All Chapters of THE DON'S CAPTIVE MISTRESS : Chapter 291 - Chapter 300

HAZEL I thought I was strong. I thought that once I was away from Harris, away from the auction house, away from everything, I would be free.I knew it would take time. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe I would wake up the next morning and be okay. But I thought it would be quicker than this.It has been ten days. Ten days, and I still hadn’t left the bedroom. Yes, a small part of me was afraid of facing everyone. Afraid of seeing the looks on the staff’s faces, the soldiers’ faces. But more than that.... I was afraid of Axel.He hadn’t come into my room. We hadn’t met, and somehow that made it worse. I was terrified of what he would look at me and say. Terrified of what he would look at me and think. I knew I shouldn’t be. I knew it. But there was a deep part of me that simply wouldn’t move.So I stayed in the bedroom, telling myself I would go out tomorrow. Tomorrow, tomorrow, and then tomorrow again. And suddenly ten days had passed, and I hadn't made a move out of this room.Angel

HAZEL A thin line of light spilt into the dark corridor from Axel’s office. I stopped just before it, my heart beating faster than it should have. I could hear his voice inside. Calm and Controlled.“.....I want every contact checked again.”Another voice answered, but I couldn’t make out the words.Then Axel spoke again.“No mistakes this time. I want to find that fucker.”Silence followed for a moment. I should leave; I knew I should. This was none of my business. But I stayed rooted to the spot because I hadn’t heard his voice in ten days, maybe because a part of me had been waiting for him to come to me, to ask for me, to make a rule, to tell me to do something.But he hadn’t come, and I hadn’t seen him since he rescued me. Maybe I had wanted to see him. Maybe I was just tired of him feeling like a shadow moving around the edges of my thoughts, of my existence, knowing he was in this house but somehow still so far away.Another man spoke. I thought I recognised the voice.“Where

HAZEL Something about the simplicity of his answer made my eyes burn.“But I... I ran away.” My voice dropped. “You must have been so angry that I left.”“No.” He paused. “I was angry because you were taken from me.”My heart skipped.“And nobody should do that.” His voice was calm, but there was something beneath it. Something hard. “Nobody should have the power to take anything from me, not unless I give it...”Axel looked away for a moment.My breath caught. There was something about the way he said it that made me realise he wasn't talking about Harris simply taking me. He was talking about something much deeper. Something that had nothing to do with my decision to escape.I looked at him for a long moment before I opened my mouth to ask him another question, but he quickly interrupted me before I could get the words out.“You must be so tired from everything, and it's late,” he said, glancing at his watch. “I also have somewhere to be.”I swallowed and looked around the room.“W

HAZEL My heart started beating faster as Axel walked into the dining room. He was dressed in a dark suit, his jacket open, one hand holding his phone as he listened to someone on the other end.He stopped when he saw us. His eyes immediately found mine, and for a second, neither of us moved. His gaze dropped to the plate in front of me, then back to my face. Something almost like satisfaction crossed his expression."You're downstairs."I swallowed."Yes."His eyebrows lifted slightly."That's new."I couldn't help the small smile."I know."Angela looked between us and smiled to herself as she spoke."She finally decided to come out of her room.""I see that."Axel slipped his phone into his pocket. He didn't come toward me. He didn't tell me to stay. He didn't tell me to go. He looked at me."How are you feeling?"The question was simple to one's ear, but not from Axel's mouth. It could have been a simple question, but I noticed the difference. He was asking, not ordering."I'm oka

HAZELAxel picked up his fork and started eating as if this were the most normal thing in the world. I followed; Angela did the same, and somehow, the awkwardness slowly disappeared.“So,” Axel said after a while, “how was your day, Hazel?”I smiled.“Good.”“Really?”I thought about it.“Actually... really good.”Angela smiled.“I knew it.”Axel glanced at me.“What did you do?”I looked at him.“I explored.”His eyebrows lifted slightly.“explored.... The house?”I nodded.“The library. The music room. The sunroom. A few other places.”Axel narrowed his eyes at me with questions in his gaze. I shrugged.“I realised I had never really looked at any of them before.”Axel was quiet for a moment before he said.“It's a big house.”“I know.” I smiled faintly. “But I think I was too busy hating it to notice how beautiful it was.”Something shifted in his expression. Not much, but I saw it. He didn't say anything and went back to his food.Angela, however, did.“Well, finally.”I forced a