Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One Chapter 233: A FAVOR

Hailee’s POV

I lifted the receiver slowly. "Hello?"

For a second, there was silence, only the faint crackle of the line. Then, a familiar deep voice ca through.

"Hailee."

My heart skipped. I knew that voice. "Nathan?" I breathed.

A soft chuckle rumbled through the line. "I see you still recognize ."

My grip tightened on the receiver. "How did you even get this number? This is the royal mansion’s private line."

"I have my ways," he said smoothly, his tone calm but teasing.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You really shouldn’t be calling here, Nathan. It’s late."

"I know," he said. "But I wouldn’t have called unless it was important."

I hesitated, leaning back against the headboard. "What is it?"

He was quiet for a mont before speaking again. "I wanted to ask a favor."

I let out a small, tired laugh. "A favor? After everything, that’s the first thing you say to ?"

"Please, just hear out," he said softly, his voice low and pleading.

I sighed again. "I have no favors left to give, Nathan."

"This one isn’t for ," he said quickly. "It’s for my mother."

That made pause. "Your mother?"

"Yes." His tone softened, almost gentle. "Two days from now, it’s her birthday. She’s been restless since she heard about Oscar, and she keeps talking about seeing her grandson."

My chest tightened slightly. "Oscar?" I repeated.

Yes," he said again. "She misses him. Please, Hailee. Bring him. Just for two days. It would an the world to her. I’ll make sure you’re both safe—no one will bother you."

I hesitated, unsure what to say. "Nathan..."

"I’m not asking for myself," he interrupted gently. "This is for her. You’re both invited. I’ll send a jet to pick you up if you agree."

I closed my eyes for a mont. His voice wasn’t demanding this ti—it was calm, sincere, almost humble. Still, part of couldn’t tell if it was a trap or genuine.

After a long pause, I finally said, "I’ll think about it."

"Thank you," he whispered.

I stayed quiet for a long mont, holding the receiver against my ear, unsure what to say. The silence between us wasn’t awkward; it was heavy, full of things we both rembered but didn’t dare speak about.

Nathan finally broke it with a sigh. "Hailee," he said softly, "can we stop fighting?"

My breath caught. "What?"

He chuckled lightly, but there was sadness in his tone. "We’ve spent years angry at each other. And for what? We have a son now... at least, let’s try to be friends again. We weren’t enemies before you left."

His words sank deep, stirring sothing in I’d buried long ago. mories—of laughter, of special monts, of how gentle he once was before life turned everything bitter.

I hesitated, my heart tugging at a truth I didn’t want to admit. "Maybe you’re right," I said quietly. "It’s better this way."

There was a soft pause, then his voice dropped lower, almost warm. "Besides," he murmured, "I missed you."

That made laugh softly—a sound that surprised even . "You missed ?"

"I did," he said without hesitation. "More than I should have."

I shook my head, still smiling faintly. "You shouldn’t say things like that."

"Why not?" he teased gently. "It’s the truth."

I sighed, settling back against my pillow. "You always did know how to say the right thing."

He chuckled again, the sound rich and familiar. "And you always knew how to make say too much."

For a mont, the past didn’t feel so far away. The years between us lted into quiet laughter, the kind that used to fill the nights when we were younger.

Then his tone softened again. "I heard what happened between you and your father," he said carefully. "You should’ve co to , Hailee. When you were banished... you should’ve co back to . I would have taken care of you."

My chest tightened. "You were young then, Nathan," I said softly. "You were preparing to beco Alpha. I didn’t want to ruin your future."

"Hailee," he murmured, "you could never ruin anything. You were my future."

I froze. For a heartbeat, neither of us said a word. Then, slowly, I laughed again—low, nervous, but real.

"You still talk too much," I teased lightly.

He laughed too, and for a second, it felt like we were eighteen again—lying in each other’s arms, teasing each other as if the world wasn’t waiting to pull us apart.

He asked how I’d been, and I told him I was fine, even though "fine" felt too small a word for everything I’d survived. He made a few jokes, and I couldn’t help but laugh again.

The serious, sharp Alpha Nathan I’d known for years was gone, replaced by the boy I’d once loved—the one who used to steal my breath away with just one glance.

"You must be tired," he said after a while, his voice softer now. "The party must have been long."

"It was," I admitted. "Too long."

"Then get so sleep," he said gently. "And... please, think about what I asked. My mother will be happy to see you—and Oscar."

"I will," I murmured. "I’ll give you an answer tomorrow."

There was a small pause. Then his voice dropped, deep and husky, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine.

"Good," he whispered. "Now go to sleep, Hailee... and dream of ."

Before I could respond, the line went dead.

I stayed there, frozen, staring at the receiver in my hand. My heart was racing, my face warm.

After everything that had happened—after all the years, the distance, the hurt—Nathan still had a way of getting under my skin.

I slowly set the phone down, turned off the lamp, and lay back against the pillows. The moonlight slipped through the curtains, bathing the room in silver.

And as I closed my eyes, I hated how true his last words had beco.

Because no matter how hard I tried not to... I dread of him.