CHAPTER 5

HAZEL

I slowly let Anna go and straightened the collar of her blouse like nothing had happened.

“Good,” I said calmly. “Now be a nice girl and send the correct itinerary to my email.”

She stared at me speechlessly.

Honestly, her eyes looked seconds away from falling out of their sockets.

“My temper can get very ugly,” I added softly. “Don’t test me again.”

Without waiting for her response, I walked out of the office and headed back toward Elvis’s office.

I knocked once before entering.

For the first time since meeting him, he didn’t look intimidating; he looked exhausted.

His eyes were shut tightly while one hand pressed against his forehead. Deep lines rested between his brows like he was carrying the stress of an entire country.

“Sir?” I called gently.

His eyes opened slowly. This man had dangerously beautiful eyes, sharp grey mixed with dark brown.

“What?” he muttered.

“You don’t look well.”

“And what exactly will you do if I’m not?”

Still rude. I folded my arms lightly.

“My grandmother was a masseuse,” I said. “She taught me how to relieve headaches.”

One brow lifted slightly.

“You massage heads too?”

I shrugged.

“I know a few things.”

Truthfully, I knew many things. Survival teaches people random skills.

He studied me for a moment before leaning back in his chair.

“For your sake,” he said dryly, “I hope you actually know what you’re doing. My head feels terrible.”

I moved behind him slowly.

I placed my fingers gently against his temples and started massaging slowly.

At first, his body remained tense beneath my hands, then gradually, he relaxed.

His eyes closed completely while I continued the massage carefully.

The room became strangely quiet. For a few seconds, I almost forgot why I was here in the first place.

Suddenly, the office door burst open; Anna froze immediately after stepping inside.

Her eyes landed on my hands touching Elvis. The jealousy on her face was impossible to miss.

“Sir,” she started quickly, “your meeting with…”

Elvis raised one hand without opening his eyes.

“Anna.”

She stopped instantly.

“That was careless.”

Her face changed.

“You do not enter my office without knocking.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“And Hazel handles my schedule now,” he continued calmly. “Focus on your own responsibilities from now on.”

I tried very hard not to smile. Anna glanced at me again before lowering her eyes immediately.

“Understood, sir.”

She left quietly this time.

The second the door shut, Elvis finally opened his eyes and looked up at me briefly.

“You seem proud of yourself.”

I blinked innocently.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Hm.”

He closed his eyes again.

“You can stop now.”

I slowly removed my hands from his head.

He adjusted slightly in his chair before speaking again.

“Prepare yourself. We’ll be traveling to Gold Coast tomorrow morning.”

I frowned immediately.

“That isn’t part of tomorrow’s itinerary.”

Big mistake. The moment the words left my mouth, his eyes opened again.

“Are you questioning me?”

Oops.

“No, sir.”

“Good.”

He stood up slowly from his chair.

“My driver will pick you up by ten tomorrow morning. It’s a two-day business meeting.”

He walked toward a small cabinet behind him and pulled out a designer perfume box.

Then he handed it to me.

“Wear this instead.”

I blinked in surprise.

“Sir?”

“That perfume you wear gives me headaches.”

Wow. Still insulting me while buying me gifts.

I looked down at the expensive perfume in my hand.

“O... okay,” I said slowly. “Thank you.”

He was already walking back toward his desk.

“You can leave now.”

Dismissed again.

One day, I would genuinely strangle this man, and somehow, that thought made me smile.

++++++

DAY 5.

Music blasted loudly across Betty’s apartment while I danced around with one heel in my hand.

Betty watched me like I was mentally unstable.

“You are going for a business trip,” she complained while folding my clothes neatly into the luggage. “Not a honeymoon.”

I grinned.

“Details.”

“This is exactly how people behave before making terrible decisions.”

I dropped onto the bed dramatically.

“You don’t understand. Everything is working too perfectly.”

“That’s what scares me.”

I laughed softly before watching her fold another dress carefully.

“To be honest,” I admitted, “the hardest part now is controlling myself from killing Elvis. That man gets on my nerves constantly.”

Betty suddenly went quiet. I immediately noticed.

“What happened?”

She avoided my eyes for a second.

“I saw Jarvis yesterday.”

The smile on my face disappeared instantly.

“Oh.”

“He was carrying roses.”

I frowned slightly.

“I hate roses.”

“I know.”

The room became silent, then Betty sighed.

“I think the flowers were for your mother.”

My chest tightened painfully. Even after everything, hearing it still hurt.

Did he actually love her?

My own mother?

I looked away quickly before Betty could study my face too much.

“Do you think I’ve changed?” I asked quietly.

She looked confused.

“What?”

“Prison, everything. Do you think I lost...” I swallowed lightly. “My sparkle?”

Betty immediately sat beside me.

“Hazel Carter,” she said firmly. “Don’t ever say nonsense like that again.”

I looked down at my hands.

“You’re still beautiful,” she continued. “Still smart, and hot! If anything, you became stronger.”

A small smile touched my lips.

“What would I do without you?”

“Probably be in prison again.”

I burst out laughing.

“Fair.”

The next thing I knew, I was getting into the luxury car Elvis had sent for me.

Minutes later, I was sitting beside him inside a private jet.

Unfortunately, there was one tiny problem. I hated flying.

No, hate was too small a word. Flying terrified me. My palms became sweaty immediately after the plane started moving.

“You look nervous.”

Elvis’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“I’m fine,” I lied quickly.

The plane began lifting slowly.

My stomach dropped instantly. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand tightly. I expected him to pull away immediately.

Instead, his fingers closed gently around mine.

“Aerophobia?” he asked quietly.

I nodded weakly.

“Breathe,” he said calmly. “You’ll be alright.”

His voice sounded surprisingly soft. I slowly focused on breathing while holding onto his hand like my life depended on it.

I noticed something shocking: Elvis Laurent was smiling, a very small smile.

“I should thank you properly for yesterday,” he said after a while. “The massage helped.”

I looked at him carefully.

“You slept well?” I asked

“No nightmares.”

That caught my attention immediately. So the great Elvis Laurent had nightmares.

Maybe this cold man had soft spots after all, just maybe I could use them.