"This..." James Reed hesitated.

"What’s the hesitation? If you don’t agree, we’re not friends!" Hayley Cole snapped.

James had no choice but to change his way of addressing her: "Hayley, what’s going on? Why are you out so late?"

"That’s none of your business." Hayley didn’t want to mention family matters and said, "I’m staying at your place tonight."

"Stay at my place?" James stared at Hayley in surprise, "That’s not appropriate, I can book you a room at a hotel..."

"I didn’t bring my ID card." Hayley said bluntly.

"I know the hotel manager, I can..."

"James Reed, is me staying at your place such a big inconvenience?" Hayley shouted, her eyes red, "You all despise me, I’m just an extra!"

"No, not at all!" James hurriedly pulled out a tissue for Hayley, having no choice but to compromise, "I didn’t mean that, as long as you don’t mind my place, you can stay."

"Then why aren’t we moving?" Hayley asked muffledly, covering half her face with the tissue. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

What could James say? He could only take Hayley home.

Of course, it wasn’t him who settled her in, but rather Charlotte Reed took over. After warming some milk, offering snacks, and providing Hayley with some clothes, she finally left.

"James, why is she at our house?" Charlotte Reed asked excitedly.

Did her son act so quickly?

Has he already charmed Hayley Cole?

"I guess she had a fight at home." James said without much surprise, "She often has spats with her family."

"Mom, we have to put on an act." James’s eyes lit up with an idea and he carefully instructed Charlotte.

"Alright, alright..." Charlotte nodded repeatedly while listening, a proud smile on her face, "My son is really smart."

"Mom, this depends on you." James said.

"Don’t worry, leave it to me." Charlotte nodded and smiled.

The next day, when Hayley woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. Seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, she tried to recall that she was at James Reed’s house, not a hotel.

She quickly got up to wash and get dressed, and just after she was ready, there was a gentle knock on the door: "Hayley, are you up? Can I come in?"

Under Hayley’s strong insistence yesterday, Charlotte also called her Hayley, instead of the formal Miss Cole.

"Auntie, I’m up." Hayley, shuffling in her slippers, opened the door.

"Hayley, I bought a few new outfits this morning, they’ve been washed and ironed. I don’t know if you like this style, but just make do and wear them." Charlotte came in with the clean new clothes in her arms, "Do you want to have breakfast downstairs or in your room?"

"I’ll go downstairs to eat." Hayley paused, then quickly said.

She then felt the soft material of the clothes and murmured, "Auntie, you’re so good to me."

Charlotte smiled and said, "Silly child, your parents are good to you too. Don’t just run out like this out of a little tiff, they’ll worry."

"They won’t worry about me." Hayley said stubbornly.

"All parents worry about their children," Charlotte said, "Even though James is busy with his career, I always worry whether he’s doing alright or encountering setbacks. No matter how old you are, in your parents’ eyes, you’re always their child."