Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 250

Chapter 250: What If

Hailee’s POV

I took a deep breath before walking back into the dining hall. The smell of delicious meals and fresh bread filled the air, but I couldn’t taste a thing. My thoughts were still tangled around Nathan’s father’s words.

He rejected them all because of you.

Nathan sat at the end of the long table, propped up in his chair with pillows, his mother fussing gently beside him. Oscar sat near him, talking fast, his small hands moving in excitement as he described the fountain in the garden. Then Nathan looked up and saw me. The smile that spread across his face was small but real, like sunlight breaking through clouds.

"You’re here," he said quietly, relief in his voice.

I forced a smile and nodded, moving closer. "You didn’t think I’d miss lunch, did you?"

His mother smiled too, patting the seat beside her. "Sit, dear. You must be tired from the trip."

"Thank you," I said, sitting down. I could feel Nathan’s father’s eyes on me from the far end of the table, but I didn’t look at him. Not yet.

Oscar was talking about how big the garden was, how the maid had shown him the swing under the pear tree, and how the guards had saluted him when he passed. Nathan chuckled softly, the sound warm despite his exhaustion.

"I told you," he said to Oscar, "this place is full of secrets if you look hard enough."

Oscar grinned. "You used to hide from Grandma there, didn’t you?"

Nathan laughed quietly. "Maybe."

The lightness in his voice made my chest ache in a good way. Seeing him smile—truly smile—after everything he’d been through, it felt like breathing again after being underwater too long.

I tried to eat, but my stomach was tight. Nathan’s father didn’t speak much during the meal, only asked about Oscar’s school, and nodded as Nathan’s mother talked about the birthday guests arriving tomorrow. But I could feel his gaze flicker to me now and then, quiet and assessing, like he was still weighing his thoughts.

When lunch ended, Oscar ran ahead with his grandmother, and Nathan’s mother followed, calling after him with soft laughter. That left Nathan and me alone for a moment.

He leaned back slowly, watching me. "What did he say to you?"

I froze. "Who?"

He raised a brow. "My father. He doesn’t usually ask people for private talks unless it’s important—or uncomfortable."

I hesitated. "It wasn’t anything serious."

He gave me that look—the one that said he knew I was lying. "Hailee."

I sighed, my hands twisting in my lap. "He just... showed me things. Told me about the proposals you’ve turned down. The women you could’ve married." I paused, meeting his gaze. "He said you refused them because of me."

Nathan’s lips parted slightly, but he didn’t speak. He only looked at me.

"Is it true?" I asked softly.

He nodded once. "Every word."

My throat tightened. "Why?"

"Because," he said quietly, his voice rough, "I already found what I wanted. What would I do with anyone else?"

The honesty in his tone shook something inside me. "Nathan..."

He smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "He wants to protect me, Hailee. That’s what my father does. But he doesn’t understand that you were never the problem. You were the only thing that ever made sense."

I didn’t know what to say. My heart was pounding too hard, my hands trembling on the edge of the table.

He noticed. "You’re shaking," he said, his voice gentler now.

"I just..." I swallowed hard. "I don’t want to hurt you again."

"You won’t," he said simply. "You being here already healed more than you think."

He reached across the table, his fingers brushing the back of my hand. The touch was soft, careful, but it sent warmth straight up my arm. "You don’t have to promise anything," he said. "Just stay for these three days. Let me have that."

I looked at our joined hands. My voice came out low, barely above a whisper. "I can do that."

He smiled—really smiled this time. "Good. That’s all I need."

I stood to help him up, but he caught my wrist, his thumb brushing gently over my pulse. "Hailee," he murmured, "I’m not asking for your heart right now. Just your time."

For a moment, the world stilled. The faint light from the window painted soft gold across his face, and I couldn’t help but think how easy it would be to fall all over again.

Then, faint laughter echoed from the garden—Oscar’s laughter—and it brought me back. I smiled weakly. "Rest, Nathan. You promised me that earlier."

He let go of my wrist slowly, eyes soft but knowing. "I’ll rest if you share my bed with me," he said, half-teasing.

I tried not to smile. "You never change."

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