Chapter 135
~ Nathaniel ~
I had seen the way Hailey's demeanor changed when she entered the room. Had watched her entire body language shift in real-time.
She'd walked in nervous. Anxious. Her breathing elevated. Her cheeks flushed. Her eyes wide with anticipation.
And then she'd seen us all standing there—me, Jackson, the waiter, the security chief—and her expression had immediately transformed to disappointment.
Crushing, visible disappointment.
I noticed everything. Always had. It was both a gift and a curse—this ability to read people, to see beneath the surface, to understand what they weren't saying. Most people hid behind words. Hailey never really could. Her body betrayed her long before her mouth ever caught up.
And I knew there was no way Navine would have given her detail
