Room for You
Chapter 63

Chapter 63

“I have no idea. She left for abroad after that day and we lost contactwith each other,” Hayley said slowly while shaking her head. Then, shelooked up nervously at Elliot and urged tearfully, “Elliot, you have topromise me not to ask Anastasia about this. I don't want you to prodinto the scars of her past, okay? Besides, if she replaces out that I was theone who told you all about what happened to her, she'll only hate memore.” ..

Elliot knew that going through something as horrific as this wastraumatizing for any woman. As such, he nodded and said in a fit ofcompassion, “I promise I won't mention a word about this to her.”.Burying her face in her hands, Hayley began to sob and snivel again,though she was actually smirking into her palms with the corners of herlips tipped up villainously. Now that Elliot knows of your dark past,would he still want someone as tainted as you, Anastasia?

Presently, Elliot reached out to pat Hayley's shoulder. “There, now-stopcrying and get some rest. I'll be going back to the office.”

“Don't go, Elliot.” Hayley grabbed the hem of his shirt and eyed himpiteously. “Can’t you stay with me for a while longer?”

He had only just risen from his seat, but now that Hayley had asked himto stay, he did as told and sat down once more. This made him think ofthat fateful night from five years ago, when he had been so out of hisown mind that he ravished Hayley like a monster. He could still hear hersobs from that night like haunted, disembodied tunes in the back of hismind, and he could still feel the way she struggled to break free fromunder him. And yet, he never stopped, merely pinning her down so thathe could have his ruthless ways with her.

“That night... It was my first time as well, Elliot,” Hayley mumbled shylyas she looked up at him with her pretty eyes.

He nodded and said gently, “I know.” He had known, indeed, for he hadnoticed the drops of blood on the couch when he woke up after thebrutal deed. The thought of this only made him want to compensateher more.

“Elliot, I... 1 want to keep being your woman,” she added boldly,abandoning all subtlety as she confessed her feelings for him.

His gaze was warm and steady as he said, “We'll talk about this afteryou get better. I have a lot of things going on at the moment.”

She could hear the rejection behind his carefully-chosen and emptywords, but that did not deter her at all. “Elliot, please don't turn medown. I know I'm not beautiful, but I... I really like you.”

Just then, Elliot's phone rang, and he rose to leave the room. “I have totake this call.”

Hayley watched as his tall and straight figure marched out of thehospital room. As she pursed her lips in disappointment, she stillfervently believed that one day she would become his woman indeed.The person on the other line was Harriet, who had been waiting for areally long time for Anastasia’s arrival. When the guest of honor nevershowed up, she began to grow frantic and decided to call her grandsonfor an explanation. “Elliot, why isn't Miss Tillman here yet?”

“Something happened on the way, Grandma. I'll bring her over to thehouse tomorrow.”

“What happened?”

“It's mostly my part.”

“Fine, then! Bring her over tomorrow morning. Better yet, we shouldhave lunch

Beste together!”

“Okay, I'll arrange for it immediately,” Elliot answered respectfully.

He hung up the call and paused for a moment, then spun on his heelsto return to the hospital room. After pushing the door open, he thensaid to Hayley, “They need me back at the office, so I'll be going offnow. Get plenty of rest.”

Hayley dared not force him to stay, so she merely nodded obediently asshe said, "Okay."

With a small nod of relief, Elliot turned and left the hospital room.Meanwhile, Anastasia had hailed a ride back to the company, whichtook up two hours of her time. As such, she immediately leafed throughthe documents and started tying up all the loose ends in the office, butshe had barely drawn anything when her phone rang.

She picked it up and asked, “Hello, who is this?”

“It's me,” Elliot replied.

“Oh, look who's back. Did Erica decide to let you go?” Anastasia askedwith a raise of her brow.

“I've rescheduled your meeting with my grandmother to tomorrowmorning.”

“Well, then, as long as you've spoken to her. Anyway, I have to get backto work now.”

“I'd like to buy you and Jared dinner tonight,” Elliot suddenly offered.“No, thanks,” Anastasia replied. She didn’t feel much like entertaininghim after seeing how he and Hayley were all huddled up today at theparking lot.

If she had to be honest, she hated Hayley with a passion. They wereboth once as close as sisters, but clearly that friendship had beennothing more than a joke to Hayley, who did not hesitate to stabAnastasia in the back at first chance and push her off the cliff into adark abyss.

If it weren't for Jared, Anastasia didn't think she could ever be savedfrom the agony that followed the incident which left her scarred. Shewould've spiraled into depression and hatred. She could still rememberhow the man—that scoundrel who

thinking she was going to die.