CHAPTER 122: THE RECORDING

Hailee’s POV

I drew in a shaky breath and stared directly into Lila’s phone camera.

"Dane..." My voice wavered, but I forced myself to continue. "I don’t even know how to begin. You... you’ve been more than I ever expected, more than I thought I deserved. You gave me safety when I felt lost. You gave me strength when I felt weak. You gave me... yourself. And I’ll never forget that."

I swallowed hard, blinking back fresh tears.

"When you first came into my life, I thought I would hate it. I thought you’d only bring me more trouble and pain. But when you showed me love... when you touched me with kindness instead of cruelty... I felt loved. You made me feel like I could breathe, like maybe I wasn’t as ruined as I believed. You are amazing, Dane. Don’t ever forget that."

My voice cracked, and I looked away for a moment, struggling to compose myself. When my gaze returned to the camera, my eyes shone with guilt.

"By the time you watch this video, I should be gone. But don’t worry about me—I’m fine. Nothing bad happened to me. I’m... I’m going back home. I was never an omega. The things you thought you knew about me weren’t all true. There are so many parts of myself I kept hidden from you." I paused, drawing back the tears threatening to spill.

"I’m sorry I can’t explain more. I’m sorry I can’t stay. But I don’t regret you. I never will. Please... please take care of yourself. And don’t waste your anger on me. Just... live, Dane. Live the life you deserve."

My lips trembled as I added in a whisper:

"I love you, Dane... Goodbye."

I lowered my head, and the camera caught a single tear sliding down my cheek before Lila stopped recording.

I wiped at my damp cheeks, forcing myself to face Lila’s phone again. My chest ached as I breathed his name.

"Callum..."

A broken smile curved on my lips. "I don’t even know if you realize what you did to me. You came into my world like a storm—loud, unshakable, impossible to ignore. And I thought I’d hate you for it. But instead... I fell for you. I didn’t even know when it happened. One day I was resisting, fighting, arguing with you at every turn... and the next, I couldn’t imagine my days without you in them."

My voice quivered, and I blinked hard, trying to see through the blur of tears.

"You’re stubborn, infuriating, and so damn proud... but you’re also gentle when no one else is watching. And every time you held me close, every time you whispered my name like it meant something, I believed you. I believed I was worth something. With you, I wasn’t a burden. I wasn’t an omega. I was... yours."

I pressed a trembling hand to my chest. "But Callum... there’s so much you don’t know about me. I wasn’t honest with you. I was never truly an omega. That life, that story you thought you knew about me—it wasn’t all real. There are parts of me I couldn’t share, secrets I had to keep. And now... I’m going home."

A sob rose in my throat, and I shook my head slightly, my lips trembling. "By the time you see this, I’ll already be gone. But don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Nothing bad happened to me. I just... can’t stay."

I inhaled shakily, fighting to keep my voice steady. "Yes, my heart is torn between three men. That’s the truth. But if there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s this—I love you, Callum. I will always love you. And even if the world keeps us apart, that love won’t fade. Not for me."

Tears blurred my vision, spilling freely now. "Please forgive me. Please don’t let this destroy you. Move on. Live your life, even if it’s without me. You deserve happiness, even if I can’t be the one to give it to you."

My voice cracked into a whisper. "I’ll miss you more than I can ever say. Goodbye, Callum. I love you."

I lowered my head, and the camera caught another tear sliding down my cheek before Lila ended the recording.

I stared at Lila’s phone, my reflection trembling across the screen. My lips parted, but no words came for a long moment. Then finally, I whispered his name.

"Nathan..."

The sound broke me. Tears rushed to my eyes. "Four years ago... the first time I saw you, it was at that festival. You probably don’t even remember. But I do. You were breathtaking. I was just a girl, fourteen, but I told myself right then—this is the most handsome boy on earth."

A watery laugh slipped out, choked with sadness. "But then as the days went on, your attitude... it felt like you hated me. And I believed it. I believed you couldn’t stand me. Until a few weeks ago... when I realized the truth. You didn’t hate me. You were scared of loving me."

My lips trembled. "Nathan, I never thought you could love me the way you did. But you showed me what real love is. You showed me what it means to be seen, to be chosen, to be cherished. Nathan... you are my perfect man. If there were another life, I would want to spend thousands of eternities with you. Just you."

My breath caught, but I pressed on. "But, Nathan, there are pieces of me you never knew. I carried secrets because I was afraid of losing you. I wasn’t the omega you thought I was... my story wasn’t what I made it seem. And now, I have to return to where I truly belong."

I swallowed hard, tears spilling freely. "By the time you see this, I’ll already be gone. But I swear to you, I’m fine. Nothing bad has happened to me. I just... can’t stay."

I wiped my cheeks, though fresh tears kept coming. "My mother told me you asked for my hand in marriage." My lips trembled as I whispered, "Please... please marry someone worthy of you. Someone who can stand by your side without secrets or lies. Someone who deserves the man you are."

I pressed a hand against my heart, whispering through my sobs. "Be the Alpha you were born to be, Nathan. Step into it fully. Because wherever I am, I want to hear about you. I want to hear how powerful you’ve become."

My voice shook, breaking apart. "Yes... my heart is torn between three men. But if there’s one thing I know for certain—it’s this: I love you, Nathan. I love you so much. More than words, more than life, more than myself. And I always will."

A final sob left my lips as I whispered: "Goodbye, my love."

The phone captured every tear streaming down my face before Lila quietly stopped the recording.