Third Person's POV
Cooper had been with Hazel since she was a child. She and her mother had raised him together, so he wasn’t just a pet; he was family. Since her mother was gone now, Cooper was all she had left. So why did Dominic have to destroy the last bit of comfort she had in this world?
Seemingly not to care, he tossed a statement of forgiveness onto the table in front of her and coldly said, “Caroline is someone very precious to me. That day, when you dirtied her dress, she acted impulsively. It wasn’t her intention to have you beaten. You don’t need to send her to prison. Sign this agreement, and I’ll let your dog go.”
Hazel’s anger flared. “Not her intention? Her people nearly beat me to death! Do you think they would’ve done that if she hadn’t ordered them to?”
Dominic frowned, his voice turning sharp. “You provoked her first. If you hadn’t, none of this would’ve happened. I’ll talk to her later, but for now, sign it.”
Hazel let out a bitter laugh. “And what if I don’t? What are you going to do? Beat me the way you beat Cooper? Go on then, just kill me now!”
For a moment, Dominic froze, irritation flickering in his eyes. “If you don’t sign, then that dog doesn’t need to live.”
Right after his words, one of his men grabbed Cooper and shoved the trembling dog toward the open side door of the moving van. The car was speeding down the highway, and behind them, a string of vehicles followed closely. If Cooper fell out now, he’d die instantly.
Hazel broke down. She had no choice, so with her hands shaking, she picked up the pen and signed the paper. Her signature wobbled across the page, every stroke trembling with pain and humiliation.
She never imagined that Dominic would force her to sign two statements of forgiveness, both times for Caroline. Once upon a time, when she’d only scraped her knee, he’d been the one whose eyes turned red with worry.
She threw the paper in his face and spat, “Get out of my sight! Don’t you ever show up in front of me again.”
Then she pulled Cooper into her arms, shouted for the driver to stop, and stormed out of the car without looking back.
Her figure disappearing into the distance stabbed something deep in Dominic’s chest. He tightened his grip on the agreement, unsure for the first time if he’d gone too far.
He used to treat Hazel like she was his entire world. But now, after hurting her again and again for Caroline’s sake, would she finally give up on him?
No. He shook the thought away almost immediately. Hazel loved him so much. She’d stayed by his side even when he pretended to have lost his memory. She wouldn’t leave him.
Still, he couldn’t keep lying to her forever. Once this was over, he’d cut ties with Caroline for good. He was tired of the amnesia act. It was time to go back to the woman he truly loved.
When that time came, he’d comfort Hazel and make things right again, and she’d forgive him, like she always did.
The unease in his chest faded at the thought. He looked up and ordered his driver, “Take me to the station.”
Days passed. Neither Dominic nor Caroline showed up again, but Hazel often saw their names on the news.
[Breaking! CEO Dominic Blake was spotted watching the sunset by the sea with his sweetheart, looking every bit the loving couple.]
[CEO Dominic Blake buys out luxury brand KJ after his lover mentions she likes variety in her jewelry. Sources say he’s having a private collection designed just for her.]
When Hazel had been with him, he’d never gone public about their relationship. His possessiveness had made him hide her from the world. He’d only ever said he was married, that he loved his wife deeply.
So, the public assumed Caroline, the woman always seen at his side, was his wife.
Hazel didn’t react much to the news. She stayed home, quietly caring for Cooper. And as the day of her departure drew near, she surprisingly found herself beginning to look forward to it.
