Chapter 167

Haley’s POV: I wasn’t expecting to see her. It was just an ordinary afternoon. I had gone out for a short walk to clear my mind, to grab some coffee before heading home. The day felt light, almost too peaceful after everything that had happened in my life. For once, there were no kidnappings, no hospital visits, no courtrooms. Just me, the soft breeze, and the sound of people chatting around me. But then… I heard a voice. “Haley?” I froze. The coffee cup in my hand almost slipped. That voice—I hadn’t heard it in years, but I knew it instantly. Slowly, I turned around, and there she was. Joey. The woman who had once shattered my marriage. The woman Sebastian had chosen over me. She looked older, though not in a bad way. Her hair was tied neatly, her clothes simple but elegant. There was a sadness in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. For a second, I thought maybe I was imagining her. But no. She was real. And she was standing right in front of me. “Joey,” I said softly. My throat f