And then he said it, that word that kept haunting him since childhood.
"you don't deserve her."
**********
FLASHBACK- TEN YEARS AGO
"You wanna meet Hazel?" Rowan was shoved from behind, slamming face-first into the concrete.
Axel smirked, he crouched, fisted Rowan's hair, and yanked his head up. "Look at her, she's born into luxury. One day, Dad throws you out, you'll be nowhere near her feet. She'll spit on your face."
"Hazel would never do that!" Rowan struggled, his voice cracking.
Axel tightened his grip. "Rich ladies love rich guys. You're no less than a servant." He forced Rowan's head down again. And the latter struggled out of his grip.
"Fine, you want to give her flowers? Go ahead. I bet she won't even want them." Rowan watched him leave, his lips pressed thin.
"Rowan?"
He turned. Hazel stood there in a ballet costume, hair in a bun, like a princess.
"Jason and I are going to ballet class, you wanna join?" From the corner of his eyes, Rowan saw Axel lingering at the door.
"Maybe next time. I... I'm a little busy." She gave him a stare which said she didn't believe him, then she waved.
"Okay, see you later then." He watched her leave, while he clenched the rose petals in his fist, crushing them.
Axel was right. He didn't deserve her.
PRESENT.
Axel's words replayed, echoing every hesitation. Rowan's guilt hardened. He let her marry a scumbag, unable to stop her.
"Brother?" He turned.
Dean stood with a first aid box in hand. "Let's get your wound treated."
Rowan didn't argue; he just followed behind.
They settled in the sitting room; Dean pressed ice on his swollen lips. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
"Don't talk nonsense," Rowan groaned.
"Axel is just a little insecure. You know... because Dad made you heir."
Their gazes met briefly before Dean broke it.
"Axel will come around," he added.
"Not buying that," Rowan scoffed.
Dean fumbled with the ointment, his eyes drifting away.
The truth was clear as daylight, but he kept holding on. Rowan wished he could tell him hoping was fruitless. Axel would only get worse.
At the Hart's mansion,
"What were you thinking when you went all the way out to do that without consulting me first?" Rachel's voice cracked from screaming too hard. But who was she kidding? Felix sauntered in like she hadn't just given an ear-piercing lecture. His hands dipped into his pocket, his head bowed.
"Do you know what people are saying? We're supposed to be making comebacks, not humiliating ourselves!" She took a deep breath, not wanting to faint from anger as she stared at her son who walked up the stairs without looking back.
The door hissed open, and Felix stepped in. He took off his jacket slowly, the incident at the Smith's mansion replayed in his head.
*Is she really taken?*
*Rowan and her, are they a thing now, or is she only trying to make him jealous?*
"Fuck," the way she smiled at him. The way Rowan had his hand around her waist.
"Felix?"
Lisa stood by the door, her fist clenched.
"You left me here just so you could propose to Hazel? Why don't you understand that she doesn't love you? She's nothing but a liar and a thief!"
"Are you any better?" Slowly, Felix turned, his bare chest glittering under the dim lights.
"You accepted me despite knowing I had a wife. You acted like you don't want any trouble, yet you packed your bags and came here. So tell me, Lisa, are you any better?"
Lisa couldn't come up with the right words for a moment. "You wanted me to come," she struggled to say.
"You've always wanted to come. You kept asking." It hurt him that he was only getting to see through Lisa's cries and smiles.
"I'm carrying your child, Felix. You can't leave me like this, or I'll end my life and that of your baby's!"
Felix scoffed and took slow steps towards her, one at a time.
"Felix, what are you doing?" Lisa moved backwards. Her words were caught in her throat when Felix wrapped his hand around her neck.
She struggled for air, her legs slowly left the floor.
"Felix... please."
"You want death? I'll give it to you."
Lisa's eyes rolled up, and her body went limp immediately.
"Felix!"
"She's carrying your child. Snap out of it!" Felix threw Lisa on the bed when Rachel stepped in. He wiped his hand with a napkin like he'd just touched filth.
Rachel took a deep breath, going for a softer approach. Thank goodness the lady was still breathing.
"I know you're stressed out about everything, but you're my son, and I raised you for greatness. All you have to do is calm down. Hazel would walk straight into our trap, and this time, we'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget while holding onto her."
Hazel might have been lucky the first time. That was because they didn't know her worth. They thought they made it all by themselves. But this time, they're coming prepared.
She looked down at Felix, who had that blank expression as when he first walked in the door.
He wasn't listening.
He couldn't.
******
At the Smith's Group.
The city spread beneath her like a map. Hazel stood by the window, staring down at the bustling city. She tried getting ahold of him again-Rowan, but he wasn't picking up. He promised he'd pick her up. Did something come up?
She couldn't tell. Tired of standing, she decided to take a walk. With a face cap on, she stepped out of the gates. The sun was starting to set. Perfect timing.
She dialed Rowan's line again, and this time, it didn't go through. Frustrated, she dipped her phone into her pocket after sending him a message, and kept walking. She wasn't leaving until he shows up. She's that stubborn.
Should she stop by a restaurant or grab a cup of coffee from the coffee shop? She couldn't help but weigh both options to kill time. While she was still deep in thought, a sack was yanked over her head; the rough fabric swallowed her vision in an instant. The sack pressed against her face, scratching her skin, and before she knew it, she was shoved into a car, the metal door clanging shut. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and her breath quickened.
"What are you doing? Who are you!" She tried to scream, but her words came out muffled.
"shut up, bitch!" Time seemed to pause as the voice sank into her brain.
Stella?
