تسجيل الدخول~~ Hazel's POV ~~I went to the mansion first thing that morning.I hadn't slept. I had spent the entire night staring at the ceiling, thinking about Kai's face when he walked away from me. Thinking about the way he looked at me like he didn't recognize me.I needed to talk to him. I needed to explain. I needed to make him understand.But when I got to the mansion, he wasn't there.Earlier this morning, my grandmother found me in the hallway, looking lost."Hazel, what are you doing up so early?" she asked simply. "You need to get enough rest, you know. Work officially starts on Monday.""I need to see him," I said.There was a pause, like Grandma was trying to figure out who I was talking about. After a while, she responded. "I know but Hazel, maybe you should give him time…""I can't," I said. "I have to talk to him. I have to explain before things completely get out of hand."I didn't wait for her response. I got back in the car and drove here and now he wasn’t here. I stood still
~~ Kai's POV ~~I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned pale.The entire drive back to the penthouse was a blur of rage and confusion and something I didn't want to name because naming it would make it real.Betrayal.That's what it was. Pure, unadulterated betrayal.She had stood on that stage and revealed herself as Hazel Saint Claire, CEO of E&H Investments, and I had stood there like a fool, my mouth hanging open, unable to process what I was seeing.Hazel Saint Claire.Not Hazel Rossi. Not some woman trying to build a small restaurant. Hazel Saint Claire. Billionaire heiress. CEO of a global company. Granddaughter of Margaret Sinclair.And she hadn't told me.All those months together. All those nights when I had asked her what was wrong and she had lied to my face. All those moments when she could have trusted me, could have told me the truth, and instead she had kept it locked away like I was someone she couldn't rely on.Like I was someone unworthy of the truth
~~ Damon's POV ~~I watched Hazel walk away from us, and something inside me broke.She didn't even look at us, didn't even acknowledge that we existed. She just... walked past like we were invisible. Around us, people were still congratulating her, still celebrating. Still treating her like a queen. But she had walked past all of us without even looking back.Three years. I had been married to this woman for three years. And in that moment, standing in the middle of her restaurant opening, surrounded by powerful people and investors and everyone who mattered, she chose to pretend I didn't exist."Hazel, wait," Clara called after her, but Hazel didn't slow down.She went straight to her grandmother, took her hand, and left.Just like that.Gone.I felt something twist in my chest.Carlos stood beside me, staring at the empty space where his daughter had been."Did that just happen?" he asked, his voice hollow."She's the CEO of a global company," Clara said, her voice shaking. "How is
~~ Hazel's POV ~~I walked back into the restaurant.The energy had shifted completely. The shock was wearing off, replaced by excitement and opportunism. People who had dismissed me minutes ago were now approaching me with smiles and extended hands, suddenly seeing me as someone worth knowing.It was nauseating."Congratulations, Miss Saint Claire," an older investor said, shaking my hand firmly. His grip was too firm, trying too hard. "This is incredible news. E&H Investments opening a branch here is going to change the market entirely. I'd love to discuss potential partnerships with my firm.""Thank you," I said, managing a smile that felt plastic on my face. "I'll have my assistant contact you about scheduling a meeting.""Please do," he said eagerly. "I have some projects that would be perfect for E&H's portfolio."He walked away satisfied, already mentally counting his potential profits.Another woman appeared at my side almost immediately."Miss Saint Claire, I'm Catherine Mora
~~ Hazel's POV ~~"Hazel, wait," Carlos said, his voice breaking. "Please. I'm so sorry. I didn't know about any of this. I'm so sorry for being such a jerk to you. I didn't treat you right. I'm sorry. I want to be your father. I want to fix this. Please, can you forgive me?"“My father?” I shrugged. “Having a father like you is the worst shame of my life.”Clara stepped forward, her face streaked with tears."I treated you terribly," she said. "I said horrible things about your mother. I blamed you for things that weren't your fault. I'm so sorry, Hazel. I'm so, so sorry."Even Melissa looked like she was struggling with something."So what about the restaurant?" Melissa asked, her voice sharp. "This restaurant opening–-what was it for? Who's going to run it now?"I looked toward where Sophia was standing with Kai.I noticed his expression, the shock, the realization starting to dawn. But I couldn't deal with that right now."Sophia," I called out.She came over immediately, already
~~ Hazel's POV ~~I stood at the stage and looked out at the sea of confused faces."My name is Hazel Saint Claire," I said, my voice steady and clear. "For the past three years, you have known me as Hazel Rossi. But that is not my real identity."The room erupted in whispers."My mother was Elena Sinclair," I continued. "She was the daughter of Margaret Sinclair, the chairwoman of E&H Investments. My mother was supposed to take over as CEO of this company, but before she could do that, she passed away."I paused, letting that sink in."When my mother died, my grandmother asked me to take over her position. To step into the role that was always meant to be mine, but I didn't want that life. I wanted freedom. I wanted to build something of my own. I wanted to live a simple life with the people I loved."I looked toward my grandmother, who was watching me with tears in her eyes."So I said no," I said. "I refused. I wanted to be free. I wanted to open a restaurant. I wanted to be just H
~~ Hazel's POV ~~I woke up feeling different.Everything about the world looked different. Everything felt different. The morning light coming through the windows seemed brighter, the air seemed lighter and my body felt stronger.This was it.This was the day I had been waiting for.I got out of b
~~ Hazel's POV ~~I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at my phone.Tomorrow.Tomorrow it would all happen. Tomorrow the restaurant would open. E&H Investments would be there. Everything would change. Everything would shift. The secret I had been keeping locked away would finally come to light.A
~~ Melissa's POV ~~ I was scrolling through the guest list of Hazel’s restaurant opening on my phone when I saw it. E&H Investments. I stared at the name, my mind trying to make sense of it. E&H Investments was a global company. American-based. One of the biggest real estate investment firms in
The drive to the safe house was silent and tense. We were supposed to meet with him tomorrow but the threat had made us push the meeting tonight.Hazel sat in the passenger seat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, staring out the window at the darkening landscape. I kept one hand on the steering







