Chapter 5

• Hailey's POV
• I gazed at Connor with sincerity, hoping that he believed I meant what I said.
• However, he gave no reply, just savoring the dishes in silence.
• After he finished the food on his plate, he demanded, "Wash all the clothes before you go to bed." With that, he strode out of the dining room.
• I watched as his figure faded down the corridor, feeling confused.
• 'What a weirdo,' I murmured.
• To get to know Connor better, I made friends with Vita this afternoon. Turned out he got this quirk about hating strangers crash over at his spot.
• So, those Omegas and cooks would come at scheduled times and leave right after they finished their jobs.
• Since it was late in the night, naturally, it was just Connor and me in this spacious villa.
• Now that he returned to his room, I was all alone.
• And the villa became even quieter.
• I felt a bit lonely, but also kinda digging the freedom.
• After I headed back to my room, I opened my suitcases and started to sort out my stuff.
• The wardrobe was so huge that my clothes only took up about a quarter of it.
• When I finally got all my things in order, I threw myself onto the bed, heaving a sigh of relief.
• I was kinda glad that Connor refused to stay in the same room with me.
• After all, I never dated anyone before. Although he was my mate now, I wasn't ready to share a bed with a man I had just met.
• Snapping out of it, I got up and decided to focus on the task at hand—doing the laundry.
• Yet when I went to the laundry room, I was at a loss for what to do.
• Connor's washer was the most advanced model on the market, and I, a country girl, had no idea how to use it.
• Vita left me her phone number before she left, telling me to ring her up if I had any questions.
• But it was already midnight, and I didn't wanna wake her up from her sleep.
• So, I decided to handle it on my own. 'You can do it, Hailey,' I encouraged myself. Then I closed my eyes, trying my best to recall the steps Vita had shown me in the afternoon.
• Unfortunately, I messed it up. Instead of starting working, the washer made strange noises. Then, it completely shut down.
• I opened the lid, and water gushed out of the drainpipe.
• Panicked, I immediately grabbed the mop to clean it up.
• Then, I put down the lid and pressed the button, but the washer wasn't functioning as it should.
• I froze, not knowing what to do.
• Suddenly, Connor's voice sounded behind me. "What's all the noise about?"
• I turned around and looked at him, cringing. "Well, the washer doesn't seem to be working properly."
• Connor checked the machine for a bit. Then he snorted, "It's broken. Of course it couldn't work."
• "What?" I goggled, wondering, 'How can it be so fragile?! Call it the most advanced model.'
• "Have someone fix it, and I'll pay. If it's beyond repair, I'll get you a new one," I promised.
• "You sure? Do you have any idea how much it costs?" he scoffed.
• I shook my head, my heart pounding out of nervousness.
• Connor said, all nonchalant, "It hasn't hit the stores yet, but I heard it's priced at $20,000. I guess the repairs would probably come to 1,000 bucks, at least."
• Shocked, I put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from exclaiming. No way I could afford that.
• Connor leaned against the door with his arms folded, a scornful look in his eyes. "So? How are you planning to pay?"
• I knew he must be looking down on me.
• "Don't worry. I'll get a job and pay you with my salary," I piped up. Though I wasn't as confident as I seemed, I still managed to hold my head up high.
• "Suit yourself. But you're not allowed to leave the house unless you finish your jobs here. Btw, don't make any more noises while I'm resting," he ordered before walking away.
• I stood in situ, feeling desperate.
• 'There are a whole bunch of household chores for me here. And I've arrived in the city only this morning. How the hell am I gonna find a lucrative job?
• 'I came with the purpose of ridding the Mountain Pack of poverty, how come I end up in debt myself? Damn it.'
• But then I realized, beating myself up wasn't gonna help. Therefore, I took a deep breath, trying my best to pull myself together.
• 'Wait, maybe, I can fix it myself. In this way, I wouldn't need to pay!' I thought.
• Having made up my mind, I ran to the study and started searching for some books about mechanics.
• I gotta learn how to repair the washer.
• It was my intelligence that got me admitted to UCLA.
• However, reality came as a slap in the face. I underestimated how complex the structure of the washer was.
• But I refused to give up so easily.
• I sat on the floor in the study, surrounded by piles of books on mechanical repairs and instruction manuals.
• Munching on a piece of bread, I buried myself in studying the internal structure of the washer.
• Every time I felt a bit sore in my back, I would get up and pace up and down for a bit.
• Gradually, I felt drowsier and drowsier.
• The flight and the chores had drained my energy, so I was practically exhausted right now.
• "Hailey, I think we should have a rest," my wolf whined, all weary.
• "Just hang with me a little longer," I replied.
• I wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet.
• Then I realized that everything I did here was repaying Frank's kindness. And it boosted my spirits like espresso shots.
• "Sorry, I can't," Iris added.
• Right after that, I blacked out.