Half an hour later, Milena posted a new update online.
[It’s just a tiny scratch from my manicure, but someone panicked so badly he almost crashed racing over to see me.]
Hazel laughed out loud.
Milena’s pinky finger with a barely visible cut. A wound that small could make Vincent Clarke, the man known for his calm and control, lose his composure. Yet when her own sister was dying, he hadn’t even looked her way.
The difference between being loved and not loved had never been so cruelly clear.
Lost in thought, Hazel accidentally tapped the “like” button. Almost instantly, her phone rang. Vincent called.
“I was the one who wanted to come back to see Milena,” Vincent said sharply. Why are you so angry? Don't make things difficult for her."
Hazel smiled bitterly. He was furious over a ‘like’ button?
When she didn’t respond, Vincent’s tone softened, realizing he’d sounded harsh.
He took the initiative to soothe her, “Hazel, don’t overthink. I already brought your father out of the cold room — he’s awake now. As for your sister’s surgery, it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. There’s a storm tonight and Milena’s terrified of thunder. I can’t leave her alone.”
Hazel lowered her eyes to hide her disappointment.
“I see. If that’s all, I’ll hang up now.”
She ended the call and let her tears fall freely.
When Vincent ignored her, she didn’t cry.
When he broke their promises, she also didn’t cry. Even when Milena used Vincent’s affection to bully her, she endured in silence.
But watching her family suffer because of that woman — that broke something inside.
Hazel cried for a long time before regaining her composure.
Then, she picked up her phone and called a man she hadn’t spoken to in years — David Federer, Vincent’s long-time rival and the man who had once pursued her endlessly.
“You once said you’d wait for me. Does that offer still count?”
“I’ll be with you. But I need your help to fake my death and leave this place.”
Seven days from now, there would be a grand cruise gala. She’d take her family and leave Vincent once and for all. Because with his obsessive, possessive nature, she knew he’d never agree to a normal divorce.
Once David agreed, Hazel hung up the call.
Suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over her. She uncontrollably retched a few times.
A bad premonition washed over her.
Looking pale, she went straight to the hospital for a pregnancy test.
When she saw the result, she froze.
She was three months pregnant. Completely unaware until now!
Without a second of hesitation, she turned to the doctor. “Schedule an abortion. Immediately.”
Yeah, she couldn't keep this child.
The doctor looked startled. “Your baby’s perfectly healthy — actually, there’s a high chance it’s twins. Are you sure you want to end them?”
Tears spilled down Hazel’s cheeks; she turned her face away, hiding them. She wanted these children — more than anyone else. But Vincent had changed. He didn’t even care about her father—his own mentor. So how could he possibly care about the babies growing inside her?
“I’m sure,” she whispered. “Do it today.”
The moment she was wheeled onto the cold operating table, her body went cold.
Until the anesthetic took effect, her world went dark.
When she woke, her hands instinctively went to her stomach. The life that had once been there was gone. And though her heart shattered, she told herself—this was the only way.
Dragging her exhausted body, Hazel returned to her sister’s hospital room. Her sister lay there, skin pale as paper and covered in IV tubes.
Hazel’s will hardened. She had done the right thing. Ending the pregnancy and planning her escape.
Still in her clothes, she lay down beside her sister and fell into a restless sleep.
The next morning, Hazel drove back to the Clarke mansion to pick up her father. But when she opened the door, she froze — the sight before her made her blood run cold.
