LOGINHAZELI noticed the cars right away. Several of them, parked under the trees, were hidden well enough that you wouldn’t see them unless you knew where to look. Everything about this place was planned and controlled.We reached one of the cars, and the light flicked on as we approached. The tattooed man got into the front seat without a word. I opened the back door and slid inside, careful of my leg.The door shut, the engine started, and then we were moving. No one spoke. No music played. There was nothing but the sound of the engine and the tyres against the ground. I turned my head toward the window, watching the trees pass by in the dark.I was leaving this place, and I couldn't hide the sadness or the disappointment that came with it. This place was beautiful, and had I not seen the other side of it, it would have been magical. This was the best place I had ever been in my life, and had it not been for Axel, I would have enjoyed it more.But deep down, I knew something else too...
HAZELMy hands clenched slightly.“The forest....” I said quietly. “After everything that happened there with him… I’m still… I’m still not okay.”Silence.“The last thing I want is to be alone with him for hours..... What happened still haunts me, Axel....”“You did that to yourself,” Axel said coldly. “Just like you did this to yourself. You weren’t supposed to go into the forest for a lot of reasons. But you still went anyway.”"That doesn't help what I experienced with him...."“He was trying to teach you a lesson,” he added. “He didn’t touch you.”“He didn’t.....”Axel raised his hand slightly Cutting me off.“If you don’t want to go with Luca,” he said, “fine.”Relief hit me instantly.“Okay,” I said quickly. “Then I’ll just go back to the beach house. I’ll wait for you, and when you’re ready, we’ll leave together.”“No.”The word was immediate and Final.“You’re not spending another minute on this island,” he said. “As I told you....you’re going back home.”And just like that T
HAZEL“No…” I shook my head, stepping back, my body going weak. “No....”“The moment I found out,” he continued, his voice steady, “I didn’t question it or think twice. I killed each and every one of them.”Everything inside me dropped. My legs gave out, and I reached blindly for something, anything to hold onto until I hit the sofa and sank onto it, my hands trembling, my breath uneven.“Their… blood is on your hands,” he repeated, “I didn’t kill them,” I said, barely able to get the words out.“You didn’t have to,” he said. His tone was firm and final.And that was it. No explanation. No regret. Nothing.Silence filled the room, and my tears came faster now, no matter how much I tried to stop them. My chest hurt, and my head spun. I couldn’t breathe properly.Five men. Dead. Because of me.Because I walked out.Because I ran.Because I didn’t think.Axel let the information sink in before, he said, “Now sit down.”But I was still crying. Still trying to process what he had just to
HAZEL“Within reason?” I repeated, disbelief rising again. “You told me, you owned this island. You told me I could go anywhere. You told me to explore.....and that’s exactly what I did.”My voice rose despite myself.“And then you had your men follow me, chase me, lock me up in here....”“Hazel,” he said My name is soft. But firm enough to cut through everything. "You came in here without even knocking. You can't just walk into people's homes without permission...." He took a breath. " Now listen to me."I stopped. Not because I wanted to But because something in the way he said it demanded it. His eyes held mine.“You weren’t followed,” he said quietly. “You were protected.”A hollow laugh almost left me.“Protected?” I echoed.“Yes.”“Is that what you call being locked in a room with men who look like they wouldn’t hesitate to kill me?” I shot back.His jaw tightened—just slightly. The first crack in that calm.“They didn’t touch you,” he said.“That doesn’t make it better!” I sna
HAZELA sharp knock against the door made me flinch.It wasn’t loud But it was deliberate. And that alone made it worse. The last time that the man in charge had come here, he didn’t knock; he just walked in. So why was he knocking now?Why the hell would he knock?My thoughts spiralled, my nerves firing all at once, every instinct screaming at me to be ready, to expect the worst. Before I could even react, the door opened.One of the men from the kitchen stepped inside. Not the man in charge, another one. He was taller. Broader. His face was completely unreadable as his eyes swept over me, quick, sharp, calculating.I straightened instantly, my back stiff, my arms dropping to my sides.“Move,” he said. No explanation. No warning. Just a command.“Where are we....” I started, the words slipping out before I could stop them.Because suddenly, all I could think was that wherever they were taking me… I wasn’t coming back. I had heard enough stories of kidnapping to know that once they m
HAZELThe man moved fast.Not toward me but his hand came up sharply, pressing a finger to his lips in a silent command. "Sssh..." Quiet.I slapped my own hands over my mouth instantly, choking back the rest of the scream, my chest heaving as panic clawed its way up my throat. I couldn’t afford to make them angry. I didn’t know what they would do and I didn’t want to find out.Once I forced myself into silence, he didn’t move. He just stood there, in front of the door, watching me. The door behind him was shut but I hadn’t heard it open. I hadn’t heard him come in or close the door behind him. That alone made something cold slide down my spine.The way he looked at me didn’t help. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t aggressive. It was… measured. Like he was studying me. Taking me apart piece by piece. Deciding something.And I just stood there, unable to speak, unable to think, my mind racing through every worst possibility imaginable. Kill me. Hurt me. Use me.Every horrible thought came ru
HAZELAngela freezes as she stares at me.“Remo? Why?”“You told me he’s the only one who might know where Axel is,” I say flatly. “And I want to know where he is.”“That’s not a good idea,” she says. “And Remo isn’t here.”“I can wait,” I answer undeterred by her words.She studies me. “You’re loo
HAZELI am an idiot.A stupid, stupid idiot.Whàt was I thinking?What the hell was I expecting? That Axel was magically gonna change just because we slept together? That he was gonna..... I don’t know, spoil me? Take care of me after? Say sweet nothings into my ear? Whisper that he loved me?Gosh
HAZELI don’t even have the strength to do my usual bedtime routine. I pull on the teddy pyjamas and crawl under the covers. The last thing I want is another conversation.Of course, when Angela comes back, she lightly touches me. I stir up and give her a look that clearly says, 'Don't push me.'Sh
HAZELWhen I open my door, I expect Nico to be standing there like always..... He isn’t.I frown but don’t dwell on it. I walk downstairs and into the dining room. Axel isn’t there. I tell myself it’s fine. He’s probably late. He’s always busy. I sit anyway.Time passes. Angela comes in, quiet as







