biting his chopsticks while staring at Hailey’s face like a fool. Sometimes, he would move his eyes away, pretending to have his meal while glancing at Hailey from the corner of his eye. He felt that Hailey had changed greatly these days.

Alex, on the other hand, missed his mother. He had been always asking Hailey to explain the dream.

Edward was probably the only who acted normally. He enjoyed his meal elegantly like always.

However, Hailey still felt that someone would cast a good glance at her and Philip from time to time. That glance was from none other than Edward. She felt that her sweat was coming out.

"Uncle, Alex, I' m done here. Are you?" Hailey put her chopsticks on the dining table and asked.

"Sure, sure. Please, tell me more about the dream. What does it mean?”

Hailey walked Alex away from the dining table. Secretly, she sighed in relief because she did not need to stay with Edward for the time being.

She had no idea why she felt so guilty when Edward looked at her. During the meal, she just somehow felt so anxious. Was it because they had been quite intimate recently?

"Uncle Alex, I’ve been always wanting to hear more about your mother. Can I join you?” Philip cut in. He approached Hailey, wearing his fake smile. He must believe that he was so handsome that no woman could resist him. That was, however, very arrogant of him.

"Can I join too?"

When Hailey was taunting Philip inwardly, she heard Edward’s sexy and charming voice.

What the hell? What is he doing here? she howled in agony in her heart.

What was wrong with the two guys?

As a result, the two handsome men and Alex sat around Hailey and listened to her to analyze those dreams Alex had had.

After the dream interpretation was over, Alex could not help but cry. "It turns out that Mother did not favor anyone when she was alive. I know it! I know it! She always loved her every child.”

Alex looked at Hailey and suddenly recalled the scene that had happened not long ago. At that time, Edward took her to the Zhang Family and begged his parents to let her name be written on the family book of the Zhang Family, making her be genuinely a member of the Zhang Family.

The girl was looking at every one of the Zhang Family with her timid and innocent eyes.

Alex had been disliking Edward’s father. Therefore, he would never show any kind to the girl Edward brought home.

But he had not expected that she was so considerate and sensible. She seemed to be able to see through everyone. And her beautiful eyes looked so mysterious and attractive.

It was not until that time did he remember all of a sudden that Edward had been staying and taking care of her because she behaved naughtily and caused many troubles recently.

Should Edward’s parents know what was happening in this world, they would definitely blame him for not taking good care of Edward.

Thinking about this, Alex felt complex feelings surging in his heart. Suddenly, he said,” Hailey, come here and keep me company when you are free. You know, Edward has a company to take care of. Sometimes he may be too busy to stay with you.”

“Yes, Uncle Alex. I understand. I will not be a burden to him,” Hailey responded as she raised her hand to wipe off her tears which actually did not exist.

She pretended that she behaved obediently and would do whatever Alex said. However, deep inside, she remembered the picture when Alex hired an assassin to kill Edward.

Alex had made great achievements in his life. However, he was forced to take the main property of the Zhang Family from Edward because of his prodigal son and coward daughter.

Hailey detected the evil intention hiding in Alex’s eyes. She felt chilling at once.

After the dinner, all of them bade goodbye to Alex and left the house.

Once they stepped out of the territory of the house, Edward, who had remained silent all the way, suddenly called out Hailey’s name and stopped her.

Seeing Edward's cold and handsome face, Philip decided to do Hailey a favor and said,

"Edward, please don't get mad at Hailey. I admit that she is a little bit mischievous sometimes. But she is a kind-hearted girl. What's more, she will be my girlfriend since this day. Could you tolerate her a bit? She…”

Before Philip could finish his words, Edward cut off, “Go away and leave us alone.” Then, he suddenly caught Hailey’s hand and approached her. He put her against the door of the car.

With her back leaning against the car, Hailey grew serious and calmed down at once.

"I know you are trying hard to get close to Uncle Alex. What’s your purpose on earth?" His voice was cold and distant.

"Ha ha…” Hailey chuckled. “I had been ignored by almost everyone around me for quite a long time. They bullied and abused me. I was fed up with that kind of life. I am determined to become stronger! I want to protect myself and those that I care about!”

Hailey raised her tune when she uttered the last few words.

Edward had not expected that she would be so straightforward and frank. He was too stunned to say anything in response.

There was incredibility in Philip’s beautiful eyes too. Suddenly, he recalled how Hailey looked like when she was harassed by his fans at the school.

At that time, although she was hit by everyone, she still stayed tough and was not fearful at all.

Ever since then, he had been looking at her with new eyes.

Today, he witnessed that she spoke out her purpose frankly right in front of Edward, the cold and arrogant man.

Philip felt that he was about to fall in love with this courageous girl who dared to love and hate! She was so special.

"Edward, she just lost her father. It’s understandable if she behaves strangely. Please don’t take it seriously. It seems to be her first time to be so happy ever since her father was gone,” Philip persuaded Edward with a smiling face.

Edward, on the other hand, grew more and more ferocious as his eyebrows wrinkled.

Am I not right? Philip murmured inwardly seeing Edward’s reaction.

"Edward, it hurts,” Hailey grumbled.

Showered by the dim light, the girl was staring at Edward with anxious eyes as if she would cry the next moment if Edward exerted his strength a bit more.

The strange feeling he once had before welled up in his heart again. He let go of his hand at last.

When his hand left her, he felt that he had lost something.

This kind of feeling was so familiar to him as if they had known each other for a long time.

Then, he thought of Hailey’ s father who died in order to protect him. Her heart prickled badly in an instant. The pain spread over his body in the blink of an eye.

He turned around and left in a furry.

Staring at the retreating figure, Hailey was dumbfounded. She was shocked when she noticed the agony from his eyes. Suddenly, she seemed to capture something.

At first, she had thought that Edward was a coward when he dared not to speak his suspicion about her when Alex was present. How now, she calmed down and was no angrier at him.

Edward was too handsome to make anyone upset.

That was a benefit brought by a handsome or beautiful face.

It took her a long time before she collected herself.

She turned around and found that Philip was still staring at her affectionately with his pretty eyes.

She was scared by his stare and stepped back to pull herself away a bit from him. “Why are you looking at me like that? That’s so weird.”

"Hailey, I have a problem and it has been troubling me ever since I saw you the first time. Why are you so beautiful?”

What the hell? I’ve already been so beautiful, more beautiful most women! You were being blind not to notice this, Hailey said silently in her heart. But she would not bother herself to share it with Philip.

She turned around, ready to leave. But she was then stopped as Philip grasped her hand. “Someone told me that you’ve liked me since the first time you saw me. Is that true?” he asked. His voice just made Hailey feel sick.

Hailey breathed out and blew her bang before she replied in a careless tone, “No, you must be mistaken. I am not a stupid girl anymore. Don’t worry. I won’t chase after you all the time. Wait, what are you doing?”

Philip held Hailey's face with his hands and looked right into her eyes. “Hailey, are you playing cat and mouse with me?”

"Leave me alone!” Hailey scolded as she patted his hands off rudely. “I was being naïve to like those young handsome men. I’ve changed now. I have no interest in you at all! You are never going to be the man I love from the bottom of my heart.”

Philip was speechless.

He watched the girl left away as an interesting smile appeared on his handsome face.

He thought Hailey was just too shy to speak out her love for him. He considered himself to be extremely handsome that any young girl would fall in love with him. There was no exception.

***

Before Hailey could enter the living room, a maid walked out in a hurry.

"Miss Hailey, the dog is missing.”

Hailey opened her eyes wide when she heard it. “When?" she asked immediately.

"About ten minutes ago. I went to the restroom. But when I came out, it was gone,” the maid replied carefully. “Did someone with evil intention catch it?”

Hailey thought for a few moments before she said affirmatively, “No, they are not that bold.”

She remembered it well that she had made it clear to everyone that Edward was the master of the dog now. No matter how those people hated it, they would not dare to hurt or even touch it.

"You keep searching for it in the yard. I’ll go out to see if there is any clue,” Hailey said before she went out in a hurry.