Ramon laughed when he heard Hailee's statement. He then pinched her nose and pulled her closer. "Haven't I told you many times that I'm the one who chose you, and not the other way around," Ramon corrected Hailee's claim.
"You didn't choose me Mr. Tordoff, but you offered yourself to me." Hailee didn't want to give in to him and her stubbornness came back.
"Offering myself?" That sentence sounded even more absurd. "I don't remember ever offering myself to you Mrs. Tordoff."
Hailee shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "You offered to protect me as long as you got Tatum's company." Hailee reminded him. "I agreed right away, which means I chose you."
Ramon grimaced when he remembered that. Of course, Hailee agreed and the reason behind it was way beyond Ramon's expectations.
At that time, Ramon thought that Hailee would ask for some time to think about it first and he was ready to give her a few days, but who would have thought that Hailee would agree to the offer he made so quickly.
The reason was that she was not interested in the company's management and had no intentions or abilities to lead the company.
After all, Ramon also offered Hailee a stable life for becoming his wife, and considering the problems this woman was facing at the time, Ramon's offer was certainly like a heavenly breeze for her.
That was the first time Ramon felt that he was being tricked and trapped by his own ruse.
However, as time went on, Ramon never once regretted his decision, because Hailee also brought fresh air to his boring life.
Those times felt like just yesterday, but the truth was that the two of them had gone further than they could have ever expected.
"I think we should revise the agreement we signed back then," Ramon muttered.
"Right," Hailee replied with a laugh. "I will tell our child about the agreement when they grow up."
Ramon looked at Hailee sharply when he heard her comment. "Hailee, don't mess around..."
The threatening tone in Ramon's voice didn't frighten Hailee, it just made her laugh more with added satisfaction because it had pissed this man off.
And, Hailee's laugh was so contagious that it brought a genuine smile to Ramon's lips.
"So…" Hailee said, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes from laughing too much. "What's the matter with Margaretha Lamos?" she asked. This time Hailee's tone changed, becoming more serious and sounding deeper.
The smile on Ramon's lips also faded and the atmosphere that had been light until now turned serious in an instant when Hailee changed the topic of their conversation all of a sudden.
"I can see it, Ramon," Hailee said. "Something happened between you and Margaretha, right?"
Of course, Ramon's cold attitude was strange to Hailee, because after all Margaretha was his mother's best friend and Ramon didn't need to treat her like that.
"You can tell me," Hailee's voice softened, as she rested her head against the man's chest. "Like I can tell you everything about me."
The fact that Giana knew Ramon's secret, was actually quite disturbing to Hailee. This made it seem as if the woman knew Ramon better than she did, although that might be true, considering that Giana had spent more time with Ramon than she had, but it still didn't lessen Hailee's worries.
Ramon is her husband and Hailee deserves to know everything about him better than any woman around her husband.
But, on the other hand, Hailee also didn't want Ramon to feel uncomfortable with her demands...
"But, if you're not ready to tell me yet, that's fine too." Hailee then lifted her head and kissed her husband's cheek. "I just want you to know that I will always be by your side."
Ramon knew that Hailee had noticed the change in his attitude toward Margaretha, but he was a little reluctant to talk about this matter, there were many considerations as many things were still uncertain.
However, when he saw how Hailee was trying to understand him, despite her hopeful gaze that Ramon would open up to her more, Ramon felt like laughing at himself...
Why did he hide this from his wife?
"I found some disturbing facts about my mother," said Ramon at last when Hailee turned off the television which was still showing Aileen's face, sitting on the floor of the emergency stairs.
"About your mother?" Hailee turned around and faced Ramon. "What happened?" she asked anxiously.
"Actually, the information I got is still very lacking, whatever in my hands is not enough for me to make solid assumptions," Ramon told Hailee carefully. "So, I still don't know for sure."
Hailee shifted her body so she could speak to him face to face. "What kind of information did you get?"
"You remember the time when we went to the beach?" Ramon tucked Hailee's slightly messy hair behind her ear. "I saw my mother with a man."
"With a man?" Hailee repeated the words. "Do you know what that man's identity is?"
"Yes, his name is Leon Dawson," Ramon answered honestly.
"Leon Dawson… Dawson?" Hailee frowned. The name Dawson was not unfamiliar, because it was the name of the five most respected families in City A, but she felt familiar with a different meaning when she heard the name.
"Yes, Dawson. Leon Dawson is the younger brother of Giana's father," Ramon understood what made his wife frown and he helped her to remember.
Right. Giana Dawson. Giana was a Dawson before she married Aidan.
But, that was not the main issue right now...
"What's the relationship between your mother and the Dawsons?" Hailee couldn't draw a common thread between the two. But then she realized something… "Where did you see those two?"
"In the same hotel where we stayed," Ramon replied and he could see an understanding look dawning in Hailee's eyes.
His wife then cleared her throat, "Maybe their relationship is not what you think."
"No, I expected their relationship to be different from what I thought, but there's more to it than that…" he muttered.
Hailee never suspected Lis or thought that she would make Ramon feel perturbed in this way.