His Contractual Mistress

Hailee glimmers her eyes to see Jacob and Fred enter her ward. 

"Dad!" she called out.

Both men smiled at her. She mentions no name, but she was looking at both of them, shifting her gazes back and forth while wearing that sweet smile on her face. 

Hailee was now seated on her sickbed while Vincent sat behind her, massaging her lower back. Both the older men were delighted to see him taking care of his wife… 

Fred is proud of his son for impressing his future father-in-law with this action. He wanted to give him a thumbs up. 

Jacob walks forward to plant a kiss on his daughter's forehead. He asked Hailee, "How are you feeling, princess?"

"I feel a lot better, dad." She replied enthusiastically. She then shifted her gaze to the man behind him. "Glad to see you, dad." 

Fred smiled, but his eyes were exhibiting apologetically. He felt the guilt that Hailee was in such a situation because of his son's nominal wife. He scanned her arms wrapped with bandages, his chest ache. 

"I'm happy to see you alright. We were all so worried after we saw the video," he told Hailee with a soft tone in his voice. 

Hailee smiled. She persuaded him. "Don't worry, dad. I was already not feeling that day. But I still insisted on meeting Eva." 

She doesn't want him to feel guilty about what happened. And it's not her character to blame anyone either. 

Fred softens his expression. His face looked relaxed now. He could not avoid not being impressed that though Hailee was wronged, she blames no one for what happened to her.

'She inherited her mom's temperament.' Thought Fred. He's happy that his son is blessed to have a wife with a big heart. Not only that, she is well educated and well behaved. But she would bite back if the lashings were too much and in the wrong place. 

He witnessed how she fought back at those who spread rumors about her and Vincent. She's actually protecting his son's reputation even though they were in an affair for the people's eyes as Vincent was married to another woman.

Fred snaps himself when Jacob speaks. He caught his attention to introduce his two daughters, including his niece, Janise. 

The three girls politely greeted Hailee's dad, who extended his gratitude. Hailee had mentioned how nice they were to her. 

"I will ask the chef to prepare more dishes for lunch," Jacob said afterward. He then turned to his daughter. "Princess, Dr. Lee, and chef Lynn had arrived to monitor the food you crave if it is healthy for you. They will also watch your diet throughout your pregnancy." 

"Okay, dad. Thank you!" Hailee replied cheerfully. However, she is only hiding the sadness flashed in her eyes that she has to limit eating sweet desserts from now on that her nutritionists are here. 

"You wanted me to sneak some cake?" Vince whispered in her ear.

Hailee giggled. She was delighted that Vince immediately noticed her sorrow. She pinched his shoulder and said, "Silly. Doctor Lee would always know, but I love that. Let's sneak out and go to my favorite restaurant to eat some desserts." 

"Hmm... I'll ask Tim on standby." He winked at her. 

"I will tell Pitt too!" she retorted in a low voice, holding her excitement to sneak out soon. 

Jacob, who heard their plans, raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. He was happy that Vincent dotted his daughter. However, he is no different from the boys that spoiling her!

*

At lunch, the private restaurant that was not open yet, on the 9th floor was occupied not only by Vincent's family, but all the executives were also here to have lunch with Hailee as initially planned out. 

But since Vincent's family had arrived, they were eating quietly across the room.

On the long table near the window that faces the mountainside: Sheena, Deana, Janice, seated on the right side, while Kelly and Gigi are on the left side. 

The five girls were happily chatting when Vincent and Hailee joined them. Sitting on the wheelchair, Vincent picked up Hailee, then carefully put her down in a dining chair. 

They were in the middle of their meal when Kelly remembered something. 

"Hail, look at this! These will be the accessories you will wear at your wedding!" she excitedly showed the set of jewelry she finished designing this morning. 

Hailee dropped her mouth open after seeing the pieces of jewelry Kelly plans to make soon. 

"Kell, that crown is too huge on my head!" she complains. Scanning further, she mouthed. "That was too dazzling! After the wedding, all my guests have blinded by my tiara!" 

The crown would be made of small and big diamonds around it, and Kelly plans to place a bigger one in the middle of her tiara.

But Kelly proudly explained to her. 

"You are a Queen! If it is not heavy, I want to make a bigger one than this!" 

"You don't have to!" she refused immediately. 

"Oh, well… Anyway!" Kelly clapped her hands. She then said, "Since you rarely wear your pink diamond necklace, please give it to me. It will be the mother diamond on your tiara!" 

"Oh… sure!" She agreed to that. 

Hailee loves the idea. Her dad purchased the pink diamond as a birthday present, and so it was precious to her. Just thinking she would wear it during her wedding day, joy already filled her heart. 

"I'm a genius! This crown would be a legacy in your family. You can pass it down to your daughter and granddaughters when they are going to marry!" 

Kelly was too irrational in saying this. Vincent, who was eating quietly and only listening to the girls, choked when Kelly said that.

His daughters aren't born yet. And even if they were, to think of them having a boyfriend and fiance, his heart protested against giving them away too soon! He would not agree to early marriage. He will definitely dote on them, so he won't allow any boys to come close to his daughters. 

"Hubby, are you okay?" Hailee worriedly quickly hands Vince a glass of water when she hears him coughing. 

"I'm fine, Wifey—" his alibi. The chicken wings are truly spicy, but he was used to the food as his favorite. "I think I ate chili." 

What really chokes him is the thought of his daughters getting married, in which their parents are just preparing their own wedding. He knew it would happen in the future. Yet, he wanted to baby them as much time as he had. 

"Thank you, Wifey." Vincent placed the empty glass on the table; he continued eating as the girls carried on chatting. 

Janise was serious while looking at Kelly's designs. Hailee noticed her silence. She smiled and asked, "What do you think?" 

"Hum?" Janise raised her head; she then replied shyly. "They were so pretty." 

"Why don't you show the wedding dresses you designed for Hailee!" Sheena chimed in. She elbowed Janise as her way of encouraging her to show it. 

"Really?" Hailee got excited when she heard this. Janise is a talented designer like Kelly. They may have been doing different work as Kelly's expertise was designing jewelry while Janise was clothing, but both are great designers.

At first, Janise was hesitant to show her designs. After she learned Hailee was actually Hailee Davies, the woman she dreamed of wearing her designs, it made her happy that she was actually dressing her up in these passing months. 

But now, they were talking about her wedding dress. It was different. That occasion is once in a lifetime, and so, Hailee surely prefers someone else. 

"I… I know you already have the best designers in the world, and so… I felt shy to show them." 

"Why would you? I love those dresses you chose for me! They were stunning!" 

Janise was overwhelmed with Hailee's praise, so she didn't hold herself from sharing her feelings. 

"Thank you, Hail. I'm glad to hear that. I really dream that one day, you will wear one of my designs. I didn't know that it had already come true!" 

"You are a talented designer. I would be happy if you would design my wedding dress." 

"Is that true!?" Janise cannot believe it. Her eyes were threatening to get wet, so she pushed back the tears forming in the corner. 

Janise pulled out the TAB she was carrying around. She was often inspired out of the blue even though she was in the middle of the road, having it with her. 

She then showed it to Hailee; Kelly and Gigi looked over at it as well. Both are the ones who were elated. 

"They were pretty! It was so perfect for the jewelry I designed!" Kelly exclaimed. 

"I love it, Hail!" Gigi echoed. She looks at Janise to give her compliments, then she added, "I would definitely hire you to design my wedding dress." 

Janise couldn't believe that Gigi Chan would love it as well. Gigi is one of the known fashion icons in the world. She was always present in many fashion shows in these past two years! 

"I can't believe you girls would like it." She humbly expressed. 

Gigi and Hailee smiled at her and said, "We just don't like it… We love it!" 

Janise was overwhelmed to have these women as clients. Hailee alone—the history would include writing her name. But she actually doesn't think about that. What's important to her is that these women recognized her talent.

"Thank you," she said happily.

"Now, let's not forget about the bridesmaids! I should be the prettiest maid of honor!" Kelly excitedly gives back to Janise her TAB. "Show me the gowns you design for us!" 

Janise stands up from her chair. She moves in between Kelly and Gigi, showing the first batch of the bridesmaid's dresses. She designs different styles for them to pick what they would prefer to wear at the wedding. 

Hilda was seated at the next table with Fred and Jacob. She was only silent while observing the six girls discussing the gowns to wear for the wedding. She did not join the girls as she already assigned herself to other things for the wedding. She will oversee the wedding reception decorations and the food and drinks that will serve that very special day of her son's life.