Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One - Chapter 237

Chapter 237: An Old Friend
Hailee’s POV

“Hailee, you have a visitor,” Mother’s voice called from the doorway.

I looked up from the book I was pretending to read and frowned slightly. “A visitor?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling knowingly. “Someone you would love to see.”

Before I could ask what she meant, a familiar figure stepped into the room, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

“Hailee!”

The sound of her voice pulled me back in time. The curls, the bright eyes, that same energetic smile—it was Cira. My childhood friend.

“Cira,” I whispered in disbelief, rising to my feet.

She rushed forward and threw her arms around me before I could say another word. “Oh, my Goddess! You look exactly the same! Well, not exactly, you’re more beautiful now!” she said with a laugh, pulling back to look at me properly.

I laughed too, still dazed. “Cira… it’s been forever. Fifteen years?”

“Seventeen,” she corrected with a grin. “Since your father sent you away. I remember that day like it was yesterday, I cried for weeks.”

Her words softened something deep inside me. Back then, when everyone had turned their backs on me, Cira had been the one person who hadn’t judged me.

“I heard you went abroad,” I said, smiling. “And you never came back.”

“Well, I did eventually,” she said proudly, brushing her curls off her shoulders. “I graduated, traveled, built a business, and now I’m back home for good. But I never thought I’d find you here, of all places.”

“I never thought I’d be back here either,” I admitted quietly.

She looked me up and down, her eyes shining with mischief. “Still elegant, still serious,” she teased. “Tell me, what happened to that girl who used to sneak out through the library window just to watch the moon?”

“She became a mother,” I said with a small smile.

Cira blinked. “A mother?”

“Of three,” I replied, unable to stop the hint of pride that slipped into my voice.

Her eyes widened. “Three?!”

I nodded. “Three boys.”

“Oh, wow.” She laughed and shook her head. “No wonder you look like you need a vacation.”

I chuckled. “Motherhood doesn’t come with breaks, I’m afraid.”

“Well, it should,” she said stubbornly. “In fact, I think tonight’s a perfect time to fix that.”

I frowned, unsure if I heard her right. “Fix it?”

“Yes!” she said excitedly. “You and me, like old times. Let’s go out! Get some air, have a drink, dance a little. You deserve it, Hailee.”

I stared at her like she’d lost her mind. “Cira, I’m not that girl anymore. I can’t just run off to a party. I have responsibilities, children—”

“Bullshit,” she interrupted, hands on her hips. “You’re still young, and you’ve been through enough to earn one night of fun.”

I laughed in disbelief. “Cira—”

Just then, Peter walked in, glancing between us with mild curiosity. “What’s going on here?”

Cira grinned, turning to him immediately. “I’m trying to convince your sister to come out with me tonight, but she’s acting like an old woman.”

Peter raised an eyebrow, looking at me. “She’s not wrong.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

He smirked. “Hailee, you’ve spent years raising kids, hiding from the world, taking care of everyone but yourself. Go. Enjoy your evening for once. The boys will be fine here.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the look on his face was firm, that calm, brotherly authority I couldn’t argue with.

“I can’t believe you’re encouraging this,” I muttered.

“I can,” he said easily. “Because you never enjoyed your youth, Hailee. Go on, you’ve earned it.”

Cira smirked in victory and looped her arm through mine. “You heard the King.”

I sighed, but couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at my lips. “Fine. One drink.”

“One drink, one dance, one night,” she said cheerfully. “You’ll thank me later.”

It was evening when we finally left the palace.

Cira chatted endlessly beside me as her driver navigated through the streets. “I can’t believe it’s really you,” she said for the hundredth time. “Do you even realize how many people thought you’d vanished after that whole scandal?”

I smiled faintly. “I did vanish, Cira. That was the point.”

She glanced at me, her expression softening. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that alone.”

“I wasn’t completely alone,” I said, thinking of the boys. “They kept me sane.”

Cira reached over and squeezed my hand gently. “And now it’s your turn to live again.”

I looked at her, really looked at her. She was glowing. Her skin had a golden tan, her nails perfectly manicured, her confidence radiating from every gesture. She wore a fitted red dress, her perfume expensive and warm, and there wasn’t a trace of worry in her eyes.

“How have you been?” I asked quietly.

She smiled. “Happy. Free. Doing what I love.”

“You always wanted to travel.”

“And I did,” she said proudly. “Italy, Greece, Egypt, Bali—you name it. I’ve seen the world, Hailee. I’ve met people, learned things, lived without fear.”

Her words made me smile, but they also stung in a way I didn’t expect.

I had loved once, lived once, and lost almost everything because of it.

“I envy you,” I admitted softly. “You’re living the life we used to dream about.”

She looked at me for a long moment before shaking her head. “Maybe. But I don’t have what you do.”

“What’s that?”

“Love that lasts,” she said simply. “You have a family, Hailee. A reason to wake up every morning.”

I smiled faintly. “Maybe. But it doesn’t stop me from wishing sometimes.”

We fell silent for a while, both lost in our thoughts. Then the car slowed to a stop.

“We’re here,” Cira announced with a grin.

I looked out the window and froze.

Neon lights glowed above a tall building, music thumping from within. People dressed in glittering clothes and confident smiles streamed in and out.

It was a club.

“Cira,” I said slowly, “you didn’t tell me it was this kind of place.”

She laughed. “Oh, relax! It’s just a classy club. We’ll have a drink, maybe dance a little, and then we’ll go home. No harm done.”

I hesitated, then sighed. “You really haven’t changed.”

“And you really have,” she said with a wink. “Come on. Let’s make tonight worth remembering.”

She stepped out of the car first, her heels clicking confidently against the pavement. I followed a little more cautiously, the night air cool against my skin.

As we walked toward the entrance, I could already feel the bass of the music vibrating under my feet. The scent of perfume, laughter, and excitement filled the air, and for the first time in years, I felt something unfamiliar rise inside me.

Not fear.

Not guilt.

But freedom.

Maybe just for one night, I could remember what it felt like to be Hailee again.