Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 195

Chapter 195: At the rooftop

Hailee’s POV

My heart thudded as I walked beside him through the hallways, my mind still burning with the memory of my dream. Every time I glanced at him, my cheeks warmed, and I had to look away before he noticed.

We climbed a narrow set of stairs, higher and higher, until a door opened to the roof. Cool morning air rushed over my skin, carrying the faint scent of fresh morning dew.

Then I froze.

A table was waiting under the open sky, dressed in white linen, set with plates of steaming food—fresh fruit, warm bread, roasted meat, and a pot of tea.

"For you," Callum said simply. "Breakfast. No guards, no whispers, no interruptions. Just us."

My lips parted, but no words came. I hadn’t expected this—hadn’t expected him to create a space where it felt like the world wasn’t pressing down on me. Just silence, sunlight, and the man I had spent years trying to forget.

He pulled a chair out for me. His eyes lingered on mine as he smiled brightly. I sat, my hands trembling slightly as I touched the edge of the tablecloth.

He poured me tea, his fingers brushing mine for the briefest moment. Sparks rushed up my skin, and I prayed he didn’t notice the way my chest rose too quickly.

"Eat," he said softly, his stormy gaze holding mine. "Don’t let it get cold."

I nodded, lifting a piece of bread with shaky fingers. I tried to eat, but every bite tasted heavy because of the way he watched me—not with hunger this time, but admiration.

I sipped my tea, setting the cup down carefully. My cheeks still burned.

"Why are you blushing?" Callum asked suddenly, his voice low, but laced with curiosity.

I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes away from his. "It’s nothing," I whispered. "It’s the cold weather."

But inside, I knew the truth.

It wasn’t nothing.

It was last night’s dream—his hands, his lips, his body claiming mine—that still lingered on my skin. And sitting across from him now, with the sun warming us both and his gaze steady on me, I wasn’t sure how long I could keep pretending it hadn’t happened.

For a while, the only sound was the wind brushing past us and the clink of cups as I set mine down. My chest was tight, my throat even tighter.

Callum leaned back slightly, his eyes never leaving me. "Tell me," he said finally, his voice low. "How has life been for you... all these years?"

I froze. The truth clawed at my chest, but I forced a smile, brittle and weak.

"I was fine," I lied softly. "I... married my betrothed, just like I was supposed to. He died two years later. After that, I couldn’t stay in the house anymore. The memories were too heavy. So my mother sent me to live with her friend."

I paused, my stomach twisting. "Frederick’s mother."

Callum’s stormy eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. "And all that time," he rasped, "you never thought to reach out to me? Not once?"

I swallowed, my fingers knotting in my lap. "What would it have changed, Callum? I was married. You had your own life."

His hand slammed softly against the table, not in anger, but in frustration. "I don’t care if you were married. Don’t you understand? I searched for you, Hailee. I never stopped. I don’t care about your betrothed, about you being a widow, or about the years that kept us apart. None of it matters to me."

I blinked hard, my breath catching.

His voice dropped, rough, almost breaking. "I still love you. I never stopped. And Goddess knows I tried—tried to move on, tried to find someone else, tried to bury you. But no matter what I did, no matter who I looked at... it was always you. It’s only ever been you."

The rawness in his tone hit me deep, tearing through the walls I had built. He leaned forward, his hand finally reaching across the table, not to grab but to brush his fingers over mine. The touch was gentle, almost fascinating.

His stormy eyes bored into me, full of pain and longing. "Tell me the truth, Hailee. Do you still love me?"

My lips trembled, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard I thought it might break free.

"At least..." His voice cracked, low and desperate. "...even a little?"

The words caught in my throat, trembling against my lips. I wanted to deny it, to lie, but the weight in Callum’s eyes broke something inside me.

"Yes," I whispered at last, my voice raw. "I still love you. I never stopped."

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